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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To breastfeed in public without cover?

117 replies

user1495362060 · 13/07/2017 13:18

I have a 2mo whom I breastfeed everywhere without using a cover. I am usually wearing a special dress/ two shirts and/or covering with a muslin so most of the time the only thing ever uncovered is the nipple. However it is obvious I am feeding of course.

I am not English so recently i have been wondering if breastfeeding like this is a normal thing here. I received no reaction from anyone so far. However I also never see anyone else doing it in cafes and such. Some mums I know said they have to go somewhere private to feed. So I was just wondering if people are secretly shocked but not saying anything :)

OP posts:
Sunshinegirl82 · 13/07/2017 14:25

Go for it! I tried a cover once or twice at the start when I was a bit nervous. It was July. I was boiling, DS was boiling, there was fabric everywhere, I couldn't get him in position properly, he hated being covered and kept pulling off spraying milk everywhere. Chucked the blimmin thing in a drawer where it has remained ever since.

There is a good Facebook page called "Can I Breastfeed In It?" Where people share breastfeeding friendly clothes ideas, might be worth a look!

user1485182339 · 13/07/2017 14:27

I never breastfed any of mine with a cover. Don't worry. Let your nipple ripple, as my mother always used to say. Well, no, she didn't say that, but it's catchy, right? Save money on fancy covers and invest in woollen socks for winter instead. Can't go wrong with a pair of nice woollen socks.

Sluttybartfast · 13/07/2017 14:29

I only ever used a cover during the nosy 4mo period when he was inclined to come off all the time for a good gawp around. The cover made him a bit more focused on feeding. I also used to use it to encourage him to sleep - put baby in sling, put cover over to obscure baby's view, jiggle and pace until baby is bored soothed to sleep. Grin

Also in London, got my baps out in public for well over a year, never an issue.

MetalMidget · 13/07/2017 14:30

I never used a cover, and I quite merrily breastfed wherever my tiny tyrant demanded it. Never had any comment other than, "Look, mummy, that baby is having his dinner!" from a little girl in the park, to which her mother replied, "Yes, that's how you used to have your dinner when you were little".

OhBeggerItsMorning · 13/07/2017 14:42

YANBU to breastfeed without a cover.

I have breastfed 4 DCs, the first 2 for 20 months each and the second 2 for about 30 months each; so at least 100 months of feeds, and I hadn't even heard of covers! Fed anywhere they needed it if had to - cafes, in the car in car parks, school playground etc. Just had muslins and a shawl when in public for a bit of cover depending on what I was wearing at the time.

DS3 was such a hungry baby he had to feed practically all the time, he was the one who fed while I was standing in the playground waiting for DS1 & 2 to come out of school one or twice. (Had to start weaning at 16 weeks and it eased off with the milk then, thankfully. HV couldn't understand why I'd left weaning so late with the way he was feeding, but I was only trying to follow the official info they gave out about weaning at 6 months, but never mind, we got there. He is now a strapping 10 year old so feeding at school didn't harm him, or anyone else waiting for their children.)

crazypenguinlady · 13/07/2017 14:51

Free the nipple OP Grin

I bitterly regret that I stopped Breastfeeding my son. When I see a woman breastfeeding her baby I always think it's wonderful and natural and basically 'well done, good on them' for doing it. Most people are always discreet anyway, I've never seen anyone make a palava by just wapping their baps out and leaving out in full exposure between feeds anyway haha.

Go for it OP!

theymademejoin · 13/07/2017 14:52

Sexlube - that is one most bizarre contraption thing. Surely all the messing about with that thing would take ages and result in a screaming baby? I've never seen one in action either.

I don't get the two tops thing either. I always just pulled up my top, baby in front of me so was covering any brief flash of skin, opened bra, attach child and feed.

midnightmisssuki · 13/07/2017 14:54

In London I feed anywhere and everywhere - when I'm in Asia I'm more discreet though - it's like the people have never seen a woman breastfeed before and stare - makes me uncomfortable.

Cineraria · 13/07/2017 14:57

I never used an apron style cover as they always looked a bit awkward to me when I've seen people using them. I generally wear front opening dresses to feed in but DS likes to grab and squeeze quite painfully if he has access to any bare boob flesh, so I have a little slip of cloth that snaps round my bra straps and hangs down inside my dress just past where my bra starts, so he can play with that instead.

He fed all the time until he was one and then public feeding was just on our train commute, at nursery (if I forgot to bring his milk substitute) or if we were out all day. The biggest reaction I ever got was a small queue at nursery one lunchtime! He is 21 months now and today is the first day I went out with him in something that I couldn't breastfeed in.

LittleLionMansMummy · 13/07/2017 15:00

I used a cover with my first as I was self conscious, but did exactly the same as you with my second op. You can still bf discreetly without a cover and there's no need to go and lock yourself away. Nobody has ever objected and a couple of people have even come over to say how nice it is to see a mother feeding her baby in public.

Chattycat78 · 13/07/2017 15:05

Totally fine. I breastfed everywhere- the cinema (baby cinema!); the park, the pub, restaurants etc! I never bothered with covers - I did have some breastfeeding tops though that I found didn't good job.

Pennywhistle · 13/07/2017 15:08

No one is shocked OP they probably just haven't noticed. Grin

I breastfed my twins all over the place without a cover and no one ever reacted negatively (including when I fed them during church services)

kaytee87 · 13/07/2017 15:12

Op the only person I know that uses a cover is a conservative Muslim lady. Other people I know use breastfeeding clothes or one top up one top down.
Don't worry about it

Pandoraslastchance · 13/07/2017 15:38

I bf my youngest two children (4 years in total) and i only had one negative comment. I never used a cover as i get so hot and flustered i didnt want to make myself botter. lovely waitress in my local wetherspoons who used to ask me what i wanted to drink, bring it over to the table where i was and when baby had finished eating i would go to bar and order my food/pay for the drink as im not coordinated enough to walk whilst feeding baby.

If people have an issue then they are free to leave because i sure as hell wasnt going to

Theweasleytwins · 13/07/2017 15:50

The town I live in has a breastfeeding scheme, shops have little stickers in the window saying they support breastfeeding, and the children's farm near us is haven get a funraiser for the scheme

I like the photos on the internet where a mum is told to cover up and covers her own face🙂

I wish I had the confidence to feed my twins in public, but luckily for me when we went to shopping centres most places had a family room where I could tandem feed DT

StripySocks1 · 13/07/2017 15:59

I do what you do OP, I purposely don't breastfeed discreetly because that would imply I have something to be embarrassed or ashamed of - and I hope that by breastfeeding in public it will show other women that it's normal and fine to do.

Also I think that most people are wrapped up in what they're doing so probably just don't notice what you're doing, before I had my baby I never saw anyone breastfeeding but now I notice it more Grin

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 13/07/2017 16:09

I wear nursing tops or 2 tops. I try to position the baby in front of my boob before getting my nipple out. If I wear a poor choice of top that leaves me feeling very exposed I will tuck a muslin into my bra strap for a bit more coverage. Carry on feeding your baby however suits you.

Argeles · 13/07/2017 16:17

I breastfeed with, and without a cover, but usually with a cover.

I live in West London, and I have unfortunately had a lot of 'funny looks' from people. Mind you, there are so many miserable fuckers in this particular area of West London, that I'm not sure they know how to crack a smile or look mildly friendly or approachable anyway.

I've always been fine breastfeeding in Central, North and S.E London, and outside of London, including in four European countries.

I always look at those who look at me strangely with a massive fake, sarcastic smile, and they quickly look away.

Branleuse · 13/07/2017 16:18

It's fine. I never used a cover when I breastfed either. No-one ever said anything to me about it

OuchBollocks · 13/07/2017 16:20

Sluttybartfast funny enough I was thinking I might need a cover for my 4 month old, he is beyond nosey - DD was never that bad and I fed her past 2 - if he whips his head round to see what's happening one more time I swear he'll pull my nipple off.

BennyOfTheGlen · 13/07/2017 16:21

I've never used a cover...I think they make it a lot more obvious if anything, rather than being discreet.

I'm a two-top wearer. I have no specific bf tops, just usual ones. Strapless boob tube comes down but still covers my stomach, top goes up. I barely get a look when feeding never mind any comments.

mirime · 13/07/2017 16:22

I did the same. First time I tried feeding public I tried using a cover just because I wasn't that confident about feeding but DS hated it and I never bothered again. Never had anything said, and if anyone gave any looks I was happily oblivious.

AlbusPercival · 13/07/2017 16:24

lelapaletute And stripysocks1, you are my kind of people :)

Tumilnaughts · 13/07/2017 16:31

Same as others, no cover used here. I did a couple times but it became totally pointless as soon as dd figured out she could remove it from blocking her face.

AdoraBell · 13/07/2017 16:32

Your baby is not being unreasonable to eat without a cloth over her/his head.