Discreet breastfeeding [title edited by HQ]

[KnackeredMerrily]

Am I the only one to get furious when I keep reading people being 'reasonable' about breastfeeding.

"I dont mind people breastfeeding wherever they like as long as they're discrete about it."

There was NOTHING discrete about my breastfeeding. I didn't have the right breasts or the right latch to be able to be one of those who could do it with no one having a clue. Neither could I put a cover on - I needed to be able to keep a decent eye on him, make sure I wouldn't smother him with a boob, make sure he was attached and I never felt able to happily breathe under a cover (I have asthma) so I was never happy doing it to my son. For the first few months I used 2 hands feeding so it was tricky to establish latch under a cover and keep it so I could peek.

I feel that other women who cannot be discreet should be able to breastfeeds wherever they like and I feel a prang of pride everytime I am chatting to a Mum who is nonchalant about how much boob she shows when she is feeding. Good for them.

No new mother thinks "Hoorah, breastfeeding is a great excuse to get my tits out in public". It's always the caveat "as long as they're not showing anything", that really pisses me off. The ones that don't are not doing it for attention!!!

It's not even just the Mail, it's every comments section of every piece on the Claridges story. Bizarre and ridiculous and makes me feel increasingly uncomfortable about feeding my baby in public, because who knows how many of the people around you might be those hate-spewers online.

Until the (unattractive!) militant feminism kicked back in after reading about 500 of them, anyway

I am starting to hear "I don't object to breastfeeding in public, but..." in the same way as "I'm not racist, but..." or "I have nothing against gay people, but...", in that whatever comes after the "but" means "oh yes I am."

All this debate about breastfeeding

B'f'ing needs to be done.

ignore the naysayers, continue B'f'ing

Anyone that expressed their concern when I was b'f'ing, I told them to call the police... No one ever did.

This spews from the beast that is 'political correctness'

Oh as as for the Claridges protest, REALLY? Don't those mothers know how cold it is today?

Better to save all that for a warmer day no?

Coming back to the DM article about Erica Roe: the whole article (and about 80%) of the comments are about how fantastic and heart-warming it is that Erica Roe showed her breasts to everyone, and those were the days, weren't they, lads, and she made men very happy. The comments talk about the wonderful days of the 70s before "political correctness" set in.

All seemingly unaware of the contradiction between admiring a woman for what can only be described as an "ostentatious" display of her breasts in a very public place, while being disgusted at a woman for using her breasts to feed a baby in a tea room.

Just looked at the Erica Rowe article - what a difference in the positive and admiring comments compared to all those who were disgusted at mothers who BF their babies in public and were basically saying put them away love.

So infuriating.

Would be nice if a journalist picked up on these two articles and looked at the difference in attitudes regarding them.

Mathew Wright - are you browsing today!

She said that we have to understand that the type of person who supports UKIP is often older and not very well educated.

No we don't have to understand them.

If older not very well educated people decide they don't want homosexual couples staying in their hotel, then its tough shit. If they come out with comments that might be racially provocative then that's tough shit too.

So why is it, when women need to do something that is pretty essential for the health and well being of their child, we have to suddenly be empathetic to how other people might think because of their age or education?

Its bullshit.

And we are still waiting Tron....

Heavenly, the test is whether you would formula feed in the same place, surely, not whether an adult would eat there?

"The reason people complain is because why can you not "feed" the baby before you leave home "

What if you do, but it's half an hour to drive and park and get into the shops then a couple of hours round. The shops (or less if a newborn) and whoops, it's time to feed again. And if no feed, baby screaming and distracting driver all the way home? What a great plan.

To cheer you up, from Green's Restaurant

When I fed DS outside of the house it was because I thought

"Hmm, I could give my son a breastfeed here, on the sofa, with no bra on, the TV on and a cup of tea. Or, I could go out to the shops/afternoon tea, sit awkwardly in a fucking uncomfortable chair and play my favourite game 'hide the nipple' whilst the baby fusses. Yes, why not, I haven't shown anyone any breast today I'll just go out now before he is due a feed."

Just feed before you go out. They put should these clever clogs in charge of the economy with genius ideas that no one else has thought of.

If you read, it wasn't at you heavenly. I am having a good old internet rant with what I would like to say to people who think that "feed before you go out" is a clever solution. I wasn't actually sure whether you thought it.

The Guardian has now reported on the breastfeed protest outside Claridge's. The comments on it have plumbed new depths of moronic fucking stupidity. (I mention this here because you can't write "moronic fucking stupidity" on the Guardian site.) They include a new gem, namely that the women who took their babies out on a cold day such as this should be reported to social services.

heavenly, people do think women should 'just feed before they go out', but that is because they don't understand how breastfeeding works and how frequently and unpredictably tiny babies can want to feed. These are the same people who think 'just pump and use a bottle' is a great and straightforward suggestion.

Because some views and beliefs are stupid and wrong.

It's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. Some opinions are wrong. In lots of circumstances, the idea of 'just feeding before you go out' is not a solution because babies need very frequent feeding.

Did somebody actually say social should be called because mothers took their babies out in the cold?

What were they all naked or something?

Can't fight the bf'ers on bf'ing... Oohhh, let's pick a different fight.

Haven't done this myself but it is very common in the nordics to have an outside crib. Babies sleep incredibly well in subzero temperatures (wrapped right up, obviously) lovely fresh air and all that.

YANBU. I have so much to say on this issue, but I'm a celeb calls so I will say this - the discreet argument only ever washes with me if the person is then expecting every woman who doesn't wear a polo neck to put a blanket over their chest. Because it seems to be that people men don't mind looking at breasts until they're used for their primary purpose. Like the reminder that breasts are not in fact there to serve their sexual purposes doesn't sit well with them so they want them hidden in the corner pretending it doesn't count.

heavenly, can you not see anything moronic and stupid in the comment suggesting that mothers who take their babies out in cold weather should be reported to social services? Or the comments that liken breastfeeding to defecating?

op I totally agree my babies used to latch and and off and mess about, I was a bit clumsy etc too esp with dd, however why the hell shouldn't I bf in public, I dot want to be stuck inside with the curtains closed for month and months on end
surefire recipe for pnd imo