to think nearly all the mums I see are bottle feeding?

[newmumma2015]

Not judging those who can't breastfeed but when taking my new born out the past 3 months I've only seen one other mum breastfeeding. Are you all hiding?

Some people don't like to breastfeed in public. When ds was a baby, I would feed in my car (parked obv!) rather than feed in a place where people could see me.

Despite what some people claim most bf is incredibly discreet so it just looks like mum is snuggling the baby or carrying in a sling. A bottle is much more obvious so you are more likely to notice

I only saw bf mums- I pumped and got judgey comments about bottle feeding as they assumed in was ff.
Tbh I have every sympathy with mums who struggle to bf or with medical issues and turn to ff but think mums who ff from birth awful can't get my head round it a baby is such a precious thing more important than anything you have to do your best for it surely

ive only ever seen ffers get judged. as you can see from above comment

I'm hiding at home. I'm crap at feeding in public. Both DS and now DD only feed by lying on the feeding pillow. My post natal depression is coming along nicely as a result

I breastfeed out and about. However I have never seen anyone else do it, unless they are all really good at stealth feeding.

I've only had nasty comments regarding bf, I think it is probably that both happen but you tend to notice the ones that are against your method.

Seeing other people bf in public does help make you feel less self-conscious, try not to worry though, the law is on your side if anyone tries to move you along etc. I was really scared to bf in public but once I got started it got a lot easier.

And???? It's called free choice!!

it must be a regional thing, i never received a single negative comment when i used to get them out whenever ds2 needed a feed. one elderley lady asked if she could stroke his head while he fed which was just as lovely as being able to pass ff ds1 on to someone to feed him (when i was such an awful fucking mother )

It's an even split where I am down south.

I BF DD for 4 months, then expressed as she went on a nursing strike and after 5 weeks of pushing on with feeding, I decided to cut me and DD some slack and formula feed. She is much happier on formula, and now I've 'got over' the fact I 'failed' ( I felt like an awful mother, as Breast is Best is pushed so much), I'm happier than I ever was breast feeding. As a younger mother, I feel very self conscious bottle feeding because of the comments I have had - 'why aren't you BF-ing?' 'Younger mothers don't BF, do they?' 'Youre just worried about your breasts sagging' etc

I didn't bf outside the house until my second, I seldom went far from home with my first. I was terrified of being judged or confronted and felt very vulnerable.

When feeding my second, my worst fear came true, a lady came over to me after looking at me and DD for a while. She told me I had a beautiful child, and that as a former midwife she was pleased to see me bf out and about, and I should be proud of my hard work. I worried a lot less after that, and fed ds2 in public without feeling so anxious.

I know bf rates in Scotland are low, when I had ds1 nearly eight years ago, only 16% of mums in my area bf for more than six weeks, but it is possible there are more than you think, they are just shy like me!

Shockingly enough bf mums can get support from ff mums and vice versa ; )

I'm a Scot now residing below the border, I did most of our 2.5 years bf in Scotland, never had any comments, couple of stares

So ladies who choose to formula feed are not supportive of you breastfeeding because they use bottles?

They could say that you breastfeeding is not being supportive of their choice to formula feed.

Ridiculous, right? Well so is your stupid, judgy post.
I take it you expect a fanfare and applause because you made the right choice to breastfeed?

And why the hell do you care how other people choose to feed their children? Breastfeeding isn't some mark of honour for more superior parenting you know.

Does it matter???

I don't think this is a judgy post. The op just asked where the bf mums where. I think the same thing sometimes when I do go out. I'm not bothered how people feed I just don't like being the only one bfing. It's silly I know.

And why the hell do you care how other people choose to feed their children? Breastfeeding isn't some mark of honour for more superior parenting you know.

Bit of an overreaction, no?

I felt weird and awkward breastfeeding at first when it felt like everyone else around me was bottle-feeding. Not because I thought I was superior, or wanted praise, or thought ff mothers were bad parents, or thought they would not be supportive of me. Just because it does feel weird to be the odd one out, especially when it's something you're self-conscious about in the first place.

I think nearly everyone I know bf and I'm in Scotland. I know what you mean about support though. When I first moved here and didn't really know anyone I felt awkward when feeding DS for the first time at baby group. Felt much less selfconcious when someone else in the room also started feeding her baby.

I fed my baby expressed milk when out and about for the first three months because we had such trouble BFing without pillows and assistance, I would never have left the house otherwise. I was very aware of being silently judged for bottle feeding. Tbh full-time expressing was hell on earth and mothers who do it, whether by choice or not, deserve medals and cake.
When DS turned three months I gave BFing another shot and have been very successful for four months now, even out and about. But I still carry emergency ready-made bottles of formula around with me just in case he is being fussy or it's awkward and uncomfortable to try and BF him wherever we are.

However you feed your baby, people are going to have an opinion. Hopefully they won't comment, but if they do, offer them the alternative: screaming, hungry baby!

I think the answer for the OP is in most bf is so discreet as to not quite register. A bottle is quick to spot.
I used to frequently be feeding & still shopping with my sling. Or sat reading a paper. No bottle can mean a free hand so it looks at casual inspection as though the mother is doing something else.

How do you feed in a sling? I have a moby wrap, does anyone know how to feed in one of those?

My bloody boobs are so big and flappy that I just can't be discrete. But throwing a brightly coloured, patterned apron over myself is even more of a flashing beacon

It's pretty much all BF round here, I get judged, quite openly, from other mums at play group (not the ones that know me) but what they don't know is that I did BF for 2 weeks, but then DD was so hungry, she actually burst a blood vessel and ended up with my blood in her mouth. So yes, I FF but I absolutely hate it, I just couldn't go through that again.

There are YouTube tutorials on how to breastfeed in a Moby. I never did get it figured out, though.