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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Could you do it in front of your dad?

64 replies

gingerbear · 02/07/2005 07:52

Breastfeed that is. I always felt slightly uncomfortable feeding DD when my dad was in the room. I think he did too, but he never asked me to leave the room, he usually made an excuse and went off to make tea. I tried to find alternative places if I could.

In public I was not in the slightest bit bothered (tell a lie - one Sunday morning in church I nipped out to feed her.)

OP posts:
mandyc66 · 02/07/2005 07:58

I found my in laws worse. i mean they arnt as close as your parents and a bit closer than friends. I had a girl friend once who objected to me feeding infront of her hubby!!!

Tommy · 02/07/2005 08:12

I did it in front of DH's 90 year old Grandad who didn't bat an eyelid. confident and don't care what others think the

Tommy · 02/07/2005 08:13

don't kow what happened to the last bit there! Was trying to delete it!

misdee · 02/07/2005 08:14

can feed in front of anyone expcept dh grandad, who gets abit offended, and tbh at his age i think the site of a boob may finish him off. so i nip out if he is visiting MIL and i'm there.

Ameriscot2005 · 02/07/2005 08:14

You just get on with it, regardless of who is around you. The world won't come to an end.

Yorkiegirl · 02/07/2005 08:14

Message withdrawn

berolina · 02/07/2005 08:15

My PIL were here last weekend. ds is 6 weeks and feeds very frequently in the day, so I was having to feed in front of them. It wasn't ideal, but if I'd gone into the bedroom every time I wouldn't have come out all weekend... MIL was worst - because she was so besotted with ds she kept staring at us while we were feeding! but didn't have the heart to tell her to look elsewhere as she was really sweet with her besottedness and tried really hard not to be pushy

jessicaandbumpsmummy · 02/07/2005 08:16

i didnt when jess was born, but will this time. I was worried more about my mum tbh, thinking she would tell me how to do it!!!

THis time ill whip it out and not care!

toria77 · 02/07/2005 08:23

no never!

Lizita · 02/07/2005 08:34

I stayed with my parents for 2 months after having my dd so yes, i did, all the time. In fact i exposed myself quite a lot at the very beginning, it makes me cringe now to think of it!

ninja · 02/07/2005 08:36

I didn't mind but I did see my dad averting his eyes!!

Kelly1978 · 02/07/2005 08:39

Yes, no problems there. I stayed with my parents for two weeks after havign ds, so it would have been difficult if he had objected. My brother had a big problem wiht it though. This really annoyed me at the time, as my parents backed him up and used to try to get me to go elsewhere when he was around. I usually dug my heels in. babies int eh early days need pretty constant feedign, and there was no way I was sittign in a bedroom alone for hours on end. Couldn't do it in front of FIL or brothers-in-law at all. I would have felt awkward and so would they.

Satine · 02/07/2005 08:41

I always felt uncomfortable because I knew it made him feel awkward and as though he had to look everywhere but at me....

NotQuiteCockney · 02/07/2005 08:53

I'm not incredibly comfortable bf in front of my dad, but my FIL is ok (I see him more often). The only real problem I've had is MIL always wants FIL to take lots of pics of a new baby, including while he's feeding. I don't mind the idea of photos of me bfing, I guess, but I don't like FIL taking them. (And he doesn't like taking them, either.)

beetroot · 02/07/2005 08:56

This reply has been deleted

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vicdubya · 02/07/2005 08:58

Yes, but then my Dad is a dr and used to seeing body parts on a regular basis!

Did feel more uncomfortable with pils but they seemed fine with it so carried on. Also in front of 17 yr old dss, thought he might be embarassed but he wasn't, and of course in front of friends and in public, although discreetly.

Once you get the hang of it you can really be quite discreet I found, never felt as tho I was putting it all on display iyswim!

But do understand if the other person is embarassed or uncomfortable, it is difficult. But agree when you've got relatives to stay and your baby is tiny, you wouldn;t see them unless you actually BF in the same room!

Or is this an advantage on occasions?!!!!

Thomcat · 02/07/2005 09:08

No problem in front of my dad, i mean he's my dad, any it's a beautiful sight that I'm sure melts his heart a bit when he sees it. I found doing it in front of my FIL a bit funny for about 2 seconds then got over it. Doing it when the priest came round was a bit weird for a first seconf but got over that as well, although I have to say that I did hang on for 5 mins in case he left, but he didin't so I cracked on.

HappyMumof2 · 02/07/2005 09:15

Message withdrawn

bobbybob · 02/07/2005 09:36

My dad is seriously uncomfortable now - but ds is 2 and a quarter. Still it's my house and he is here first thing in the morning and at bedtime, so if ds asks for a "mummy drink" he just has to bear it. I think ds has picked up on this now and asks to go into "mummy's big bed".

flobbleflobble · 02/07/2005 09:41

My dad was very anti breast feeding for modesty reasons - but I breast fed in front of him, in his house, with the support of my mother.

He could see how comforting it was to unhappy bairns - and for whatever reasons of his own he is now very pro breast feeding - although I think he probably would feel a bit uncomfortable if someone other than me breast fed their child in front of him. But he wouldn't be down on it anymore - and he is 80 years old!!!

edam · 02/07/2005 09:47

I did. Didn't have much choice really as ds needed feeding! On the first occasion it would have seemed more rude to leave the room, IYSWIM - ettiquette dilemma or what?
Was very self-conscious about it but dad didn't bat any eyelid.

Fran1 · 02/07/2005 10:27

Yes bf in front of my dad and everyone else!

I have noticed the 80 + year olds getting a bit of a reputation on here, but i have to say anyone of that age group who saw me bf were totally pro bf. Including my great nan who i think would have beaten me with a stick if she'd seem a bottle in my hand!

fsmail · 02/07/2005 11:33

My Dad is all for it. So is my father in law even though he was very uncomfortable at first as none of his daughters or wife bf. On the whole men are the ones that spoke to me more when I was bf. I was more uncomfortable in front of my mom and other women who had not bf mainly because they saw it taking up so much time.

Flamesparrow · 02/07/2005 11:34

I didn't last time, but I will this time I think. He got a bit flustered when I considered it and went off to make tea

kate100 · 02/07/2005 11:46

I did and neither of us was bothered, admittedly he had see me within an hour of me having DS when I was still covered in god knows what, so I should probably have been more bothered by that. My brother however ......... he could not have been more uncomfortable than if I had been trying to feed him!!