Breastfeeding in public

[Forgivenandsetfree]

Inspired by a comment I have seen on Facebook.
I breastfed until 22 months, towards the end I didn't feed in public because of course she was eating by then but when she was small I did. Luckily I never had an issue and was treated well in my local Macdonalds and Costa, but the comment said most people have issues with Bf in public, aibu to think this isn't true?
YABU- I faced issues/I don't like it.
YNBU- I don't/ didn't have a problem.

[riddles26]

Never had a sideways glance from anyone and fed both mine everywhere until at least 8 months, less so after as well established on solids so they didn't need it when out and about

[Lizzy26j]

I’ve never had any negative comments, only the occasional positive one. My second is now 14 months and I occasionally feed her in public now. I had one comment which sticks with me, was at a pub for lunch with family and baby couldn’t concentrate inside due to noise etc. I went outside but it was raining so I sat in the empty smoking area which was a bit sheltered. A middle aged man came out to smoke, saw me and was totally unbothered. Said carry on, it was the best thing for my kids and went back inside. I really expected it to be an awkward situation but his reaction has stuck with me!

[Hippocampe]

Fed my babies until 2&1/2 and 3. Probably in public until 18 months (they both nursed to sleep so would feed them for a nap if out and about) and never had any negative comments (that I'm aware of 😄) and still vividly remember a lady coming to congratulate me on feeding my eldest in Nandos. She was around 15 months and I was getting very self conscious about it, and planning on stopping, but her kind comments spurred me on to continue until she self weaned during my second pregnancy.

[BabyLlamaZen]

Yanbu :)

But I think those who don't like it dont say anything in public

[Twigletfairy]

I've never had any negative comments. My eldest was breastfed until she was 3 but I stopped feeding her in public when she was about 18 months. Only because she would stop to turn, smile and wave and people meaning my breast was completely exposed while she was drawing attention from people.

[letmethinkaboutitfornow]

It depends
Full display - big No No
Under cover - of course

[stackthecats]

never had any negative comments, but I live somewhere where bf is very common.

[Namechangedforthis1357]

I've never met anyone IRL who gives a shiny shit about where or what you are feeding - only on Mumsnet is it an issue - a website for parents by mainly parents, or childcare professionals etc, which is literally the last place you'd think there would be negativity - go figure!

[Frlrlrubert]

I fed DD anywhere and everywhere until she was reliably eating solids. I even breastfed her in the lunch break of my PGCE interview in the uni cafeteria when she was five months (we only lived five mins away and DH brought her in) as it was easier to do that than express in the toilets. The interviewer happened to walk past, I think it counted towards my 'resilience' score :)

I never had any negative comments. After 1 she was down to morning, evening, and night feeds (and cows milk at nursery), so no-one really saw her feed as a toddler.

[Meredithgrey1]

It depends
Full display - big No No

I'm not trying to be difficult, but I genuinely don't know what you mean by "full display". If someone is breastfeeding, their nipple is in the child's mouth, so how much of a "full display" can there even be? Of course there are times when maybe the baby comes off unexpectedly but that's not a big deal. My daughter wouldn't feed under a muslin or any kind of cover and her kicking up a fuss would have made me feeding her far more of a disturbance to others than just feeding her without a cover.

[SquigglePigs]

I'm still feeding my 18 month old. I fed her everywhere when she was tiny then from about a year I mostly only fed her at home. Before lockdown she only really had it at each end of the day but she's got rather used to having me, and it, on tap. Consequently I ended up sat on a picnic blanket in the middle of a field at the weekend feeding her because she'd just woken up from a nap and wouldn't take no for an answer! My preference would be to only feed at home now really but I suspect she'll have other ideas for a while longer and a feeding toddler is a million times better than a tantrumming toddler!!

Feeding out and about when she was little I never had any negative comments. A few positive ones, but mostly just left to get on with it. One lovely older gentleman in a coffee shop who came over to admire the baby and talked to me about his grandchildren for a few minutes, then realised I was feeding and tried to apologise for interrupting us! I just said it was fine and it was nice to have someone to talk to whilst my husband was getting our drinks! I did appreciate the odd waiter/waitress spotting me feeding and bringing me an extra glass of water when I was on my own though!

[Oysterbabe]

I'm still breastfeeding DS at 2.5. Rarely out and about now, just before bed usually. No one has ever given a single shit. The biggest reaction I've had is a few friendly smiles.

[edgeware]

Never had any comments at all. Never covered up either other than when DS was newborn. You realise covering up draws more attention!

[bengalcat]

I fed mine in public / cafes etc 19 years ago - just wore a baggy sweatshirt , stuffed her up it and pinged open my breastfeeding bra .

[crispysausagerolls]

Ohhh actually somewhere I do and would still feed toddler DS in public - on a plane! Best way to get to sleep there and stop ear pain etc. Plus keep him still 😁

[Mumoflittles]

I breastfed my 1st till he was 18 months my 2nd until he was 3 and am now feeding 5 month old DD. Have fed everywhere from on the bus to sat in the hairdressers chair and have never had a problem at all only good comments!

[TowelHoarder]

I never had any negative comments at all, if anything people were falling over themselves to bring me glasses of water and tell me how wonderful it was that I was breastfeeding, and I won’t cover up or be discreet, the more people see it the more normalised it becomes, the more other women will feel empowered to do it too.

[Mynotsoperfectlittlefamily]

I fed my first until he was 2. I did have 1 nasty experience, in a restaurant I was in a corner, he was about 8 weeks old completely tucked away I had a jumper that wrapped around his body so he could feed and not be seen, but still see me and have air. A woman across the restaurant got very disgusted and started making a big deal, glaring at me, tutting, telling the person she was with that it was disgusting. Which stressed me out so he started crying. I ended up not eating and sitting outside in the rain feeding him, whilst the rest of my table enjoyed their meal.
Luckily didn't put me off and after that it was just horrible comments from my mother about it, which seems to be a bit of a theme.

[DelurkingAJ]

Several very positive comments and a surprising number of people falling over themselves to give me a seat (bf on a crowded weekend train when DS1 was about 2 months old comes to mind!).

The only time I worried was on a train when DS2 was about 5 months old. I’d fed him (under a huge muslin, loved those things) and he was sleeping when a very elderly gent said ‘can I ask you a question?’. I geared up for a bit of a ticking off but all he wanted to know was how I knew DS2 was hungry...so I explained the sucky lip movement you get and was told how nice it was to see tinies out and about.

[MamaPip]

Breastfeeding my 5 month old currently and my nearly 3 year old will still look if overly tired / has hurt themselves. I breastfed my first anywhere they needed a feed without ever having a bad word other than family who said she was too big 🙄 only ever had positive words from strangers

[Jent13c]

I've fed everywhere...church, bus stops etc.etc.etc. I wore a vest and a top and you never saw anything, never ever covered the baby's head. My mum was super awkward about it and would stand between me and other people while I was feeding to shield me, in reality it just irritated me. Have childless lovely friends who are very particular who would set me up a room to feed in when I visited, very kind but made it very clear they were not comfortable with me feeding in the living room! To be fair, their house, their rules.. I certainly didn't go upstairs when they visited us.

2nd DS (4months) never latched so I'm an exclusive pumper, pumping in public is a different ballgame, there is no subtlety. I pump at work in busy break room and have pumped on a plane, busy shopping mall in middle east. Unless you plan to be stuck in the house for the first year of your babies life then do what you need to do! I'm sure people will eventually get over seeing my nipple for 1.5 seconds during latching.

[letmethinkaboutitfornow]

@Meredithgrey1
Absolutely. There are ways to do it decently. Rather on full display, facing public. Never understood that

[LemonPeonies]

I've fed mine at bus stops, in the bus, everywhere. My baby needing to feed is much more important than uptight people's opinions. Only had a few looks, mainly off men.

[DramaAlpaca]

I never once had any negative comments breastfeeding in public back in the mid-90s. In fact the only negative comments I ever had were from my DM and my MIL, neither of whom approved at all.

[Diverseduvet]

I breastfed all of mine, in public as well of course if needed, in all sorts of places. Much better than a screaming baby right? Toddlers? No. I don't know if it's conditioning, or the idea that a parents job is to support their child's independence and autonomy but; it makes me shudder to see women happily chatting away to their friends with a 3 year old on their lap, popping on and of for a snack whenever they feel like it.
There's something about it that seems odd to be, like there's a co dependency going on?