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Infant feeding

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

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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:

QueenZebra · 02/07/2005 13:08

I did and it does seem weird, but... My dad has in his hallway, prominently displayed, an ink drawing of a woman breastfeeding a baby (old family friend's wife & their son). My parents love art & if my dad values that drawing as art (I have put big claims on it in his will), I don't see why he would object to me doing it in person.

Both me, my dad & all his siblings were bottlefed, btw.

kama · 02/07/2005 13:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sparklymieow · 02/07/2005 13:14

Bf in front of my parents, and in front of MIL but not FIL, also my sisters. Misdee feeds in front of my DH and he doesn't bat an eyelid.......

Pixiefish · 02/07/2005 13:19

always said i wouldn't but when it came down to it i ddin't have a problema dn neither did he. my brother was uncomfertable with it so i used to tell him to look away when i was latching on but he was ok afterwards

poppy101 · 02/07/2005 13:41

No real problems, was very discreet when I fed my lo, but would not in front of my parents-in-law as it was uncomfortable, used to take lo up to bedroom or alternative room. Got so used to the fact that I was in hospital to begin with for 5 days when first born, and had so much help from the nurses and midwives to get baby to latch on, that it gets to a point where you aren't really bothered who sees you.
However, all said, still not the inlaws's!!!

singsong · 02/07/2005 13:51

Felt uncomfortable the first time when my dad came to visit us in hospital. But think that was because I was still having to fiddle around to try to get it right. After that I didn?t have a problem.

ogri · 02/07/2005 15:38

didnt bother me.
my dad was there when i got to feed dd for the first time. i took my top off completely.
i had just been away from d for 2 hours though as i was in theatre getting stiched up after c section. so all i wanted was to have my dd close as poss to me and to get her fed.

popsycal · 02/07/2005 15:48

i do and imn front of dh'sdad and grandad....

PiccadillyCircus · 02/07/2005 15:50

I didn't have any problems breastfeeding in front of my dad. He'd seen my mum breasdtfeeding my sister and me.

sweetkitty · 02/07/2005 16:34

No didn't feel uncomfortable BFing in front of my Dad or stepdad neither did they, only person who was embarrassed at first was my brother, I think it tells a tale that he had never seen a woman BFing before and once he realised I wasn't sitting with boob on display he was OK about it.

icklelulu · 02/07/2005 16:57

It doesnt bother me feeding infront of my dad or FIL but MIL is a different story. I will feed infront of her but she disagrees with breastfeeding so we have had a few problems!It makes me angry thinking about it!!!

TinyGang · 02/07/2005 18:00

I wouldn't really be comfortable with it. My dad is the type to find something that needs doing elsewhere anyway. I'm still 'little girl' to him in lots of ways. He's thrilled with his grandchildren but that'd be a bit 'tmi' for him -that's his generation and I don't have a problem with it at all.

Also, I was never very good at it anyway, so not something I was happy to do really in front of my dad or anyone!In public would have been terrible for me. Bf always seemed to involve most of my top half coming off and being in hand to hand combat with the baby to latch on - both of us red in the face with the exertion and in tears! Veryof those that are discreet, successful bf's with lots of milk - I was neither I'm afraid.

Original poster

gingerbear · 02/07/2005 18:05

LOL at Beetroot feeding in front of the pope!

OP posts:

mandyc66 · 02/07/2005 18:38

I do/did feed in front of anyone. Baby needs boob
I have boob..I give boob!!!!!

Magscat · 02/07/2005 19:08

My Dad gets suddenly very interested in his crossword or the telly when I bf but he wouldn't dream of asking me not to do it and I don't think he's that bothered - he can't usually be bothered to get up & leave the room, just makes a point of not staring!

PeachyClair · 02/07/2005 19:22

My Dad always left the room when I fed ds1 and 2, but by the time ds3 was born he had another two grandkids due imminently, both due to be breastfed, and I think he gave up! So he wouldnt look me in the eye, but hey he wasnt leaving that telly for ANYTHING!!! I know he was 100% behind breastfeeding though, and if anyone else challenged it i think he'd have sat on them (he's big, my Dad!)-not that they often did challenge, I had a lovely gypsy lady come over when ds3 was a few days old and I must have looked awkward as I didnt know if the cafe was bf friendly and tell me how wonderful i was to be doing the best for my baby- that felt great, and it was nice how something so natural broke down a cultural barrier)

Mum was more uncomfortable, MIL used to make me go in the bedroom, ah the exciting millennium and three subsequent Christmases I had in her seventies bedrrom whilst everyone else enjoyed themselves

mandyc66 · 02/07/2005 21:25

I wouldnt have gone!!!!!

nooka · 02/07/2005 21:33

Of course. I think he probably was a bit uncomfortable, but then really that's his problem not mine. Any leaving of the room should be for the embarrassed person surely? I did have a shawl I would use when going out so as to be discrete when latching on.

mandyc66 · 02/07/2005 21:41

wish my Dad had been here for the last 2!! He used to just say are you feeding that baby again..with the first one then never blinked with the others!!!

treacletart · 02/07/2005 21:53

My Dad and I have rarely seen eye to eye over the years and he's ruined many a family gathering by expressing his opinions on me revealing half a cm of cleavage in a perfectly modest dress. I swear he'd have had me wearing polar necks and crinoline's if he could have. I breastfed infront of him, but have to be honest it did feel weird. Weirder still when he kissed my DS' head while I was feeding him!

milward · 02/07/2005 22:05

Have had no probs with bf & my pil. I bf for longer than their daughters did & they never said anything - just let me get on with how dh & myself had choosen to parent our kids. Full respect to them for this. They are the best pil I could ever have hoped for.

mandyc66 · 02/07/2005 22:13

my pil never complained. My first set were abit odd about me having children in the first place but never really commented on bf. Second lot are ok with it. My bil is only 17 but he didnt seem to mind!!!!!!! My son says he doesnt have friends round cos i just lop my boobs out all the time!!!!!

spidermama · 02/07/2005 22:33

I'm a brazen breasftfeeder and barely even notice the reactions of others ... until I noticed my FIL leaning right in to have a good old look. That made me a little queasy!

lunachic · 02/07/2005 22:35

was embarrassed the first time-esp as he had brough me a watermelon in hospital lol but after that it was ok

lunachic · 02/07/2005 22:36

mm inlaws def worse i dont see mine too often and didnt bf in front of them after bragging that he(ds) was bf and had never had a bottle

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