...to ask whether people still feel judged breastfeeding in public?

[Trifleorbust]

What are people's experiences of bf in cafes, shops, etc?

I am taking my newborn out more regularly now. I've noticed there are lots of mums out and about in Starbucks, M&S, local cafes etc, but very few breastfeeding their babies. In fact I am the only one I have seen (normal town centre). It doesn't make me feel awkward but I am curious about why this is. I know around 20% of mums are bf by 6 weeks so I would have expected to see fewer mums feeding their babies this way, but am surprised to see none.

I'm wondering whether people are feeding at home or mixed feeding when they go out? Whether they feel there is still public censure about bf in public?

Please no comments about how people choose to feed other than as relevant to the thread (how it feels to feed in public).

I fed my daughter anywhere and everywhere and never got any comments. I genuinely think most people don't notice and think you're having a cuddle.

I've bf all three of mine, still bf 7m ds. I've had many a stare but only once had someone actually said anything to me about it - waitress suggested I may be more 'comfortable' in the loo.

Ds is very nosy and fussy so it's a bit of a faf to feed him, I'm usually found standing rocking him whilst feeding which very likely draws attention to us, but I wear nursing clothes and layers so there's nothing to see.

I've fed everywhere imaginable now so it doesn't bother me. Current favourite feeding place is my local Costa. They always bring me an ice water over with my hot drink.

Breastfed both DS and DD in public. Found many places had parent/baby areas (shopping centres etc) so sat there comfortably and got nappy changes done straight after, or just asked wherever I was if there was somewhere comfortable I could sit to feed a wriggly baby. I never got directed to a toilet or had any weird looks - generally, nobody batted an eyelid.

I did have a couple of raised eyebrows but they were more of a double take. The first one was whilst I was having my eyebrows waxed in John Lewis and DD decided she needed to pop on the boob. I was wearing a pretty loose top so she just hid herself under it and had her little legs sticking out of the bottom whilst I could see down. A guy was walking past and couldn't quite understand where these little feet were coming from until I held her through my top The other time was when DS was hungry in House of Fraser and I parked myself on the stool thingies where people try on shoes. Nobody really gave a shit at all apart from the snooty lady over on the fancy accessories section who gave me a few eye rolls but I think she would have done that to anyone walking past.

EBF my little boy who is approaching 4 months. I regularly feed in public (it's taken a while to build up confidence though) and this is mainly in coffee shops, usually surrounded by other mums. The only person who has ever batted an eyelid is a young waiter who came to take my order and promptly forgot what I said! Glasgow based.

My DD had latching issues (tongue tie) so with multiple latching, using a nipple shield and a muslin to hold up my boob it was not discrete and it took hours per feed. I found feeding it public difficult.

I felt judged feeding in public when I moved for formula.

I breastfed in cafes whilst DD was very little and never had a problem. Not once. Having said that, I would usually work around feeds or feed in the car or a feeding room. Just my preference. Once DD got to about 4-5 m it became difficult to feed in public as she was so nosy I would be left exposed.

I had a preference for debenhams cafe in my town which was just right for bf. If you are bf discretely, it's actually hard for anyone to notice what you are doing at all.

I only ever had a weird moment when i was breastfeeding on the tube...dd was crying so i picked her up and unbuttoned...a couple were staring so i stared back until they looked away embarrassed. I had a huge scarf so i was being discreet but some people are just bloody judgemental and rude.

I personally felt very uncomfortable breastfeeding in public and found it overwhelming going out because of the worry of breastfeeding. I was more comfortable doing when I had my partner with me or freind/family.
If possible I would always try do it in the a car but I don't drive myself so that wasn't always an option.
I never had any abuse of anyone for breastfeeding in public but I personally found it scary

I bf my twins in public. Normally separately when out but would do together if they screamed. I was very wary at first but after a few weeks (we were out and about from 4wks) i just got on with it. I had other mum friends who bf too. Only time I specifically hid doing it was while in Middle East. Although they are more pro bf and have lovely mums rooms in toilet that were spotlessly clean and normally had wifi so was quite happy to go sit in there and feed them while mumsnetting

My baby isn't born yet but I hope when the time comes I will be brace and go for it. I think it's utterly ridiculous that we should feel remotely reluctant but at the same time I do feel inhibited.... I want to (ง'̀-'́)ง the good (ง'̀-'́)ง!,

Bf happily here where ever and when ever.
Never had a negative experience (although like others above, a few people liked to talk about the wonders of formula very loudly on rare occasions)
I very often felt alone though. I remember being in a large food court and every other baby was visibly bottle feeding. I don't care how other babies feed so it's not that, more I felt like an awkward outlier...

Have breast fed each of mine in public cafes, park, beach and never felt uncomfortable

DD (12), DS (10) for about a year each, DD (2)is still going strong

In north Scotland and only comment I ha ever had was a positive one from an older lady who thought it was lovely that I was breast feeding DD2

Breastfed both of mine in public from day one and never felt judged or frowned upon. With ds I covered him with a shawl but with dd (now 10 weeks) I just find a relatively quiet corner and feed her discretely. The only comments I've had have been positive. If anyone had an issue with it I'd give them both barrels. I too wonder where all the breastfeeding mums are!

I never felt judged, never felt uncomfortable, don't remember anyone ever really paying much attention.

I BF DS1(22) for 6mths and DS2(20) for a year. I never had a comment from any one when I was out and about. I don't think people really notice, TBH. I don't.

I felt very nervous the first time I BF DD in public. I used a cover the first few times but found that more of a faff so stopped! Never had any comments, positive or negative. To be honest, you probably just haven't noticed many BF mothers, as most of the time it just looks like a baby being cuddled.
The most off putting was when MIL craned to look down the opening of the cover

I've fed all mine wherever they've needed feeding. I felt a little bit self-conscious with my first, but got more confident as I went along. I used to be a bf peer supporter and kind of felt it my duty to feed out and about as I think the more mothers there are doing it, the more acceptable it will be. I've never had any negative comments only positive ones.

DD is 9 weeks, we are supplement feeding so breast followed immediately by now bottle (tube feeding until 8 weeks) I've fed in cafes, coffee shops, a smart London restaurant and the only time I have felt uncomfortable was at the doctors surgery where a middle aged man could not stop gawping! I was too shocked and new to say anything but would now. I feel more judged when I get out the bottle.

I feed in public but I'm uncomfortable about it. I try to choose a table / seat that allows me to feed as discretely as possible, and will actively avoid being in direct sight of men. I draw the line at one of those aprons though, it's not fair for DD to be closed in while she's feeding. I do it with the least possible amount of flesh on show! Weirdly I'm also uncomfortable around other breastfeeding women

I have been breastfeeding now in total for 41 months (2 separate DC), I have fed them anywhere and everywhere using either the 'two tops' method in winter or floaty scarf for some modesty in summer.

No one has ever said anything or even batted an eyelid.

I Breast fed until both of mine were 2 and I always used a Hooter Hider. I wasn't comfortable doing it in public without one and found most people didn't even realize I was doing it until I'd finished and the baby was revealed! Never got approached by anyone being negative and they would've got a piece of my mind if they had!
Miss those days...

I've never had any comments made directly at me but on a couple of occasions I've had people (normally older couples) giving me disdainful looks and muttering to each other. I just ignore them and carry on. Most often I just get people obviously trying not to look, for example waiters doing their best to not make eye contact. The best comment I had was when my younger son was a week old and we went to a rather naice cafe. He was asleep in the sling on my husband and the owner came over and said "if you need to breastfeed please go ahead. If anyone has a problem they can answer to me and it's my cafe so I can serve who I want"

I've fed my DD out and about a lot, but mostly in my local area, which is quite middle class/yummy mummy. She was a very frequent feeder when she was little, and I remember feeling totally out of my depth feeding her on our first trip out for coffee when she was about a week old, I wasn't expecting her to want a feed and I really hadn't got to grips with how to hold her/getting her to latch. It got so much easier when she figured out how to latch herself, from about 3 months old I didn't think twice about it.

Only had positive comments, but I do feel more self-concious when we're in the city centre for example. Now she's 1 she doesn't really need feeding when we're out, but I would of course. Might feel a bit more self-conscious as she's massive! Recently went to a wedding where I had to feed her during the speeches (mostly to keep her quiet), and I did feel slightly weird feeding her in front of my (mostly male) uni mates. I probably would have felt less weird around strangers.

I do think we need to normalise breastfeeding more, but often it's impossible to tell when someone is doing it. I hate when people say "i don't mind, as long as it's discreet"... i find it hard to believe that someone would go out of their way to not be discreet! Also, when you're very new to breastfeeding it's sometimes impossible to get the baby on without flashing a bit of boob, and a negative comment during that time might really knock someone's confidence and cause them to stop breastfeeding.

I have a 10 month old who I still breastfeed. In the early days I would breastfeed in public and never had any comments or judgement. I did wear a cover though as made me feel less self conscious. Now I only feed him 3/4 times a day and so is a lot easier not to feed in public. I don't mind doing so but now I eat any clothes (not feeding ones) sometimes it requires me lifting up my entire dress! Also quite a few places now have feeding rooms or spaces in their baby changing areas.