Well I feel like I've just stepped into the dark ages. What is wrong with all of you women? Breast feeding is a natural thing to do and I do understand that breastfeeding is not for every mother but we should support the ones who want to feed their children the natural way or do we all prefer women to be bunny girls and Page three models and believe it or not your boobs are only there to feed your children. Not just to fill out your t-shirt.
I really can't believe some of you say that it makes you feel sick to watch a nursing mother while you are eating!!! but it's ok to fill the child with a man-made substance that is full of additives and god forbid a baby has its meal time with the rest of the family.
The Uk is so anti children it still amazes me that there are any.

Yes I do agree
It is amazing how people can so readily accept a commonly held view, in this case that bfing in public is inappropriate. If it was acceptable and more women did it it would not take long for everyone to say oh yeah bfing is ok just do it discreetly. Or yep there goes another contended and well fed bub.

With my first I felt so self concious feeding in public that I didn't I would stay in my car or hide somewhere or just stay home. It was disruptive to my life and so unfair that bottle feeding Mums could just carry on where ever. I could understand why Mums would just give up and go to bottles. Oh and expressing and taking a bottle is first of all near impossible for me and why the heck should I when the milk straight out of the breast saves me taking anything and is best for my supply.

With my second I had gotten over this fear and learnt to feed discreetly, also I live in Scotland where I am protected by law to bf anywhere. And this time it was different at 2 weeks I was out to lunch with my family and able to stay at the table and be able to eat my food hot and stay with my family, while my happy new baby nursed discreetly rather than crying and upsetting others. Noone seemed put off in fact they probably didn't notice and if they had I probably would have slapped them for looking too closely.

Thanks for the back up chelle. But instead of moving to Ireland at the end of next year maybe we should think of Scotland!!

i find it unbelievable too that everyone finds breastfeeding so alien, especially when the child is older. my son is 17months old and i was at my local surestart center this afternoon while has was playing in an activity group, and he became upset because he was tired so i sat in the corner and started to breastfeed him and the looks i got from the other parents were shocking!! also everytime i tell someone that he sleeps with us in bed it's like ive just told them that we are in fact from out of space!!!
the western world is so out of touch with reality it's upsetting at times.

hi i would just like to say that i found alot of people didnt like me breastfeeding my daughter while i was out i had alot so funny looks and stares and a few coments but i never let it get to me as this was the only way i could feed her as she is unable to have any other milk. my friend is so proud that she is going to breastfeed her new baby when he arrives which is greast as more people should give breastfeeding a go

Well done you for feeding your boy for so long my last child was two and a bit. And the one on my knee is only 12 weeks old but I won't stop nursing until shes at least 2.

And how cheap and easy is it after you get past the first two weeks of agony Ha Ha?

I didn't get any pain at all from the very start of breastfeeding except for the occasional twitch of my uterus contracting which I liked as my tummy was getting back to being flat everytime he fed!! I have thoughroughly enjoyed breastfeeding and will continue until he wants to stop, I have no probs with the looks or comments, i actually find the ignorance amusing at times!! what can you do?!

I'm pretty disgusted with all these negative views on breastfeeding too:

Go to the toilet to feed my baby?? Since you're the one with issues, why don't YOU go to the toilet and eat your own meal there if you find something thats wholesome and completely natural so offensive! Not fancy that too much?... funny that - neither do myself or my baby!

As for the minority of annoying 'ladies', who insist on slapping their breasts out to make a statement, yes they are being deliberately offensive! However, these same people are the types that deliberately offend most of us all the time. They try to ram all their views and opinions down everyone elses throat - so lets do what we would do in any other situation: IGNORE THEM and starve them of the attention they desire so much!!

Anyway, on a more positive note to all those mums out there that are worried about feeding in public, I have to say that most people just didn't notice me at all... and anyone who did had a really positive reaction. My bump (due March) will certainly be getting the best food that nature can provide, and that no amount of money (or VISA) can buy x

quote:

Originally posted by Raidy:

The Uk is so anti children it still amazes me that there are any.

Exactly, we are so childist in this country. Moaning about them in restaurants etc. I wish people would remember they were children once, it's a part of life get over it! There are all kinds of people, shapes, colours, sizes and ages. The last one apparently is still ok to be prejudiced about.

I have only encountered negative views on breastfeeding online or tv, never actually in real life. I have fed toddlers in public and got nothing but positive comments from lovely elderly ladies passing...apart from toddler groups!
I find it hard to make friends with other mothers, my breastfeeding seems to put them on the defensive from the offset. Non parents I can get on with easily! I think perhaps it makes them feel guilty. I know some women lack support and it's not their fault, but many do make excuses that aren't valid but are convenient for them.
I'm also wondering about these so called exhibitionist nursers. I haven't seen any, to be honest just to see a woman breastfeeding is rare but welcome sight for me.

Hi moogybooble.
Have you tried going to a breast feeding support group? I go every Wednesday morning, we have baby massage first then breast feeding support after but Mums that do and don't breast feed sit about for a while and feed their baby/child accordingly and have a coffee, some of us even dare to go for lunch after wards.
Now that theres no smoking in pubs its great because the babys are so relaxed and full up we can have a proper gossip just like real people. Ha Ha!
I found the baby massage and breastfeeding support group through my health visitor and I highly recommend it.You could also try your local council for information.

moogy, I feed my 3.3 year old, but as he has been self-weaning (he has been dropping feeds gradually over the past year) we have not had to bf in public for a very long time beacuse he doesn't ask for a feed in public. We are down to a bed time feed now, my son is boss when it comes to bf, we do as he wishes : )

I know what you mean about other mums getting defensive. When my son was under a year old I was never really able to make any new mum friends, they all went on the defensive the minute they saw or heard that I bf, without me ever making any sort of remark.

I always found this very demoralising and I must say for a long time I would avoid face to face parent conversations like the plague because it made me uncomfortable that they felt uncomfortable about my bf and had to tell me their stories, if you know what I mean !

I am very sympathetic of course to women who get little or no support to bf, but I am one of those women, I too had no support so I feel that in fact I have a lot more in common with mums who bottle feed than they realise !

I was in absolute agony with pelvic pain and pain in one breast for months and then thrush hit us at 3 months and it all looked like the world would end, but formula feeding just wasn't an option for us. It is at the end of the day a very personal choice how you deal with hurdles and problems with bf, etc.

Now, I am much more relaxed and find it quite easy telling people that we still bf. The biggest pain has always been talking to GP's and other health profs. who seem to question my decision to bf FOR SO LONG

Bf in countries like the UK with low bf rate is a very emotive subject. I bet there is very little debate and discussion in other countries were bf is the norm. I have been to very closed, religious countries were it is very taboo to expose any flesh at all, yet no one bats an eye lid if you bf in public. In fact in some countries I have been to it is SO unusual to formula feed babies under the age of 6 months that one wonders what has happened here in the UK to make it such a bottle feeding culture.

I can't see why some women don't want to breastfeed and find it disgusting. Personally I love the snuggly feeling you get when your baba nuzzles in. As for flopping boobs out, I have never seen a breastfeeding mum who would want to do that - most want to be discreet - esspecially now its getting abit nippier! With saying this I understand that some people can't breastfeed and everyone is entitled to their own opinions. This is just mine.

quote:

Originally posted by Raidy:
Hi moogybooble.
Have you tried going to a breast feeding support group? .

Due to lack of funding (the health visitors couldn't afford insurance for hot drinks and it put people off) and attendance (most women stop after a few weeks round here or go back to work) there isn't a group anymore where I live. There are talks to try and get it going again though.

Toddler groups depress me, endless moaning about how awful and inconvenient our children are just doesn't do it for me!

Why not start your own group, you could met up at each others houses. I don't know where you live is there a Sure Start group near you or NCT group. your health visitor would know where you local group is.

moogy - have you got a La Leche League group or Baby Cafe nearby ? You can find details on their websites.

Nope, there was an LLL group 5 years ago, still took a couple of hours on the train to go to though but I still went. The leader is too ill now so the group has gone. No baby cafe the "group" (me and the hvs) we did have couldn't afford the licence, no Sure Start here either, we are too well off apparently.
So few are interested or actually do it round these parts. More important to get back to the gym it seems.

what about putting an ad in your local news agent to see if other mum are interested in putting a group together. other mums in your area must be in feeling isolated as you do.

here here to breast feeding where you want. i know for sure that if i had been able to breast feed i would have done it where and when i needed to regardless.

i have never seen a woman just flop her boob out but even if i did then good for her. when a baby needs feeding a baby needs feeding. People don't need to look and if they do i would just smile at them and carry on! if i was really annoyed i might just ask them in a very loud voice if they wanted to try and bit cos they seem so interested!!!!

i was with my friend once and she needed to feed her baby at the bus stop cos he was getting to the state of being sick he was crying so much but she was too worried to do it. in the end i practically got it out for her. she got a few looks from old women so we just glared at them ... would they have rather a 6 week old baby starved and cried continuously? i kno i would rather not hear the crying of a little bubba!

The biggest pain has always been talking to GP's and other health profs. who seem to question my decision to bf FOR SO LONG

I get that too which I find really annoying! Surely they should know how much continued bf benefits the child?!

clrcbr - yeh they pretty much ignore the visible health benefits. They never wonder for example why in the past 3.3 years my son has never been to see the GP or the HV for anything other than NHS baby checks (I gave up on those with HV at around 5 months - waste of time I weighed my son at home to make sure he was gaining good weight).

In fact I have been on antibiotics and goodness knows what else every winter and yet my son only ever has minor colds. While children of friends and relatives have had ear infection after ear infection and chest infections that required antibiotics, the most my son has ever had are minor colds that last 2 to 3 days and no medication.

Honestly the health differences are huge, it is just that most GP/HV'seem not to notice. Ironically they are the ones who should be noticing and promoting bf.

i breastfeed my baby and have to say the support is pathetic, iv had people give me dirty looks when i do it out in public, some tut and a few occasions people have actually made rude and hurtfull comments.
but i have carried on with it as i know the benifits for my baby are far more important then silly peoples views.
its nice to actually here that thereare people out there who support it,
welldone all and a big thanks

good for you dippy : )

On my son's 2.5 year health check report form (I had the option to go in and get him checked by a HV) I just put he is BREASTFED in big capital letters, signed and dated it and returned it my surgery !