breastfeeding

[autumnsexpecting]

How do you feel about breastfeeding in public? Or around people? Opinions?  

[babyyjdxo]

I will whip my boob out wherever & whenever my babys hungry, I dont care what people think... im not worried about making them uncomfortable, im worried about doing whats best for my baby thats it, if I have a blankie I will cover up, but if my baby doesnt like it then its just boob thenn

[GeekMom1213]

Thanks Channi :-)

[Channi7]

Well Said GeekMom1213.

[GeekMom1213]

It is a good personal bonding time - but it's also providing nutrients to your baby. Would you want to be told to go eat your lunch in the bathroom? A dirty cold noisy public bathroom is no place for anyone to be forced to eat - or to sit while nourishing another person. That's gross. Pumping before leaving the house? What if you're going to be out for the whole day? Pumped milk shouldn't be out of the fridge for that long even if you do have an insulated bag to put it in, it goes bad quickly. A mother's body keeps producing milk whether or not baby nurses - by the end of the day if she hasn't nursed or pumped she'll be in fairly supreme pain from engorgement, and she'll start to lose supply from lack of stimulation if it happens often. Feeding on demand is the best way to maintain a solid supply. Just because someone else might not like it is no reason for a mother to avoid feeding her baby the way she knows best, or for her to hide herself and her baby away like eating is something to be ashamed of.

[Channi7]

@ FirstBaby10_2 I'd Like To Respectfully Disagree With The Bathroom Comment. There's Tons Of Bacteria In Restrooms. Public Toilet Seat Dnt Have Lids So When They're Flushed Fecal Matter Is Dispersed Into The Air.  If You Want To Feed Your Baby In That Type Of Environment Have At It But  Find It Kinda Rude And Offensive For You To Suggest Other Ppl To Do So. Not Tryna Be Dramatic Just Saying...

[FirstBaby10_2]

I feel like its a personal bonding time withyour baby, its not for public. if you know your going out, pump bottles. or if you dont have any, go to a bathroom or something.

[shawna3]

With my first baby I tried to hide myself and cover so no one could see I was just uncomfortable with it and it wasn't going smoothly at all my son was having issues latching and what not so I would have been giving a show to everyone every time he came off the boob. With my second one I totally changed and just didn't care I would take it out any where and not be concerned if any one saw and I didn't cover myself that often with her. Good luck

[kennimae]

It makes it a lot easier. I have Ds so I dont have as much as some but its enough to work with. Also doubling up on shirts makes it a lot easier. I always wore a low cut spaghetti strap or tank top under my regular shirt. Lift up the top shirt and pull down the bottom on and it will sandwich the areola. Your top shirt will fall down and cover the top and side of your breast (if not I put a blanket to cover my boob) and babys head blocks the rest. You literally see nothing. Also makes it simple if baby randomly unlatches your shirt will immediately fall so your boob doesnt become exposed.

[oct3014]

That's a good idea @kennimae sitting in front of the mirror to see what other ppl would see. I'm down for feeding in public but being a first time mom I didn't get how some ladies were saying they can do it without the blanket especially with these big girls I have lol... but that really did help I'll have to practice that once i get the hang of feeding!

[calico236]

LOL @kennimae! The cards! Great!

[kennimae]

I breastfed anywhere and everywhere. The first few months I used a cover until we got the hang of things. Then I used no cover or blanket. I showed less skin breastfeeding than a teenage girl at the mall. Most people didnt even know what I was doing because it looked like I was just holding my baby. I see it as there is a difference between covering yourself and covering up the baby. My daughter would sweat without he cover when she ate let alone keeping her under it to eat. All it took was sitting in front of a mirror and practicing to see what other people saw. This time I plan on printing out cards with the law on it if some negativity comes my way and also plan on having a card congratulating nursing mothers with the same law on the other side.

[calico236]

I will be feeding in public under a sturdy cover. I wouldn't be comfortable going boob out, but I would never tell someone they couldn't or shouldn't.  Breasts are made for babies to feed from not for men to oogle at.

[melcarin]

Im deffinitely going to breastfeed whenever possible. Seriously if someone has a problem with it they can f off. Its like when i take my service dog. Everyone stares some people talk about him some ask questions i smile say what i need too and move on. If someone.were to tell me i had to stop feeding my child id probably go ape **** on them. My human baby will come first just like my animal babies do. My family is most important. If someone doesnt like or appreciate that then it is their loss.

[oct3014]

I'll do it in public when my child is born. I'll just be modest with it and cover up it's less time consuming and I won't have to worry about pumping and if I pumped enough for that day... Who knows how long I'll be away from home those days I decide to be out with the baby. Plus if my kid is like me I get angry when I can't eat asap lol

[princess_K215]

I breastfed my daughter anywhere when she was hungry I don't think its anythin to be ashamed of I mean I think its a wonderful way to bond with with ur child and there are so many benefits that go along with it...some mothers may feel comfortable doing it without a blanket n some feel more comfortable using one its all bout your preference but if ur scared of what people might think all I have to say is screw what people think its your life not theirs

[Tammy_marie]

I agree with geekmum.. You shouldn't feel embarrassed about feeding in public.. It's the way nature intended us to feed our babies so why should we feel as if we're "exposing" ourselves.. This bubba is my first so I haven't beast fed before but I am hoping I can and if I can then i will be breast feeding whenever my little girl needs it.. I will cover myself though just for my own comfort (I think I might feel a bit strange bearing that much skin in public) but it sure is not for the sake of other people's opinions.. If u wanna do it do it I say :) people should mind there own business anyways if they don't like it they can stop looking, people that say something are just nosy I think.. It's not there place to say!

[GeekMom1213]

I fed my son wherever and whenever he was hungry. I didn't put a blanket over his head because he hated it and we were unable to see each other that way. However, I also didn't show an awful lot of skin - I see girls walking around in public every single day showing more skin than I ever did while breastfeeding. It's not hard to be discreet without having to hide in your home until you wean. If anyone was ever "disturbed" by the sight of me feeding my son I never heard about it - and if anyone had said anything I wouldn't have cared anyway. Don't like it? Don't look. Put a blanket over YOUR head. I'm not going to pump or hide or let my kid go hungry because of a stranger's delicate sensibilities or outright prejudices.
He nursed in the food court at the mall, on several airplanes, at the beach, at a huge summer festival in my hometown (at which a girl of probably 8 years old came up and said "Are you feeding your baby? Wow, that's cool! He's cute!" and ran away), at a minor league baseball game, in more restaurants than I can remember, and nearly everywhere else we went. I got a few funny looks, sure. But nobody ever said "you're going to have to cover up or do that elsewhere" - and anyway it's illegal for anyone to do that. If it is legal for a baby to be somewhere, it is within your rights to feed the baby there.

[abbb01]

I bf for a yr n I bf in the car in a spare room with visitors even in a public bathroom cuz I was not comfortable with my boobs out and unless u have a cover with a neck strap on it believe me a squirming lo can and will rip it off. I also totally believe that if mom is ok with feeding boob out in public they should have the right to cuz thats how nature made it for women to feed our young. Modesty is nice but its also natural and I think kids should not haveto be sheltered from it in public because its not a sexual thing. And u cant always pump beforehand when u get engorged u need relief! **** mastitis! When ur soaking ur shirt or ur baby is hungry and they need to eat way more often than adults then ull wanna feed lo so I fully support moms that feed whenever wherever but me personally try to keep my boobies to my hubs and feeding my babies only

[Channi7]

I'm Not Gonna Just Whip It Out In Ppl's Line Of View But I Totally Plan To Breastfeed Modestly In Public With A Cover Or Blanket.

[MommaKelleyy]

I personally don't like it. I don't know never really have, but mothers are gonna do what a mother wants to do I guess. I would just pump at home before I go anywhere.

[Kimmiikinns]

Me personally I wouldn't breastfeed in public because I don't want to disturb others with my boobs