CALLING ALL BREASTFEEDING MAMAS!!!!

[MamaMammalon]

HELP!!! OPINIONS NEEDED!

When bf both at home and in public, I pull my top DOWN under my boobs rather than UP as I really dislike baring my now-less-than-perfect stomach and would rather show a bit of boob instead (albeit with the aid of a strategically placed muslin square).

A friend who breastfed her babies about ten years ago keeps hinting about lifting the top UP from the bottom, thus baring less boob (but more tummy).

What do you do? Do you pull up your top or pull it down? Do you cover up or bare your mammalons? Use a proper nursing cover/apron/cape? Wear cleverly designed nursing tops?

Does anyone know of anywhere that sells covers/specific bf tops as we can't get anything like that over here.

I live in Cyprus and come back to UK for Christmas and although I KNOW it's about personal choice, I just want to see what the norm is!

Thanks in advance!!

up

I pull up or across (cardigans are good for this) but when I first started I had a big pink pashmina and used this for strategic draping purposes.

Mind you back then I also drew the curtains round the bed in the hospital so other mums wouldn't see my cackhandedly trying to get DD to latch on. Now I feed her while loading the shopping and talking on the phone

I pull up - have you seen these, they work realy well to hide those "loose" bits

I've always pulled up too. Now ds does it himself.

either vest goes down and tshirt goes up
or unzip/button cardi or shirt to just below boob level and hitch vest up

I have yanked neckline down in public before but am relatively small of nork

Oooh MawBOOM, didn't you know you're supposed to stop BF as soon as they start pulling up your top - it offends people

I wear a vest that pulls down under a top that pulls up
no flash need be bared !
But other wise I pull up, never bare tummy though...

When I'm out I wear 2 layers, pull top layer down and underlayer up. Works a treat, especially if your l.o often comes off like mine does (nosey bugger) as the top layer can be pulled back over very quickly. It also looks like you're just having a cuddle - I have numerous Grandma taken photos to prove this!

I pull the top down as my boobs are better than my tummy! But if I am in very proper company then I sometimes use a scarf draped artfully over the boob, or I also have a good line in stretchy vests worn under a dress, and I pull the dress down and the vest up, creating a window in between! Does this make sense?

Top up and baby hides ba=elly with help of wrap/cover/scarf adn then it just looks like you are giving baby a cuddle. I feel that you cant really be discrete with top down as even if you cover it it still looks as if you're breastfeeding.

Always wear strappy vest under outer top. one under one over, boob out, no one sees!

I used to wear cheap vests (so I didn't care that they were getting rather stretched)
There's already such expense involved in babies. I couldn't justify buying the specialist feeding tops. or a poncho type top worked well too

pull up - I've yet to find a top that's high enough cut to cover the monster bra and stretchy enough to go down!

BTW I think it depends where you are going in the UK. I live in London and people here are quite happy waving their norks about. I remember going to the park with a friend and both of our newborns conspicuously failing to latch on - no-one batted an eye.

So depending on where you are going, don't stress too much.

Why don't you have a look at my new website for breast feeding tops, they are very reasonable and you can wear them afterwards. I have just started the business so I can stay at home with my twins a bit longer www.mamacocoon.com, mention the site and I'll knock £10 off your first order.

Hello ladies! Wow that was my first post and I didn't expect to get such a wonderful response so apologies for the delay in coming back! I thought- ooh, I'll just check it - and wowzers, millions of replies. Thank-you!

We live in Northern Cyprus which is currently subject to a number of embargoes making it hard to get anything out here, plus it is a Muslim state,(albeit a very relaxed, Westernized one) although I don't really ever go out anyway so it's not too much of a problem(!)- there aren't really any places for English Mums- quite happy though. I think because the weather is quite warm, I haven't ever had need to wear anything other than simply a vest top, (dd born mid May, so feeding 5.5 mths), hence the pulling down. Wearing more than that would certainly fry the mammalons! It is cooling now though, although still not enough to wear two tops, but this is a fabulous idea for our wintry Christmas UK trip!!

Thank-you so much for your replies.

What are the thoughts on the Bebe au Lait Hooter Hider things? www.bebeaulait.com/ They seem quite expensive to me (and more than a little large!). And actually, although the patterns are intended to make them appear stylish, I feel they would just be better in black/white and a few colours so you could match them to your outfit and not look like you're wearing some old hippies' bermuda shorts!

Any thoughts- I'll come back quicker next time!

MamaCocoon- how adorable are your babies!!! I hadn't spotted this second page of replies when I posted xx

the Hooter Hiders etc are ghastly American inventions - don't waste your money. If you'd rather have a wrap then use a pashmina or, if it's hot, a sarong or similar.

IIRC breastfeeding is seen as a Good Thing in Muslim societies - doesn't the Koran mandate feeding for 2 years? - so it may be less of a problem than you think. Loose floaty cotton tops might be a better idea than vests when out and about though.

Pull up. Used to pull down but found it embarrassing, actually we don't feed in public a lot but when we do I prefer to keep it discreet - not for others' benefit but my own sense of privacy.
Usually I am wearing enough material to cover the tummy with something, but I prefer to expose my well-earned stretchmarks than my norks!!!

Mrs. Badger, thank-you for your advice on Koran! I had no idea!! I must ask, what does IIRC mean? I do always cover up with a muslin square, too conscious to just whop them out. I live in Northern Cyprus so it's not really very strict. Just interesting to know if what I thought of as 'norm' was actually 'not-so-norm'. Many thanks.

Good way to hide tum and pull top up is to wear a vest top underneath, so pull top of vest down to expose breast, all underneath your jumper / blouse / shirt whatever. Best of both worlds I reckon. V cheap vests available from Matalan etc.

What fishie said... top goes up, vest goes down

I always wore a top with a wrap cardi, and would pull the top up, but keep the cardi where it was.

BTW IIRC is If I Remember Correctly.

MamaCocoon -- Love the website and the top (will probably buy one), but [sneaks out of Pedants' Corner for a moment] it's "discreet feeding", not "discrete feeding". Discreet means "careful not to attract attention", while discrete means "separate, distinct".