breastfeeding on my wedding day. Or not...

[butternutforbreakfast]

I'm getting married in a few weeks and have stupidly bought a dress that it's impossible to bf in. Didn't think I'd still be bfing by then tbh. And it was in the sales.

Thing is DS is bottle refuser and will only drink from cup when he's in the right mood. And even then it's a messy business.

He'll be 7.5 mo, so on three solid meals a day, but what's the best way to get some milk into him?

Think it'll be five hrs before I can undress to feed him. It's quite a low key, relaxed affair (the wedding that is) but I'd still rather not have to leave the table to do a feed.

I really would have to take the dress off - for boob access but also so as not to get it wrecked. So would need to find a room and would be a bit of a palaver. But maybe that's what I've got to do?

Anyone been there/done that? Suggestions?

not been there, not done it but hope someone comes along who can help.

at 7 1/2 months he may well wait until you are ready to feed him. just feed him as late as you can before the wedding and make sure whoever is looking after him has a sippy cup of water and a never ending supply of tasty treats to distract him with.... i really do mean never ending!! raisins, those carrot puff things, rice cakes, fruit purees to slurp straight out of the pouch etc

I did attend a fami;y wedding recently and the dress i was wearing which i thought was not bf friendly suddenly turned out to be fine! I found i could just hoik one boob out over the top!!! DH was v impressed - he had come with me to unzip me and then to protect my modesty as i fed half naked but he wasnt needed for that in the end!!!

good luck. most wedding dresses are wrecked by the end of the day so you may not worry about it when it comes to it, just go with the flow. At the end of the day it is your day and you can do whatever you want to :)

Hi

Got married in April when DS was 10m, so a bit older, but I did go into a side room towards the end (very small affair of ceremony, pictures and afternoon tea). Took dress off top half, shielded it with a muslin just in case and gave him a feed.

Good luck!

Dd was 4 months and my top had a stretchy neckline, i did take two bottles of expressed and my sister managed to get half of one of them into her by willpower and jiggling. Five hours in I fed her just in the main room and carried on chatting, didn't want to miss anything.. Dress might be more manoeuvrable than you think? Or some people change into something else for the party bit?

Been there! winter wedding dress in a sort of 50s style, not a constricting once-youre-buttoned-in-thats-it type, but not suitable for anything like public bf in, baby was 4.5 months and ebf.

I fed him in the morning and lunchtime and about 3pm, wedding was 4pm with a half hour drive so off he went just ahead of me in a different car. Wailed throughout the ceremony (I had no idea!) while being shushed and walked around the back of the church by my auntie. Another half hour drive, back to the hotel by about 6. Can't quite remember but I think I went up to our room then for a bit of a hair/face touch-up, unzipped dress down to waist, popped boob out of soft corset thingy, probably did both sides, DH did me back up and we took baby down stairs for first part of the reception.

Had an in-room babysitter who tried to get him to feed some more from the bottle later on (he wasn't a refuser as such, just not used to bottles) but she didn't have much luck. Probably because she also had the TV on in the background and that was far too stimulating! I had had too much bubbly to feed him late at night, but pumped and dumped, DH had a go with the bottle, and I fed him first thing in the morning sitting up in bed with a cuppa and toast.

Thanks everyone! Feeling really reassured now.

Think I need to stop stressing, go with the flow and enjoy myself on the day. 5hrs is worst case scenario and it's not really that long, esp with lunch and edible distractions.

No scope for hoiking unfortunately as the frock has high neck and is not stretchy, but might resort to going home after ceremony to do a quick feed. It's all local so think that's doable. If I do that then he should make it through lunch ok.

Now just got to figure out how he's going to make it through the night while my new DH and I stay at the hotel - eek!