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?

Where I live we are hoping to become the first city in Alberta to be recognised as baby friendly by the WHO. I keep in my pocket a batch of cards that say "thank you for nursing in public".

Whilst we were on vacation in England last summer we happened to be in a John Lewis cafe. I'd just fed 18 month old DS and noticed a young woman sit down near us and begin to nurse her baby. As we were leaving I went over and thanked her for nursing in public.

I BFed in public for years and years and only ever had positive reactions. The first ever time I did it was on a bench at the sea front at Staithes (near where Emily has her ice cream stall in Old Jack's Boat!) and a middle-aged lady went out of her way to catch my eye to give me a supportive smile- I will never forget that. I've had smiles and thumbs-ups from other mums in restaurants, old ladies telling me it reminded me of BFing their own children or that it's nice to see, nowadays.

The best ever was the owner of a very nice restaurant in the Wirral when DS was about 5 months old. I asked her where I could change DS, got chatting about babies in general and she insisted on sending over a comfy chair and a pot of tea for me when I said I breastfed him. He wasn't even due a feed, really, but she was so kind I did anyway- DS didn't object, fortunately!

I have bf about 5 years in total and never had a negative comment. Bf in cathedral, park benches, shops, etc. Travelling on a train from Cornwall with DS1 aged 4 weeks, the guard moved me to 1st class and bought me tea, free!!!! (Train was full of soldiers returning to Purbright)

Nice older man offered to get me a cup of tea when I was sitting feeding in a museum cafe. Nothing remotely negative in a year of breastfeeding.

A random yawning hungover-looking bloke gave me a smile and a thumbs up as I fed my 15 month old baby in the middle of town the other day. I used to feed absolutely anywhere, but these days I normally only feed at bedtime and early morning so I'm not really used to public feeding any more, and she is very much a toddler now and I was feeling a bit self-conscious, so that was really nice and helpful.

A week ago I fed her before leaving a kids party at 6.30pm hoping she'd go to sleep in the car on the way home. There were toddlers running around everywhere and the only other (much younger) babies there were being bottle fed and I didn't know many people there and again felt a bit self conscious. I nearly went to another room, and I've NEVER done that breastfeeding before. But I didn't. The girl sitting next to me gave me a big smile and said she'd fed her son till 18 months.

Never had a negative comment.

Oh and I was halfdead with tiredness at work one day and feeling very vulnerable and teary and I said I was feeling really run down with breastfeeding in the night, and the senior male doctor I was speaking to said, very sincerely, "you are doing an amazing thing though." I will never forget that.

I've not had any negative comments either. A couple of times people have only realised I'm feeding half way through as I tend to feed under a jumper, and they both offered me a drink when they did :)
I never imagined it would be so positive having heard all the horror stories, but everyone's been very supportive apart from one male friend and he's a bit of a prick anyway

Rather posh old lady when I was feeding DS1 in a cafe: "Just wanted to say ... WELL DONE. I mean ... JOLLY WELL DONE."

I went out for a meal before Christmas with DH and FIL. I was feeding DD when the waitress brought my food over (how is it that they always know when you are going to eat, and so they want to eat?) She offered to take my food back to the kitchen where they could keep it warm until I was ready for it. I said thanks, but I was used to eating one-handed. She then offered to cut it up for me! It was so lovely of her, and really took me by surprise.

pinkapple, that's made me feel teary, aw.

The most positive thing is that no one seems to care. I've fed my three month old on trains, the tube (realising you're feeding under the Thames was quite cool), the back of a bus (either that or crying), countless cafés and John Lewis let me have a table in their packed Christmas cafe because the baby feeding room had a queue. I don't think I've ever had a comment about feeding, more about the baby himself.

I am the only person I have ever met that bfed as long as I did and it was only 10 months. I have no friends or anyone I have associated with has ever done it.

However no one said anything to me and I did it in church, at the school,at work in middle of room, in town, in shops, restaurants etc. I was wearing normak sunmer clothes such as tiny shorts and strappy tops and no one said a word. I think a lot os in peoples heads tbh

Never had a negative comment or even a double take. Nicest reaction was a lady asking me to join her & hubby on the comfy seats at a cafe as i was in hard chair. I declined saying i was still getting used to bf in public & wanted to face back of cafe.
I later realised the whole place could see me in a big mirror anyway lol

I was nervous about feeding in public the first few times but once I got the hang of it I never really had any trouble.
One time I remember with a smile was whist we were at a family party, DS was about 3 months old. DH and I sat in a quiet spot and I fed DS with my usual baby blanket draped over my shoulder and the baby. A family friend who was pregnant came over and sat on our table and asked if I was was BF or FF. I said I was BF and she then spent 10 mins getting a bit ranty about how you couldn't possibly BF discreetly in public, all the while I was breast feeding DS! I let her carry on (couldn't get a word in) then when DS finished I quietly tucked myself back in and put him on my shoulder to wind him, her face was a picture!!! she then said "point taken" and proceeded to talk to me for ages about breast feeding!!

Always- that is superb!

Atruth your anecdote made me get a bit teary! Nice name BTW

I have never not had a positive experience of bfing in public. I have bf'd in many places, with the exception of the bus. Mainly bf'd in places like museum and gallery cafes and John Lewis, but have also done so on trains, in stations, in parks and the countryside. London in general seems positive about bfing and in my part of London it's certainly the norm.

top tip for non-flashing of boob, if that concerns you - undo nursing bra (you can get ones like Hot Milk which are like a 'peephole' bra rather than the entire cup coming down), stretchy vest down, top up, baby on. Once the baby is on you can't see anything anyway, and I say this as someone with big boobs and a small baby!

Son is 5 weeks and I have only done a few public bfs. 3 in cafes and a couple in a church at a carol service and fun day.

Haven't had a bad comment yet but lots of 'well done', 'lovely to see' and good comments at the church.