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.

There are some lovely stories here

SuseB - that is so funny!! Maybe you should have charged after demonstrating how nice and comfy their nursing chair was

And a big well done to all of you who have fed without family support

One of the reasons that bfing fails is lack of familial support, if you look at cultures where bfing is predominant, you'll see the bfing mums have sisters, mums, aunties, cousins around her who have all breastfed, and will pitch in, any time of the day or night to help the mum, particularly if the mum had a difficult birth or is ill. We just don't have that kind of support here, which makes it all the more challenging!

My FIL was a big surprise to me, MIL ff both her sons, DH's DB's first wife ff their dds, everyone on both sides of DH's family ff, yet FIL was totally comfortable with me bfing, when I explained why it was important for me to do so, the only person who made me uncomfortable was MIL's sister who commented to me that "formula is just as good as breastmilk" then left the room when I started to feed DS at the PILs. Both her dd's ff as well.
FIL actually asked me once ds passed the age of 1 if I was still feeding him, but in a way that said "well done you" rather than "isn't it time you stopped now?"
One of my friend's stopped bfing after 3 days, she was having difficulties but I believe with the right help she could have continued but she was also pressured by her DH who wanted his boobs back . She has since confided to me she wished she had continued and said she would like to try to mix feed the next one, after seeing me bfing my ds, born 4months after hers.

The lady who worked at the ASDA cafe in Boston took one look at my screaming one month old dd and me as I desperately asked if they had a baby room and said 'oh don't bother going there duck, sit down at the table over there and I'll bring you a nice cup of tea and a sandwich while you sort the little one out.' And she did. Lovely!

Went to see a good fried of mine when dd was about 12 weeks, and was sitting on her sofa feeding dd when her 5 year old son came in. He sat beside us and had a good old gawp and suddenly shouted 'Mummy, come and see this - its AMAZING. Notyummy is feeding the baby from a tube in her chest. Look, look!!' In his next year at school he went on to do a project on 'How babies are Fed'

I fed everywhere without comment, and I actually prefer that to having people make comments on how lovely and beautiful it is. Because I'd rather it was just part of everyday life and not worth remarking on, you know?

That said, I do appreciate the people who, on finding out that I still breastfeed my toddler, say nice things about that. Especially my mother, who was pressured into weaning at 4 months with me.

notyummy - that's so cute! I can rememder seeing a mum feeding her LO at the church we went to at our 'old house' so I must have been 4 or 5, I remember thinking it looked less messy than my cousin who was FF...

I never had a negative experience and got so many lovely comments, especially from elderly folk.

My favourite comment was when I was taking the train, in commuter traffic, from Glasgow to Aberdeen. I was surrounded by businessmen and DS1 was a very loud feeder, he sort of squeaked. As I started feeding one of the men told me that was one of the best sounds in the world and he was sad that his kids were all grown up now.

I know I've already posted on this thread but have just remembered another story. I had to go to a meeting about the school summer fair which my friend is making me do with her, but she couldn't come (!). There were about 20 chairs arranged in a circle, one occupied by DD1s male teacher - he's the only 1 in the school bless him and looks about 12!
As the meeting went on it became obvious that DD3 aged 2 months was going to need a feed and everyone shuffled around nervously as I began fiddling with my bra. I don't mind feeding in public but felt a bit uncomfortable in front of Mr M so looked at him and said sorry. He said 'don't worry I've seen it all before' and then hurriedly explained he meant with his own kids as all the other women in the room fell about laughing. In the end he was more embarrassed than I was!

lovely thread - I'll bf DD anywhere, but have a question - How on earth do you manage to feed at the checkout???? Haven't mastered feeding standing up yet!(though did manage to feed her while signing for a parcel for the next door neighbour..)

I fed DD in a sling in tesco in a low bf rate area when she was tiny. Got nothing but smiles, coos and a "well done for breastfeeding"

Our HVs - although one is old fashioned are supportive. Was feeding in the waiting room and one came out of her way to ask if I wanted water. She then congratulated me on still bfing when I was getting DS weighed.

I also feed in meetings. The first time I did it I was a bit nervous as to what my boss would say (if anything). He looked up, said "lunchtime!" and then got on with what he was doing

lal 123, sort of standing up with ds in one arm, cradle hold I suppose. He's nearly 4 months now but probably only around 12lbs so I can astill just about support him like this.

I was BF DD in a BHS cafe once (about 11 years ago!) when a man came to sit at the next table, realised what I was doing and said "can't you go and do that in the toilet?" Before I could muster a witty response, an elderly man nearby said "no she can't, why don't you take your lunch and eat it in the toilet"

I could have kissed him!

at the elderly man!
I do think mothers sometimes expect criticism (understandably). Most of the population don't notice, and if they do, they have no real opinion on it either way.
I remember meeting up with a friend of a friend of a friend who had a tiny baby - weeks old. She was giving him very weak ribena. My only thought was "urgh it can't be very nice that weak, wouldn't he like it stronger". Nothing else even crossed my mind as it was 8 years pre my own baby

Doh, yes I did mean my friend feeding DS at work, not DH, that would just be mega-weird.

And I think I'll be alot less bothered about where I feed this time round (in about a month's time) after reading all these lovely stories. Mostly resorted to the local park or back of the car last time when out and about, living in a stuck-in-a-time-warp old fashioned sort of town.