Positive experiences of breastfeeding in public

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Inspired by a couple of recent threads about negative experiences of bfing in public – please share your positive experiences of bfing publically!

One to start off:

To a local, smart hotel for a Christmas lunch with ILs. Dining chairs not especially comfortable to feed DD (I favour a chair with arms if I can possibly find one) so I decamp to a lovely leather chesterfield sofa in a public lounge area. It was late afternoon, starting to get dark, and the only light came from the nearby Christmas tree. I was in a thoroughfare from reception to rooms so there were lots of staff and guests, male and female, passing to and fro. Nobody batted an eyelid; one or two paused to smile at DD and me. A beautiful, peaceful experience which will become a very fond memory of her first Christmas.

How about you?

In full academic dress in Cambridge on my graduation day. In a number of public places including just outside the senate house. Noone batted an eyelid.

No positive experiences at all I'm afraid...so many looks as if to sat 'yuck' that a couple of times had to feed her in a toilet. Not even a baby changing type place - an actual toilet

I once breastfed my youngest whilst we were on a tour of a cave in Matlock. Admittedly, I did have him in a sling so no one noticed, but I was quite chuffed with myself at having achieved it!

Where do you live Cake?

I don't have any particularly positive experiences, but in more than a year of breastfeeding everywhere and anywhere (except a toilet!) I never had any negative looks or comments.

Bf my ds in a sling on a train and a lady saying she wished she'd thought of that when her children were babies.

I've never really had any positive or negative reactions, but I do remember once being in a YMCA charity shop when DD was a few weeks old and hungry and the shop assistant said I was welcome to get comfy in a corner and feed her. We had a conversation about how I wasn't very confident at feeding in public and she called a friend to get the name of a breastfeeding pinny (a bebe au lait, which I did go on to buy and love!) It was nice to know there was somewhere I could go to feed if I wanted to because my town doesn't have any big shops with private areas to feed! I always donate any grown out of baby clothes and toys there just because I liked that lady so much

Once at the park.

An older woman stopped and said it was a lovely sight.

Other than that, most were uneventful.

I don't really remember my positive experiences, even tho i fed DS in public until about 18mo, I just didn't get any bad reactions that I noticed anyway.
So I guess they were all positive experiences! :)

BF anywhere and everywhere through two children (soon to be a third hopefully) and never anything negative.

Once had a lovely chat sitting on a park bench with a Spanish woman (lived in quite a touristy area of London) who had also sat down to feed her daughter. I doubt we'd have chatted otherwise, what with me being a grumpy Londoner!

Boarded an Air France plane with baby and toddler. Had to feed the baby, staff spotted me feeding, asked if I needed water and brought colouring books and snacks for the toddler. We hadn't even taken off!

Once at a wedding I was discreetly feeding under my bebe au lait cover and a very drunk older man and his wife stumbled over to talk to me. He realised after a few minutes what I was doing and said 'oh how wonderful, you're nursing your baby'. And then they proceeded to stay and chat to me for ages about everything. I loved them. At my wedding my best friend took herself off to another room to feed her daughter. The staff brought her loads of canapés and drinks and were very attentive to her. I was so happy when I heard that!

I breastfed for 4 1/2 years in total. Never had any hassle, evil glares or anything.
Once a dad from DS1's nursery was embarrassed when he came over to talk to me and then realised I was feeding DS2.
And a couple of mums breastfeeding newborns were surprised at my still feeding an 18month old on demand, but then said that was how it was done back home. That's it on remotely negative experiences ever.

I normally feed with my baby under my scarf, or cardigan or in my sling. just personal preference not that I think everyone should, but to give context to my memories.

I have three kids all EBF, never a bad word said to me or even a dirty look. I fed walking around London zoo in the school holidays last week. I had the baby in sling, looking at the rainforest walk through exhibit with big kids totally involved. so different from early days feeding my first when I would get sent away by PIL to an empty bedroom to feed!

I feed pretty much daily in public, normally at cafe places. did feel a bit uncomfy sat with a table of elderly men I had just meet and a fussy baby. but all credit to them they didn't bat an eyelid and only comment was about how I would manage my waffles when the waitress brought my order over.

I breastfed at restaurant tables, in shops, on planes - anywhere.

I never had any reaction whatsoever either positive or negative.

Had a lovely experience when I breastfed my 18-month DS1 at the end of a meal in a restaurant. The only other people in the restaurant were a couple with a baby. After I'd been feeding DS1 for a while, the woman came over to me and said how lovely it was to see me feeding an older child and that it had inspired her to continue feeding her baby when he was older .

I breastfed quite happily all over the place and was really blase about it. Fed both my babies till they were older too (one was two, the other was three). I don't remember any negative comments from people I didn't know - those only came from family members who were shocked that I was still breastfeeding.

I have fed ds for 18 months anywhere we happen to be an md no negative experiences yet. In fact the most prejudice has come from my own family telling me he is too old or my work colleagues telling me that I HAVE to stop. No negativity from strangers at all.

Once sitting in a cafe feeding DS and an older lady stopped to have a chat, said it was lovely to see me feeding him 'properly' and said she'd fed her five children. She told me all about them and her grand kids.

When my husband's aunt and uncle were visiting from the states when DS was about 8mo. When I sat down to feed DS while we were chatting his aunt's face lit up and she said 'you're still nursing him! GOOD girl!' It is honestly the most encouraging noise any of my female relatives have ever made about it - my own mum didn't manage to feed me for very long and I think she's surprised I've carried on to 9 months and counting. DH's mum who is a retired doctor thinks it weird because DS now has teeth Anyway, DH's aunt then commiserated with some of my initial woes like tt and thrush and talked about LLL. She was so warm about it, it made me feel great.

I never had any negative reactions. My favourite positive one was in the m&s cafe. Screaming baby, overloaded buggy, horrible wet day, sleep deprived me. I staggered into the cafe, plonked myself down and started bfing straight away. A young male assistant headed over and I readied myself with an assertive response in case he asked me to leave (I hadn't ordered anything yet). He merely put a glass of water in front of me and told me to call him over if I needed anything else. Reader, I cried. I ended up spending a fortune in that café during maternity leave as they were so nice!

I was feeding in a food court with dd when an older lady approached me to say hello to dd and DS who was two. I was expecting that she hadn't noticed I was feeding dd as she was tucked into my T-shirt and partly covered by my hoodie (next to an ice rink so very cold!)!

Instead she said as a former midwife it gave her great pleasure to see someone breast feeding, and that I was doing a great job.

It is the only comment I have ever received over breast feeding in public, I did always worry about getting a negative comment but I was very glad thus lady was so kind, it really helped to build my confidence.

ATruth - one of the ways I kept sane during PND after having DS1 was by regularly going to a cafe where they were kind to me. It got me through a very difficult time.

I'm in the West mids...have to say if I had found somewhere where people were nice I would go back over and over. As per another poster, a lot of the negatives come from friends as I'm one of the only bf'ers in my wider circle of friends. Example - in my post natal group out of 12 people it was only me and 1 other bf'ing and she mix fed then stopped by 12 weeks.

Good ToffeeWhirl - I'm glad that other people had similar experiences. The kindness of strangers can make a huge difference can't it

BF both babies, never restricted myself to where. Walked along canal feeding when we'd gone for a long walk n DD was hungry. Feed my DS now 4 month wherever, sat across from my boss and his wife feeding other day in restaurant, no one bats an eye kid quite easy to be discreet, long scarfs re my aid

Yesterday I was bfing ds in Nero on my own and an old lady came over and gave me 40p and told me it was for baby's money box bless her.

I fed my 3 for a combined total of around 60 months and have always fed on demand. I never had any negative responses from anyone out and about - pil were a different story but I am good at ignoring Mil's PA comments Most notable positive experience was in the library where they fetched me water on several occasions.

I do live in a very bf friendly area though, every shop and cafe has a breast feeding welcome sign. Probably more likely to be judged for NOT BF round here