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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Breastfeeding in public

28 replies

Tryharder · 26/09/2008 23:09

Had a really interesting conversation with the nurse at my local health clinic the other. It all stemmed from her offering me the use of a chair stuck away at the end of the corridor to bf DS2. I said no thanks because I was happy to bf him in the waiting room as there are some comfy sofas in there. She said, oh, because a lot of mums dont like to bf in public.

Anyway,we were talking about bf in public and we concluded that for some reason amd in our experience, young attractive mums with great bodies and nice perky boobs are often reluctant to bf in public whereas older, fatter mums like myself with shall we say, less perky boobs are quite happy to whip them out in restaurants/supermarkets/park benches (gives the lads a treat eh? )

So what does everyone else think? I do not mind bf in public (I even bf on a bench on my very busy local high street the other day)but would not sunbathe topless. Whereas my sister in law's niece who's 19 refuses to bf in front of anyone even other females but is quite happy to sunbathe topless. It's a funny old world isnt it?

OP posts:

wessexgirl · 26/09/2008 23:11

What an interesting point.

I wonder if there's any research? Would make a fascinating project.

(I'm an older, saggier mum who didn't care less about bf in public - though was not exactly 'whipping 'em out' - it's easy to do discreetly. I'd never go topless on the beach though.)

MsHighwater · 26/09/2008 23:14

I'd never thought of it that way but, when you think about it, it would fit right in with the theory that resistance to bf'ing is associated with seeing breasts in exclusively sexual terms. Hmmm.

I'm in the saggy boobs, happy to bf in public but would never go topless camp, btw.

JoolsToo · 26/09/2008 23:16

strange lad that gets 'a treat' from you whipping out your 'less perky boobs' to feed your baby

Original poster

Tryharder · 26/09/2008 23:18

They get more of a fright JoolsToo, these days unfortunately. Never mind, my DP still loves me....

OP posts:

charchargabor · 26/09/2008 23:24

I'm young but saggy and never had a problem with bfing in public. Not sure what the conclusion of my post is

kee27 · 26/09/2008 23:28

i bf any were but allway mk sure ds was tucked under my top hahahah. all the time so could not see any thing .but what i think is rong is when ur paying for ur shoping in say tesco .and yes right behind is a mum with her boob out that i think is rong and im no purd .

Joolyjoolyjoo · 26/09/2008 23:28

Well I'm a saggy, baggy kinda older (35) mum, and I've had no problem bf in public with all 3- guess it stems from the fact that I doubt anyone will want to look! Maybe if you are young and fit and have something worth loking at, there is that worry!

NoBiggy · 26/09/2008 23:29

I guess if to you they are sexual, you'll feel you're doing something wildly inappropriate.

If, like me, you've always found they just get in the bloody way, then you'll be thankful they're finally some bleeding use, and set-to whenever the need arises.

nappyaddict · 26/09/2008 23:30

i'm young pert(ish) boobs, would sunbathe topless and bf in public even in the queue at tesco.

charchargabor · 26/09/2008 23:31

I've fed my DD in a shop queue. Didn't plan it that way, but I couldn't dictate when she got hungry and prepare for it. Sure I would have got much more funny looks if I'd just left her screaming.

notsoteenagemum · 26/09/2008 23:47

I was always more worried about someone seeing my stretch marked tum than my boobs which were perky at the time and I was quite proud of.

charchargabor · 26/09/2008 23:49

Yes notsoteenagemum I'm the same. I hate anyone seeing my stretchmarked flabby tummy but don't mind my boobs, even though they're not that perky! They're better than the tummy, put it that way!

cyteen · 27/09/2008 13:41

i wouldn't sunbathe topless for a variety of reasons, mostly that I don't want sunburned nips, but have been happy to feed my 3 week old wherever the situation demands - so far this has included a park bench and the front row of a cookery demonstration

Unsure where to place myself on the age/perkiness axis - I'm 32 and my norks retain a degree of spring...

Libra1975 · 27/09/2008 14:40

I dont care about b/f in public, they are all strangers, who cares what they think (I do tend to drape something over him for privacy) but I hate b/f in front of my friends
I would rate myself in between young/perky and older/fatter

belgo · 27/09/2008 14:48

I wonder if there's any truth in that. I've had a couple of friends with great figures who tend to show plenty of cleavage be quite prudish about the fact that I bf in public.

StealthPolarBear · 27/09/2008 14:53

What's the problem with bf in a queue in tesco?
Me - saggier than perkier but 28 so does that count as young. Would bf anywhere, well probably not in a shop queue but that's because I'll have to pack shopping/pay etc not because of the sensibilities of the poor woman in front of me

meglet · 27/09/2008 14:55

I am young-ish and pert and tried sunbathing topless once, but not that keen on it. I would never get changed in a communal changing room or the gym.

And I am still not quite brave enough to bf my 3 week old DD in public. We did it in park though and a hotel lobby, but no one was close by.

I annoy myself by not being confident enough to do it in public. I don't like doing it in front of family though, feel more relaxed around total stangers. It's something that I have been thinking about a lot lately .

madmouse · 27/09/2008 15:08

hahaha I am 33, size 18 with massive norks and feed everywhere

My son is now 8 months and I am going to start weaning him and was compiling a list of places I have fed him:
In the tunnel to France
On Housesteads roman fort on Hadrians Wall
Coventry cathedral during my husband's ordination
Motorway stations in Britain, France, Belgium, Holland
Pizza Express, Costas, Starbucks (very good and comfy), Ikea, Asda cafe, busy Chinese buffet restaurant (with a friend trying to cover me up- hah) endless cafes and restaurants
churches all over the place including Holy Island, train stations all over the UK.
Hospitals and cafes in Holland, where it is quite rare to bf a baby over six weeks so people were surprised (but nicely so) at me feeding my 5 month old.

If I am in someone's home I ask. Other than that, no limit!

madmouse · 27/09/2008 15:10

just getting it straight meglet not laughing at you, just the op

if you are not comfy practice covering yourself. Ikea has some lovely muslins and they are huge, good to cover up I am sure.

VictorianSqualor · 27/09/2008 15:13

Young-ish, 27.
I have rather large norks atm but would be much happier feeding baby than sunbathing topless.

notpregyet · 27/09/2008 15:18

This is very interesting. I hope that i'll be happy to bf anywhere necessary when the time comes.

I happily change and shower in communal gym changing rooms... but i have noticed that out of my friends it is often the more attractive, slimmer women that have hang ups about communal showers - i'm no model but other women seeing me naked does not bother me.

MrsBadger · 27/09/2008 15:28

I am young, slim and pert and fed dd anywhere at all, including in the queue at Sainsbury's whilst packing and paying onehanded, for which I do not apologise at all to anyone, purd or not.

And I use communal changing rooms but would not sunbathe topless.

but I am a bit lentilly - maybe that's it?

VictorianSqualor · 27/09/2008 15:33

MrsB, you're also intelligent, so would quite easily be able to shut someone up if they tried to complain.

I think intelligence and confidence has a lot to do with it, IMO.

MrsBadger · 27/09/2008 15:42

but you would expect the slim young lovelies to be more confident about their bodies than the saggy oldsters more mature mothers, non?

actually now I have typed that I see it could well be completely the other way round...

VictorianSqualor · 27/09/2008 15:44

Exactly, MrsB.
Maybe those of us who aren't that bothered about our bodies, and more confident are less likely to take so much care over it? Preferring instead to let ourselves go a bit?

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