Breastfeeding in public - woohoo

[~clover~]

Dude I fed DD while at the woolies service counter buying DH's ciggarettes over the weekend...
Not one of them failed to notice as I turned around to put them in my trolley (about 6 people lined up behind me) & continued to feed & push the trolley to the car

[MummaSue]

I was out shopping today and saw a woman walking around with an 18 month old and she was breast feeding AND pushing a shopping trolley with another toddler in the trolley. She was a really tiny woman too. I looked at her, made eye contact, gave her the thumbs up and said "you're a machine!!"..... she smiled at me and looked really chuffed.

Awesome!!

[kelebek]

wow now that's multitasking MummaSue, I am loving all these examples

[Swoop]

I was ready for this one, but didn't get it. Babies ask to be bf from birth, that's what crying is. So just because they're asking in a way we can understand doesn't make them too old. I taught my DD to pat me on my chest from about 6 mths when she wanted a bf. I would ask 'boobie' and pat my chest and she'd copy at first and soon she'd just pat me on the chest whenever she wanted it. And she sure wasn't too old to be bf when she could do that!

It's only in our current Western culture that you hear that (and I'm embarrassed to admit that I felt this way before DD. So just by letting people know you're still bfing can have a big impact, even if you don't realise it. It's what helped changed my mind, seeing others still bfing their toddlers and children).

I wish I'd had your response lined up Jennifer, I always get so tongue tied!

I'm back on course feeding my 14mo boobie monster in public now again anyway - I unashamedly fed her on Bronte beach at the weekend

[Jennifer13]

Good for you, Swoop! It's Murphy's Law isn't it, if you're prepared, no one bats an eyelid, if you aren't, you're sure to cop it.

I found it helped to read articles and info from other cultures and how bfing is treated there. That Mongolian one was fabulous (you can find it if you Google) and I heard others that don't spring to mind immediately, from Pacific Islands and Africa. Puts it in perspective.

[helle]

That's great. I always wished I could've got the hang of doing it in the ergo, but no such luck.

Apart from early on I've been ok about bf in public, but recently I've had my nerves shot by dome funny looks, and a couple of negative comments - one girl told me that once they're old enough to ask for it they're too old to have it, and another said 'how old is your daughter' with a big emphasis on the old.

Pftt. Obviously my DS would have been too old at 9 months then. As this is when he started coming up to me and shoving his head down my shirt.

I had an elderly lady congratulated me about bf in public. I could see her watching me and honestly thought she was going to have a go at me. But she came up and told me how nice it was to see a woman feed in child in public without worrying about any old fuddy duddies complaining made my day! I was on a foul mood before that XD

[kelebek]

been back home for a few days and I must be paying more attention and today in the local BW I saw a women pushing the pram while she fed her bubba while looking at the toys.

[*Infinity*]

Great thread. I have to say I am actually really looking forward to the ease of feeding DD wherever & whenever she wants it. I never got this far b/f DS and now that DD & I are getting the hang of things it will be heaps easier out in public. My main concern is more about keeping DS restrained while I feed DD, if I'm out on my own with them it becomes a bit of an exercise.

[kelebek]

could you use your phone as a distraction?

[*Infinity*]

Yep, the phone might work for a few minutes, but he has the attention span of a gnat right now. When we're out in public he just wants to get out and run.....so I have to buckle him into the pram, give him something to occupy him and hope he doesn't muscle out of the straps too quickly. Determined little character. Thankfully it looks like DD is going to be an efficient feeder so it won't always take long.

[Swoop]

I've noticed they seem to be installing a lot more fenced off play areas in parents rooms recently - I know you won't always be in or near a parents room, but when you are that's useful to keep in mind.

[suse]

I was out shopping today and saw a woman walking around with an 18 month old and she was breast feeding AND pushing a shopping trolley with another toddler in the trolley. She was a really tiny woman too. I looked at her, made eye contact, gave her the thumbs up and said "you're a machine!!"..... she smiled at me and looked really chuffed.

Awesome!!

I wish someone would tell me that I was a machine, although, she's generally in a carrier so I guess that's cheating a bit LOL. Whenever I do the supermarket shopping it's a certainty that DD gets hungry half way through, so I finish the shopping with her happily munching away (instead of screaming the place down). Even the teenage checkout boys at Woolies are now used to seeing me with a boob out LOL, not only do none of them look embarrassed or like they're trying not to snigger, one of the young boys actually commented on what a lovely bond it was, which I thought was incredibly mature and insightful of him.

I also fed my then 2 and a half year old DS to sleep whilst waiting in line in Myers once. Yes, it was a verrrrrrry long line.

[kelebek]

love it Suse and I love how it is now normal for those checkout boys so when they have future children that breastfeeding will seem normal.

Infinity - sounds like you have your hands full with your little hudini

[~clover~]

I've noticed they seem to be installing a lot more fenced off play areas in parents rooms recently - I know you won't always be in or near a parents room, but when you are that's useful to keep in mind.

I was going to say the same. I wish there were more of them!

[Jennifer13]

Suse - wow, you can keep two kids happy with bbs in shopping lines - you're superwoman, not a machine!!!

How very mature of that young man. He is going to make a great partner and father one day.

[Blujooce]

I love breastfeeding in public - it's quite liberating being able to get your boobs out into the fresh air

So far I've found that I have had the most positive reactions from older people - at least three times I've had grey-haired ladies commenting on how lovely it is.

The most negative reactions I've had have been from younger women. I was in a Dome cafe just the other day and two women in their early thirties commented (so I could hear) that I didn't "have to do that while they were eating". Can't wait 'till they have babies - karma will them

I haven't yet mastered the 'walk and feed' - I'm too busy watching her to be able to not walk into something, so I try and stay seated and still

[Kazbah]

it's great isn't it!!!!

Re the age thing, my mum asked me how long my friend fed her DD (who's the same age as Pip - 3.5yrs) - when I said she still was Mum got the "old biddy" look and said it was disgusting. I told her that she was an old biddy and that it is my friend's and her DD's choice!

I love seeing a mum & bub bond, I'm always so jealous.