Breastfeeding in Public - Would you, do you, will you?

TeagansMom609 wrote: Im really curious what other nursing mother's do. I nursed her once so far in public, which was the other night at dinner. We were in a booth and I put a blanket over her and no one knew I was nursing. It looked like I was just holding her in her blanket. But most of the time I do it in the car, which is a pain in the butt because I only have a little 2 door car, and there isn't much room at all.

kimberley replied: third baby... no qualms. i will nurse her anywhere.

maestra replied: I got used to it with Jaci. It doesn't bother me now!

MomToMany replied: I'll nurse my girls anywhere. But DH doesn't like me to NIP, so I nurse in the van when he's with.

MommyToAshley replied: I think it is perfectly natural to nurse in public, but I never could do it. Ashley was such a hyper and active nurser... twisting, turning, practically doing flips. I just never felt comfortable, though I wish I would have been able to get over it.

5littleladies replied: I nurse anywhere (when I have nursing babies of course ). I even used to nurse while walking through the mall.

aspenblue1 replied: I nursed in public a couple of times.

jolene555 replied: i only nursed georia for 4 months, and in that time i nursed in public once. i think it was because nearly everytime i went out i was with my mom, and my family is weird about that stuff. i quickly learned which restaurants or stores had nice seats in their restrooms. babies-r-us are great with their nursing rooms. i also always had a formula bottle, just in case.

Littlejojames replied: I get far too embarased. I would have to go somewhere less public.

Wish that i had more guts to do it where and when......... sure that it will all change when i have this one.

I will never forget though where i work i had to go and make sure that a lady that had come for an interview was ok and offer her a drink, well i walked into the meeting area and there she was with a baby clamped to her boob in our waiting area. God i was so gobsmacked that someone could do it while being interviewed for a job.

TeagansMom609 replied:
Holy cow that's one ballsy woman! I don't know if I could do that!

Josie83 replied: I couldn't breastfeed Cassie when she was born so never had to face this problem But I would probably have done it in public with her if i could. Like you said though, maybe put a blanket over her so noone's embarrassed. I shouldn't feel selfconscious about it though, so many ppl do it! xx

Boys r us replied: I breastfed both of my little men and if I were in public I would use a restroom or the car or some other discreet place.

coasterqueen replied: I'll nurse and have nursed anywhere. I even nursed at work but I won't nurse in front of my boss only my co-worker, lol. It took me a couple of months to get used to NIP but once I did we did it everywhere. And Kylie HATED the blanket so we used no blanket, lol.

kit_kats_mom replied: I nursed anywhere and everywhere. At first, before I'd gotten the hang of it, I tried nursing in the car but since we are in FL, it was just too hot. If we were somewhere with a nice nursing area, i'd go there.

favre4fan replied: I never nursed either one of my kids. I didn't with Nolan because I was so young and it freaked me out. I was going to with Austin but I had urinary problems and I was in pain witha kidney stone at the time he was born and I was pretty anemic so needless to say that was the last thing on my mind. I will definately try though with the next child. I don't know if i am brave enough to NIP though. If I am out somewhere and I see someone nursing it doesen't bother me at all.

DansMom replied: I did BF in public when necessary. I used a drape and sat off from any main area. If I was in a public building, I would look for an empty room first. I'm modest about my body to begin with, but also, Daniel would not stay focused on the activity if there was anything interesting going on. He would yank off and look around at any conversation or noise, so I needed to find a quiet place. I always feel happy when I see other moms breastfeeding in public.

Nowadays, I only breastfeed at home in the morning, at naptime (if it's a weekend), when I get home from work (on weekdays) and just before bed, occasionally at other times for consolation if he's hurt himself or is feeling insecure about something.

Littlejojames replied:

Dont know who was stairing more though me or the man facing, had to go and get someone else in the office to mover her along to the small office alone.

Kaitlin'smom replied: once I got the hang of it I nursed anywhere I needed to. sometimes i would use a blanket and other times I would not. DH was great about it so supportive and usually help in anywhay her could with the balnket or getting support under my arm.

jcc64 replied: My extended family and certain friends have "issues" with my nursing my now 2 yr old dd.
It's their problem, I realize my choice is a little out of the mainstream, but by this point in my life, I don't want or need their approval. They can and do talk behind my back, they think I have seperation issues, whatever. If dd stopped tomorrow, believe me I'd be thrilled. In the meantime, my boobs, my kid, my choice. End of story.

Lollie replied: Hi.....

I breastfeed Brianna anywhere...my baby has to eat when she wants to and when she wants to breastfeed,she waits for nobody!!

At first I would first find a nice quiet place to breastfeed her but now theres not ime for all that..so I just whip it out and breastfeed her in public.I do get stares from ppl...but I dont even care.I love breastfeeding my baby!!!

A&A'smommy replied: what does NIP mean? If I had kept if up with Alyssa I wouldn't have matter to me where I nursed her the first time I was able to nurse her there was TONS of people in my room

kit_kats_mom replied:
LOL.

That's kind of where I stand too. I was pretty happy when she finally weaned herself. It just got kind of old the closer to two she got KWIM? Plus, since I'm pregnant again, I really wanted my boobs to myself for a month or two.

Now I sort of miss it though since I have to literaly catch K, mid-run, to get a hug and then she struggles. *sniff*

I hope things are going well for you.

Kaitlin'smom replied:
NIP= NURSE IN PUBLIC

My2Beauties replied: When I was BF Hanna I always did it privately when out in public or in other people's homes! I'm just too weird about that sort of thing I guess. When I see a woman doing it it doesn't bother me but I see the way people stare and I knew when I was BF I didn't want that kind of attention.

TeagansMom609 replied:
YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!

mama3x replied: DS was a "lazy nurser" so I didn't really BF in public, only at home b/c it was kind of a battle. I don't believe in exposing myself to anyone other than my DH and whichever of my kids are in the room at the moment.

DD ONLY nursed so I had no choice (ok I did have a choice but didn't want to hear her scream) but to nurse in public - but I'd always find as private and quiet a corner as possible.

I was lucky in the sense the WIC people here gave free gifts to encourage BFing so I got an oversized bib-type thing to slip over my neck, aloha print, covering up everything. It's thin enough where it's not real hot (a big deal here in Hawai`i) and the neck opening is big enough where you can still have the eye contact with cover. DD was preemie and easily overstimulated so minimizing distraction was (and still is even tho' she's weaned) important!

3_call_me_mama replied: I nursed Cameron everywhere adn anywher, when a kid's gotta eat, a kids gotta eat! The way I looked at it was if I had to sit around with a bunch of people feeding their kids from a bottle then they could sit with me while my kid nursed. AS someone else mentioned, I too have nursed while walking through a mall, or shopping for groceries! Kathleen is a VERY loud nurser adn gulps her food so she is quite funny to hear actually. But I still nurse her when and where she needs to. Once I've had a person make comment about nursing in public and I quickly asked them if they would liek to eat their dinner while sitting in a bathroom stall! They blushed and apologized!!

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I nursed both of mine in public. I'll never forget when DH's cousin and his wife came to visit and we went to the Olive Garden. DH had to work so I went with them and the kids. Ethan was so hungry so I didn't think anything of it, I just got a blanket to cover up and fed him at the table. They kept shooting each other embarassing glances. It wasn't like you could see anything. I told Scotty and he was so mad. Scotty has always been so encouraging towards BF'ing and he never minded me doing it in public. It was nice to have him around to help me get comfortable and hold the blanket for me.

tonysgirl0506 replied: I have nursed in public quite a bit, I will normally go out to the car if it's not an inconvenience and there are lots of people around. I've also used "mom" rooms in mall bathrooms and at Busch Gardens and stuff like that because they have a place for you to sit. Usually at restaurants, I will nurse in a booth, but not at a table. Don't know why, but that is just how I do it. I've fed her walking around in Costco one day, she was in the Baby Bjorn and I just latched her on and put a blanket on the part you could see. I even fed her in church before, lol. I guess if you breastfeed, you have to learn to NIP or you will be spending a lot of time in a car or bathroom

loveydad replied: This is just a guys point of view (NOBODY HIT ME! PLEASE!) I believe its absoutlutly beautiful when I a mom does the best thing she can do for her baby. I have never had any problem with people who breastfeed in public, I believe they have every right. THe only time I have a problem is when it's in a really crowded person and the woman has like NO shame you know? Like they sit there with no blanket, nursing the baby, and then they like pull it away and their breast is exposed? But I think it's a total disgrace when people act out because someone breastfeeds in public.