Would it be ok for someone to explain this to me?

I am feeling really confused and a little upset....

I just came back from taking DS for a walk around our local park.
He started grizzling so I sat down on a bench to BF him, I always BF discreetly - today it was with my jumper pulled up and singlet pulled down so you couldn't see anything unless you were looking over my shoulder. Not even some tummy...

Whilst I am feeding 2 ladies in full hijab?? not sure if that is right walked past - one had a mask?? across her face (my apologies if I am wording this incorrectly) and the other lady didn't but had everything except her face covered....

They walked over to me and started yelling and gesturing ....I have absolutely no idea what they were saying to me but I am guessing they weren't discussing world breastfeeding week and how wonderful it is....

They seemed really angry and they kind of freaked me out so I stopped BF and hauled bum away with my screaming hungry DS in tow.

Just wondering what I may have done to upset them so much?

Thanks In Advance....

I guess they were discussing the fact that you were actually bf in public ;)

Would you have been offended it was some *insert some other race/religion* here who made the sniggering remarks? Or just because they were clearly Muslim?

I guess different races/religions and just plain ol' people have different views on bf in public.

WOW!

Maybe they thought you were someone else? They weren't yelling in English?

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I guess they were discussing the fact that you were actually bf in public ;)

Would you have been offended it was some *insert some other race/religion* here who made the sniggering remarks? Or just because they were clearly Muslim?

I guess different races/religions and just plain ol' people have different views on bf in public.

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TD - I wasn't offended at all - I was more concerned that I had done something to offend them.....

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WOW!

Maybe they thought you were someone else? They weren't yelling in English?

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Nope not english hun...I am not sure what language they spoke

Exposing yourself, would be the problem then.

I know you say that people wouldn't be able to see anything unless they were staring from over shoulder... but to these women it still may be considered as exposing yourself to glare and looks from others including men.

Ah ok then.....oops!
What do Muslim ladies do if they need to feed in a similar situation where there are no parents rooms etc available?

Forgive my ignorance - I'm off a sheep farm - there aren't to many Muslim ladies / gents where I come from :)

I assumed it might be mistaken identity - not much point yelling at you if you can't understand what they are yelling!

Well me and the lovely Bron fed simultaneously at a playcentre once, she had a lovely blanket shawl thing that went over her and DS.

I don't know what others do, but i took EBM or formula when i used to go on outings with my kids.

I don't wear a veil or anything, but it is still considered wrong amongst my culture to bf in public. Tongues start wagging. We aren't as from a relaxed society as you folk are.

It is considered wrong as you are putting yourself in view of other men and women too, but more particular, men.

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Well me and the lovely Bron fed simultaneously at a playcentre once, she had a lovely blanket shawl thing that went over her and DS.

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Or that as Rouge said. To completely cover.

It was specifically for breastfeeding though, and I think it had a window so she could see bubs but no one else could see her... I'm sure she'll come in to clarify.

Thanks for explaining that to me TD :) I always get a little excited when I learn something new!

I hope you know I didnt mean any offence at all - just still becoming accustomed to different social groups - where I come from the largest religious / social diversity was the catholics vs C of E :rolleyes:

I think I might have to lurk in this forum to learn a little more :)

Thanks Rouge :)

Weirdos! I have no idea why they would be yelling. Maybe it was a case of mistaken identity because Muslim women are generally no more likely than any other women to yell at a complete stranger.
I've breastfed in public when I needed to. Either I used my discreet dining shawl which you can buy at most baby shops (it has a liitle bit of mesh so you can see bubba and maintain eye contact or I wore a khimar and just fed under there. The khimar gives great coverage so sometimes people would come and sit near me while I was feeding and have no idea I had a bay under there. The look on thier face when I pulled a sleeping baby out from under my scarf was always a classic pmsl.

ETA - I used to live on a sheep farm too. I love sheep, they're so dopey and that idiotic thing they do where they jump when they go through a gate never fails to make me smile.

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The look on thier face when I pulled a sleeping baby out from under my scarf was always a classic pmsl.

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Heheheehehe I can picture that it'd be priceless :lol:

I'm not sure why they were yelling Bron - they were older ladies - perhaps in their 60's...

Maybe they did think I was someone else - I have that I know you from somewhere kinda face ..LOL

:rofl: sheep are the most stupid animals ....but so cute :)

Aged 60+ - most of these women who were born overseas in a muslim country are more backward, the new gen coming through will be much better ;). I'm speaking on behalf of myself and the people i know 60+

My mother is a backward thinker even though she dresses quite modern and has a modern attitude to some issues.

Not offended at all.

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Either I used my discreet dining shawl which you can buy at most baby shops (it has a liitle bit of mesh so you can see bubba and maintain eye contact or I wore a khimar and just fed under there. The khimar gives great coverage so sometimes people would come and sit near me while I was feeding and have no idea I had a bay under there. The look on thier face when I pulled a sleeping baby out from under my scarf was always a classic pmsl.

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Just checking, is the khimar the white material in the pic? Do you then just feed by feel rather than sight- or can you peek down to see bub as well?

Ta

I can feed by feel but if I want a peek I just pull the bit under my chin forward and have a look down.

Islamically you can breastfeed in front of women but not men. Obviously, she can in front of her husband.

As far as I know, my mum BF us all in public by draping her Sari over us so she kept it discreet. No one could tell she was feeding us. I will BF in public if need be, as long as I take the precautions to be discreet. I don't exactly feel like living up to the standards of others when my baby needs a feed, but that's just my opionion :)

Regardless of what nationally or religion or non-religion a person is in this country as far as my understanding is that yelling at another person in public is legally unacceptable conduct.

The bottom line is two woman whom are strangers yelled at you in the public in view of all to hear and see and clearly upset you (who wouldn't be) ... HOW CAN THAT BE absolutely acceptable or excusable under any reasoning.

How can one parent tell another parent how to parent ... If anyone thought they had the upper-hand and right to tell me HOW to parent i would be offended at the highest level (What Mother or Father wouldn't be ????) !!!

I don't know what they have said, but whatever it was, for all you know they could have been arguing with each other...lol

As for the “mask” that's called a Niqab or Burka which is the covering of face, this is something some Muslim women believe in, while others only embrace the head coverage.

No matter what the case, who they were, what was done, yelling is not right. If they represented themselves as Muslims (you said they were covered and veiled) gives them a bigger reason NOT to have done that. Some people blindly follow the dresscode of the people form their culture without understanding it's purpose.

Being a Muslim means that you conduct yourself as correctly as possible when dealing with other people (muslims or non muslims). Since you said you were not exposing BB's then I don't see why they approached you in the first place.

But then again some people are less edcuated than others. Should they have known what their religion preaches about giving advice... they would have known that it was very very very wrong what they did. Well.. shoulda woulda coulda.

I don't have kids but I am fully covered and veiled. If i need to breastfeed in the future, i'd probably slip him under my scarf (it covers my whole body and goes down to my hips) and nobody would even know i have a baby under there! LOL! I've seen other women do it before and when their baby is done they pull it out form underneath their scarf .. i go "woaahh ! i didn't know she had him under there all that time!"
I found another bonus of covering!