Positive public breastfeeding experiences!

[LaDiDaDi]

I've had loads of positive experiences whilst feeding ds and I thought that it might be nice to do a thread so that women thinking about bf can see.

1. Fed during my eye test with a male optician who's only comment was, "much easier to do it like this than if he was crying".

2. Fed whilst trying on necklaces at the jewellers, they just asked polite baby questions eg "how old" etc and helped me try on.

3. Fed at the checkout at Sainsbury, checkout woman got someone to pack my bags for me and asked if I needed any more help.

4. Fed at the checkout at Tesco, people in front unpacked my shopping, checkout lady and woman behind me packed my bags whilst sending me off to sit down on a seat and wait.

Often feed at the park, whilst waiting to pick dd up from nursery, in cafes etc etc without a negative comment but I've been really impressed by the helpfulness that I've had in the above situations.

After having a negative experience at the GP's (told not allowed to bf there) I was out with my MIL, who I don't have much of a relationship with.

We were in a cafe and I said to her that I hoped I'd have no problems feeding there. Her immediate response was 'if anyone says anything, I'll deal with it, you just concentrate on feeding'.
She said it so quickly and with such a protective tone of voice I was really touched. Our relationship has been better since that day

My workmate (on mat leave) came in with her DH and fed him in the break out room over lunch - nothing but smiles and delightful comments as the rubbish truck crews then all came past at the end of their shift

slipper she bf her dh ?

Oh what a lovely thread, especially as I'm sure some of you were on my bitching upset thread a while ago about the comments on the bus.

I had an elderly man come up to me in the library whilst I was feeding and searching for a book and I was just preparing myself for a lecture when he said, "What a beautiful child you have - and a very noisy eater!" he then patted DS ever so gently on the head (which really made me smile) and asked me what book I was looking for so he could check the shelves whilst I had "a well deserved sit down" .

Also fed at check-outs, had a guy put his basket down without a word and start to unpack my shopping for me to save me doing it one handed.

Getting on the bus once, feeding and trying to steer the buggy, a lovely lady (who was carrying a carpet under one arm...) came over and said to me in a very heavy accent, though not entirely sure where from, "This bus yours?" When I replied it was, she took the buggy from me and got it on, parked it, and made sure I had a seat next to it. She was really lovely.

I went to Pizza Hut with a friend of mine after the delightful incident I posted about, and was talking to her about it. The manager (who is a great guy, and always goes out of his way to accommodate for babies and buggies) overheard half of what I was saying and asked me in horror if it had been the couple sat next to me who had said it. He looked like he was going to blow a gasket, and ever when I reassured him it hadn't happened in his restaurant, he was still fuming, which I thought was really lovely.

As for place that tell you you have to leave just quote at them

This has really cheered me up, thanks all. Some lovely stories on here.

when my ds was 13 months (he is now 6) was pushing him in trolley in tesco, having decided he might be peckish he reached up and pulled down my my top firmly enough to expose my bra and a good deal of boob to a large group of guys on lunch break from local motor racing team - as I started to gibber apolygies one of the older guys smiled and stated "I certainly don't think you have anything to apolygise for love - we should all thank your lad for such a lovely surprise!".

I still grin now - as lots of other woman were around looking mortified on my behalf I will always be grateful to that guy for making an embarrassing situation make me laugh my head off instead of cringing in shame.

honeydradon that's fantastic, just spat my readybrek at the computer screen! This thread is lovely.

When DS was about two months, the three of us (me, DS and DH) were at our local cafe/sandwich shop that we frequent and when the owner's wife saw me feeding brought me a bottle of water from the cooler -- not a word and not a charge, just a bottle of water and a smile.

The other week, when DS was five months he and I were at a garden center, in the cafe area. I was waiting for my lunch to arrive and was feeding him when an elderly woman came up behind me and started stroking DS's head. When she realized he was nursing pulled her hand away and apologized for touching him while he was eating. She then put her arm across my shoulders asked me if I was embarrassed and said "I'm not embarrassed, are you embarrassed? It's a wonderful thing you're doing and keep up the good work!" Then she kissed my head and toddled off. Still makes me smile when I think of it!

This thread is so sweet!

I don't know where you all live, but it mustn't be near where I live. BF isn't very popular here, especially among some groups in society and (my opinion is that) it's tolerated but not celebrated.

I've never had anyone say anything negative to me in public, nor have I had a stranger say anything positive either.

No one in my family bf - not my grannies, my mum, aunts or anyone, so I'm a bit of a shock for them as I bf my 6 week old DS. Every time I visit I get told by them that I have to go to a different room in their house to feed him and that I should us FF as it's much easier.

The only positive comments I can remember in the past 6 weeks came from a friend who told me that bf was 'beautiful' and that she was happy for me to bf in front of her and also from the HV who congratulated me on being determined to bf my son for as long as I can.

I've fed in public for the past 8 months - the first time was when DS was five days old and I took my first walk down to the village green where my parents live. It was a mile and I was whacked by the time we got back (uphill!)

I can't say I've ever had directly supportive comments but I've never been challenged on it either, and I've done it EVERYWHERE. Walking around B&Q, on a dancefloor at a wedding, on trains, buses, in church.

But the funniest milk-related comment in mind at the moment was last week. We were in a pub at lunchtime and a late middle aged couple were on the table next to us admiring my son who was on my lap trying to clamber on the table, looking around avidly at everything going on, waving, giggling etc. This sweet lady asked how old he was, then remarked how robust and alert he was, then "it's amazing isn't it, the milk these days, all those vitamins they put in it!" If I'd been quick enough I would have tried to say something about my diet and all the vitamins I'm putting in it, but I was just all cooey myself so I smiled and nodded...

I never had any neg experiences.

One time I thought I was going to. Was in art gallery (not a Tate/National type one) and sat on bench getting ready to feed squalling dd, security guard walking towards me. I think, oh here we go...

He says, come with me there are armchairs here, be more comfy. That's nice I think, bet it's all hidden away - but not so, in a reception type area and then goes and gets me a big glass of water! Ah... so nice and a real lesson in making assumptions/spoiling for a fight!

TLC - it's fantastic that you're sticking with BF when you're getting so little family support. And as for it being easier to FF that might be true for the first few days but in the long run BF is much easier and convenient.

I once fed DD in the middle of the maze at Chatsworth House which was much easier than having to trawl back out, find the cafe and get water to make up a fresh bottle.

I've fed out and about quite a lot and similarly have never had a negative comment. My best experience was probably feeding DD in a pub and my FIL commenting on how discreet it was to which DH replied, "What did you think she did? Pull all her clothes off and sit there topless?"

Loving this thread! Needed to feed newborn DS (2nd DC) in Mothercare when he was about 5 days old (had gone in to buy nursing bras!) and their feeding room was shut - full of stock during a refit. Asked if they had anywhere else, was offered changing room bench behind a curtain (er, no thanks) or brand new snazzy nursing chair on the shop floor, but in full view of everyone. Well, being a seasoned bfeeder I thought that would be fine. Didn't realise, as DS settled in for a 20min feeding marathon, that I was sitting under a massive banner for 'Breastfeeding Awareness Week' - everyone who saw me smiled and chuckled, and one person asked if they'd paid me to sit there .

I was feeding my DS when he was 3 months in the middle of a field on the way to a music festival when it started to bucket rain. DP was hovering over us trying to use the buggy and a sun parasol to keep us dry when a totally random passer by stopped and offered me her big waterproof jacket. She said she remembered the days of trying to BF when in odd situations

lol SuseB! TakeLovingChances - I really hope you take pride in yourself for BFing when your family seem very unsupportive. It's not easy when people keep pushing the FF on you (literally or metaphorically!) - seriously, well done!

sorry I know this is a positive thread, am quite miffed with your family though - they seriously make you go in a different room?! FFS. Next time they visit you, offer them a cuppa and send them into a private room to drink it.

MathsMadMummy don't want to hijack this thread too much but do want to reply to you...

My mum isn't so bad, but if my dad is about when I visit them he tells me that I'm starving DS everytime he cries, even if he's crying cuz he's wet or tired etc

In my dad's view because DS feeds frequently that = DS isn't getting enough... I've tried to explain that DS is only 6 weeks old and thus does feed every 2 hours (as is normal) but dad doesn't listen. Then as soon as DS is actually hungry my dad tells me to go up and sit in the study/guest room/any room no one else is in He isn't being cruel, he just doesn't understand.

TLC have you tried point blank refusing and just feeding him then and there? You have my utter sympathies, my family have not been supportive, though nothing as bad as yours have been. Keep going if you can - sounds as if you're doing fantastically

Sirboob I don't want to cause a fuss in my parents house, and don't want to embarrass my dad who is old-fashioned about things like that

I've gotten a lot of comfort from reading MN and have learnt 90% of my info re. BF from this website.

Also, I'm quite stubborn and won't give it up that easily!

I heart this thread.

GoneABitSniffyTiggaxx

This is sucha nice thread and I can't believe some people's postitive experiences - not that I ever had any negative ones, but mainly indifferent and have heard of friends' negative ones unfortunately. But these are fantastic!

The only notably positive one I had was when I took my tiny baby to meet work colleagues. Like with Downdog, they were mainly male and unmarried, except one (my boss - but he was (IMHO) rather prudish). Was hoping to get through visit without BFing but LO got desperate so said I'd take him to a spare room before I left. Boss and another colleague would have none of it and sat either side of me full of questions, learning the terminology etc, absolutley fascinated. By the time I left they were experts on latching on, positions and what baby should look like when feeding!

BTW, later discovered boss's dad was a cross dresser on weekends, so maybe he wasn't as prudish as I thought!

Was once feeding on a bench in a shopping centre. An old lady came up to me and said "Good for you, I love to see that"

At toddlers the other week, one mum was joking about how me and my friends newborns were making her broody. Then when we both startd feeding she just upped her joking about how we were tryng to kill her wiyh broodiness - it was sweet

Both cases made me feel very proud

I can't say I've had any lovely heart warming experiences like some of you, but nothing negative either.

It's nice to hear of positive comments about feeding older babies - my ds is now 9 months and looks older, and I feel more aware than I ever did when he was tiny - I suppose I think people will be wondering why I'm still feeding this giant baby! Not that I plan to stop, although I have had some interesting moments when he pops off to nose about, leaving me adrift with nipples on show...

Lovely thread!

So pleased that lots of others have had lovely experiences too and that this thread is so positive.

LOL SuseB! This is a fab thread.

awww what a lovely thread! Im loving reading everyones lovely experiences!

When DS was 3 weeks old id gone to see GP about a heart problem and had to feed DS whilst being examined, they then gave me a spare GP room for me to finish his feed of and made me feel very confortable and relaxed.

Have fed in cafes, carparks all sorts of random places but the best has to be PC world when DS was 11 weeks buying a tv! He had screamed down Currys so went into pc world after feeding him in the car. DS then proceeded to scream down pc world so I was given a nice comfy chair in the middle of the store, offered a cold glass of water by a lovely young man working there. I continued to feed whilst doing all the paperwork at the desk and the young lad serving us (prob only about 19) didnt bat an eyelid and they even got me more water! so well done to pc world.

Lots of positive experiences but was great when my twin sis told me through cooing at my ds that everyone thought id have given up bfeeding by now (12 weeks this weekend) and how proud everyone is of his mummy

Now that made me feel proud!