i saw a real life hooter-hider

[wahwah1270]

in an uber baby friendly south london pub today, the sort of place where no one bats an eyelid that i feed one year old dd, a woman put this ridiculous lime green hooter hider on to feed her young baby son. if she hadnt worn the hooter hider i doubt i'd have noticed her feeding. i sooooooooo wanted to tell her not to bother with it but bit my tongue. am i alone in not getting the hooter hider concept?

I don't give two hoots about getting my boobs out anywhere but I do own one as there was a time that DS would only feed when asleep and using a cover helped to keep him that way. I also found it lighter than a muslin and preferred being able to have eye contact if he woke.

I don't think they are particularly nice looking/discreet but why the need to judge someone for using one just cause you don't feel the need?

Well I'm a FAN of the hooter hiders (not of the name!) and I DID use one with DS1 and I was glad of it. I was very self concious, unable to manage to feed him without baring a vast expanse of belly or boob, and feeling sh*t enough to be glad of anything that covered me up. I think they are a great idea, overpriced of course, but not to be sneered at if they encourage women to feel they can bf in public.

errr, before you judge, I use a very nice black bfeeding apron. Never heard of "hooter hider", I got this one from ebay for a fiver - but I have issues with the fact that I feel very anxious about feeding in public. It isn't ugly and frankly doesn't draw attention to itself. It just looks like a black shawl. Good for you if you can feed without one, but i prefer to use one. No one has remarked on it - it's just plain black. And it covers the huge expanse of boob and stomach - I'm not comfortable yet with bfeeding, obviously not an expert like yourself, so it helps me. If i did not use it, I wouldn't bfeed. So there.

Actually this made me cross - so what if I use one? At least I'm having a go at bfeeding.

I'm with tinylion, StewieGriffinsMom & lynniep - it's hard enough at the beginning to concentrate on getting baby on right without worrying about being discreet. Plus I'm an F/G cup, so even when baby is on properly you can see areola etc.

I actually just bought a feeding apron (it arrived this morning in the post) and now I feel self conscious about using it because of all the people who say it makes it more obvious

I think they are more likely to draw the eye Trillian but they do cover you up more.

So I guess if what worries you about BF in public is showing skin/breasts then you are still onto a winner.

Personally I quite like the name Hooter Hider.

A friend bought me at set of MASSIVE muslins which I've used when wearing non bf friendly clothes. They're big enough to throw over my shoulder and boobs when DS used to faff about latching on and then easy to slip off the shoulder and cover the rest of me once he gets going and really discreet. For so many reasons they're probably my most invaluable baby item. I saw someone using a hooter hider at a party and I couldn't stop staring at her especially as she was sitting with 3 other girls BF who I hadn't even clocked were feeding for most of the party.

you are being really unkind,presume you mean a bf shawl.if mum wishes to- wear it - up to her.without someone deriding her for not being right on enough, lacking wapping them out skills.i dont get the concept of inventing a sily name for a product and deriding someone

scottishmummy, they are not tasetful shawls but some awful and hideously tasteless invention from America. It would be more discreet to have a neon sign over your head saying "look at me, I have my baps out"

hooter hider

the aesthetics is neither here nor there.if mum felt sufficient need then i dont really think she needs criticised for not being right on enough, or using a shawl

fact these products sell is indicative people chose them,feel the need.

the tone of this is all very competitive and only extreme-bf whilst nudey and in a prominent place will do.

there are many mums and many ways to bf

I am not being judgey - am very much a whatever floats your boat person.

But you have to admit, that the thing that CrackFox has linked to is going to catch the eye more than just normal clothing. Which makes it seem kind of counter intuitive to what is trying to be achieved.

The hooded towels on that site are yummy though.

many mums,many ways to breastfeed.plethora of baby products for every preference.as i said fact they are marketed is indicative of a demand

I was in hospital in the children's ward last week with DS and a woman visiting the little boy opposite with her baby got one out. I fed DS (2 years old) with the curtains drawn because of this because she was acting like there was something wrong with breastfeeding. For the record she also made comments about 'keeping it nice and private' while feeding the baby (don't know if it was a boy or girl because it was only referred to as 'baby')

It's hard enough to be a breastfeeding mum in public without making it a habit which requires couture frankly.

mean to be criticised for use of accessories when bf.if a mum uses it she obviously feels a need.sneering because one doesnt like the choice of accessory isnt supportive

some mums may be comfortable to feed any where,no specific accessories,shawls etc.and some arent.but a mum should chose whatever she feels comfortable with

Thandeka

I had a breat reduction (including the requisite scarring and I breast feed like a pro. They always try and prevent any damage to the ducts, it's very unusual for them to have to cut throught them and they normally tell you if that is the case. (Athough mine was nhs - not sure about private but assume it is the same).

Also happy to feed in public - you don't see enough boob or nipple to see the scars and are too bust trying to cover your stomach to worry about them

Does anyone else think the BF hats would be better if they, you know, looked like giant boobs?

I used something called a "privacy cover" after two incidents with sick men while I was trying to discreetly BF DS (one in my own car, btw!). It is similar to the "hooter hider" (horrid name) concept, but mine was black and quite stylish for it's function (could have been worn as a shawl quite easily).

I was happy to feed discreetly in public until those incidents that happened when DS was about 10m old, but after the second one hated to leave the house for fear of it happening again. The privacy cover allowed me to go out and be comfortable again.

If they make anyone feel more comfortable BF for any reason, I'm a fan. (Though the name really has to go)

Haha I love those hats
It looks like you're feeding a tiny Mexican

Those hats look suspiciously like the ones that cabbage patch kids used to wear

I don't think people use the to conceal the act of breast feeding but rather to remain discreet. Whether they are neccessary or not is neither here nor there, I would personally rather see a mum obviously bf in public with one of those than have her feel uncomfotable enough to resort to sitting somewhere in a public loo.

They could be seen as a political statement, no?

those hats are hilarious! i can't believe they're for real

I got a Bebe au Lait one which I'm now going to return for a pashmina style one. I didn't realise how much antipathy there was towards them.
shop.bebeaulait.com/Shop_3/originals/mint_chocolate

dont change products because of some ravers on mn. they aren't judge and jury of bf accessories

I used one some of the time,mine just looked like a flowery apron.I liked it because it had a rigid loop at the top so I could easily look down onto DD and she could see me but she could block out the world which stopped her doing that latching/off pulling to look at things which was painful and made me feel a bit .I have big breasts and I tend to wear shirts/dresses that open at the front,so it really was hard to feed without getting my whole breast out and in the middle of IKEA I wanted to be a bit more covered up.I didn't use it in quiet places or around other bf women and babies.mine was called a "bebe au lait".