To ask for your breastfeeding in public experiences?

[AlwaysFuckingTired]

Currently BF 3 week old DD2. I avoided BF in public with DD1 as much as possible due to anxiety about how people would react, but this led to me doing ridiculous things like feeding her in a toilet so I've decided I'm going to be braver this time.

How did you find BF in public? Did you get any unkind looks or comments? Did you use a cover or not?

I bf in public, did not use a cover up but you couldn't see anything as ds head was in the way and would pull my top down as he came off. No one ever commented.

I did, couldn’t see anything and was never commented on

Didn’t use a cover, just pulled my vest top down and latched him on. His massive head covered my boob up. No one ever commented.

I breastfed DS1 til 19mo and DS2 to 15mo. When DS1 was tiny I attempted a muslin cloth then soon just wore outfits that made it easy to feed in, eg the ‘one up one down’ method of wearing two tops, or a wrap dress with a cardigan. Stuff like that. I honestly can say I never noticed a single glance let alone a negative comment. I think Costa coffee is supposed to have a good reputation for feeding in, I always felt ‘safe’ feeding in there somehow. Probably only my parents in law who would leave the room (which wasn’t really a bad thing 😂)

I breastfed till both kids were around 18 months, no one looked, commented or cared.

Breastfed two babies in public, I never got a single comment. I actually don't think many people noticed. I wore two vest tops, pulled on up and one down so only the nipple was out and I never used a cover. I think if you only uncover the nipple, most people just assume you're having a cuddle.

Fed both mine in public, never any comments apart from one positive one from another mum. Know you shouldn't have to but I always sat facing away from the room and I did the one up one down top thing, so as discreet as I could be. I didn't get on with a cover.

I was nervous at the start, I thought people were staring. It can also be harder to latch at the start, so more waving of boob around. I carried a cover at the beginning which gave me more confidence. Then got used to it and stopped worrying. Never had any comments, or difficulties.

If you're worried, try breastfeeding in front of a mirror - you'll see how little can be seen. You'll be shoving your baby up your jumper without a thought in no time at all!

Bf my kids never had anyone comment or any negative experiences

I was very self conscious with my first and would feed in toilets and changing rooms but with my second I decided I didn't care and didn't want to sit in a smelly toilet. So I fed all the time in public and never had a any comments or any bad experiences.

I have bfd
In church
In cafes
In restaurants
Parks
Beach (home and abroad)
Hotels
Parties
Soft play
Weddings
Pubs
Museums
Trains
Planes
I never noticed anyone looking at me. And nobody ever said anything.
I used the one up one down method (vest that you pull down, jumper or t shirt up). I have big boobs (32k when I was feeding) so there was a lot to hide but I always felt there was little on show. Good luck it will help massively if you can get comfortable with it.

I've never had an issue with it at all. In fact, I remember breastfeeding ds when he was really tiny in a cafe, the only seat was at the window, but i carried on regardless... a family walked past and the mum gave me such a beaming smile! It was really encouraging, so if I see a breastfeeding mum I give her a beaming smile now too. Paying it forward!

I actually still breastfeed ds (he's nearly 3) but stopped it public because I know some people have a problem with breastfeeding older children. I wouldn't want my ds to witness any unpleasantness. Also, he doesn't really need it in the day time anymore - just after nursery, bed time and first thing in the morning.

Breastfed 3 children for 2.5 years in total and never had one look or comment! I'm actually disappointed

DC1 I started off careful and discreet, by 2nd and 3rd I just pulled a boob over/out of whatever normal top I was wearing.

Fed both of mine in public to 10 months old, never had a negative reaction. Had a couple of ladies give me nice smiles/winks.

Tended to use one up one down which is fairly discreet although I never tried to hide it.

Go for it! Start in public somewhere you feel comfortable, maybe a cafe where you have your back to most people, and see how you feel.

I’m still feeding my 2.5 year old and have used a mixture of covers, scarves, coats and just discretion. Fed in cafes, restaurants, on trains, buses, in the National Gallery and never had any comments adverse or otherwise.

I did it for about 8mo in public (13mo total but morning and evening only in latter months) and I have absolutely no stories to share. Nothing noteable happened neither negative nor notably positive. I just fed him.

I used to wear a big t-shirt, so I could hoick it up and feed the baby - and as I found it easier to tuck the baby under my arm - the rugby ball hold, my midwife called it - due to having big boobs, people often had no idea what I was doing.

The only time I ever had anyone commenting directly was in the refectory at Buckfast Abbey - I noticed an elderly lady making her way over to me, and I did worry that she was going to tell me off - but I couldn’t have been more wrong. She said it was lovely to see me breastfeeding my baby, patted me on the shoulder and went away. It was lovely.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=KiS8q_fifa0

OP watch his video, it’s a poem about breastfeeding. Remember you’re awesome.

I have fed my DS everywhere, and continued to feed in public until 2.5 years. Never had a negative look, let alone a comment. I live in a very poor area and eldest DC goes to a very working class school where stuff like rice in bottles is the norm. Everyone is lovely even there and if they judge, they do it privately.

I FF my eldest and had a whole load of negative looks. It's way worse for attracting judgement IMO.

Never had any issue. Have a try somewhere you feel comfortable to start with.

I bfed my 1st for 6 months and am a few months into feeding my second.

I once overheard someone saying "you see all sorts down here!" to their pal when I was breastfeeding on a beach on a really hot summer's day. They were past by the time I realised. I suspect they weren't making comments directed at the owners of the numerous large moobs on more open display.

The same week, I had a man on a bus making jokes about me bfeeding. I told him he was being odd and he looked shamed and moved seat.

But for vast majority of the days when I've breastfed outside it's been completely unremarked on.

Oh and I could never do the one up, one down thing with tops, nor would my DS tolerate a cover, so I used to wear button down tops and just do a whole boob out to feed, and was still fine.

I found it a complete non issue. Not one person ever commented or seemed to care in anyway.

Used a breastfeeding cover initially but found it a faff so stopped using it quite quickly. I had a lot of breastfeeding friendly tops (from Jojo and the like) so it was easy to feed without exposing everything.

I never had any bad comments. I only had two comments both positive, both from men. But, I have a resting bitch face which may have helped.

I fed everywhere except the toilet! Benches, shops and even grass verges. If shopping I'd just sit down and feed in whatever shop I was in unless I knew there was a breastfeeding room nearby (this became more useful as dd became older and was easily distracted). I quite liked feeding in chain coffee shops as I found they were fine about it even if I hadn't ordered (I'd buy a coffee as I left) and on a few occasions I received table service which was fab!