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Bizzy View Drop Down
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    Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:21am
ok so i watched the good morning story on extended breastfeeding the other day and yet again heard of mothers feeling frowned at and treated badly for feeding in public - with babies not necessarily older children.

I have been feeding in public for a long time now, three kids worth, done it in food courts, church, cafes, car parks, parks, mainly music, malls... and not once have i had a negative comment, or felt frowns of disapproval, or any of the other horror stories i have heard....   

so was it just pure luck, am i that obtuse that i didnt notice, or is everybody else just too sensitive!?


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CuriousG View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CuriousG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:30am
I personally think its great that you feel that way Bizzy. I mean, I see people breast feeding in public and always feel such a warm fuzzy feeling. My eyes naturally gravitate in that direction but sometimes I wonder if people might misinterpret it for me frowning or disapproving?

While I never really did it in public last time for fear of getting these disapproving looks, I have decided with this next one not to be so sensitive and feed in public. I am going to get some breastfeeding tops so my breasts are not 'out there' as such but sitting in the foodcourt, I am going to try my hardest not to worry about the looks I may get. Its a totally natural thing to do!!

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BaAsKa View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaAsKa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:34am
when i did BF (wasnt for very long though! 6 months second time) i dont recall any bad comments but i did get alot of stares......i didnt care though! its natural!!

When i see people BFding i think good on them!!

I once saw a lady walking around the baby factory browsing the clothes while BFding a tiny bubs!!! i was more jelous than anything! lol wish i could do that!!
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Babynumber2 View Drop Down
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I've never had a negative comment, only the one dirty look when I was breast-feeding my girl, though everything was covered by a shawl! I got the rolling eyes and thhhccck noise (hard to explain the sound this woman made lol).
Nothing else so far. Though admittedly, a lot of my feeding so far has been with expressed milk (that's slowly changing!) so I haven't really exposed myself to it.

I'm still not overly confident about breast-feeding in public, so I know I would notice ANY look that comes my way. Doesn't mean I would stop doing it, but just that I'm overly aware of other people...so I'm likely to exaggerate the reaction in my own mind, because I guess I'm expecting a reaction?

Sorry, my post probably makes no sense lol.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AandCsmum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:37am
I feed all over the place as well, I am more aware of people this time & try & make them feel comfortable with what I'm doing in public, last time I didn't give a sh*t & almost dared people to have a go, DH thought it was hilarous.
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Peanut View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Peanut Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:39am
Hehe, Bizzy, I FF from birth and always hear about how other FF have had comments made and been frowned upon but like you I have never experienced it.

I often wonder if perhaps I am just oblivious to lots of things!

I think when you are confident in your decision etc that you often don't notice as you don't care!
       
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Babe View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Babe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:42am
Yeah I'm with Peanut I kinda wondered if I'd get reactions when FF and looked for any signs but nada. I never had a prob when BFing either.
I think its great when I see babies out and about being BFd I'm so jealous lol can't wait to be able to do it again.
Maybe the worst reactions are overseas?? We kinda tend to be a little more mind-our-own-business over here I find. Whadaya think?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bubnumber2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:44am
Originally posted by Babynumber2 Babynumber2 wrote:

I've never had a negative comment, only the one dirty look when I was breast-feeding my girl, though everything was covered by a shawl! I got the rolling eyes and thhhccck noise (hard to explain the sound this woman made lol).
Nothing else so far. Though admittedly, a lot of my feeding so far has been with expressed milk (that's slowly changing!) so I haven't really exposed myself to it.

I'm still not overly confident about breast-feeding in public, so I know I would notice ANY look that comes my way. Doesn't mean I would stop doing it, but just that I'm overly aware of other people...so I'm likely to exaggerate the reaction in my own mind, because I guess I'm expecting a reaction?

Sorry, my post probably makes no sense lol.


OK, this post was from me...when I joined here that was the original I.D I chose, but it didn't work for some reason (something with the email failed) so I had to make this one so it would work (as you can see the names are practically the same thing). I don't know why it suddenly signed into that one, especially since it wouldn't work when I made it?

Anyway, just saying that that's this I.D, sorta lol. I will have to see how to get rid of that one, since it has obviously suddenly started to work.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BugTeeny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:45am
Originally posted by Peanut Peanut wrote:

I think when you are confident in your decision etc that you often don't notice as you don't care!


Exactly what I think!
I fed all over the place, too and never noticed any disapproval.
but I think I was just so engrossed in it that I never really noticed the outside world

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Bizzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bizzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:49am
peanut thats great, cause i always hear the stories too of FFers getting sh*t for it ... maybe it is cause we dont care!

babe i think that some countries are definitely not into feeding babies in public but i dont think that the worst reactions are overseas. maybe its cause more people do it here.

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Bizzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bizzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:51am
Originally posted by MamaPickle MamaPickle wrote:

Originally posted by Peanut Peanut wrote:

I think when you are confident in your decision etc that you often don't notice as you don't care!


Exactly what I think!
I fed all over the place, too and never noticed any disapproval.
but I think I was just so engrossed in it that I never really noticed the outside world


thats a good point too. i suppose if you arent looking to see what other people are doing you dont notice....

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrsMojo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 11:56am

I never had any issues BFing in public.  I didn't feel I was frowned upon and never received any negative comments.  Mind you by the time M was a toddler I was only BFing at home anyway because she was down to morning/evening breastfeeds and she got so distracted by things going on around her anyway that I think BFing in a busy place with lots to see and do would probably be a nightmare.

I have BF'd at a soccer game (man that was cold), in shopping malls, in cafes and food courts, on the train (got a free ride too as the conductor was too embarrassed to look lol), in car parks - essentially if my baby needed to be fed I fed her wherever I was. 

I didn't bother covering up with a shawl or anything either as I figured that my baby's head hid everything well enough (I see 18yo girls that are more exposed than BFing mums and they don't appear to be frowned upon, quite the opposite in fact)

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Maya Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 12:04pm
Funny this should come up as I was feeding lil miss at the mall this morning and commented to my friend that I'm glad lil miss is on the small side coz people might give me funny looks feeding a 10-mth old in public if she was bigger.

The only negative comments I've ever had came from my brother of all people, I can't believe how sheltered he is - he told me I shouldn't feed lil miss in the lobby of his apartment building coz 'you can't just flop your tit out here' .

I don't even really try to be that discreet about it. I have big boobs and a nosy baby so discreet is pretty tough!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cuppatea Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 12:06pm
I had a guy in a food court move seats after he realised that I was feeding. I don't think he was disgusted or anything though he just seemed embarrassed and uncomfortable. I personally thought it was quite funny.

I had more funny looks and snide comments made when I was bottle feeding Spencer, (although I was very conscious of not being able to breastfeed so did perhaps pick up on things more than what I do with breastfeeding in public).

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Snappy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 12:47pm
I only had one experience with a stranger giving me an evil look, I didnt really care!

DH was more worried about me breastfeeding in public, I remember going out for tea and Jackson was hungry, and DH said "Oh, your not going to feed him here are you?"

Mummy to two beauties... Formerly Kaiz.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kebakat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 12:56pm
I never fed in public because I simply didn't want to (I hated BF and it was always awkward even at home because I never really got the hang of it) but when I was preggers I remember seeing a woman wondering around shops while BF and the shop I was in at the time the shop assistant looked absolutely mortified and so did a couple of the shoppers when they realised what she was doing.
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becky View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote becky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 1:24pm
I have never had any comments when breastfeeding and Im the same as MrsMojo I have breastfed everywhere including a crusaders rugby game. I dont really care what other people think anyway as im feeding my son and if they have a problem with it then thats their issue.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mamma2N Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 1:27pm
I remember while I was pregnant thinking 'I will never BF in public!'... But after having my in-laws staying for the month after Novella was born, I found it quite annoying trying to hide them... And the fact that her head is roughly half the size of my boobs means they're pretty hard to hide..

Sooooo, I just pull them out wherever! And if anyone dare say anything they'll blimmin well hear about it
Gotta love the 'balls' you grow once you become a mummy! hehe
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rachael21 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 1:29pm
My favourite quote "Noone can make you feel inferior without your consent"

So I feel that if you are confident in what you are doing noone can 'make' you feel bad and you won't be open to negativity.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fire_engine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2009 at 1:41pm
I had people move cos they seemed embarrassed (usually middle aged business men) but never any weird looks other than that - and their reaction just made me laugh and roll my eyeballs. I'd feed anywhere and everywhere.   Even went up the front of church with him on my boob.

I have been much more selfconscious since I started bottle feeding.
Mum to two wee boys
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