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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

pro breastfeeding come backs anyone??

22 replies

debsagos · 30/07/2003 17:03

hello,

this is my first message on the mumsnet board...so hello everyone!!

here we go:

i'm bf'ing my three month old at the moment (hopefully for many month to come still!!) and i'm wondering whether anyone can think of quick, clever comebacks to people complaining about breastfeeding in public...which i do quite happily and without any embarrassment on my side...

was in a cafe the other day and very clearly offended an older couple sitting opposite me....i would have loved to say something to stop their disapproving glances, but i couldn't think of anything clever and non-rude!

anywho...any ideas??

love
debs

OP posts:
Boe · 30/07/2003 17:10

Hungry??

V. Loudly - WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP LOOKING AT MY BOOBS!!

Will put thinking cap on for some more.

fizz14 · 30/07/2003 17:21

my husband always wanted the opportunity to say to disapprovers - i find it interesting that you sit there and disapprove of the most natural thing in the world, yet if we were sitting here with a plastic teat filling our baby full of artificial additives and cows milk you wouldn't find anything strange at all. have a think about it.
Fortunately I've not had (or been aware of) any disaaprovers myself. Keep up with it, its worth it!

aloha · 30/07/2003 17:38

I honestly never had anyone say anything and either I'm very unobservant but never had a bad look either - I know others have. I would simply and gaily ignore. Maybe give a big smile and wave which should have them looking away sharpish! Otherwise, I find f**k off a good all purpose phrase

SoupDragon · 30/07/2003 18:22

I was going to suggest a big smile too.

I used to spend all my public feeding times thinking of witty ripostes but never really came up with any and I didn't need use them anyway.

Demented · 30/07/2003 20:49

What do you think breasts were invented for?

or

A baby human having human milk, do you have a problem?

It depends if they say anything to you really, not that anyone has ever said anything to me, I'm just a bit like SoupDragon in that I spend my time thinking up responses.

Demented · 30/07/2003 20:49

What do you think breasts were invented for?

or

A baby human having human milk, do you have a problem?

It depends if they say anything to you really, not that anyone has ever said anything to me, I'm just a bit like SoupDragon in that I spend my time thinking up responses.

Demented · 30/07/2003 20:50

Sorry!

WideWebWitch · 30/07/2003 20:51

aloha

bobthebaby · 30/07/2003 22:06

Hi,

I live in nz, and everyone here seems a little friendlier to bf (until your baby looks "too big". I saw one old lady looking at me and was thinking of a witty thing to say when she sat next to me and told me she bf 12 children. With that in mind I now smile at people who I see staring, those who are pro bf smile back and may even come over and chat, offer to get me a drink, etc. Those who are disgusted or embarrased move pretty quick.
Some women were really told bf was wrong 30-40+ years ago, I don't think it's fair to be overly rude or provocative to them for following their doctors advice. Most of these women are still trying to justify their own bottle feeding all those years on - that's really sad for them. At least 30 years from now we will know we did the best for our children.
The other day I caught myself staring in disgust at a 5 month old baby left on a cushion on the floor to feed himself. My MIL just thought the baby really advanced. You see what you want to see in any situation.

jasper · 30/07/2003 23:59

Don't sat anything.
Smile sweetly.

pupuce · 31/07/2003 07:58

"What would you rather I do, let him scream and cry?"

boyandgirl · 31/07/2003 10:21

I've never had any 'encounters' when bfing in public, other than occasional disapproving looks from older people. I do find that a big smile and a nid works wonders, the sort of smile that I hope makes them think you think they're admiring and approving!

boyandgirl · 31/07/2003 10:22

By the way, a nid is in fact an alternative spelling for nod

babster · 31/07/2003 10:42

Squirt them in the eye

sis · 31/07/2003 14:08

lol Babster!

motherinferior · 31/07/2003 15:28

'Nice tits, aren't they?' might work too...

lisalisa · 31/07/2003 15:33

Message withdrawn

willow2 · 01/08/2003 10:44

Not a bf comeback, but still priceless. Friend of a friend was in the supermarket and noticed a mother having a really hard time with a 3 year old who was behaving dreadfully. Eventually the mother resorted to a swift tap on the legs, only for the woman behind her in the queue to pipe up disapprovingly "In Germany we don't smack our children". To which the harassed mum replied, "Well in England we don't annihilate our Jews". Apologies to any German mumsnetters, but that goes straight in to number one in my list of all time favourite comebacks.

willow2 · 01/08/2003 21:11

Sorry - didn't mean to kill the thread stone dead.

But still think it's funny.

MrsS · 01/08/2003 21:17

Excellent Willow2 - My MIL is German so I am going to keep this one for future use

ks · 01/08/2003 22:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
debsagos · 02/08/2003 23:29

lol willow2....

i'm actually german...but i do have a sense of humour luckily....have been in england for a looooonnggg time!

debs

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