Breastfeeding in public

[ShowOfHands]

Okay, I am all for breastfeeding in public, so much so that it's something I would wave a placard about in an appropriate context. Whilst pregnant I dreamt of sitting in Costa with a nice Earl Grey and a piece of cake, discreetly bf a beautiful milky newborn (when not dreaming of giving birth to 17lb monsters obviously). However, having given birth to the thankfully quite petite Mathilda I discover a previously unconsidered complication to this dream. My dd when suckling sounds like an emphysemic, dehydrated, toothless old man sucking on a rusty tap. If she's not sucking like a baby deprived she's honking, snorting, squeaking, sighing or farting.

So, aficionados of public breastfeeding I ask you this: once the baby is discreetly shoved up floaty top, how do I stop the crowds gathering, pointing and wondering why I'm feeding a piglet instead of a baby?

LOL! Shouldn't laugh - but you have just brought back memories of my two when they were tiny feeders. The noises are extraordinary, aren't they.
I think you just get on with it! They are loud, but then you're right next to her, so of course it'll sound louder to you than anyone else, adding in the desire to be "discreet". I'm sure in a chatty coffee shop it may go unnoticed, and if not, well what's the alternative?
How lucky for it to be nearly summer - you can sit outside and watch the world go by with a fab iced latte and dd feeding.

it gets quieter
you could take a small piglet around with you on a lead to distract?
or talk loudly on your mobile phone?
seriously, just ignore it. carry on reading your book or having a conversation and don't draw attention to the noise.
ime the vast vast vast majority of people DO NOT CARE whta you are doing.
if you get the odd idividual who has nothing better to do than to pass comment on the most natural thing in the world well:
here, borrow one of my favourite looks

people wont br bothered by this as they'll be too busy chatting to their friends or doing their own thing.

Did you go for the 4d scan in the end?

Oh people can hear her alright. We've had a range of 'what the heck are you doing to that baby?', 'is she choking?' and 'can she breathe?'.

I still intend to carry on feeding her, it's just the crowds that gather and the odd person that hasn't worked out where the cacophony originates from, looking up at the ceiling waiting for the gurgling, defective pipe to burst.

I am in Norfolk I must point out. Gathering round a woman feeding a noisy baby is the most excitement we've had round these parts since the tractor jam of 78.

Oh yes went for the scan. Twas lovely. Thanks for the info! The place wasn't what I expected, tiny but nice staff.

Quite fancy a piglet on a lead. Must investigate.

Gecko was like this too, almost quiet now at 4 and 1/2 months but not totally

just go for it

i am a militant pro breast feeding anywhere loon though so I'll do it anywhere no matter how loud she is

I WANNA PIGLET ON A LEAD

give them something to talk about then showofhands!! go for it!!

LOL at crowds in Norfolk gathering round...

JUst make sure you make a recording of her noises to play back to her when she's 18!

No advice, just rofl at your very well written post

sorry, did you mean: wondering if you are feeding a piglet instead of a toothless old man?

Slurp your tea and noisily quaff your cake to distract? Sing loudly?

Where in Norfolk are you? I'm just over the border, the tales of the amazing slurping baby will be reaching these parts any day....

ikwym about the scan place, slightly odd thing to find behind a shop front.

Tractor jam of '78?? I'll have you know I was in the Highways Office when the call came in about the King's Lynn carrot shedding incident of 2003. Slightly more up to date dontchaknow

I'm not even making it up.

GOD can you keep that DOWN I am trying to Mumsnet quietly here

Maybe a glance towards the coffee machine with a comment about how noisy the machine is today would work ?

You might find the links I've posted here interesting if you want a legal right to feed in public without harassment. www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1364&threadid=338121 &stamp=070612142020

Damn. www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1364&threadid=338121 &stamp=070612142020

Haven't a clue re crowd control, btw, but ds was also a snorty, gulpy, very loud feeder. So I sympathise with the OP.

Oh yes carrot shedding in King's Lynn, most definitely a highlight of the last decade and certainly the most exciting thing to ever drop itself into dear old den of iniquity that is the heinous King's Lynn. Terrible place, like stepping off the edge of the world into rancid blancmange. On a good day.

Boco am not far from Norwich, but far enough that I can avoid it tolerably well. Surely once the story has worked its way over the border it will have changed subtley but remarkably a la Chinese whispers. So instead of the miraculous sound bag baby that was heard in a coffee shop last Thursday it will be a woman was actually breastfeeding a piglet on the high street. And that hasn't happened in these parts for at least a fortnight.

Am practising my

Could you get Matilda to aim jets of milk across the cafe? Then they could ooh and ah at the pretty fountain disply and cease wondering about what species you are feeding.

oh don't say that - DS3 is very quiet still when feeding (but he's only 19 days old) so feeding him in public is easy......but you're bringing back memories of DS1 who sounded like a pig while feeding too !