Breastfeeding out and about.... or in parents rooms?

[Shanti]

Hi,

I'm curious to find out how many other BB'ers here breastfeed while out and about.... cafes, foodcourts, restaurants, parks, planes you name it!! Anywhere where you are at the time your baby is hungry. OR do you always breastfeed in a parents room away from public eyes?

And what is your reason for doing so? Do you breastfeed in parents rooms only because you don't want anyone to look at you breastfeeding your child? Or is it because you are more comfortable there? Why do you breastfeed in cafes, restaurants etc? Is it because it is really convenient and means you can breastfeed your child straight away without having to find a parents room? Or is it because you don't feel you have to hide away from others?

I'm curious to hear what you all have to say

I know for me.... I will breastfeed anywhere. I just make sure I'm discrete out of respect to myself and others. Mind you, I wasn't always so confident at the beginning! I had MANY problems with breastfeeding the first 8wks.... and wasn't confident to feed just anywhere... I would try and time it so I would feed just before going out or I would hide in a stinky parents room (yuck). But since DD was about 2mths I have breastfeed in cafes, restaurants, park benches, foodcourts, parents rooms, on a plane (that was challenging lol), in the car.... I figure, if my DD is hungry and needs it now, then I don't want to keep her waiting.... it's just easy! Convenient..... I feel that if anyone was to say something to me in public then I would tell them to mind their own business and not be discriminating etc... because I know it's my right to breastfeed anywhere. I also feel it's important to "normalise" breastfeeding in public and the more I do it, hopefully the more others see that and it may help another mother feel comfortable to do so aswell. ("oh look she is doing it, maybe i can too").

I just see so many people bottle feeding their babies in foodcourts, restaurants etc and that is great, but why don't we see so many breastfeeding women doing the same?? Where are they??? Are they all hiding in parents rooms??? Are they all timing it so they only leave the house when baby isn't hungry?? Are they doing it but we aren't noticing because they are being "discrete"?

I absolutely love seeing a woman sitting down on a seat breastfeeding her baby/child. I wish I saw it more often.... rather than walking into parents rooms and seeing them breastfeeding in there (which is fine too by the way!!)..... It saddens me that some women who do only feed in parents rooms feel they have no choice because they don't feel 'comfortable' doing it in public for fear of someone saying something to them

In saying all this, I do however feel it's important for every woman to breastfeed where she feels most comfortable that's for sure....

[STARRYSKY]

at first I did it in the feeding rooms, twice I think, then my nephew wanted to know what I was doing in my auntys room, so we explained and showed him, then i thought stuff this, im not ashamed, I shouldnt have to hide!
so now i will bf anywhere, on a train, bus, cafe, shopping mall, loungeroom, etc.
my dp is a bit funny about it, but he is rarely out with me and bub anyway.
its funny, my mg girls and I meet one other day a week at a local cafe, we all just flop out boobs out and start feeding theres that many of us I dont think any disapproving person would have the guts to say anything.
my neice also wanted to know what I was doing"ewww, why are you doing that?!? thats gross!!" so I kinda feel like its a public service to get it out there iykwim?

[~ Mylitta ~]

I'm like you Ren, I'll breastfeed Kyson anywhere. On our first shopping trip he decided to get hungry while we were in Target, so I ended up sitting on the floor against the wall feeding him. I was sitting with camisoles on one side of me and granny undies on the other side LOL!!! There was no way to argue or reason with his little hungry newborn tummy!

I also breastfed recently in a restaurant with about 20 of DH's family members. I must have managed to be discreet because he fed for about an hour and no one else even realised he had been feeding.

I guess I try to remember that it's a natural thing to do, and something that I have every right to do wherever I need to. I get nervous though that someone will be mean and say something and that I would be too much of a wimp to tell them off.

[Shanti]

its funny, my mg girls and I meet one other day a week at a local cafe, we all just flop out boobs out and start feeding theres that many of us I dont think any disapproving person would have the guts to say anything.

same with my MG group!! haha! I dare anyone to say something to a whole bunch of women breastfeeding hehehe it's wonderful when you are doing it with a bunch of women hey? it's so comfortable!

That reminds me, today I met a friend for coffee at a Gloria Jeans and we had the table that was at the end right near the shops walkway and where everyone walked past. My friend got her boob out and breastfeed and DD was hungry also so I fed DD also! I said to her "look at us, breastfeeding like this together in public, we're a good role model for others!!!" hehe

[Laranna]

We breastfed out and about in public since the beginning. Although, there were a few times that I did feed DS in the parents rooms at around 4 months of age because he was at that stage of pulling off and looking at everything else around him and it was a bit of a pain to try and use a wrap or something to cover him. But yeah anywhere, anytime Not so much anymore now though because he only has the 1 morning feed and we're not out in public that early in the morning

[feeb]

I BF anywhere and everywhere, not fussed where I am if hes hungry i feed him.

[Toomanytoomany]

I'm happy to breastfeed anywhere. Sometimes I do use the parents' rooms though, if Thomas is super distracted, or he needs a really long decent feed rather than a snack to keep him going. And with a very new baby, when sometimes it is fiddly and difficult to get them attached, I prefer the quiet and privacy too.

[Visitor8]

For me it depends. If I am somewhere that has a great parents room then I'll go in there. Gives me a chance to hide away from the noise and have a chat to other mummas in there.

If im out and about and can't be bothered Ill feed where ever. I am not ashamed and I've actually had more good comments then bad. Once this old fart had something to say about me going to the toilet to feed so I pulled Ashton off and asked if he wanted some. He left pretty quick. Or the time when this guy was oogling so I pulled the other one out and asked if he wanted a suck lmao

As someone who doesn't drive I take a lot of public transport, and I walk a lot so we often have fed on busses or at the bus stop or at the park or in the mall. I've even done the groccery shopping while feeding. Once I pulled up one of those step things at Coles and parked there to feed lol

[Jellyfish]

I still feel a little bit uncomfortable because my DD is not that great at staying on task. She pulls off, looks around, fusses and I feel like I am doing everything wrong but, in saying that, I will feed her where ever and whenever because I care a lot more about keeping her happy and fed than what people think although, I will use the parents room if one is nearby. I really hope it is a phase because she makes it pretty hard to be discrete! I think I need more practise...

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I started in parent's rooms... wouldn't even feed in mothers' group. My reasons were because of the huge booooobies that made me uncomfortable. I had to have my whole boob out to feed and it was impossible.
Eventually I became more comfortable with the idea and would take a muslin wrap to help me be a little more discreet in full public view.
When he could hold his head better and almost sit up we managed it no worries.

[SweetPea]

I would feed anywhere too, I feel if the baby is hungry it needs to feed, I don't like the parents rooms (which lets face it are basically toilets, I certainly wouldn't want to eat in there, so why should my baby). I fed DS1 till he weaned at 15 months, I found that as he got older I would get the 'you're still feeding him?!' looks or comments, so tried be more discreet as he got older. I agree, it should be something that you don't feel like you have to hide away.

[Shanti]

Oooooh yes! It sure makes it challenging BF'ing out in public when your baby wants to pull on and off all the time and look around!!! haha DD is so distracted these days I have to be watching her otherwise she can come off and my nipple is totally exposed LOL

I'll still go to some parents rooms but depends where we are. There is a shopping centre we go to and it has the biggest parents room with heaps of comfy chairs to sit on and i'll use that if its nearby otherwise I'll happily sit on a seat in the foodcourt... Depends where we are and what the chairs are like

That's a good point a few of you made re: the quietness of a parents room.... it's good for when our babies are going to feed better in a quiet room huh? I agree. Sometimes though if young toddler is in the room and at that age where they think its funny to do a high pitch squeal *rolls eyes* that's not really helpful. Cos they have those kids playpens in some of the parents rooms. That happened to us once and I just stopped feeding DD cos she wasnt anyway and we went into the foodcourts to feed, it was quieter haha

Sweetpea - that's exactly right. Parents rooms are pretty much toilets so why should babies feed there?

[*Ang*]

My reasons were because of the huge booooobies that made me uncomfortable. I had to have my whole boob out to feed and it was impossible.

Thats pretty much my reasoning as well for feeding in parents rooms. I can't just "discreetly" feed - when you have size G breasts it is near on impossible!!!

Also quite often if I have a toddler with me then it is easier in a parents room as then the toddler can wander around a bit without me having to worry that they will get up and go and I will have to chase them with my boob flopping out!

I have b/f out and about in restaraunts etc and have no problems at someones house, playgroup, etc but if am at the shops and there is a parents room available I will use that option.

[Winter]

I almost sat down and fed DD in the toaster section of Myers the other day!! I didn't know where the parents' room was and DD was squealing, but luckily I saw the sign with directions before whipping out a boob!

I wouldn't have cared, I feed DD anywhere she needs feeding, but there was nowhere to sit except the floor and it was going to be a long one!

I do use the parents room if it is clean and comfortable, if it is stinky, down dark and dingy corridors or in anyway makes me think that I'm being relegated out of sight, then we AINT going in there..

[~Kim~]

In a little town there is no parents room lol.
No hiding here....If I'm at work I do it there - I work with mainly all men and they are surprisingly supportive.
Saying that the only person I won't feed in front of is my FIL. He gives me the creeps....

[Winter]

Funny how there is always one person you wont feed in front of...BIL for me...

[Gigi]

for me, using the parent's room is about
- are the chairs comfy and clean?
- are there bright lights right above? cos that means my baby would have bright lights in her eyes when in the feeding position (Marion Westfield is chronic for this)
- how close are the chairs to the disposable nappy bins?
- does the parents room smell ok? get cleaned regularly?
- what is the access like? if where i have to sit to breastfeed, means everyone entering the parents room, to change their bub, take toddlers to teh loo, use the microwave etc, is walking in front of me, i dont' find that relaxing or quiet
- is there room to park the pram without inconveniencing others who will come in after me
- how close is the parent's room, to me, when baby starts yelling for a feed

and this didn't apply to me (with only one child) but if i had more than one, maybe i would like a parent's room with a toddler play area, with a "fence and gate" so i could put my toddler in there, not worry about them running off, and we could have eye contact.

At the start, with my nb, i was very unwell after a complicated c-section, and just to survive day to day, was a big thing, so i was so focussed on feeding my child, and getting thru the pain of my abdominal pain, modesty was the last thing on my mind. I lived in breastfeeding camisoles, which are not very modest for the top half of the breast, they cover the tummy, but not much else when you are feeding your bub.

it took me a while to source breastfeeding friendly clothing that both worked and was in my price bracket. Now i have that sorted, it's so easy to feed in public and be much more modest about it, than i was initially (plus now i am not in constant pain). The lack of breastfeeding friendly swimwear is one i haven't sorted, but the rest of the year, it's fine now.

my baby, like most everyone else's, also went thru the stage of being terribly distracted, latching on and off, taking my nipple with her! and that i found pretty embarrassing, whilst feeding in public. not to mention the "pushing mummy's top UP" phase she went thru. I would push it down, she would push it up, etc.

with feeding in foodcourts, nowhere to rest your arm, i got such sore arms feeding, i looked for sofas so i could rest one arm on the sofa arm. hard to find that in a food court. i just didn't find food court seating very bf-ing friendly. Plus i got my purse knicked once in a foodcourt WHILST i was bf-ing my bub. I was so new at bf-ing, trying to make sure i was doing it right, so whilst i was busy staring at my baby, with my handbag by my side, someone took off with my purse. i never got it back. Foodcourts are so open, i felt very vulnerable, being stolen from, whilst i was tryign to feed my child. Yes i should have zipped my bag up (which i normally do) but i was tired and feeling a bit overwhelmed.

i found the random sofas at shopping centres, the comfiest places to bf. (in preference to the food court chairs). it's too expensive to sit in a cafe EVERY time your bub wants a feed.

i'm feeding a child over two now, i do it, cos it's what she requests, but i dislike being quizzed as to WHY i'm "still feeding a child that age". Really, it's our business, and if strangers cannot see how healthy my child is, that really is their problem. I do it for her, not me. The older she gets (and still requests mummy's milk) the more important the bf-ing friendly clothing is to me. i never had it in the first year, never thought i'd make it to one month, let alone over two years!

[Fleur]

My reasons for not feeding in public were the same as Cookiemonster & Ang...big breasts make it so hard to be discreet.

Having said that, there were places I would feed, one was up at DS1's classroom when I was up there helping out, I would sit in the reading chair. The kids knew what I was doing & it was no big deal.

Also it got easier as we went along, once Ds2 got the hang of it I didn't have to fiddle so much to get him on, so there were times & places where I felt comfortable doing it.

But on the whole I had to get the whole boob out, I also have to hold my nipple away from bubs nose and positioning is harder too. I always looked at women feeding in public who made it look so easy & envied them