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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:

Socci · 02/07/2005 22:38

Message withdrawn

CarrieG · 02/07/2005 22:54

I just got on with it. I do remember making a bit of a decision on it...ds one day old, parents all over the shop...'sod it, anyone who doesn't like it doesn't have to look' type thing. Dad was equally obviously doing a manic eye-contact thing so as not to put me off, whilst clearly horrendously embarrassed...

FIL is of the often-stated opinion that breastfeeding is a wonderful thing because the milk is an 'ideal food, which comes in such very attractive containers' . He'd've felt extremely cheated if I hadn't lobbed them out, frankly...

Melpomene · 02/07/2005 23:02

I am tandem feeding my dds (dd1 is 26 months old; dd2 is 2 months old.) I feed them separately in front of my Dad, but wouldn't feed them together in front of him iyswim. I have fed them simultaneously in front of my Mum (felt a bit embarrassed though as it means quite a lot of exposure!)

Dad is a bit disapproving of me feeding dd1 so I feel a bit uncomfortable about feeding her in front of him and usually he'll find something to do elsewhere. One time she asked for "milk please" and he said that if she's old enough to ask for it then she's too old to have it. I can't see the logic in that...

shhhh · 03/07/2005 01:04

Absolutly no way ! My dad though would be cool about it but I wouldn't feel comfortable.
This will make you laugh: a few wk back I was holding dd while waiting for dh to prepare dd a bottle (as combining bf and bottle feeding) and dad casually asked me if I was feeding dd already !! LOL, I can just about manage to bf while sat down let alone while stood up and walking around the lounge..bless him . Must think i'm a natural.!!

Feeding in front of my mum is fine and in fact my mum was brilliant during my first few days of bf my dd (dd is now 6 weeks old), found it a bit bizarre though to have my mum actually holding my boob to latch dd on ! I was struggeling that much though and in so much pain though that I didn't mind who helped LOL... Please note though that i'm normally not one to show off my "bits" !! Not even to my mum !!

emily05 · 03/07/2005 01:06

DOH! When I saw this thread all I read was 'could you do it in front of your dad'! Didnt see the BF Topic, so assumed you meant sex!! Was really shocked until I realised

fatmomma · 03/07/2005 01:23

Although we managed to struggle on for 7 months, ds and I were terrible at bf. After leaving special care I didn't feed in front of anyone except my dh. That is unless you count my neighbours builders who I caught staring through the window from the scaffolding one day .

I wouldn't have fed in front of my dad even if I were good at it but only because I would feel uncomfortable, my dad would be fine. If I have another I now have friends who I would feed in front of - I've seen their breasts afterall so it would only be fair .

jabberwocky · 03/07/2005 02:23

I could sense that he felt a little awkward about it but he feels that way about most things! I was just so consumed with getting through the first few weeks I bf in front of anyone who happened to be around at the time. I figured, it's my house, it's a new baby, if you don't want to see it, don't come round to visit!

Original poster

gingerbear · 03/07/2005 08:01

From now on CarrieG, your FIL will forever look like Terry Thomas in my mind's eye!!

OP posts:

evansmummy · 03/07/2005 22:05

No, never. Not my mum, or my brothers either. Only in front of the other ladies from my post-natal group. Ds and I are really bad at bf too, so have never really felt comfortable in public.

I regret it though, would love to have had the 'don't give a toss' attitude about bf in public.

eriksatie · 03/07/2005 22:07

yes, discreetly I would, but sadly he is no longer alive. it is something I do not worry about, nor would he, God rest his soul.

galaxy · 03/07/2005 22:09

I would had he been alive. Breast fed in front of FIL without any qualms and dh's boss. As long as discreet and I asked them if they minded, it wasn't a problem.

paolosgirl · 03/07/2005 22:13

No - but then my dad is a strange buggar. Also didn't feed in front on my FIL - I just felt slightly uncomfortable about it, but he is such a gentleman, I'm sure he wouldn't have minded or said anything.

Blondeinlondon · 04/07/2005 05:40

Yes I have done so in front of my Dad and my FIL. I sunbathe topless so my Dad has seen the boobs already. Felt a bit funny to start with about FIL but decided I wanted to feed DS and watch TV so just got on with it

PeachyClair · 05/07/2005 09:44

Being able to feed in front of other people does show how things have moved on, though. Mum often remembers how when I was 10 days old ( I'm a 'miracle' baby, first of six to survive, so she was in a while just in case- i think it was just incase she got bad baby blues as a result of post traumatic, as my brothers died at 26 weeks mostly )an ambulance man was removed from the ward for bringing in a mother then stopping at my Mums bed and just staring at her feeding me. I think we need to celebrate how far we have actually come, these days you can feed most places with pride

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