Things said to you while breastfeeding in public, good and bad!

[Tryingandhoping2020]

I've never had anyone say anything negative personally, but curious to see if anyone else has? I have fed in all sorts of places including a beachfront bench and the shoe section of Primark 😂

Never had anything negative. Fil came really close when I was feeding Ds a few days old. He bent down, I think to kiss baby, not realising I was feeding, then jumped back & said sorry, I thought that, (my breast), was his head! 😆. I was so shocked watching it all unfold, I couldn't think of anything to say as he was walking towards me! 😆

I'm still feeding at 22 months and feed wherever I need to and I haven't had a single negative comment. I tend to get smiles rather than comments from the general public.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how vocally supportive healthcare professionals have been, even when I'm there about something completely unrelated, particularly now I'm feeding a toddler. Obviously I know the health benefits, but it's nice to hear it from the experts

You'll have to sit in there to feed him. - Sainsbury's staff member pointing to the toilet.

You can't feed in here. We've had people complain. - Sainsbury's staff member in their cafe.

Mostly lovely but 'If in doubt wap 'em out' made me cringe.

@Makesmilingyourbesthobby

Breastfeed 3 Dc to 6 months old ages 13, 7 & 4 had a comment once whilst feeding my eldest at a cafe with a blanket covering us, me and mother were waiting on our order and one other gentleman at end of room finishing his drink up got up to leave and deliberately walked past us and said save your money and buy bottles in a horribly tone and walked out I was 20 at the time and first child I was flabbergasted, saddened at the judgement from a total stranger and lack of kindness. With Dc2 her grandmother on the fathers side did not like it she made numerous remarks and snide comments whenever she visited while I fed baby or whenever there was any talk relating to feeding baby by then I was 27 and couldn’t give a toss what anyone else thought didn’t even bother defending it, educating her or telling her to respect other peoples choices and what they think is best for their family I just sat smiling and sometimes nodding and continued to feed baby happily. Other than that there was nothing else.

Oops cross post obvs this isn't lovely!

@SunshineCake1

You'll have to sit in there to feed him. - Sainsbury's staff member pointing to the toilet.

You can't feed in here. We've had people complain. - Sainsbury's staff member in their cafe.

That's terrible I hope you complained!

I had a (I think we'll meaning) national trust volunteer offer to show me where the disabled loo was so I could feed in there

But also lots of 'well done', 'I remember doing that', 'Brings back memories' etc and a drink bought for me on occasion.

To be fair to National trust I did point out that though trying to be helpful, it isn't really the done thing nowadays to suggest the loo as an appropriate place for feeding, and when I went back to the same place a few days later, they'd set up some comfy chairs and put up 'breastfeeding welcome' signs, which I thought was really excellent action to take.

Few months, not few days! I don't go that often

My step mum has commented with faux surprise at DD feeding since she was about a week old. “Feeding, again?!”, “Still feeding Anne?!” “But she’s x old now, really?!”

I started preempting it as it was boring the tits off me but found other people including my dad started commenting before I did reminding her that’s what babies do.

Only comments from randoms out and scour have been positive. Women saying it brought back happy memories, how I was doing a good job or had a lucky baby. Lots of offers of water and drinks, sometimes from the unlikeliest of people.

@Makesmilingyourbesthobby

Breastfeed 3 Dc to 6 months old ages 13, 7 & 4 had a comment once whilst feeding my eldest at a cafe with a blanket covering us, me and mother were waiting on our order and one other gentleman at end of room finishing his drink up got up to leave and deliberately walked past us and said save your money and buy bottles in a horribly tone and walked out I was 20 at the time and first child I was flabbergasted, saddened at the judgement from a total stranger and lack of kindness. With Dc2 her grandmother on the fathers side did not like it she made numerous remarks and snide comments whenever she visited while I fed baby or whenever there was any talk relating to feeding baby by then I was 27 and couldn’t give a toss what anyone else thought didn’t even bother defending it, educating her or telling her to respect other peoples choices and what they think is best for their family I just sat smiling and sometimes nodding and continued to feed baby happily. Other than that there was nothing else.

That makes no sense since breastfeeding is free.

I only ever had elderly ladies remark how nice it was to see someone breastfeeding and reminiscing about feeding their own babies.

Nice things, a few well done you type comments. I remember having to wait forever to order food as breasts apparently scared off the waiter. I was being discreet.

A lady gave me a massive smile in a coffee shop when I was feeding in the early months. I was feeling so discouraged at that point, and it meant so much to me. I'm emotional thinking about it... but I'm also overdue right now

My only negative story was nearly being locked in the Horniman museum overnight because I was feeding ds1 in the disabled loo (lots wrong there but he was my first)....the security guard came in to check no-one was in the main loos but he didn't say anything so I didn't either! Got out with minutes to spare 🤣

Only had positive comments, although once a well meaning shop assistant tried to stack boxes in front of me for "privacy".

I was once bf my first born in a local park when a horrible man who'd been going through the bins came up and asked if there was any left over, could he have it?
Needless to say, I beat a hasty retreat.
He had very few teeth, but the thought of him pushing my baby aside and gumming my sensitive nipples filled me with disgust.

I once had a comment from an elderly lady about how nice it was so see someone breastfeeding an older baby. My son was about 2 at the time. I breastfed until he was 3 but not so often in public at that age as he was just nursing to sleep. I had no other comments and I breastfed everywhere and I'm very tiny and my son was massive so I think I stood out quite a lot. I think it's a shame when mum's worry about feeding in public.

These are lovely. I think the majority of people either don't mind or don't notice.

I've never had any comments, neither positive nor negative.

I quite happily bf in public in front of strangers but I don't feel so comfortable when friends or acquaintances are around, especially men. I always think they might mind or feel awkward. I wonder if anyone can relate to that.

Couple of older women said how nice it was to see. One cafe owner apologised to me for not giving noticed sooner and therefore having failed to bring me the glass of water they always tried to bring anyone bfing (which was a nice policy but I never experienced the additional thirst thing women talk about).

One staff member in John Lewis let me know they had a feeding room where I "might be more comfortable". I very politely said I was fine where I was thank you soooo much.

I quite happily bf in public in front of strangers but I don't feel so comfortable when friends or acquaintances are around, especially men. I always think they might mind or feel awkward. I wonder if anyone can relate to that.
Nah, I cracked on whereever and whenever. Anyone who felt uncomfortable could move if they wanted to. Nobody ever did. Not my problem in the least.

Never had a negative comment with either or mine. Generally get no comments but a few months back, I was breastfeeding while out at lunch with a friend (she was also breastfeeding her baby) and a lady on a table nearby came up and said how lovely it was that we were breastfeeding our babies! That's the only 'public' comment I've had and it was positive!

@DiscontentedWoman

Sat on a bench in Scarborough next to an old chap. He nodded to my baby and said "That were me, 90 years ago. Well done lass!" It was lovely 😊 I don't remember anyone saying anything negative.

Absolutely beautiful. I cracked a genuine smile and got a little choked up reading that. Currently breastfeeding my son in bed as I read these.

Sat in a chair at John Lewis and a staff member came over and said they had a special room for feeding. (They did but it was several stories up and I was just calling DD with a quick feed whilst DH paid. I said I was fine but she got really flustered and said it would make some people uncomfortable so I had to move. I repeated I was fine and she eventually left.

Got a nice gift from John Lewis when I complained.

Breastfeeding in a pub/restaurant and the bartender told me I would charged corkage

Feeding DD1 in an M&S cafe

"So lovely so see such a young mother breastfeeding."

I was 25 and it was before sleep deprivation set i!.