Gen Y Embarrased to Breastfeed

[onthefly]

In the early days, when you're still getting the knack, you can feel a bit exposed. But honestly, when the baby's at the breast, passers by would have to be trying pretty hard to see 'anything'.

Think about what a lot of young girls wear around these days, or the models in magazines and on billboards - WAAAY more skin.

(Babies do go through pull-off-and-look-around-every-30-seconds stages, but that's another matter).

[CrazyCat]

I am gen Y.... I KNOW breastfeeding is 100% the right thing to do, I know it's natural, but I honestly feel so icky and uncomfortable thinking about doing it myself one day.
No issues seeing other people do it, i admire them...
But yeah...i'd be embarassed..at home or in public!
Guess I need to get over that.....If we ever get our baby hubby wont let me get away with not doing it...He is 100% for BF!

[Visitor7]

I think it has some to do with generations, but also a lot to do with what we're used to as a society. Take me for eg: my family were only ever breastfeeders, as were dh's family. There was no formula feeding from any of them. They're very open about it, so that's what I'm used to. When I was pg with DD1 and even after I'd had her and was learning to breastfeed, I had a wealth of experience from both families helping me, so for me it was an easy decision to not only breastfeed, but to also do it with confidence in public.
However, my BIL's DW is from a family where breastfeeding is not talked about. Most of the babies were formula fed, and that's all she knows. She does not plan on breastfeeding her baby-to-be for two reasons. She doesn't understand the benefits, and she's embarrased.
I'm Gen Y, she's Gen X.

Breastfeeding vs Formula feeding is a huge debate. Always will be. There are many people out there who look down on women who formula feed. I think that is where msadelaide is coming from. That because so many people look down on those formula feeding, she may have thought she was being looked down on.

[~Raven~]

I think they are part the product of their parents generation who thought it was better to FF IYKWIM so never really had BF normalised to them. They aren't used to seeing the breast as anything more than a cosmetic object or one for male gratification.

I can empathise with young mums feeling ogled and I don't want anyone ogling my wife either.

Not to make an example of you spenceee but if people were to look at your wife if she was BF in public why would you think they were ogling? They might look and think it nice to see a mother BF her child but it's not an ogle. Admittedly there have been sickos out there that made the news, but they are few and far between. I'd bet there are more women grabbed on the butt in the supermarket than ogled when BF lol. Personally I received far many more compliments and smiles than I did leers.

ETA Jodi you posted while I was typing

[NaeNae]

I didn't click on the link but just read the quote, i wondered if the people surveyed were randomly selected or were actually ttc or were already parents.

I am gen x and tbh i would have not known bf benefits before i was ttc as i was not in the baby state of mind. i would also have never thought i would bf in public before ttc as i have always been very self conscious about my (lack of) chest.

target do a great range of feeding t-shirts and singlets which are very discrete the irst month while we were both getting the hang of feeding i was very uncomfortable bf anywhere except my home but since we got the hang of it i have no issues feeding dd anywhere. Yes i have had a few people looking, younger men/teenagers/older folk but i just meet their eyes and smile.

dh was more concerned about people seeing my boobs then i was but i told him that if i didn't have an issue then he shouldn't either. i don't cover the fact that i am feeding with a wrap as i think (for me personally) that it draws more attention to what i am doing but i do appreciate why people cover themselves.

Nae x

[Dotti8]

I am gen x and tbh i would have not known bf benefits before i was ttc as i was not in the baby state of mind. i would also have never thought i would bf in public before ttc as i have always been very self conscious about my (lack of) chest.

ditto for me (except self conscious of large chest).

However since the birth of my DD I have no issue bf'ing in public and actually cried the first time I gave her a bottle of formula after succumbing to pressure from DH and certain other family members who believed it would help her sleep longer at night if a FF was the last of the evening.

Having said that I am actually embarrassed to say that last week I was too uncomfortable to bf my DD at a cafe when having a coffee with a friend. Even though the friend was (a) female (b) mother of an 11 month old and (c) pregnant! She was an FF baby herself and her 11 month DD was FF. My DD got very irritable shortly into the coffee date and I knew she was overtired but probably not hungry. But, she will always take a comfort suck so really I should have given it to her.

I didn't though, and a screaming session ensued. I was just remembering this very friend (during her pregnancy) going on and on about how she wouldn't bf and how she doesn't agree with public bf'ing.

Anyway I took DD to a parents room shortly after.

So if I would bf at a cafe in front of strangers, why not in front of one of my friends?

I guess it is a reflection on both my relationship with her, and the impact of other peoples views expressed in a negative way which left a lasting impression on me.

In a way I feel like I let DD down on that day

[~*Niadalla*~]

bahahaha I'm gen Y and also quite overweight, and I still flopped em out when required. I did cover up so that it wasn't all on show when out. lol

[suse]

It would be interesting to know whether the study focused on people planning to have children in the near future, or on random Gen Y-ers. This study probably says less about attitudes towards breastfeeding amongst a demographic of young adults than it does about the prosaic phenomenon of being relatively ignorant about a topic prior to having any plan to engage in it.

More relevant would be a longitudinal study contrasting the attitudes and knowledge of that demographic at a minimum of three points: before the intent to have children, after falling pregnant but before the birth of the child, and one or two years after the birth of the child. I would be surprised if such a study did not show a general shift in attitude at each point, attributable to an increase in specific education and or direct experience.

Although it can be inferred that there is ignorance amongst the general community relating to the laws regarding public breastfeeding as well as the practicality of doing it discreetly, if such a large proportion of respondents would not envisage their child being fed in public due to embarrassment.

ETA: Miss E - we had exactly the same thought LOL!

[PumpkinZulu]

Uh, hmmm, not sure I agree with that study. As one of the youngest members of BB (maybe the youngest, I'm not sure ) I think the study needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Ofcorse most gen y-ers would feel awkward about bfing at this point in time; they're YOUNG and most gen y-ers priorities are not what way to nourish their children, and if it's appropriate to do so in public. Sure, a lot of the 'oldie' generation y members are getting towards the 'average' age of settling down etc, (Spenceee, I'm talkin' about you, 27, geez, time to retire gramps ) but the study didn't say how many of the gen y participants were from the ages of, I don't know, 13 to 21? I'm sure if you asked a whole bunch of gen x-ers and even baby boomers this same question when they were teens/young adults, they would have said the same; 'boobs out in public, how embarrassing!' Peoples opinions change over time, and with information. As Spenceee said, he only really started seeing breasts as more than a pair of squishy fun-bags until his wife became pregnant, and he began reading/hearing/learning about pregnancy, bfing and all the rest of it. With age comes more wisdom and a greater capacity to consider more options, open your mind more, get more information. And, as I said, peoples priorities will change as their time to have children approaches, i.e. they will be more fussed with learning about bfing etc than going out with friends, building careers etc. And by that stage (when gen y is old hat lol) whether they ('we') breastfeed in public will not come down to a very marginalized study done years ago, it will simply come down to personal choice. Some will have no qualms bfing in public, others will - just like any other age group, it is simply the individuals choice whether or not it is something they want to do.

[Jakabella]

Unfortunatly BF didnt work for me but when I was trying I didnt mind getting my boobs out at any stage and alot of the time in hospital I had to try and express at certain times weather ppl were in the room or not.

So I had to formula feed and I certainly WAS NEVER ashamed or embarressed by that at all - I was feeding my bub the only way I could. (sorry that comment really upset me)

IF i am lucky enough to BF my next bub I will have no qualms about feeding public.

Kate