Modest public breastfeeding + big bbs

I have been happily breastfeeding my DS for 5 weeks now, but have yet to do a decent public breastfeed because I'm very self-concious of my huge boobs :redface:. I'm a H cup, which means there's a lot of boob being exposed when I breastfeed, and any chance of modesty goes completely out the window. Also, because of my big boobs I find it hard to get good positioning when I'm out and about without the trusty pillow that I use at home (which is a little big to be lugging around with me).

So, my question is if anyone else has experienced this, and how did you overcome it? I'd really like to work out a way to breastfeed in public (mother's rooms or just out and about) so that I don't feel like I have to rush home or to the car whenever DS gets hungry in public. Any tips?

congratulations and well done!!

I fold a blamket up and put on knee to elevate DS, and just practice. I feed anywhere and everwhere, food courts, 5 star resturants, markets, GP surgerys etc etc

mine are F, DH always commenting on me flashing too much. I tryed having a wrap over sholder but didnt work as we both got too hot,

Ok, I don't have huge boobs, so I don't know how much my advise will help but....

I've found with feeding in public, keeping my modesty was easy by wearing two layers. Underneath I would wear a singlet that was easy to pull down, and a singlet/shirt over the top. One up, one down. Only a little bit of boob showing. I did it this way, not only to hide my boobs, but keep my tummy covered, which I am self conscious about due to stretchmarks.

I feed in public all the time. Anywhere and everywhere....

I dont have big boobs (well - they currently are big for me but not by most peoples standards ;) ).
I like to be able to feed DS anywhere and everywhere (sitting and walking ) but I try to do so modestly and discretly.
I tuck a muslin wrap into my feeding side bra strap at the shoulder and the muslin drapes ddown my side to cover any exposed tummy and comes across over baby to be posistioned how I like. So if I want alot of coverage I will completly pull it up across my chest and cover baby other wise I might let it hang down the feeding side. It can get a bit hot for I suppose if pulled right across but thats usually only if its hot anyway and if outside I can use this method to feed and keep the sun off him - when I go for walks I notice a lack of benches and the ones I do find often are not under any shelter :rolleyes:

Sterla, I'm glad you posted this! I'm self-conscious about feeding in public as well. I've fed in a parents room and when that wasn't available, went back to the car! Plus, DP thinks it's inappropriate which is really not helpful... :rolleyes: I like Salsa's idea of tucking the wrap into the bra strap. I also have a few bonds feeding/maternity singlets which are more modest than pulling up a top to feed.

Try wearing a singlet under, one of the shoestring undergarment type ones. I pull the singlet DOWN and the top up. Exposes next to nothing :) You can get some cool breastfeeding shawl things, I can't find them at the moment but if I do I will PM the link to you. They look awesome and not hot at all :)

I am also wondering about this. As I am an E cup I prefer to use the football position to fed (I just cant do the other one at all). How am I supposed to do this without a pillow under my arm to rest DD on?
Looks like I will need to be practising at home! I love the muslin wrap idea to help with modesty. My DP isnt keen on me jsut whipping the boobie out.

yep, 2 layers. i have little wrap cardis that i wear on top of my bf'ing siglets. i feed her anywhere.

so i just lift the cardi up and unsnap the flap bit of the singlet. i always have my maz breastpads on, so i pull that up and let it sit on top of my boob

sorry one hand typing!!!

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I dont have big boobs (well - they currently are big for me but not by most peoples standards ;) ).
I like to be able to feed DS anywhere and everywhere (sitting and walking ) but I try to do so modestly and discretly.
I tuck a muslin wrap into my feeding side bra strap at the shoulder and the muslin drapes ddown my side to cover any exposed tummy and comes across over baby to be posistioned how I like. So if I want alot of coverage I will completly pull it up across my chest and cover baby other wise I might let it hang down the feeding side. It can get a bit hot for I suppose if pulled right across but thats usually only if its hot anyway and if outside I can use this method to feed and keep the sun off him - when I go for walks I notice a lack of benches and the ones I do find often are not under any shelter :rolleyes:

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I was coming in to post how I did it and you beat me to it :)

Yep the muslin under the bra strap is the way to go. I would do this anytime I had to feed Harry in front of anyone other than my DH & kids.

i know i dont have big boobs But for me having a cloth nappy/small blanket keeps it all well hiddien...plus it helps as i can see where my detachable nipple (nipple sheald) is and if DS pushes it off the nipple...and it also helps for burping! off the boob, over the sholder!

Thanks for all your replies and tips girls! I even tried out one of your suggestions this evening while a friend was evening. I had a singlet underneath a top - pulled the singlet down, the top up and barely had any boob showing. Practice makes perfect - I'll keep at it :).

Yep an F cup here
def the two layers- lovable make an awesome singlet top that is soo comfy and good for big boobs- works a treat
also i have a babba sling and can feed in that really discreetly- no one can actaully see that i am feeding when bubs is in it ! it is ace and DS loves it!

I just whip mine out when they are needed and are gettting so much better at not exposing myself
It takes practice

Have you tried breastfeeding in a carrier like the hug-a-bub or otherwise a sling style?? I had 10E/F boobs and actually used to walk around the shops/house breastfeeding in one of these carriers. The hug-a-bub takes lots of positioning practice but is very discreet, the sling style is easier and quicker though.

Otherwise what always worked for me, was wearing those tiny bolero style jackets over any kind of top, which cover most of the top of the boob, even when you pull the whole thing out.

How are you feeding at the moment do you do the lift the top or undo the buttons? I found with a lift the top by the time I had bub there you couldn't see much at all (DD-E cup) but did the blanket tucked into the bra too while getting the hang of attachment. I also used to wear my bellybelt (wide strip of fabric) to hide my baby belly if I was feeling self - conscious.

Also mothers rooms are meant for BF so it should matter if you have to take your entire top off and feed there! Lots of them have private cubicals too.

With your pillow I used to pop mine in the bottom of the pram!

J cups here babe and I did it no worries. I could only football hold which generally meant the whole boob coming out of the top. I think the cleverest I got was the one time I was in a room full of other breastfeeding mothers

If you need to football hold, the strength in your arm does get better, and you will come to find more supported positions to help. Such as using your nappy bag or other as an arm rest. It is hard but you will get there.

I also always took a muslin wrap with me. Light enough to drape over babies head and big enough to cover the big boobs and if baby decided to tug doesn't cause too much of a problem. The best way I found, I always wore a singlet underneath,, ripped my shirt of for the feed. I would slide the singlet strap down of the side due to feed from, unclip the bra, then trap muslin under bra strap and spread across your chest. Then if you are paranoid about showing too much while baby attaches, a mmuslin is big enough to cover your head!!!

Hope i explained this alright.

What I would have given for A cups and the cradle hold!

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What I would have given for A cups and the cradle hold!

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Me too! Big boobs are overrated!

Big boobs here, and double layers can get really hot, especially for sling wearing! I questioned my own ideas about modesty and whose sensibilities I was considering. They weren't my own so I decided that I didn't care how much boob 'showed', as long as DS was getting it - especially as I couldn't exactly have a conversation with him about how my boobs are big and some people don't like it...hearing the conversation play out like that in my head convinced me that it wasn't my problem and what people say about me behind my back is none of my business :) It's much easier to pull down, and I pull up a top if it's really cold!
Plus, I didn't want to be going in for the idea that public breastfeeding is all right if you have small boobs and you don't show much, and not ok if you have big boobs - a non-sensical message to support. So I don't. Covering myself up sent ME the wrong message about an action that is ultimately nurturing and natural and most inoffensive.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't just get preggers, decide to breastfeed and go out in public with no issues...I'm a product of our society! I thought I wouldn't want to feed in public until the first time I was in public and DS wanted to feed. It took som adjusting before I asked myself and answered the questions.
And, finally, my big, cumbersome, in the way, pendulous boobs FINALLY had a purpose, other than to be dolled up as nicely as possible to keep them aesthetically digestible and looking as small as possible (with minimiser bras!)...!!
Probably doesn't help you much right now, and is food for thought.

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Covering myself up sent ME the wrong message about an action that is ultimately nurturing and natural and most inoffensive.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't just get preggers, decide to breastfeed and go out in public with no issues...I'm a product of our society!

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:yeahthat:

An E cup here, and it took me a good 6 weeks to bf in public with confidence. I have THE WORST stretch marks in the world on my bbs as they jumped 4 cup sizes during pg. I was too embarassed to show DH at first let alone the world!

Its funny though because as I worked up the courage to feed in public, I have actually started feeling better about my bbs and I realised the biggest obstacle was not other people's opinion, but my own.

I say go for the shawl/blanket/sling option if you want, but know that we support public breastfeeding, and would love to see you and your big bbs out in public some time soon.

I don't have large bbs, but I do have to say that I got a lot more comfortable with feeding in public the more I did it. I can definitely understand wanting to be discreet, especially when you are still getting used to it all. And it's even harder when you feel pressure from your own partner or family.

I do think it's a shame though that we feel the need to cover up or go to a parents' room because the more we do that, the more opportunities we are missing for showing breastfeeding to be natural - which it is. Some children never see a baby breastfeeding and it's such a shame. I have to admit that by the time I was feeding DS2, I just fed wherever I was - I only used the parents' room if I had to go to the loo or change a nappy as well. I have fed on the floor of Coles, Woolies, Big W, Target etc - and I have to say that feeding on the floor of a white goods store ended up being the only way to get served! But as I say, it took some time to get to that level of comfort. And my favourite breastfeeding experience was in a local village in Vanuatu where the local women lifted my top up to see better. That might sound off-putting to you now, but I was so used to feeding by then and TBH I found it really refreshing that there was no need to "hide" and that my breastfeeding was seen as the natural act that it was.

Probably none of this helps you very much, except to let you know that what you are feeling is really normal. In fact I used to dread feeding outside the home at that stage so I think you are doing an amazing job. The other thing you can do is look for breastfeeding clothing. There are some really, really good clothes out there now designed for breastfeeding women so maybe that would be of some help to you. Anyway, keep up the great work hun, and know that it will get easier - both as baby gets better at feeding and as you get more used to it. :hug:

I have small boobs and I find bfing in public a challenge. Both my girls loved to come on and off the boob constantly so my nipples always got exposed.

Great thread. I haven't BF in public yet, I have big boobs too. I don't know how to get her on without flashing to the world but one's she's on you can't see much.

I hated getting my boobs out even at home to start with!!!! We had visitors EVERY day for the first 2.5weeks and DD had major bf issues (didnt actually bf properly till 11days) so I was flashing like nobodys business for a while there!

I have Ecups and am quite big so my issues were body as well as boob related. I also could only do football hold for the first few months. I found that harder as you need two hands so how do you hold your clothes modestly at the same time. I found putting a folded up cloth nappy or chunky flannel under my boob helped hold it in the right spot so that I had a hand free for arranging clothing/muslins etc.

Wearing 2layers was not an option for me as it was high summer and I am a hot person anyhow. Also I always found baby rooms WAY too hot!!! I also found using a muslin more bother than its worth most of the time as it made it so hard to get a fussy hungry newborn on properly with not being able to see. I did buy a couple of bf tops and found them great. I used to "save" wearing them for public outings as they really expose very little when baby is on.

My experience is that it will be MUCH easier when bub is a little older. You wont have to get boobie out and exposed before using both hands to manouver a floppy, angry, attention grabbing by screaming baby onto it. When DD got to around 3months I could manage cradle hold which makes things easier to cover up plus she pretty much put herself on by that age. Their head covers much more by then too.

Sorry I couldnt offer many suggestions but I hope my experiences helped. I fed DD pretty much anywhere too, on the floor in the pub pool room one time!!! (It was quiet at that time of day)

I think it's usually worth not being modest in the initial getting attached bit, just get that bit right. Then cover everything up if you want to - a huge t-shirt is pretty effective. For me, trying to be discreet when attaching usually results in milk spraying everywhere and I draw much more attention than I do if I don't worry about discretion and just get on with it.

My DH is so supportive and says to me that I should just do it wherever, whenever but I'm not that confident!! I wish I could do it in the foodcourt of the shops but I go to the parents room (that stinks of poo!!! :( ) one day I will conquer my fears and just do it! ;)

I wear one of those bonds belly bands like a boob tube and have that under my top so it covers my tummy and when i lift my shirt up you can't see my tummy! (i have stretmarks to hide :( )

Good thread Sterla :D I also have huge boobs, they get in the way!

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For me, trying to be discreet when attaching usually results in milk spraying everywhere and I draw much more attention than I do if I don't worry about discretion and just get on with it.

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Oh that was me too. I remember trying to do it subtly in a food court and it was a nightmare. i had the muslin thing going on but it was getting inthe way and i couldnt see. DD was screaming cause I was taking too long, there was milk running all over my clothes. I got so hot and flustered and it ended up with EVERYONE seeing it all cause I had drawn that much attention then had to abandon the modesty to just get her on properly! Ah the memories :lol: