Feeding at a party

[Fernie3]

Every year my husbands family have a big new year party ( around 50 people). It's in a hall that they decorate have music and disco type lights etc also a smaller room where they put a wii. The hall is used a lot as it is run by SIL so it's all set up for that sort of thing.

This year i have a 5 month old breastfed baby to take we will be there until at least 2 in the morning and im starting to panic about feeding her in amongst this. The large room will be full of people i don't know and loud ( distracting) all sitting very close together so no privacy. The smaller room will mostly be full of teenage boys! The toilet is outdoor so is a no go lol. I don't have a car.
I don't own any special clothes or even a nursing bra i normally just fin somewhere quiet pull the clothes out of the way and feed her but i cant think of how to do that new years eve!.

None of my husbands family breastfed my Mil is supportive of it but is starting to think it has gone on too long ( she really thinks that after two weeks of breastfeeding the benefit is gone so five months is very odd to her).

Anyway feeding in a party how can i do it? I CAN try her on a bottle but tbh that's a bit of a nightmare because she wont suck it so you end up having to drip it int her mouth

Make camisoles and cardigans your friends

I have a few proper breastfeeding tops but generally I use a lycra type camisole under normal clothes, so it bounces back into place after a feed.

Do you have any feeding/nursing bras? They can make it easier I have an Elle McPhearson one which is sooo comfortable.

Stretchy camis and cardis are they way to go, and get at least one nursing bra just for occasions like this. (lift your top up and pull vest and bra cup down) You can feed without showing anything at all really, no one really ever noticed me breastfeeding.
by the way my pil were very about bf too. Just know you are giving her the best start to life. Enjoy the party

If you are - ahem - larger, try Bravissimo for the nursing bras.

Definitely get a nursing bra, though. So much less hassle to unclip and feed.

I have bought bras which are not underwired until recently i was wearing my normal bras - until i read that you were not supposed to. She is my fourth baby and i never knew that! and i still don't really know why.

I am going to have a look for some nursing ones as its getting harder to hide away as she is getting older.

I am going to practice with the vest top thing tomorrow and see how it goes. She is getting to be a very fidgety eater she likes to suddenly stop and throw her head back to look around then pop back on for more which is great for her but not so great for me as it suddenly exposes me to the world lol.

"i have a 5 month old breastfed baby to take we will be there until at least 2 in the morning"

God you're brave. I too have a nearly 6-month-old EBF baby, and I'm pretty non-routine and take him anywhere, but I wouldn't do this because it would disturb his sleep far too much. I'd take him to a party in a private home where I could put him to bed upstairs at his normal time, and feed him at his normal times. But I wouldn't take him to a noisy NYE party in a rented hall. Maybe yours sleeps anywhere?

That being said, I second the camisole/top/cardigan combo. You don't have to use a nursing bra, though I usually do for ease of access. I've started occasionally wearing balcony bras which give me a better shape than my nursing bras when I want to wear something nice, and it's relatively easy to hoist your breast over the top of the cup when you need to feed.

I have become very blase with this DC and even fed at Sports Day in a field with JoJo Mamon Bebe Feeding top on so nothing was visable.

It was slightly embarassing however when a mum I know tried to give DC a cuddle and he was still attached, she thought he was asleep

DC is bit older than yours so is very keen to do the throwing head back thing which is all very well at home however when out and about I have perfected that. 'oh I am sorry you must be mistaken face' for when window of flesh might be visable.

She will sleep anywhere as long as there is someone to hug . The older ones have been going since they were babies and we have some great pictures of them draped over random family members laps snoring away with a party going on around them. We actually have a really strict routine at home normal bedtime is 6 for my 1 year old 6:30 for my 4 year old and 7 for my 6 year old but for some reason they are never bothered about parties and the older two will probably make it through until the end!.

now i have said that it will be a nightmare this year probably lol.

Just wanted to add that I took dd to a party when she was a similar age and carried her in a sling for most of the evening. She was delighted to be the centre of attention.

I could try a sling i won one a while ago that i could dig out, not sure how it would work I wick have a go tomorrow in the day and see how it goes.

find a babysitter and let them breastfeed your baby while you party.