Breastfeeding in Public....

highervibes

I breastfed both my kiddos to 2+. I never had the need to nurse in public when they were "too old" by society's standards, so I can't comment on that. I did use a cover for both of them as babies, partly for MY comfort, partly becaue they were cute patterns I couldn't resist on babysteals.com :P. When they got to be at an age where they would flail and be bothered by the cover, I only used it to be discreet while they were latching on (again, my comfort here) and then I ditched the cover. I never had an issue with the exception of my male cousin who asked if I could go to the bathroom to feed my son at his own baptism lunch. Umm... no, we don't eat in public washrooms! lol GROSS

beautyonthebeach83

I say YAY! When the babies are hungry, feed them!!

I have a question. I'm not trying to start anything by asking this, but just genuinely curious.

I get that if a baby is hungry you feed it. Breast feed, bottle feed, whatever floats your boat. I don't care.

But what about 2 or 3 year old or whatever who don't use breast milk as their primary or sole form of nutrition? Since they don't NEED it and have more self control do you still whip it out whenever they want it or wait until it can be done in private? Is that even a different standard?

The older the child gets I imagine the more uncomfortable people would be seeing it. So yeah... just curious.

Infants need to nurse every two hours, and it's their only source of food and water.

Toddlers eat food and drink water and cows milk and all kinds of stuff. Usually if a toddler is still nursing it is only a couple times a day and at very specific times such as bed time or first thing in the morning. So, usually by that age it would not be in public.

My daughter is going to be 3 in October and we still nurse several times a day. As I mentioned in an earlier post it is no longer her sole source of nutrition (obviously), so when she asks in the middle of Target or at the farmers' market or wherever we are I tell her "No baby, just wait til we get home. We're in a hurry." This is more for convenience than for anything else, but I also know it's not widely accepted around here. When I'm running errands with my 2 kids I want to get in, out and done as quickly as possible, so I am not going to drop everything to nurse my daughter when I know I have just fed her a good hearty meal before leaving the house. :laugh: Now if we're at a friend's house for a play date and she asks, I will totally nurse her, the caveat being that I'm at a crunchy mom's house and "extended" nursing is well received. I don't like it, but I know even a lot of "pro-breastfeeding" people are weirded out by extended bf'ing, so I reserve it for home or around like-minded individuals. That's just ME though. For me it's not worth the hassle and the judgement I get from close-minded people when I can just as easily hand my daughter a banana---or just snuggle her if comfort is what she's after. If I were to see a mom nursing a toddler I would think "more power to you!" and I'd smile in approval, not that she needs it.

k1229

hahahh!!! this keeps occurring to me also.

rml_16

I think it's interesting that there are people in this world that cling to the sexualization of breasts so badly that they can no longer view them for their intended purposes.

Well, they're both really. They cause sexual feelings, so they are sexual objects. But they are also for feeding infants.

SarahBeth0625

My daughter is going to be 3 in October and we still nurse several times a day. As I mentioned in an earlier post it is no longer her sole source of nutrition (obviously), so when she asks in the middle of Target or at the farmers' market or wherever we are I tell her "No baby, just wait til we get home. We're in a hurry." This is more for convenience than for anything else, but I also know it's not widely accepted around here. When I'm running errands with my 2 kids I want to get in, out and done as quickly as possible, so I am not going to drop everything to nurse my daughter when I know I have just fed her a good hearty meal before leaving the house. :laugh: Now if we're at a friend's house for a play date and she asks, I will totally nurse her, the caveat being that I'm at a crunchy mom's house and "extended" nursing is well received. I don't like it, but I know even a lot of "pro-breastfeeding" people are weirded out by extended bf'ing, so I reserve it for home or around like-minded individuals. That's just ME though. For me it's not worth the hassle and the judgement I get from close-minded people when I can just as easily hand my daughter a banana---or just snuggle her if comfort is what she's after. If I were to see a mom nursing a toddler I would think "more power to you!" and I'd smile in approval, not that she needs it.

I also nurse past a year. My oldest went 25 months, my daughter turned 3 this past February and is still nursing, along with the youngest, my son, who is 22 months. Before becoming a mom, I figured I'd stop at a year. A year became 15 months, became 18 months, became 2 years . . . it's all very normal and I don't think anyone who hasn't done it should judge. There is nothing weird or sexual about meeting the needs of the child. It's a bonding thing.

k8blujay2

I don't even understand this debate honestly. Babies need to eat. I don't eat in a bathroom and I wouldn't expect a mom to have to feed a baby in the bathroom. With that said, when I've done so, I've always been very discreet and covered as well as I could.

I don't have a problem with breastfeeding (after all, that was one of the functions of the female breast). The law where I live says that a woman can breastfeed in a public area if the baby is hungry. I do, however, think that the woman should cover her chest while the baby is feeding.

I think men should cover their chests while mowing the lawns with their sweaty men boobies hanging out.

:noway: :noway: :noway: not attractive.:noway: :noway: :noway:

Right!!! My neighbor across the way is ALWAYS doing yardwork with no shirt on... and he is NOT attractive or young... got the moobs and everything... I really don't see how it's any different? I am still scarred from seeing a guy mowing his lawn in a teeny blue speedo... and yet women are somehow not allowed to show half an inch of skin (which does not include the nipple) to feed her baby...

mestacy010

I don't even understand this debate honestly. Babies need to eat. I don't eat in a bathroom and I wouldn't expect a mom to have to feed a baby in the bathroom. With that said, when I've done so, I've always been very discreet and covered as well as I could.

This^^^ people can suck it if they don't see this as an OK thing.... Its nature

I breastfed my son until he was 16 months old

k8blujay2

What I don't understand is people who equate breastfeeding in public with urinating or pooping in public... while they both might be "natural", the former doesn't really effect anyone but the mother and baby... while if enough people eliminated on the street, disease would be rampant (as it was before the modernization of the sewer system).

soldier4242

If you have to do it then do it but don't do it just for sake of doing it.

how would you know the difference?

what's the difference between "have to do it" and "just for the sake of doing it"?

That is what I was thinking? Does this person think that women out there are just dying to breastfeed in public? As someone who has helped raise a little baby let me assure you there comes a point where you don't really do anything for the sake of doing it. You just don't want to hear any more crying anymore and so you do whatever you have to do to keep that kid happy. You don't dare take a content baby and just start breastfeeding it because it sounds like fun.

RllyGudTweetr

I think it's interesting that there are people in this world that cling to the sexualization of breasts so badly that they can no longer view them for their intended purposes.

Well, they're both really. They cause sexual feelings, so they are sexual objects. But they are also for feeding infants.

Women shouldn't be able to breastfeed in public because it might make 13-year-old boys feel weird. (NOT a re-phrase of the quoted positions).

:noway: :noway: :noway:

VeinsAndBones

Silly humans and their lack of forward thinking.... Bottle anyone? Anyone at all? I saw a lady doing this three days ago at a restaurant direct across from me looking at me pretty much the whole time. Except when she wasn't dealing with her other 3 children of course (Children are gross and disgusting creatures)

highervibes

Silly humans and their lack of forward thinking.... Bottle anyone? Anyone at all? I saw a lady doing this three days ago at a restaurant direct across from me looking at me pretty much the whole time. Except when she wasn't dealing with her other 3 children of course (Children are gross and disgusting creatures)

said the 18 year old male.

Terryism

That's what breasts are for. What's the big deal?

Exactly!

In my case, I pumped (not in public). My son was premature and was fed through a tube the first 7 weeks of his life, then he did better with a bottle. I don't think women should be banished to nasty bathrooms to feed their babies. I do think it's polite to try to be discreet about it. And I honestly don't pay enough attention to people around me to even notice if someone is breastfeeding. I have seen a couple women at baseball games breastfeeding, but only because they were next to our seats as we went to sit down (one glared at us, not our fault you're sitting in someone elses seat lady...).

JustJennie1

As long as it's done discreetly I really don't care. There have been several instances where I have seen a woman breastfeeding a baby in public and unless you knew what they were doing it wasn't obvious.

I think for the most part women are pretty cognizant of the people around them. They're not going to just pull their boob out and start feeding their kid.

Druidor

No problem with BF in public, babies need their food .

beautyonthebeach83

My daughter is going to be 3 in October and we still nurse several times a day. As I mentioned in an earlier post it is no longer her sole source of nutrition (obviously), so when she asks in the middle of Target or at the farmers' market or wherever we are I tell her "No baby, just wait til we get home. We're in a hurry." This is more for convenience than for anything else, but I also know it's not widely accepted around here. When I'm running errands with my 2 kids I want to get in, out and done as quickly as possible, so I am not going to drop everything to nurse my daughter when I know I have just fed her a good hearty meal before leaving the house. :laugh: Now if we're at a friend's house for a play date and she asks, I will totally nurse her, the caveat being that I'm at a crunchy mom's house and "extended" nursing is well received. I don't like it, but I know even a lot of "pro-breastfeeding" people are weirded out by extended bf'ing, so I reserve it for home or around like-minded individuals. That's just ME though. For me it's not worth the hassle and the judgement I get from close-minded people when I can just as easily hand my daughter a banana---or just snuggle her if comfort is what she's after. If I were to see a mom nursing a toddler I would think "more power to you!" and I'd smile in approval, not that she needs it.

I also nurse past a year. My oldest went 25 months, my daughter turned 3 this past February and is still nursing, along with the youngest, my son, who is 22 months. Before becoming a mom, I figured I'd stop at a year. A year became 15 months, became 18 months, became 2 years . . . it's all very normal and I don't think anyone who hasn't done it should judge. There is nothing weird or sexual about meeting the needs of the child. It's a bonding thing.

I totally agree with you that it's neither weird nor sexual and that people who haven't done it shouldn't judge, but sadly they do. In all honesty before I became a mother I thought I'd nurse for one year and then "wean." Definitely not the case as it feels very natural for me to continue. My son weaned himself shortly after a year (presumably because my supply was very low during my next pregnancy and it wasn't worth the hassle for him) so I never imagined I'd still be nursing his sister at nearly 3 years of age. I can't tell you how often I am judged for it in my family, where most moms couldn't be bothered with nursing past 4-6 months. It makes me sad. But I won't stop to please them. I'm happy, my daughter is very happy (and very healthy) and that is all that matters.

Pangea250

One time I had a cat and the cat had kittens. I was scandalized when she would nurse the kittens in public, in front of company. So, I put a blanket over them. Also when I would look at her, she would give me dirty looks like I was some kind of perv watching her nurse her kittens, so I yelled at her, "If you are going to do that in public, I'm going to look!" Also there was a cat strip club nearby. I'm not sure how that relates, but just thought I'd mention it because boobs.

:laugh: :bigsmile: :laugh: :bigsmile: :laugh: :bigsmile: :laugh:

lorierin22

I didn't know about nursing covers when I had my son 6 years ago...did the best I could, breastfed in public when necessary, usually with a blanket. But honestly, I think people got more of a peep show when I used a blanket, because I thought I was covered I wouldn't adjust myself and he would steadily be yanking and pulling and trying to throw the blanket off. You would have seen less if I didn't use it all...oh well.

By the time I had my daughter 2 years ago, I had the covers and got pretty good at making due. Once at Six Flags, we were standing in a pretty long line to ride Monsters Plantation and my daughter started screaming for milk...I had left the diaper bag and nursing cover in the stroller and I wasn't about to back out of the line I'd been standing in for 20 minutes. I had on 2 tank tops so I took off the top one and fashioned it into a sling around me and nustled her inside. You couldn't see her and I wasn't showing anything. It just looked like a huge sideways lump under my top shirt. It was pretty hilarious to me, but I just went on walking through the line like nothing was happening. People looked at me kind of funny, but I thought it was awesome. I felt like Macguyver or something...lol!

ldrosophila

One time I had a cat and the cat had kittens. I was scandalized when she would nurse the kittens in public, in front of company. So, I put a blanket over them. Also when I would look at her, she would give me dirty looks like I was some kind of perv watching her nurse her kittens, so I yelled at her, "If you are going to do that in public, I'm going to look!" Also there was a cat strip club nearby. I'm not sure how that relates, but just thought I'd mention it because boobs.

:laugh: :bigsmile: :laugh: :bigsmile: :laugh: :bigsmile: :laugh:

ROFL

LuckyMunky

I applaud any woman that breastfeeds in public. I think it's wonderful that they will feed their infant or young child whenever they're hungry instead of catering to the "needs" of the public. I fed my sons whenever they got hungry and didn't use a nursing cover (they'd pull it down anyway.) It's not hard to be discreet unless you have a child that likes to flail his arms randomly and constantly pulls off to smile and coo at you :grumble:

Here's an idea: If seeing a woman breastfeeding makes you uncomfortable, turn your head an face the other direction! Nothing is forcing you to stare.