Where do you think it is inappropriate to BF

[bumperlicious]

Reading lots of posts about people who have bf everywhere with admiration. I am happy to bf in public, and have even done it on a park bench. When I am out and about I do sometimes fret about finding somewhere "appropriate" to bf, i.e. a cafe or something, but I am just wondering if there are places where you would consider it to be inappropriate to bf? e.g. in a shop, on a train?

I had to take DS1 out of his Christening service - into the vestry - he was screaming for England (only a small church so filled the entire space) and refusing a breastfeed - ended up taking him out until it was "his bit" and then taking him out afterwards

seems i didn't need to be sensible after all!!!

I wouldn't feed ina church but i don't know why

Nowhere is inappropriate, although I do feel more conspicuous bf a toddler in public than a tiddler. Still have to do it sometimes though

my first public bf when ds was 10 days was in church at a wedding
(we had finger sucking through the "does anyone know why not?" and the feed through vows)
it was cold!

mom cos it's cold! And the slurping noises echo round

I don't think there is anywhere that is inappropriate. Thre are places that I would perhaps feel more comfortable than others. Yeah a packed comuter train might be a bit more akward than a park bench but if that's where I am when my baby needs feedign then that;s where I'll feed. I'm sure a few people can avert their gaze if they have to (even though I would of course be as discreet as possible), but a carriage full of peopl having to listen to a screaming hungry abby is far worse than a baby feeding.

I got an odd look from someone when I was feedign DD2 (who was 2 days old) in her sling while showing DD1 the monkeys at London Zoo in the middle of December!

I think the toilet would be the last place I'd think to feed my baby.

I was out shopping with her and she needed feeding so I popped into a shop and said 'could I sit in your changing room and feed her quietly for 10 minutes please'. I didn't expect them to bat an eyelid and they didn't.

I didn't ever had to feed her in church but when Father joe came round to see me after DD1 was born and stayed and stayed I did feel a teensy bit weird getting my boob out in front of him.. In fairness i think he did leave soon after that!

I have fed on the front row in church. It's not as if I was waving my ample norks about. That's where I was sat.

The vicar smiled a lot at me..................

I agree Tooticky, now my dd is 3 I wouldn't bf in public anymore. When she was a baby I had no inhibitions!

PS - bumper - have emailed you for your address babe. TC x

when I fed DS2 (bottle) or DS3 (mixed fed) at church they're always the most helpful place to feed - "don't you want a comfy chair" - rush off to prayer chapel to get one of the "nice" chairs for me, " let me get you a coffee/drink of water" - race off to get one, etc etc

Can't say as I've really felt it would be particularly wrong to breastfeed in any place where it's okay to bring a baby at all. My view is that if it's okay to bottlefeed a baby somewhere, it's okay to breastfeed there too.

QoQ - comfy chairs in church???

yes - ok they don't have arms - but have nice soft "seats" and backs

I agree with Philomytha...If I think it would be acceptable to bottle fed a baby, then I will breastfed there.

A big yuck to using the toilets, who would want to eat in there

I should add I was very very nervous about NIPing but over the last 12 months it just got easier and easier, until these days, when just starting feeding DD without even thinking about where I am first. Now it is a case of hungry baby, fed her.

I've only ever fed a DS on a toilet at home - would never use public toilets!

MrsFogi I breast fed while talking to the priest
We were having a meeting after mass about the baptism and DS2 was fretfull. The priest asked would some milk calm him down? I told him that DS did not use bottles. His reply was - 'How wonderful! Carry on dont mind me!'

Has anyone every actually fed their LO in a public toilet? I cannot believe it's possible. How many public toilets do you see with a suitable clean chair??

Surely those who suggest using the toilet to feed cannot be suggesting a mum actually sits on the bog, in a cubicle can they? There's always such a queue for the ladies loos so one person sitting there for 20 mins or more would be catastrophic for all the desperate leg crossers outside.

I breastfed dd in a toilet on my first outing with her. She was 6 days old and I'd just registered the birth. Bearing in mind that I'd just had an emergency cs after a horrendous labour and had a 6 day old baby who hadn't let me sleep since her birth, I was quite frankly verging on mad. I had to stop in a cafe because the walk to the registrar had been a walk too far and panicked that if somebody had criticised me in my fragile emotional state, I'd have broken down. So I retreated to a disabled loo and fed her there. Before I start an argument though, there were 5 other disabled loos, all unoccupied!

i would have to agree with olive oil. The ONLY place i would regard is inappropriate is a toilet or a smelly baby changing room. I have happily fed walking round tescos whilst shopping, in parks, restraunts, cafes, cars, you name the place i have likely fed there! We should be comfortable and proud that we are giving our babies the very best. I am probably more confident and comfortable about it as i AWAYS wear nursing tops - which allows it to be COMPLETELY discreet

bf while driving - though there are times when i wanted to.

the most horrible noise in the world is a baby screaming for milk while your zooming at 30 mph and i swear my booboo's would grow too big for the seatbelt!

i have bfed anywhere and everywhere, buses, tubes, trains, benches in a park a cemetary, standing in anywhere with baby in sling, shops, cafes etc, i even bfed ds2 all the way through my grandmas funeral, he was 9wks old, she never got to meet him

but everyone at the funeral said it was lovely that there was a such a new little member of the family at the funeral when they were saying goodbye to grandma

DS was fed all over the place, there were only two circumstances in which I moved to a different room - visiting my SIL hours before her hospital admission for a mastectomy, and when I later visited her in hospital, and in front of my FIL. I just couldn't bring myself to do it for a complex list of reasons, cultural and personal.

In a toilet I agree - very unhygenic and belittling

For all those who think its inappropriate to BF in a church can I just reassure you it is absolutely fine to BF in churches.

We are regular church goers and we have always had very supportive comments from the priests: e.g. "its great to see a Mum doing what is best for the baby" etc. The priests make it very clear they support BF and they would much rather women BF than have to go outside or something.

Loads of women feed in our Church BTW (Roman Catholic).

After all Jesus was BF wasn't he?

I think the concept of Bfing as "exposing yourself" is a purely British hang up TBH. I've been in Muslim countries where women cover their entire body and face and they quite happily pop a boob out to BF. Its just regarded as feeding your baby - nothing more, nothing less.

Determination - do you think BFing tops are worth investing in then? I've always wondered whether they make it easier than just normal t - shirts? I'd be interested to know. Thanks (sorry for related hijak)