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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

right its my first outing to the pub on sunday for the first time since baby has been born nearly 6 weeks ago ...will prob have to bf when out as baby will only go bout half an hour between feeds before screaming her head off

31 replies

pregnantbabyelephant · 02/08/2007 17:17

im a bit scared about bf in public but know i will have to do it otherwise ill be trapped in the house for 6 months to a year !!! what shall i say if anyone has a go at me ?
could do with a few quick put downs in case anyone makes any horrible comments to be
was thinking of saying something along the lines of
" well if youve over sexualised breasts to the point youve forgotten what there there for thats your fucking problem!" although i would prob leave out the fucking tbh lol
unless they where really rude

ok ok maybe im feeling quite defensive and hopefully nobody will have a go at me

OP posts:
RubyRioja · 02/08/2007 17:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

prettybird · 02/08/2007 17:20

It's highly unlikely that anyone will have a go at you. They probably won't even notice.

If someone does comment or look, just say something simple back like "and your point is.....?" with a hard stare.

If they dare to continue, then you can go on to the "over sexualised" rant - but you porbably won't have to.

BTW - you should porbabyl change your name!

bookthief · 02/08/2007 17:22

Don't worry. No-one will notice and it'll just look like you're holding your baby . Sit with your back to the room if it makes you feel more comfortable.

JoMa · 02/08/2007 17:25

I was really worried about this too but I have fed ds2 in public most days for 16 weeks now and never been faced with commemts, stares or anything else

I have a pouch sliing which I lay him in to feed, that way he is completely hidden and with my t-shirt pulled up, and a vest pulled down nothing is on display at all!

bumperlicious · 02/08/2007 17:29

I wouldn't worry at all, I'm sure no-one will notice. The first time I BF in public I was all puffed up ready for a fight if anyone dared even look at me in a funny way! No-one said a word! You just have to suck it up and do it. The first time is the hardest.

Ruby, I'm with you on the baby fat! More concerned about that and my evil red stretch marks than my boobs. Have you got a bump band from pregnancy? Someone on here suggested wearing that to cover up your belly.

Good luck PBE! You'll never look back!

maveta · 02/08/2007 17:37

oh the first time I did it I was mortified! was in a very public plaza on a fiesta day so the whole village was out and ds had tongue tie so getting him to latch on was a nightmare.

No one said a thing. I thought I´d die everytime he came off and my boob was left flapping mid air but that lasted about 5 mins before i just decided to breeeeeeeathe and relax, and once I realised no one was really looking.

You´ll be fine and it will get easier everytime until you´re whipping them out all over the shop. The vest under a t-shirt is a great idea. I have fed like this many a time and no one has appeared to even notice what I am doing.

Katy44 · 02/08/2007 22:13

No one will notice, or if they do you'll get an approving smile IME. If you encounter someone with something bad to say on your first trip out, you'll be very unlucky.
Enjoy yourself!

funnypeevesculiar · 02/08/2007 22:18

I was desparate for someone to have a go at some point with both of mine - no one ever did. Waste of all my good lines prepared at home!
Look like you're confident (even if you dont feel it) & no-one will say anything...

moondog · 02/08/2007 22:20

You'll be fine.
People are generally far too wrapped up in themselves to notice.

I got nothing but pleasant comments and supportive smiles in 3 1/2 years which was a bit annoying as I'm always gagging for a fight.
Have a GOOD TIME. [SMILE]

vole3 · 03/08/2007 03:53

Tuck the corner of a muslin under your bra strap to help with draping effect.

I actually left my local landlord lost for words when I checked that he didn't mind if DS consumed his own food on the premises

popsycal · 03/08/2007 06:10

Really don't worry. Wear a nrusing bra and a stretchy vest top in a similar colour to the normal top that you are going to wear. When you feed, undo the bra and at the same time, pull down the vest top. Belly covered. Boobs sorted. I doubt at 6 weeks old you will have ANY comments about feeding your baby.

If you feel a little self conscious, try to find a table in the corner and choose a chair with you back to the rest of the pub.

When ds2 was little, I had a male work colleague come up to me and 'coochy-coo' over the baby - right up close at eye level - and was mortified when I told him he was feeding!

Just stay calm and ENJOY! Make the most of it - it becomes a lot harder to get out for a Sunday lunch when they are on the move!

Let us know how it goes!

mawbroon · 03/08/2007 16:44

Try to choose something off the menu that you can eat with one hand!

Notquitegrownup · 03/08/2007 16:50

If you are really self conscious, you can wear an old T shirt with an appropriately placed slit, and a loose shirt over the top. Then when you unbutton your shirt, all anyone sees is Tshirt.

Best of luck. At least you won't have bottles of formula to cope with in the heat!

beansprout · 03/08/2007 16:59

Very few people actually encounter comments, try not to worry. A simple "I'm feeding my baby, is that ok?" should ward off any idiots. Or, put dh in charge of looking out for you so you don't feel so vulnerable.

The first time is the hardest!!

Lizzzombie · 03/08/2007 17:32

In my experience, most people dont even notice what you are doing. Its not like you are waving your bare breast around. I found wearing those smoke type tops which are everywhere at the moment, made BF in public really easy.
Just keep calm whilst you're doing it and focus on the baby and not on if anyone can see anything. If you are out with DP & mates, they will all be around you anyway, and they arent going to say anything derrogitary.
Best of luck, and most important, enjoy your night out!

LIZS · 03/08/2007 17:38

You will be fine, find a quiet corner and have a drink and good grub while you're at it. Very unlikely anyone will even notice let alone comment. However make sure the pub has a licence for children in the bar. ds got barred for the first time aged about 2 weeks when we met a group of (childless) friends unwittingly in such a pub and the weather was too cruddy to sit outside.

pistachio · 03/08/2007 17:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
pregnantbabyelephant · 03/08/2007 20:59

ok im ready for it
i really hope noones horrible to me

OP posts:
Original poster
pregnantbabyelephant · 03/08/2007 21:00

pistacho i really liked ur comment never thought of it like that

OP posts:
Katy44 · 03/08/2007 21:11

if they are tell them you'll send your virtual friends round to duff them up, that'll have them scared
Seriously, unless I've been really lucky it's a lot less common than you think. Plus, will you have a supportive dp/family/friends with you?

Original poster
pregnantbabyelephant · 04/08/2007 00:10

well it me dh one of my best mates and her dp who already said he doesnt like bf when i was pregnant, hes a bit of a twat but hes with her so we have to put up with him
his alright normally though bout other stuff

OP posts:
popsycal · 04/08/2007 13:20

Ignore her DP. It is not his baby (or his breasts for that matter). If he says anything ask if there was a free, special medicine that he could give his baby which would give it extra immunity, be perfectly custom made suit it suits exactly what it needs and would stop it screaming (and quote other BFing facts) and at the same time would give his partner greater protection against a variety of cancers, would he give it to his child?

If he was being an arse though, I think I would go out of my way to be more vocal about bf (and maybe a little less discrete ) - but that is just me

maxbear · 04/08/2007 20:33

I bf my dd for 6 months and had a few comments, usually oh how lovely to see a baby bf. I had a few looks, usually dreamy eyed women remembering their own bf experiences fondly. Am now bf 5 month old ds and still have never had any negative comments at all. I have some good bf tops which I got from jojomamanbebe and nct which help to do it discretely. Now that I am an experienced public breastfeeder I almost wish that someone would say something just so that I could give them a reply similar to the one that popsycal suggests! Both my children have been like yours bf very often so that you feel you can't go out without feeding. It gets much easier as time goes on. Hope you have a good time and let us know what happens.

Original poster
pregnantbabyelephant · 05/08/2007 15:54

just thought id let you know im back and i did it !!!!!
only for about 15/20mins but it a good start feel like ive got over a real hurdle in my mind
no one had a go at me i think one bloke noticed but say anything hooray

OP posts:
Desiderata · 05/08/2007 15:55

Well done, elephant!

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