Breastfeeding in public, your experiences?

[boogiewoogie]

I'm doing a bit of research for a debate I'm taking part in on bf in public. Arguing for bf in public to be allowed of course.

Personally, I've never had any problems with anyone objecting me breastfeeding my baby in a restuarant/ cafe/ bench etc so I've never been made to feel embarrased. If someone told me to feed in private such as the toilet, I would have got quite defensive and just stay put!

Where have you fed your baby and did anyone experience any objections? What did you do about it?

Thank you

Fed everywhere I wanted - realistically, mostly coffee shops/restaurants/benches. Never had anyone comment negatively. In fact, don't think anyone commented either way....!
Rather bizarely, the most awkward I've ever felt bfing was in a Mothercare designated bf room ... it was tiny, there were 3 of us squashed in bumping elbows, and I felt 'watched' by the other 2 bottlefeeders (almost certainly my paranoia rather than theirs - never did it again

i feed anywhere byt have had comments been stared at nd asked to stop

I think we should all be allowed to feed wherever good luck with your debate

i once mentioned in a car dealership that i would like somewhere to sit to bf dd who was less than 6 wks at the time. the guy thought he was being helpful when he suggested the loos, so i smiled sweetly and said firmly that i would go and sit, 'over there' referring to the comfy seats set aside in a waiting area where they would bring coffee etc for waiting customers.

i once mentioned in a car dealership that i would like somewhere to sit to bf dd who was less than 6 wks at the time. the guy thought he was being helpful when he suggested the loos, so i smiled sweetly and said firmly that i would go and sit, 'over there' referring to the comfy seats set aside in a waiting area where they would bring coffee etc for waiting customers.

I didn't breastfeed in public a lot, but when I did it was usually in cafes / restaurants and a couple of times on a train. Never had any problems with anyone objecting, although I think I would have been mortified, not to mention extremely annoyed, if anyone had said anything.
I think that, provided you are 'reasonably' discreet it shouldn't be an issue, despite what the silly moo on BBC's Breakfast programme was saying this morning.

Me too. Fed everywhere - HV's clinic, M&T groups, coffee shops, restaurants, plane, park bench, weddings, other people's homes. Nobody seemed to mind. I guess I am quite matter-of-fact and physically discreet. This is London, and generally the (hate to use the word) middle-class areas.

I don't like to feed in tight enclosed places though, like Tube/train, where there are less places for people to avert their eyes and more chances for encountering perves.

Bogwobbit - what did the silly moo say on BBC breakfast?

I bf everywhere - cafes, on a rock in the middle of a wood, in a department store sitting on one of the display chairs...

regrettably never had even 'evils', as Vicky Pollard would say. a shame because I am dead bolshy about getting bfeeding to be seen as 'normal' again and would have loved a set-to with some narrow-minded pillock. but it never happened.

i guess i should be pleased...

Fed pretty much everywhere, never had a problem. I did get the odd old lady wanting to come peer at my baby and then being all apologetic when they suddenly realised I was feeding

I had no problems either, fed dd whenever and wherever she needed it. Took a blanket to cover her if needed, but never had any comments.

I had no problems either, fed dd whenever and wherever she needed it. Took a blanket to cover her if needed, but never had any comments.

I had no problems either, fed dd whenever and wherever she needed it. Took a blanket to cover her if needed, but never had any comments.

God, what happened there??? Only meant to say that once, obviously

Fed everywhere and no problems (again, this is middle-class London and most of the mothers I have met at least give breastfeeding a go). I've even fed DD in a restaurant in the City where I was having lunch with a friend. A few looks from the suits, but I think a lot of them may have been admiring my very cute baby. The restaurant staff didn't bat an eyelid, which was nice.

My sister said that on flights she would feed during takeoff and the flightcrew would sometimes offer her a blanket (which she turned down). I've flown a lot with DD but never had a problem - I figure that on a plane people tend not to look at each other anyway.

I didn't feed whilst out and about that much but did in some cafes etc. Once fed in Debenhams and an old man came over and asked if I would mind moving to the toilets. I said I did mind and that if he thought it was OK to eat in a toilet he should take his lunch there. He complained to member of staff who said that Debenhams supported breast feeding and suggested he moved out of the family area if he was offended.

way to go, clarinsgirl. that's exactly the sort of argument i am still looking forward to having one day.

not that i like arguing, you understand...

Anywhere and everywhere, my particular favourites being halfway up a hill in the Lake District as a group of teenagers on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition trooped past, and on the floor of the corridor of a Virgin train from Sheffield to York (this was yesterday).

My one regret is that when dd needed a feed at my great-aunt's funeral, I slipped out and fed her in a room at the back, thus missing the eulogy, as I didn't want to offend anyone. Afterwards my dad said to me 'There was no-one in the church that would have minded' and thinking about it he was quite right - esp as my great aunt had been matron of a children's hospital and would def not have had any problems with it herself!

Never had any problems, and actually much of it was not in a middle class area as some people have said of theirs, but in East Yorkshire which has very low breastfeeding rates.

My experiences have been nearly 100% positive. I have fed in all sorts of places, agree the toliets is no place to feed anyone.Generally old ladies are lovely and many have stopped to reminise about their BF experiences. I think on a train or plane almost everyone would rather baby was fed than screaming. Like mammaduck i am still waiting for someone to object.

I fed both of mine until they were 3, and the only comments I had were from my mum and (former) best friend, who couldn't cope with extended feeding at all - but that was at home rather than in public!

I did have a Scots friend whose brother in law came down here (Oxfordshire) to stay with her and spluttered about the womin who were "baring their all" everywhere he went! But I don't think that he confronted anyone - just saw it as a regional absurdity, and headed back up north asap!

Mamaduck, as kazbeth said she basically wanted women in breastfeed in the loo rather than offend the sensibilities of other people who might she what she was doing . She wittered some other rubbish too - basically she came over as very 'anal' imho.
Lowri Turner was on as well, sticking up for breastfeeding in public.

boogie - i think most londoners are probably ok with seeing a small baby being bf - i am not too sure about attitudes to bf a toddler though - my ds is now a bf 2.7 yo and i pretty much stopped bf in public when he was around 1

i stopped bf in public for HIS sake not mine (as i do not wish him to be bullied in later life) i just don't find Britain is liberal enough to grasp the concept of self weaning

i thought the "Extraordinary BF" programme on C4 last year was not that helpful to mums nor SELF WEANING children - i thought the prog. had focused too much on strange situations rather than the many 1000's of ordinary bf toddlers in the UK

i would like to see a more positive public attitude to both bf babies AND bf toddlers -bf toddlers are a normal and visible fact in many parts of the world

I have fed anywhere and everywhere the ds's needed to be fed and have never had a negative comment. I did think a man was staring at me on a train once and was very relieved I didn't say anything when after a while I realised he was blind!
The only other time I ever felt uncomfortable was in my own home when ds1 was tiny and 3 neighbours came to visit, all of whom had bottlefed and I actually asked if they minded if I fed him! Once of them had previously commented about another neighbour who had apparently had the cheek to bf in front of them! No doubt in her own home as well.
That was 10 years ago though and no-one has ever commented since even thought ds3 really doesn't believe in being discreet and will hoist my top up showing far more than I'd like!

i had one of these and it was brilliant bfwrap

i've fed everywhere - plane, office (!!) restaurant, train (dd2 was 10 days old).

and i have changed a nappy (just wet) at a restaurant table (in her buggy, not on the table) -there was no changing table, what was i supposed to do? Then again i have also had DD1 do a wee on the floor in pret a manger so i have no shame left.

I'm another anywhere feeder: weddings, funerals (keeps 'em quiet!), cafes, meetings, mountains.......never a complaint but like others I'm always ready to leap on my high horse to defend it! We are in the NW and have very low bfing rates locally which are being improved through our peer support programme but I see it as my duty to publicly bf wherever possible.
I also have also discreetly expressed on the Virgin train coming back from London.

BTW on a long haul flight from Argentina I saw a woman who had fallen asleep bfing and the child had slid off leaving her boob hanging out - I really wanted to cover her up but didn't dare!