Breast Feeding in Public

girl2

Hello all - am sure this has been done before - didnt even do a search, so just created a new one. Mods - add to other one, if there is one, if you like.

OK - so teatime at work today and the subject of breast feeding is brought up.

One woman says that absolutely under any circumstances can a woman whip out her boob and let the baby get fed, regardless of being in a busy public place - she should not have to remove herself and move to a quiet area, that it's tough if anyone is offended. Same woman breast fed her son until he was a year and a half and was adamant she wouldnt use a bottle of pre-pumped breast milk in the event that she would have to feed the child in public.

Most of the rest of us (men and women) said it was reasonable to breastfeed in public, but not expose all to everyone, and where possible move to a quiet area for modesty purposes.

There was one or two who thought it was really unacceptable to do this in public, that there was a time and a place and that women shouldnt take babies out in public when they would knowingly be needing breastfed.

Conversation got quite heated indeed.

Me - I'm all for breastfeeding - maybe not beyond a year old, but where feeding in public is concerned, I think it's best to go to a quiet area - for modesty purposes and to be respectful of others.

What do you AH folk think?

MadsL

I think generally people should get over this absurd fear of nudity. Ireland and the UK are bar far the worst for it in my experience of Western countries.

Whip out a boob anytime you like ladies would be my view.

mauzo

I'm all for it. You want to breastfeed then go ahead, as long as its not shoved down my throat then I see no issue.

Michael Weston

It is a woman feeding her baby, I am always amazed by how this is blown up into something almost taboo. People who think something is wrong with this need to get a life.

Oh FFS, what woman have you ever seen "whipping it out" to feed their child? No woman actually wants her tits on display so that, quite frankly, is a load of bull

Boobs are for feeding babies. That's their primary function. If someone doesn't like it, they should move themselves to a better place.

opinion guy

This comes up as a thread at least once every 6 weeks.

So I think people should bother to use the search function really.

Celly Smunt

Why not just use one of those pumps at home that puts the milk into bottles?

yellowlabrador

when a baby is hungry it needs to be fed. It's totally possible to breastfeed discretely. Do you suggest the toilets? that's often the only place available. If you don't like it, don't look. I find it much more offensive to see women exposed in newspapers.
And babies often get a night feed until they are toddlers. Some children use dummies and you wouldn't complain so what's the difference.

girl2

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh FFS, what woman have you ever seen "whipping it out" to feed their child? No woman actually wants her tits on display so that, quite frankly, is a load of bull

Boobs are for feeding babies. That's their primary function. If someone doesn't like it, they should move themselves to a better place.

Her words, not mine. Like I say, Im all for it - but for me, I would just like to be in a more private place for both myself and for other people.

opinion guy wrote: »

This comes up as a thread at least once every 6 weeks.

So I think people should bother to use the search function really.

Fair enough, I havent seen it lately though...so sorry.

keith16

If you are offended by breast feeding you are a sap. If you use breast feeding as some sort of tool to show everyone how cool you are...also sap.

I'm thinking of the kind of saps who protested at Facebook. Utter fcuking saps.

eth0

mauzo wrote: »

as long as its not shoved down my throat then I see no issue.

I wouldn't mind if it was

Intensive Care Bear

Boobs are strange, you can show any part of a boob on tv during the day expect the nipple, unless its a mans nipple, mens nipples aren't offensive but for some reasons women's are

girl2

girl2 wrote: »

Her words, not mine. Like I say, Im all for it - but for me, I would just like to be in a more private place for both myself and for other people..

what do you consider a private place?

Chucken

This thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056592929 went really well.

Carry on.

Celly Smunt

Deleted User wrote: »

what do you consider a private place?

wanna see?

Tombi!

Came up as a thread a while back. Well, the discussion was more or less about if it's "right" to do it.
I never had an opinion till that thread, really. One person said something like "it's embarrassing to have to look at it" and someone said something like "it's just as embarrassing for the woman too. They don't want you staring at their boobs and it's usually why they try to cover up".
"it" being the fact they would try to cover as much as their boobs as possible while breast feeding.

So yeah, if the woman is covering up, fine. If she's going topless in public to feed the baby, too far.
If you don't like it and she's doing her best to cover herself... that's your own fault.

Michael Weston

Deleted User wrote: »

what do you consider a private place?

Please dont let it be the toilets !!

Promac

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh FFS, what woman have you ever seen "whipping it out" to feed their child? No woman actually wants her tits on display so that, quite frankly, is a load of bull

Boobs are for feeding babies. That's their primary function. If someone doesn't like it, they should move themselves to a better place.

I've seen it regularly and I don't see a problem with it. Stupid feckin Irish people afraid of an exposed boob - what a retarded mentality.

girl2

Deleted User wrote: »

what do you consider a private place?

To the back of an area, or out of people's view. For me - it's about my own modesty really, and that fact that I dont want anyone else to be made feel uncomfortable about it (their problem, I know).

Promac

girl2 wrote: »

To the back of an area, or out of people's view. For me - it's about my own modesty really, and that fact that I dont want anyone else to be made feel uncomfortable about it (their problem, I know).

Once you've actually given birth you feel a hell of a lot less precious about "modesty".

mauzo

I breast fed, only for a few weeks because of a condition I had. But I felt embarrassed to do it in public, I'd put a small sheet around us or go somewhere private.

I wish we'd just get over it and realise its natural. I once sat in a corner of a cafe and did it, with one guy literally staring at me and biting his lip. Creepy as hell.

Jesus Wept

Deleted User wrote: »

Boobs are for feeding babies. That's their primary function.

woah.
Let's not go nuts here.

girl2

girl2 wrote: »

To the back of an area, or out of people's view. For me - it's about my own modesty really, and that fact that I dont want anyone else to be made feel uncomfortable about it (their problem, I know).

If you want to do that, go right ahead, that's your choice. But don't expect of those who aren't afraid of what others might think of them feeding their children.

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll wrote: »

woah.
Let's not go nuts here.

Nuts? I thought we were talking about boobs?

Tombi!

Deleted User wrote: »

If you want to do that, go right ahead, that's your choice. But don't expect of those who aren't afraid of what others might think of them feeding their children.

Whoopsy, would you agree that what I posted would be a good middle ground.
In that while it's a necessity, it's just as a bad for the woman doing it and she'll try to cover up (so to speak)?

ColeTrain

mauzo wrote: »

I breast fed, only for a few weeks because of a condition I had. But I felt embarrassed to do it in public, I'd put a small sheet around us or go somewhere private.

Surely that would attract more attention?

Scruffles

pmcmahon wrote: »

Why not just use one of those pumps at home that puts the milk into bottles?

tisnt that simple,aparently it affects the milk level in some way or another [cant remember what] the sis has a three week old baby and a near two year old and she was advised against doing the expressing pumps by her health visitor.

am not arsed one bit if someone gets their tits out,perhaps because have never understood them in the same way other people have,have got a toddler like view when it comes to body.
sister always asks for permission to do milking in bedroom when she comes to visit; as if its something like smoking-a habit that can affect other people,she knows views on it she still asks every time,she also covers her tits while milking.

people who whinge about mothers getting their tits out to feed their babies [covering themselves up to] shoud remember they once was a baby whom had their very mouth suckling on a tit in public and probably had some bint walking by scoffing at the sight.
people have got really dirty minds and associate tits with porn stuff.

hairyprincess

I breast fed my youngest until she was just over 2 years. I done it everywhere and anywhere. The one and only person who I came up against that had a problem with it was my sister, when I was in her house I was told to go to another room. It didn't put me off in the least though, its those type of people who need educating.

Brutal Deluxe

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Whoopsy, would you agree that what I posted would be a good middle ground.
In that while it's a necessity, it's just as a bad for the woman doing it and she'll try to cover up (so to speak)?

I don't honestly think it even needs to be considered because I have never heard of a woman not doing it as discretely as possible.

Tombi!

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't honestly think it even needs to be considered because I have never heard of a woman not doing it as discretely as possible.

That was what I was wondering. I mean to me as a fella, I'm not used to women doing it at all. And I always imagined it as a sort of "one boob out and the baby feeding while the other is covered".

But to a lot of people I think they pretty much imagine a woman taking her top and bra off and that's it.

But I was just wondering if you were thinking along the same lines as myself in that it'll usually be done discreetly but in a sort of "well I need to do it and I'm doing it as modestly as possible" way.

mauzo

ColeTrain wrote: »

Surely that would attract more attention?

EVen if it did, it made me feel more comfortable. I sat in a quiet corner and put a breast feeding sheet over my chest, it didn't matter to me if people knew what I was doing, as long as nobody saw my breast or nipple I was happy.

This was after I breast fed in public and had some sleaze stare at me do it, after that the sheet was the only way I would do it.

Cedrus

girl2 wrote: »

Hello all - am sure this has been done before - didnt even do a search, so just created a new one.

Strictly speaking I should have stopped reading here But,

Breast feeding IS normal, it's what breasts are for and breastmilk is inarguably the best babyfood for the smallest of us, it's not always easy, but there's no reason to put up false obstacles. The average babies head is bigger that the average breast and anyone who who sees more than they want is just staring inappropriately.

woodoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOfI48IWESo

billybudd

In the industry i work in it is common place to see mothers breastfeeding, ive never actually seen the breast, why? because who the **** stands and stares? so in reality its not really an issue visually just dumb peoples mentality.

mauzo

Also, pumping breast milk into bottles just wouldn't cut it for a lot of mothers, a lot of them do it for bonding as well as the nutritional values that breast feeding offers.

Brutal Deluxe

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

But to a lot of people I think they pretty much imagine a woman taking her top and bra off and that's it. .

This is the picture the anti breast feeding crew try to paint but it's a fallacy.

Tombi!

Deleted User wrote: »

This is the picture the anti breast feeding crew try to paint but it's a fallacy.

Just so I'm understanding this fully:
My opinion is that it's fine for a woman to breast feed so long as she does it with a bit of modesty (in otherwords she won't "whip them out") by trying to cover up a bit.
Would you agree that most women that breast feed in public would try to cover up so she wouldn't have people staring like gombeens?

I'm well aware that you won't stop people from staring completely but hopefully you get what I mean.

Chucken

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Just so I'm understanding this fully:
My opinion is that it's fine for a woman to breast feed so long as she does it with a bit of modesty (in otherwords she won't "whip them out") by trying to cover up a bit.
Would you agree that most women that breast feed in public would try to cover up so she wouldn't have people staring like gombeens?

I'm well aware that you won't stop people from staring completely but hopefully you get what I mean.

Theres really nothing to be staring at.

A babys head will cover most of the boob.

EDIT: PIC.http://cache.tcm.ie/media/images/b/breastfeeding.jpg

Tombi!

Chucken wrote: »

Theres really nothing to be staring at.

A babys head will cover most of the boob.

Well yeah I get that breast feeding is usually having the boob covered. What I meant was (I honestly am just trying to picture it in my head so bear with me) is that the boob the baby isn't being fed from is covered up.

I've never seen it apart from in a film or tv show really so I'm trying to picture what it'd be like in person. I just imagined the ideal scenario in my head would the one boob out and the baby feeding on that and it being covered pretty much and that's that really.

mauzo

Chucken wrote: »

Theres really nothing to be staring at.

A babys head will cover most of the boob.

Yeah it will, but we also have to stop to burp said baby, switch breasts, stop and start...its harder than it looks!!

Switching breasts being the hardest one there, you get looks....trust me. Maybe I was just paranoid, but people stare, old or young, male or female.

Tombi!

mauzo wrote: »

Yeah it will, but we also have to stop to burp said baby, switch breasts, stop and start...its harder than it looks!!

Switching breasts being the hardest one there, you get looks....trust me. Maybe I was just paranoid, but people stare, old or young, male or female.

That's what I was always wondering.
I mean when I picture it, I picture something like the photo Chucken showed which is fine. But you'd be lifting your top on the opposite side.
Obviously it's fine and all but it's just weird that you'd get looks assuming you did it like the woman in the photo (or really anything like how she looked).

Chucken

mauzo wrote: »

Yeah it will, but we also have to stop to burp said baby, switch breasts, stop and start...its harder than it looks!!

Switching breasts being the hardest one there, you get looks....trust me. Maybe I was just paranoid, but people stare, old or young, male or female.

I fed both my children (13 months between them)

I remember it well

I was discreet. Jasus I didnt want anyone looking at my bits either.
I remember my nephew screaming to his mother once that "the baby is eating auntie ****.

I can honestly say it didnt cost me a thought about what others were thinking.

That was the 80s btw. One of those babies is now having her own baby and I swear if anyone looks sideways at her feeding her child, I'll be dug out of them

mauzo

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

That's what I was always wondering.
I mean when I picture it, I picture something like the photo Chucken showed which is fine. But you'd be lifting your top on the opposite side.
Obviously it's fine and all but it's just weird that you'd get looks assuming you did it like the woman in the photo (or really anything like how she looked).

I can't see the video, on my phone right now. But I'd take take the baby off my breast, put my boob back in my bra, pull up my top, all the while the baby is blocking people from seeing what I'm doing. It gets harder the older the baby gets!!

Once people know what you're doing they get inquisitive....i only experienced one person staring at me thank god, but that was enough.

My sister in law had both out while feeding, even I was a bit shocked..no need for that. But we all do it differently

billybudd

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Just so I'm understanding this fully:
My opinion is that it's fine for a woman to breast feed so long as she does it with a bit of modesty (in otherwords she won't "whip them out") by trying to cover up a bit.
Would you agree that most women that breast feed in public would try to cover up so she wouldn't have people staring like gombeens?

I'm well aware that you won't stop people from staring completely but hopefully you get what I mean.

It shouldnt be an issue either way, its not like she is there being an exhitionist she is providing her child with what nature intended so its not the mother with the issue its the person who cant understand it that has the problem.

Tombi!

mauzo wrote: »

I can't see the video, on my phone right now. But I'd take take the baby off my breast, put my boob back in my bra, pull up my top, all the while the baby is blocking people from seeing what I'm doing. It gets harder the older the baby gets!!

Once people know what you're doing they get inquisitive....i only experienced one person staring at me thank god, but that was enough.

My sister in law had both out while feeding, even I was a bit shocked..no need for that. But we all do it differently

It's a photo. Basically the woman has her boob out and the baby is feeding. The baby and the woman's hand is blocking the majority of the boob.

But yeah, I imagined it just like you said. The weird thing is that I picture it like you say and it seems completely normal to me. I mean I might do a double glance the first few times since I don't see it much but the gas part is you'd think the women are going to put on a show or something the way some fellas stare.

Tombi!

billybudd wrote: »

It shouldnt be an issue either way, its not like she is there being an exhitionist she is providing her child with what nature intended so its not the mother with the issue its the person who cant understand it that has the problem.

I bolded the bit that my point was on about. I don't really care if a woman wants to go around breast feeding but if she does try to cover up, I'm happy. If she's basically trying to parade around with her chest on show because she can since she's feeding a baby that I'd get annoyed by.

billybudd

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

I bolded the bit that my point was on about. I don't really care if a woman wants to go around breast feeding but if she does try to cover up, I'm happy. If she's basically trying to parade around with her chest on show because she can since she's feeding a baby that I'd get annoyed by.

So your againt topless sun bathing?

Tombi!

billybudd wrote: »

So your againt topless sun bathing?

Er... not since the invention of camera phones that don't make noise when you take photos. :pac:

mauzo

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

It's a photo. Basically the woman has her boob out and the baby is feeding. The baby and the woman's hand is blocking the majority of the boob.

But yeah, I imagined it just like you said. The weird thing is that I picture it like you say and it seems completely normal to me. I mean I might do a double glance the first few times since I don't see it much but the gas part is you'd think the women are going to put on a show or something the way some fellas stare.

Yeah I got a few double takes, but then they'd give a little smile as if to say oh its a newborn....

Just saw the photo, that's exactly how it is, I fed from the top, she's feeding from the bottom. You wouldn't even notice unless you were looking. I only switched to using a towel over us because of the creep I had looking.

ANyway, it looks fine and natural

I study midwifery and advocate breast feeding where possible, I subscribe to lots of mothers on YouTube, they would be big into breast feeding and natural birth...always posting videos while breast feeding, some of the comments on it are just nasty.

It's on wonder many young mothers don't even consider breast feeding.

billybudd

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Er... not since the invention of camera phones that don't make noise when you take photos. :pac:

Ha!:pac:

Im not being smart just trying to see your rationale regarding breast feeding and sun bathing topless and what is the difference? is it less provocative to show your breasts on a beach than to show a breast when feeding a child who needs it?

Tombi!

mauzo wrote: »

Yeah I got a few double takes, but then they'd give a little smile as if to say oh its a newborn....

Just saw the photo, that's exactly how it is, I fed from the top, she's feeding from the bottom. You wouldn't even notice unless you were looking. I only switched to using a towel over us because of the creep I had looking.

Anyway, it looks fine and natural

I study midwifery and advocate breast feeding where possible, I subscribe to lots of mothers on YouTube, they would be big into breast feeding and natural birth...always posting videos while breast feeding, some of the comments on it are just nasty.

It's on wonder many young mothers don't even consider breast feeding.

Go right back to the start. You would have fed your baby the same way like the girl in the photo and you felt the need to use a towel or something to cover yourself? I could understand if you were filled with people already paying attention but your man was a right pervert for leering at you.

I can imagine a lot of them are horrible alright but some people are just idiots.

If you're going to basically flash your chest, expect nasty comments but jeez, if you were really like your one in the photo then your man that was staring was bang outta order.