to breastfeed without a cover in front of my family?

[MOB247]

I currently have a 5mo old ebf baby.

I normally cover up whenever I'm out and about feeding my baby because I'm really self conscious but when I'm at home with my family and especially my sisters I feel comfortable to not use a cover.

Today my sister has really upset me (I don't think she meant to) by saying that she finds it weird when I breastfeed and she doesn't like seeing it! She and her partner are currently ttc and she won't consider bf.

I am now wondering if my whole family feel the same way and don't really want to cover when I go to my parents or my sisters house! But I now feel like I will be on eggshells every time my baby needs feeding!

Should I continue on as normal ?? Would I be being unreasonable to do this? Or go to a separate room or use a cover?

Should I ask my family if they're comfortable with it? I just assumed they would be rightly or wrongly!

Tell her if she feels uncomfortable go and sit in another room.

Fantastic response, Rupert. And the YouTube clip is spot on.

I could never be bothered with a cover. I did the vest under a top, one up one down so once he was on there was nothing to see really. Used a muslin as a cover in front of fil, he never really said anything but could tell he was uncomfortable with the thought of seeing anything.

Never ever had a negative comment, one or two supportive comments from random strangers.

Your sis IS thinking about bf because she's facing up to her own attitudes - you are a role model!! So be out and proud, and point out that public bottle feeding could be really really embarrassing....
Were you and your sisters breasfed, or were you the bottle generation? What about your parents? Widespread formula feeding is a western aberration that probably goes back 2 generations, every other human since Eve has been breastfed, surely.
Choosing to bottle feed against all medical evidence is the odd choice, after all.

I could understand if you were embarrassed about whipping out a boob n front of your bil or elderly uncle, but your sister needs to get over herself!

No your SIL is BVU! Tell her that if she doesn't like it, she's welcome to leave the room or put a cover over her eyes as some other posters suggested. You keep doing your thing and feeding your baby the way that you please. She needs to grow up and shut her jealous mouth.

Sil is being unreasonable. My daughter is currently breastfeeding although not so much now as baby is 13 months, no way would she ever cover up Either at home or out. If In a restaurant or park she is discreet and we tend to choose a quiet spot but that's it. I do sometimes have to remind her to pop her boob back In afterwards Tho lol

Thanks for all the replies - I've been feeling a bit down today and they really cheered me up especially the you tube videos!

Me and my sisters were all ff - my mum did want to bf but she had trouble and she's always been really supportive of me bf my children.

I think I'm going to just carry on what I'm doing - apart from in her house and I guess I will ask her first. Most of the time I see her at my mums house so I can do what I like then!

I just don't understand where she is coming from. Me and my sisters have always been close - I've seen her naked a few times we used to do
Swimming etc and gym and I don't see why a bit of boob is so terrible.

Plus I have been feeding for 5 months now and she has only just mentioned it!! I also had a hard time with bf in the beginning and nearly gave up at 3 was but am finding it much easier now.

Oh well another day and all that. Thanks again for your encouraging words.

Yup, get a cover and throw it over your sister's head - that's the best solution.

Well done for sticking with it Mob! I agree with everyone else. You're sister is being silly and rude. I never used a cover in 14m of bfing and never got any comments anywhere.

She's only not being unreasonable if she also covers her own head when eating and drinking.

For the first 4months I BF everywhere without a cover. Then my baby started pulling off mid-feed to look around and I kept spraying milk! So I started using a BebeChic cover everywhere. I love it. I feel less exposed and it's easier than keeping a scarf in place.

I use my cover whenever I'm in public and also in front of my dad, as he gets embarrassed if I get my boob out in front of him!

If you have a tendency to spray milk (especially if it sprays a long way like mine) I would say yes, use a cover as no-one wants bodily fluids spraying at them! If not, why bother with a cover?

Having said that, if my sister or relative/friend felt awkward about me BF openly I would probably pop the cover on, it's no hassle and I wouldn't want her to feel embarrassed.

Obviously she is being unreasonable, and you should continue to feed your baby however and wherever you want...

But just remembering a situation with my FIL and SIL, and wondered if it might be something like this? She was very confident with feeding and would just pull her whole top down while her DS fed, some weeks later FIL said to me and my DH that it made him so uncomfortable as he didn't know where to look and could we ask her to cover up a little bit. He wasn't being nasty, he was very old and just a bit embarrassed, it wasnt said maliciously at all, and I did talk to SIL about what he'd said. (She was fine with it.)

So not that it makes it better, but could she be asking for a reason like this?

Firstly, well done for sticking with breastfeeding! It's a bloody hard slog to start with.

Secondly, tell your sister to grow up.