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 have breastfed in the national gallery, on many a tube train, various pubs and restaurants - posh and not so posh, up Mount Teide, walking round Santa Cruz, oh and I did a protest 'nurse in' at sports direct which was amusing etc etc. I didn't use a cover, I didn't deliberately, expose more than necessary but I didn't get my knickers in a twist if as much boob as would be seen in a skimpy bikini became visible to the world. I find the whole discreet bf and pearl clutching ridiculous. Human milk for human babies direct from source is seen as such a contentious issue yet milk for baby cows given to human babies in an artificial format is totally socially acceptable. How did we end up in this situation? Well I know but it will cause a MN outrage! Feed your baby OP when and where they are hungry and just ignore the unsupportive comments.

I was quite reserved with DS1. With DS2, now 7 months, I just wap then out anywhere! Too busy dealing with DS1 to care!

Use top top up and bottom top down method. I've had quite a few comments from people this time around, all saying well done etc and a couple from other mums saying they've seen me bf in that place so they've felt they can do it too.

OP I’ve fed my babies in multiple countries,
On planes, trains and buses
In church and synagogue
At the theatre, in restaurants, in the park, at school, at galleries, in a museum, at the beach, on a farm
Everywhere apart from the swimming pool, thinking about it

Never any negative comments and yes I’m well familiar with the pro-BF little old lady squad! The positive comments (from men and women) have actually been really heartwarming, and the glasses of water from staff in cafes saying “you’re doing a great job, here, I know it’s thirsty work”

Having a big slab of cake to focus on while you’re feeding always helps I find

Enjoy getting out and about with your gorgeous baby!

Still feeding my nearly 2 year old and yet to have a comment. No cover used but i wear 2 tops and do one up ond down

I have hundreds of breastfeeding in public experiences. None remotely bad, no one cares in my experience or if they do they are too sensible to say anything.

Similar to others, fed everywhere and it was fine. Only ever had one comment from father in law who to be honest was expecting more from! People are much more likely to notice a screaming hungry baby then a quietly feeding one.

Always makes me smile when you see stories on Facebook etc of people getting told to cover up as there must be a back story we don’t know about as seems to be people who don’t mind attention/having phot taken!

I BF DD1 for 15mths & DD2 is 14 months & showing no signs of stopping. My experiences are; waitresses falling over themselves to get me glasses of water, old ladies clucking with delight & a tour guide in a national trust place making me sit down on a chair with a big ‘do not sit on this chair’ I’ve literally never had a negative experience, & honestly life is difficult enough with a toddler & a baby without giving a shiny shite about what anyone else thinks.

Fed mine everywhere, never used a cover but I did wear tops that were baggy enough to pull round, and cardigans are quite disguising. Never got told to stop either, in fact got brilliant special treatment flying - an upgrade to give me more space!

Never had a negative comment feeding in public. Most amusing feeling situation I have been in was on a plane going to Ibiza, it was a last minute holiday and dh and ds1 had to sit away from me. I sat with 6 month old ds2 in a window seat surrounded by a group of riotous lads going on holiday together, lots of banter and risky conversation about their intentions towards the lucky ladies who awaited them. When I started to feed ds2 ,sat amongst them ,silence descended and they didn't know where to look but I just carried on regardless !

Dd is 7 months old and haven't had a negative comment yet. Like others, my only positive comment was from an older lady who said it was great to see someone feeding in public as they all covered up so much in their day. I've fed wherever I've needed to too, in church, on planes, on the train, waiting rooms etc.

Only times I've felt a bit funny have been when in small rooms with strangers all sat facing me e.g doctors surgery and at bank appointments but have still just fed with no negative consequences.

As most others bf all 3 dc anywhere and everywhere. No negative comments at all.

Would just like to add that I, too, was very anxious at first, but I soon became more comfortable with it and I have never had a negative experience / comment. I think the bad experiences make more headlines so we think they are a lot more common.

Did it for 17 months with DS2. Didn't ever use a cover - who wants to have lunch in a hot tent? Never had one single disparaging comment, only a handful of middle aged men who didn't know where to look so usually turned their back to me instead. Didn't bother me at all.

bf in public

Only one comment and a positive one was more about ds being a happy baby as he wiggled a lot when feeding

Did sometimes use a cover just until he settled as I didn’t always wear feeding bras I found them uncomfortable

I've never encountered any negativity. But then again I also have a 3 year old so am out and about a lot at child friendly places so it's not like I'm feeding anywhere wildly unusual, just the usual parks/cafes/beaches/buses etc. Oh and the new Julia Donaldson show at the Edinburgh Festival but I wasn't the only one there as obviously the whole audience was kids and parents! I've never used a cover. I usually just pull my top up. I don't even always have a vest on so people are probably getting more of an eyeful of my love handles than boobs!

I agree with the suggestion upthread to go to a breast feeding group. Ours is in a local costa and it's nice to have company for the first few goes. Especially in the early days where getting latched takes ages and you feel like you're waving a nipple around for ages!

Three DC, bf all in public, still do so with dc3.
Never had any comments, only time someone seem to notice was at school during sports day and the pta lady came over to bring me a cup of tea when she saw I was feeding (not that I could drink it cos I was feeding, but still was nice of her).

I wear bf friendly clothes or use a large muslin to cover wheb he pulls off to look at whatever or whoever is near by

I was a bit apprehensive at first, but soon settled into it. I had a scarf at first, but didn’t bother long term.

My strange and unusual places include: a boat, a funeral, during an interview (my business, as the interviewer!), backstage working a show, at a gig (with baby ear defenders) and probably some others that I’ve forgotten.

I never got any negative reactions. Had been dreading one when I sat down to feed in a shopping centre and a very elderly man came and sat next to me, but he just gave me a big smile and started telling me about his kids.

This thread is really reassuring, I'm so pleased a majority have never had any negativity.

I am currently bf my newborn and I've been so worried about people's reactions so haven't yet fed in public, which is really restricting.

Even more stressed when I saw another thread today about breastfeeding and a poster was suggesting the op go in a different room, so in most public places the only option of another room is a toilet.

I'm going to put my big girl pants on and go out and feed tomorrow!

Dont worry. You have the law squarely on your side; a woman has the right to breastfeed her child in any public place and I believe it's a civil offence to harass or obstruct you (a criminal one in Scotland).

A few people do have weird hangups about seeing people feed; pity them. It's their problem, not yours. But there are also lots of people around who will actively support and encourage you. Seriously, you won't believe how much old ladies love to coo over babies and tell you about when they breastfed :)

Same here, OP, only had positive smiles and comments of 'that's so lovely to see!' from the older lady brigade.

Currently BFing a 19week old. Places i have BFed in are;
Tesco cafe
Starbucks
Costa
Park Bench
Botanical Gardens
Doctors waiting room
A packed A&E
And my personal fave - Gurudwara (sikh temple)

So far no looks or questions. I started off covering her with a muslin but its been too warm and its a faff so i do one up one down and her head covers my boob as does top i lift up.

I think as soon as u start bf-ing in public the anxiety just goes away. I was so paranoid the first time but it felt totally normal after a few mins. I realised i needed to stop looking around to see if people were looking and just concentrate on me and baby.

Absolutely fine. Only one person (step mother in law) ever had anything to say about it. I breast fed in public until dd was 2.

I remember DD was about 5 weeks old the first time I bf fed her away from home (slow emcs recovery) and we were at a local retail park. Ended up bobbing Starbucks and the only table was in the bloody window. Got myself wound up into a right bloody tizz and needent have. No one batted an eye lid but was glad DH was with me to support/tell me not to be so daft no one cares. Once I got that one out the way it was fine. Definitely not had anyone disturb me/ask questions/raise eyebrows. And if they did I doubt it'd be someone I'd meet again

Never ever had any comments. Fed ds 1 till 3.5. I think I got a dodgy look once when he was 3 but tbh he rarely fed in public after around 1.5/2.

I've been going into Loos with my newborn simply because it's often quieter and we have some latch issues - I need to listen carefully to what's going on or he pukes easily/ gets in a state.

I had to feed my first lying down till around 4-5 mo and tt was cut. That was hard and I had to stay at home/ nearby a lot as it's certainly less conventional. Luckily he went 2-3 hours without a feed, unlike this one who tops up all day. But then I saw a woman lying down with her daughter at a class which helped. I remember lying down once at a nat trust property. No one batted an eyelid.

I'm in my 5th year of breastfeeding and have fed both mine past two years old. I've had one negative comment in all that time which was an older lady when my first was a newborn. She told me to feed at the back of the shop and I just ignored her!

I have literally breastfed everywhere and anywhere and loved the freedom and comfort it bring them.