Breastfeeding in public
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22204
Printed Date: 11 September 2025 at 10:39pm
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Topic: Breastfeeding in public
Posted By: mountaingoat
Subject: Breastfeeding in public
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 3:28pm
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Just interested to find out how far others are willing to go with breastfeeding in public ...
For example have you done it in the cafe? In the airport? In the park? Any negative reactions from others? After the whole labour/birth/hospital stay I feel like I have lost all sense of shame or embarrassment at flashing my nipple at the world, but am worried that others will be turned off and/or offended. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: BugTeeny
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 3:36pm
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heheh
Well, I have no shame, myself. I've breastfed in a cafe, on the bus, at the airport, at the beach... However, I always make sure I have a modesty blanket so I don't offend anyone that might not appreciate it. ------------- 
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Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 3:38pm
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lol mountaingoat I'm exactly the same, don't care who sees it - it's not like there's anything sexual about my boobs at the moment! - and have breastfed in shopping mall foodcourt, at cafes, at a work function in a bar, at my desk at work (not that I'm working but I went in to help out with something), at the zoo... so far no negative reactions except for an american (male) workmate who looked shocked and stared at the ceiling while I was latching bubs on while I and my female workmates teased him - I think it's less socially acceptable to do it in public in the US.
ETA: and also at church while going up to get communion, so when the priest blessed the baby I felt like my boob was being blessed! But that was discreetly, underneath the Moby Wrap. I don't take a blanket or anything but usually wear bf singlets and JJ latches pretty quickly so it's not actually like I'm giving everybody an eyeful  ------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 3:41pm
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yep, feed anywhere, on plane, in church, at cafe, at work .... only problem is that daniel is getting distracted when feeding so comes off and looks around if there is any noise. ETA: if people stare, I just stare back. No one has seemed offended, but I do try and be discreet (as discreet as you can be!).
Weegee, tis hugely unacceptable to BF in parts of the US. 7 years ago my sister would be consistently asked to leave cafes for BFing. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: monster
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 4:17pm
I'll feed anywhere. 
In the early months it didn't matter where, but these days I think about distractions - noise is fine, but children's voices are guaranteed to make him pop off and look around (= nipple flash!). I usually wear layers so that otherwise there's not much exposed flesh. I've never noticed any looks and have certainly never heard anything negative. -------------   
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Posted By: aussiegirl
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 4:47pm
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I'm getting more confident at doing this now, and have b/fed in cafes. Strangely enough I have this thing about b/feeding at my in-laws! If MIL is there by herself I don;t care, but if FIL is around I always go to another room. -------------  Mum to Hayley **30.6.08
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 5:00pm
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i've fed in parks, cafes, food halls, at my grandmothers funeral, botanical gardens, in the car while in the car park, playgroup... i dont have a blanket but i also keep myself covered with my top as i know that not everyone is as accepting and i dont believe in trying to offend anyone if i can help it. in the beginning tho i would feed in parents room at malls, but only till i got the hang of it and we both knew what we were doing... ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 5:26pm
| when I fed (which was in a few places) I wanted to keep myself covered - not so much so they didn't see my boob, but so no one saw the belly! much more imoprtant! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 5:45pm
I feed anywhere I need to, and unfortunately I'm not very discreet at it as I have big boobs and a small baby 
The one thing that I do have to watch tho is that my milk doesn't neccessarily stop just coz she's come off - yesterday I was at an appt with the gremlins and lil miss decided to let go and the milk literally squirted across the room, gave their poor psychologist quite a fright, she didn't know where to look
------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 6:24pm
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I'll feed anywhere. I was initially shy about it but when a baby needs to be fed they need to be fed and they don't seem to care at all about your modesty. I even got a free ride on the train once because the conducter was too embarrased to look at me so didn't ask for a fare - score! -------------  
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 6:33pm
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I fed anywhere until Caleb was about 10-12 months old when he just got too distracted and would come off and look around. I wear loose tops so I can feed discreetly though. I recall feeding at home or in parent rooms for the first 2-3 months until we got the hang of it though.
I've never had any negative comments but plenty of smiles. A lot of cafe staff will seek you out a big comfy chair in the corner somewhere if you have a little baby assuming you'll be wanting somewhere quiet to feed. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: LeahandJoel
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 6:48pm
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Aussiegirl - I hear you about the FIL thing, when Leah was born I was in hosp for 6 days (c-sect) and had to do a lot of expressing. The inlaws flew in from England and came straight to the hosp and I was expressing, you have never seen a boob shut down as quickly as mine did when he walked in the room and saw my boob in the machine Now I am pretty much feeding when and where I want, if people have issues - well they are not my issues so it doesn't bother me now. -------------  
 
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Posted By: lomialagi
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 7:15pm
| I was embarrassed to bf in public for all of about two minutes. A hungry bubba gives you the courage to do what comes naturally. If I am in a restaurant I try and use a blanket but this can often be stifling for baby so just try and sit on a table where we can be discrete. Otherwise, planes, airports, hotel lobbies, parks, foodcourts, the male in-laws and more have all had the privilege of being flashed by me...even LAX has probably got security footage of my nips after feeding baby in the gate lounge!! I think if anyone in the states asked me to stop I would've gone all human rights on them!! Lol...It's people changing dirty nappies in public that turns me off!! |
Posted By: mountaingoat
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 7:40pm
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Thanks for all the comments! It's great to hear that BFing in public is so socially acceptable in NZ. I am frightened of what Emma mentioned - the milk squirting thing. I was in the dr's waiting room giving babygoat a feed after her first vaccination and there was milk EVERYWHERE ... glad they had a separate children's room off to the side where the majority of patients couldn't watch :) ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 7:52pm
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LOL it's kinda scary how used to it I am now, I just keep a muslin cloth on hand to jam over the breast in a hurry when she pulls off, when she was smaller she'd pull off coz the flow was too fast, now she pulls off coz she's nosy! ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 7:54pm
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you will find that once your milk settles down you wont get overflow and squirting problems anyway! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 8:24pm
ditto! ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
lizzle wrote:Posted By: Troods
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 8:40pm
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I've fed Ems in all sorts of places - cafe's, foodcourts, shopping malls, DH's work, my work, airports, planes, funerals - hell I even fed her while I stood up and spoke at my grandmother's funeral! (hungry preterm baby decided to feed right before I was meant to go up - so I went up with Ems latched on happily sucking away - was mostly family members so no one minded I was pretty discreet anyway). I've not had negative comments or funny looks but I don't actively look around to see if anyone's looking anyway. I'm usually discreet but Ems gets easily distracted and pulls off and looks around when she hears other voices so try as I might to stay discreet there is the occassional "nipple flash" haha ------------- 
Missed MC July 2011
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 8:42pm
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I feed anywhere and everywhere (except toilets. I will NOT feed my child in a toilet) I even fed Jake once when I was getting an ingrown toenail cut out at the podiatrist, bit random, but he was howling. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 8:47pm
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oh and fed charlotte at the firworks display on sunday night, also fe dher when she was teeny tiny at an airshow, lol. ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 8:56pm
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Ha ha Fats, you just reminded me, I fed lil miss at the hairdresser on Fri while I was getting my hair curled ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 9:00pm
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I can feed anywhere, don't worry it gets easier - as in, you get to be a quicker latcher! ------------- |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 10:07pm
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I do it pretty much everywhere although I try to find somewhere slightly out of the way, like sitting in the corner of the cafe or back of a church.
If shes really desperate I'll even feed in the car, I just sit next to her and somehow we reach
If there is a baby room near by I usually prefer to use that as I feel thats what its there for and its just so much easier. So glad I'm not the only one who has trouble with squirting milk. I was feeding in the back of church one day and Maddi pulled of suddenly, well milk went everywhere I was so glad the person infront was sitting down. I had a friends sitting next me and she just laughed  It still hasnt settled down either, you should see the wall next to the couch ------------- 
 
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Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 04 November 2008 at 10:14pm
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I fed Josh almost everywhere as well. The only place I didn't fed him was in the church hall after my great aunties funeral - I just couldn;'t do it. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 8:04am
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You just reminded me of a story my sis posted awhile ago. It was very funny! http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16140&KW=wigglesfan - http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16140&KW=wigglesfan -------------
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Posted By: josephnia
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 9:25am
I'll feed anywhere - the other day I fed DS while getting a pedicure, I was sitting on one of those big massage chairs and it was awesome  If only it could always be like that!-------------  
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Posted By: my2girls
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 9:33am
| I will feed anywhere too, i wasnt as confident with DD1 but DD2 no prob. |
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 11:16am
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I fed Caitlyn whereever , whenever, but discreetly , not everyone is ok with it, and just because I am doesnt mean I get to assume everyone else is.
I fed her at McDonalds and Tama from Shortland street was having a good ol perve , tho he pretended he was smiling at the baby (perhaps he was, my breasts sure aint nothing to smile at )
and I fed her on the side of the road once too ,with trucks going past, got quite a few grins from the truckys... ------------- 
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Posted By: gemsmum
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 11:30am
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Yup, I'll feed anywhere - if bubs is hungry he gets fed. I did feel a little uncomfortable feeding him in the back of the kids school assembly the other day . Silly really cos the only one who could see was my sister who was sat next to me.
------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 12:01pm
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I'm going against the grain to say I don't like to bf just anywhere in front of anyone. If I'm at the mall, I will go into the mothers room rather than out in the main complex. I won't bf in front of the inlaws, and would rather go into another room. I will go out of my way to hide in a corner if I have to bf somewhere public. However, I'm fine with friends in their homes or in my home. It's just not comfortable for me to do it out in the open, nothing to do with worrying about offending people though.
As of yet I haven't left the house with Kayla but I'm pretty sure things will be the same as when I was bf'ing Alyssa. |
Posted By: mountaingoat
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 1:33pm
That IS incredibly funny  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 05 November 2008 at 1:39pm
Well after sounding so smug when I posted yesterday, I went out to coffee group at the shopping mall this morning and ended up having to go to a parents room to feed JJ cos he was too distractible to feed while we were having coffee  -------------
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |