When I first started to breastfeed in public I did feel nervous, mostly, as an unconfident new mum because I thought someone would want to tell me how to do it properly. As my son got older I got a lot more comfortable and breastfed without thinking about it, and without being detected in all sorts of odd places, on the escalator in Ikea being one I can remember!
Id love to hear how you feel about it.
Lisa
Is it supposed to let you pick multiple boxes? It doesn’t seem to work for me whether I pick one or many, mind, it just says ‘please pick a valid poll entry’!!
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I’ve done something to it that might make it work now.
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My answers now (at 18 months)are very different to how they would have been when we started. Now I’ve answered that I’d do it without even thinking about it, that I’d feed a toddler/older child.
When we first started, it took me until almost 5 months before feeding in public, and then I did it with a muslin over us at first and remember feeling very self conscious about where and when we nursed. I think 2 things happen the longer you nurse – you get more confident and also more militant!
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I agree with SeaOfGin. I did it without any hesitation when DS was younger. Now that he is 2 I do not feed in public – and have answered that I would only do it when baby is young. Age of baby may skew your poll.
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I agree with seaofgin’s comments. When I first started I would sometimes take a bottle of expressed milk with me. Then I started getting braver, and now I have even wandered around the supermarket whilst feeding (and no one has noticed!) I think you get braver and more practiced.
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At first I stayed at home for my babymoon so it gave me time to get the hang of it. Once I started going out I felt awkward at nursing without being obvious about it so I would seek out private areas (never washrooms!)to nurse. Now I can do it just about anywhere, in any position. Practice makes perfect!
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I was VERY uncomfortable nursing my baby in public at first, but he forced me to get used to it! I continued to nurse in public into the toddler years, and even after he was 2 or 3 I would nurse in public if it was an emergency (if he was hurt or extremely upset). Over time I came to feel like nursing in public was very important–people, especially young women, need to see it if they’re going to learn to get comfortable themselves.
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I nurse my 44 month old (3.75yo) in public sometimes, but I also tell her not right now sometimes as well.
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Our Grandmothers, and their Grandmothers, breastfed their babies without any stigma attached. They would nurse their babies under a shawl without any qualms, because that was the way it was.
Were it not for the immunities from breastmilk, the working classes, (and the upper classes – they had ‘wet nurses’ not cow’s milk) would have had an even higher rate of infant mortality.
It’s time things were put into perspective – part (or most) of the problem lies with society’s view of the female form. The public need educating and reminding that breasts are actually for feeding babies, not for men to leer at on page 3 and other tabloid rags.
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When I started out, we had to use nipple shields so feeding in public was a bit of a faff, though I still managed when necessary. When DD got the hang of it without our little rubber helpers, I was so delighted, I did it everywhere!! I actually have to remind myself that some people might be a bit uncomfortable about it, so try and give warning if I’m in company. But also, I am quite discreet so mostly you’d never know. Agree that feeding in public is important for kids to see that it’s normal and natural. I have definitely become more confident and more militant as time has gone on!!
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REMEMBER: Most of the people on this website have a bias in favor of this poll. If you are disgusted by it, and don’t think it should be done in public THATS completely NORMAL!
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I agree views change as baby gets older etc. My boy is seven months now and though there are still a few places I don’t feel comfortable feeding for the most part I am alot more comfortable now. I wonder how many children tom has.
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Bottle feeding is practiced everywhere without even a mere thought it could be offensive to someone. To be frank, no one gives a hoot when someone whips out a bottle of artificial milk or cares who’s offended or not, the stance of “tough crap” is taken by those bottle feed. Well that is exactly the stance I took too and why shouldn’t I? I couldn’t give a crap in someone is offended by me nursing a newborn or a 2 year old, no one makes a quack about a 3yo with a baby bottle full of coke so why are people so ready to make a quack about me feeding my 19 month old? It’s just stupid and pathetic. I will feed my child as and where HE pleases!
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I think the more women feed in public the more normal it will be and the more comfortable other mums will be. I have had 2 mums recently tell me that they felt it was ok to feed cos I was (feeding my 23 month old!). Mama Power
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I clicked on ‘Only in certain places’ as I wouldn’t feed my baby, big or small, on the toilet, whilst being ordained by the Queen (I’d leave and hope she didn’t mind waiting), in Mcdonalds (as you may as well be sitting on the toilet etc etc…..:)
As for Tom, it’s a shame you have such a terrible view for babies well being. Would you go home every time you felt hungry? Something has clearly happened for you to feel this way, however if you do not like it, like with flavours you may not favour, steer clear. God gave women the power to sustain life, if you don’t like it then I suggest you speak to him.
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Dear Tom, this is a pro-breastfeeding site. The poll is about breastfeeding aimed at breastfeeding mothers, I sincerely hope the voters are pro-breastfeeding. It would be desperately sad for a mother to feel she HAD to breastfeed her baby if she didn’t want to and none of us here would want anyone to be in that situation.
If you read all the questions there is an option to vote ‘I would never breastfeed in public’ which people are free to choose without judgement.
The very first time I nervously breastfed in public, a man made a point of following me into the secluded spot I’d found and ranting at me. I explained that I had tried the limited breastfeeding locations in town and they were all full, my small baby was screaming for a feed and I wasn’t prepared to make her wait any longer. At his suggestion that I fed her in the public toilets, I asked him if he would eat his dinner in there. I also told him that I found the newspaper that he was carrying offensive and that articles of such a sexual nature belonged on the topshelf, at which point he took himself and his copy of The Daily Sport off to harrass someone else.
His behaviour made me instantly determined that I’d feed my baby wherever I felt it suitable. My last baby, my friend and I used to have guerilla breastfeeding competitions for the strangest places fed.
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The first time I breastfed in public I had my mum and dad to shield me but the second time I had no one with me so just had to get on with it. I’ve never been uncomfortable to breastfeed in public because I know no one can see anything they shouldn’t and most of the time people don’t even notice me. I’m breastfeeding a 16 month old now. Whenever he needs feeding wherever we are I will feed him. Although I didn’t tick the box for breastfeeding older chilrdren as I’ve not got that far yet so who knows how I will feel about that until the time comes.
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Catriona, I love your competition idea, what strange places did you feed in?
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