Breastfeeding in public

I wish I could wear the ergo to sleep because thats the only thing that can make her happy some days. I also need to figure out how to nurse in it. Its a pain to take it off to nurse her.

I get that, with infants, you truly don't have a choice to have the child wait a bit. More often than not, it is easy enough for me to remove myself if someone isn't being as discrete as I prefer. I've been lucky that the only babies I've spent time around (my friend's two kids) have apparently been very easy to swap back and forth from breast to bottle, and she always has a bottle available in public.

However, I think there is a point, as people return to breast feeding later into the children's lives, where you can say "We will do this in a few minutes, let me finish up here first" to the child. I've seen kids as old as five breast fed in public or semi-public places. If that's your thing...rock on, I suppose. I'm not sure where that cut-off lies, as I've never had to deal with it, but I believe there is a cut-off there somewhere.

I do agree with this.

I hate it, it wiggs me out & shouldnt be allowed in public... makes my skin crawl... orry but thats how i feel, when i see it happening i will if i can walk the other way if i cant i have voiced my distain like in a resturant... (REALLY??? sorry but i dont to look/hear that when i am trying to eat, turns my stomach just thinking about it)

To me, it actually does depend on the setting. In the park or in a department store? I wouldn't give it a second thought. But if you have an infant at the breast while you're going through the restaurant buffet (AND I HAVE SEEN THIS)....yeah, that would creep me out a bit. Especially if I'm behind you in line.


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Agreed. It's kind of like the cut-off as to when it's acceptable for a mother to bring her male child into the women's restroom or the women's dressing room. A five-year-old boy, no problem. But I've seen a woman bring in her 10-year-old, and I have to admit, it made me uncomfortable.

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Sorry, but neither is breast feeding.

Seriously?! So a baby should starve or eat in a bathroom because YOU dont like it.. Your the adult (i assume) and they are a child who doesnt understand waiting for food. THIS response is why most breastfeeding moms get pissy about people saying they should go isolate themselves to feed.

I geuss its ok if you eat something I dont like to voice my disdain?

WOW 9 pages all over breast feeding in public. Are there women that can make it uncomfortable for others in how they do it, forcing it into others faces and so on? YES. Are they in the majority? NO. There are many factors that come into breast feeding, how to get a child to latch, whether they can or can't be covered and so on. I have breast fed 3 babies and I am still learning new things now that I will be trying to breast feed Nico who will be born with a cleft lip.

Should a mother have to hide away or stop doing things that need to be done just because someone is uncomfortable that they are breast feeding? No. Do I? Usually but that might have to stop for Nico. When I first had my daughter I waited till she was a few weeks old before my friends invited me out to get some things and stop for lunch. We were seated in a booth. My daughter started to fuss. So I got out a large recieving blanket. But here is the issue(sorry if it is TMI for some). I do have large breasts. I do. I have to make sure that not only she is latched properly but also that while she is feeding she stays in a safe position so that her nose does not get pushed down causing her to not be able to breath. I can't do that while covered. So yes people might see a bit of nipple as I am getting her adjusted. Am I trying to be vulgar? Rude? Could care Less about how others feel? No. I am just simply trying to get my daughter latched on in a safe manner. After she is latched I would cover her and I. Like I said I was in a booth. So I thought very few could see. I just wanted to feed her and enjoy my lunch as well. So what happened? An older couple complained to the management that I was being vulgar and displaying myself. She was covered at this point. The manager came over and asked me to stop feeding her. When I said she was hungry and needed to feed he said I should do it in the bathroom so as to not make everyone else uncomfortable. I was so embarrassed. I don't handle confrontation very well. And that experience has affected me a long time. In the end I had to unlatch her, while trying to cover up, her screaming the entire time and we left.

I have never breast fed in public agian. Even in my own home if people are there I won;t do it except in another room. Other wise I pump and feed. I was lucky that my kids were able to take both breast and bottle but this is not always the case. Plus not everyone can pump. With Nico I might have to breast feed in public because since he has only a cleft lip(we hope) if breast feeding can be done it is better because it helps to build up the muscles in those areas where as a bottle does not. I am worried about the publics view of me doing that.

I know it makes some people uncomfortalbe. But please remember not all moms are doing it to prove a point. Talk to the mom. Ask her to wait to talk to you guys or such. As for the "still breast feeding" comment it has been proven that it is beneficial in many health respects for kids to continue to recieve breast milk up to and even after 2yrs of age. Breast feeding is a very personal decision and can be hard enough without people making assumptions based solely on how they feel.

umm tell that to my daughters doctors

this
but less annoyed because boobies & babies are adorable (but never hot because that is kind of creepy to me)

yeah there is formula folks, the natural stufff may be best but i mean come on, why not put some in bottles for outings, eh? ewwwww if someone were in the buffet line doing that i would say something about it. thats even grosser ~_~.

i would never have kids, just the fact of having something inside me growing is enoiugh to wig me out.

i'm sorry & i don't mean offense but ANYONE that has issues w/ breastfeeding, JUST PLAIN HAS ISSUES.

yeah you do relize formula feeding cuts back with breastfeeding. In fact the doctors told ME specifically do NOT feed formula until after she is DONE breastfeeding.

you dont change your babies diaper in public, do you? a thing which is also nessessary & must be done right now. someone ordering something you dont like to eat isnt even the same thing, & yes i am 30 yrs old, thanks. I have a right to my opinion... & i find it gross.

No, a child will not die if it is not breast fed in public. That makes me LOL. I had a conversation similar to this not long ago with a girl who kept screaming "So if I can't breast feed my child in public, do you expect them to starve and die?" Uh, no. I expect you to walk somewhere else or find another method *IF* it were not allowed. To say your child will die if he/she is not breastfed in public is a little...well, ignorant.

I always went to the car (even if I had to leave the store midshopping to do so), but that's because that's what I, personally, was comfortable with. If someone said I had to whip my boob out in a store I probably would not have bf. But I'm very nonshowy with my body. I don't even wear shorts outside of my house, lol.

Edit: Just to clarify, I don't care if others feed their kids in public, no matter what the method.

no she doesn't realize anything because she is ignorant of the whole childbirthing & raising process. she basically just said so.

If i wait everytime I am in public and HAVE to be to grocery shop and what not. She would end up in the hospital. Eating in the car right now in this heat wont even work unless I run my car for the whole time. I am NOT switching her to inferior food because somebody feels there comfort is more important then my daughter eating.

yes it is shes eating and so are you. My husbands subs actually make me gag if we eat near eachother. Hes not the only one that eats something that makes me gag and feel sick. There is a room for changing diapers its called a BATHROOM. There is no such thing in most places called a BREASTFEEDING room.
You have a right to your opinion and my daughter has a right to eat