to breastfeed in public even though DH is uncomfortable with it and thinks I should find somewhere private?

[Sequine]

DS is 7weeks. He often struggles to latch and slips off repeatedly during a feed, so I dislike feeding under a shawl and find it hard to be discreet, as I need to keep reattaching him. I wear wrap dresses so I can just pull dress and bra down at one side. I don't really care if anyone sees my breast and don't feel the need to hide away in a corner or find a baby changing room for privacy. I've BF in the middle of Costa, in restaurants, in clothes shops and in a furniture shop, also in GP waiting room and in the back of a taxi as DS was crying and hungry. However, DH thinks BF should be a private thing and thinks I should either feed under a shawl or take a bottle of expressed milk. He said not to be surprised if shop manager asks me to feed elsewhere. My BF support group all say they feed anywhere and are against shawls as they think it makes BF out to be something obscene.
What do others think? Would you be offended by someone BF a small baby without a shawl? Are there places where its inappropriate to BF?

My teen boys have/do see me topless, when younger they saw me bfeed and will do again next year when baby no 6 arrives. My 16yr old isn't bothered by bfeeding or seeing my breast and nor are my younger boys (13, 10 and 7). All have seen me bfeed or see me in the shower or bath or when getting changed and they have seen my friends bfeeding etc. We have a relaxed attitude to nudity I guess, the bigger madthings keep themselves covered up now but are not bothered seeing me or each other naked and certainly not remotely bothered by anyone feeding a baby or toddler.

I have fed on buses, trains, the tube, the London Eye, at parks, restaurants, churches for funerals and weddings,

Pressed post too soon.

Basically I have fed wherever I have been with my baby and life goes on, esp with multiple children so that has been all over the place. My kids have grown up seeing it as normal so hopefully there are plenty growing up who won't perpetuate outdated attitudes as shown by some here.

Thete is nothing entitled about bfeeding anywhere. Some of the attitudes and language displayed on this thread is very telling, misogyny is rife.

liesel, I can't engage with such grammatically poor posts and I haven't time to read those links. You have been preternaturally aggressive and you will not convince me that there is no backstory underpinning your investment here.

No time to read the links? Ha fucking ha. Time is clearly something you have plenty of this afternoon. And now you've got egg aaaaaall over your face. But don't worry, even if you won't look at them, other people have.

And I told you what the backstory is- utter advocacy for a woman's right to choose. Even when they, gasp, do something with their body that I wouldn't. My posts on childbirth threads will also back this up. The fact that you can't manage to get your head round this reflects badly on you, nobody else.

I'd ignore ellie

The vitriol is unbelievable

I breast fed ds1 til he was 18 months and ds2 til he was 2 (dd was 10 months). Seems a bit harsh that they couldnt go on the beach til they'd gotpast thebreast feeding stage

And i call bollocks on all this talk of women sitting with their boobs hanging out in public places feeding babies

I'm happy to believe that people have seen it once or twicebut not to the extent that some on this thread are saying

I've never seen this in RL, everyone I've seen has been very discrete

Elle Why are you taking your new born to Claridges for afternoon tea when some poor septuagenarians have saved up all year for a scone and a pot of tea have to be assailed by your whining baby

Have many septuagenarians personally complained to you about how disgruntled they have been to be assailed by a whining baby (either breastfeeding or not) the last time they were in Claridge's eating a scone? Otherwise, you are making assumptions and complaining on behalf of an entire tranche of society who may not need your support. And again, this is a bit of an ageist comment, a bit like your 'old geezer' on the beach.

I have to say, I do find some of your descriptions of BFing mothers and their breasts rather revolting, and seriously wonder if you are, as you insist, actually a woman yourself. I may be wrong of course, but your choice of words is rather offensive, IMO.

As for the lobbing of nipples and 'buzzwhams' (bizarre word) all over the place, surely that has to be an athletic impossibility. I'm in my 50s and have lived in, and travelled to, many places, and have honestly never seen either a boob or a nipple being lobbed anywhere. This surely has to be in your rather strange imagination.

Pinot I struggled to BF my first baby and tried expressing. This caused massive problems with Mastitis and not being able to produce enough milk. (And the machine was very noisy and likely to invite far more interest than if I had just been able to feed naturally). Also, tiny babies can get confused as the way they feed from the breast is different from how they feed from a bottle. (At least, it was back then). So that is not always a viable option. In any case, why should it be, if the mother doesn't choose it?

This thread is riveting!

There are some odd people, as displayed by one or two posters here, who think breastfeeding is an abomination to be hidden away like some kind of dirty secret, whereas in reality, it is an utterly beautiful act.

I'm enjoying myself far too much laughing at what an arse she is rufus. Imagine, accusing someone of lying about being a formula feeder and then finding out that mere days ago, she posted about using a Perfect Prep machine! Knowing that people are delighting in your embarrassment.

You find 'buzzwams' revolting? It was used a lot on my last antenatal thread in 2013 - nothing odious about it. We coined 'nobber' and 'fanjo' too, around 2012 on a forum before I miscarried, so please calm down.

Taking little babies on hot beaches bloody well is selfish, it has nought to do with how you feed it.

I truly am thrilled for you, Mrs IGambolNakedInFrontOfMyTeenagedSons, that your libertarian attitude to nudity in the home has wrought something akin to The Naked Waltons, but you see, you are in the minority; most mothers would rather eat their own arm that do the same.

I'm leaving the discussion now as my toddler needs me.

• than do the same..

My DP has just said he thinks that men should be supporting breastfeeding. He said would it help if he got a doll and sat with it on his man boob? He said he's pretty sure that's more offensive than a woman actually feeding a baby, but reckons he would get less hate, because he's a man. (We know this is a stupid idea, but I sort of see what he's trying to say!)

Honestly if my DP, who has never seen me breastfeed, or any of his family breastfeed can understand that boobs are for feeding babies and we should support the woman in choosing to do so, when and where she wants, then surely other women can. Why so much hate? If you don't like it don't fucking look! No one is forcing you to stare.

I actually said I thought 'buzzwhams' was bizarre. It is some of your other descriptions I found revolting.

Not this nonsense about the elderly getting upset about seeing breastfeeding, please. The elderly are frankly a whole lot more robust than some of the delicate flowers round here.

As for old geezers - my 63 year old DH managed to survive seeing me and my friends breastfeeding publicly 30 years ago, I don't think it's going to bother him too much if he staggers into Claridges and sees it now.

Yes, yes...bf-ing is always always an utterly beautiful act, especially when mum is sobbing with the pain of bleeding nipples and blocked ducts. Grow up and stop with the romanticising.

If breasts are not primarily sexual things in the minds of the public why do some of you squirm at the thought of getting yours out on the beach abroad?

Maybe because my breasts are pretty sensitive and I don't fancy getting them sunburnt? I wouldn't get my arse out either tbh

There really is no need, for women to be so horrible to one another on here. It is fine that some people would prefer some "boob discretion". But anyone saying that they feel a bit uncomfortable seeing boobs in public, gets absolutely flamed. I actually found my friend BF quite uncomfortable, as there was zero discretion. She would get her boobs out and then do other stuff with them out, for maybe 5 mins before she latched the baby on. She would do this in a room full of men. She would also leave them out after baby had finished. And yes, that made me feel very awkward.

Also, "buzzwams"? What are you, 12?

Projecting your issues there much Elle whilst trying to gain sympathy as you realise your opinion is the minority?

Grow up.

Grow up Oh! The irony

And why exactly is taking a child to a beach selfish?? Do child catchers live at the beach? What do you think people who live in hot countries with children do?

Evans what did I do?!

Ok. Wow. This is such an odd post as thought all this bollocks was in the past. It's enshrined in UK law now that a woman has the right to bf in public if needed.

I bf my 4, youngest 16 now, for a year and never ever had any negative comments.

It's not beautiful or disgusting it's a kid drinking milk. No big news just that really.

When you feed no one really knows anyway as the baby covers your breast. I used a silk scalf as I didn't particularly want the world to see my boob but that was my choice.

Really suprised at your dhs attitude op. He sounds very childish.

No, not you Piper - replying to Elle telling me to grow up

Dum de dum de dum.....

She would get her boobs out and then do other stuff with them out, for maybe 5 mins before she latched the baby on. She would do this in a room full of men. She would also leave them out after baby had finished.

Of course she did.

Elle isn't managing to stick the flounce...

And ilive, it's the people who are saying public bf makes them uncomfortable so women shouldn't exercise their legal right to do it who are coming away a bit singed. The problem isn't some individuals not liking it. It's those who want others to bear the brunt of their dislike. Two different categories of people.