breastfeeding when out?

Question

I have found that finding an appropriate place to breastfeed when i'm out shopping is a real pain. i don't want to feed in the toilets. i found that in my local city of Canterbury the Boots store has a specialised mother's room where you could change a nappy or even feed in private. Who thinks that if this were adopted in more towns that more people might choose to breastfeed?

i'm not embarassed myself i just wondered if others saw it as a reason not to breastfeed? i personally love breastfeeding and couldn't give a damn about anyone else apart from my son.

Answer 1

FAIR PLAY GIRL!!!

I'm right with you there but unfortunately yes I do know of people who have been put off because of feeding in public.

I found Mothercare to be the best place to feed in my town (Cheltenham.) They have a nice mellow room which had been newly decorated last yr when I had my daughter with lovely glider chairs and water and magazines to read. Its a shame not all towns have facilities like this because I think more people would breastfeed if they knew they could still go out.

Answer 2

I nurse wherever I am at and I always have. Places with mothers rooms are nice, but don't let anyone tell you that you HAVE to nurse there because you have the right to nurse anywhere that you are at.

Sometimes, if you are out shopping or something and really want a place to sit down to nurse, you can use a dressing room or find a section of the store that sells furniture (like the patio furniture or something) or there are often benches near the pharmacies.

I never felt any need to hide because I knew I was doing what was best for my child AND I knew that most people don't even notice what you are doing.

A sling is also a good investment as you can walk around nursing with the child in the sling and no one has a clue. Only nursing moms will know that they aren't sleeping in there!

To *ME* putting a blanket over the baby's head is like a NEON SIGN that reads "DON'T LOOK! I'M NURSING!" And once the child gets older they will fight to take it off. If it makes people feel better about nursing in public, then great for them. Personally, I think it calls MORE attention to what you're doing instead of less. Practice in front of a mirror and you'll see that baby covers everything.

Answer 3

Most shopping centres have a little room off the babychanging facilites where you can breastfeed, they're not always very pleasant though.

If there's a debenhams near you, they're normally quite good.

Or - why don't you just go for it and sit down on a bench somewhere to breastfeed? I did this once with my son and a few times with my daughter. People tend to just ignore you, most don't even notice. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Breastfeeding is natural and healthy and there's no need for it to be hidden away as if it was something dirty. When I was at our local swimming pool last week a mum was sitting on the side happily feeding baby whilst keeping an eye on an older child in the water.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I think more might but honestly, women should not have to hide the fact that they are feeding their babies. Why should people that bottle feed have more rights than breastfeeders? If some women had to go into a seperate room to feed their babies, they would hardly ever leave because some babies nurse for up to an hour at a time, especially newborns. So society should just be more tolerant and realize it has nothing to do with sex. Women that breastfeed are just trying to do whats best for their babies and shouldn't have to worry about societal pressures like how long, in public, etc. the benefits for mom and baby are endless.

Answer 5

I breastfed all my babies. The first one I did have problems with but he was prem. The second one I fed for 3 months and the last one I fed for 16 months. I was the sort of person though that did it where ever I was when he needed feeding whether this was on the bus or in a cafe. I found by keeping a large blanket in the pram and putting the baby under it and having it sort of over my shoulder it covered any sight of my breast and I have large ones by the way (without bragging lol) I always thought if more ladies did it while they were out and about and didnt hide it but didnt flash the flesh people would get used to it and ladies would be more inclinded to do it. Or think about it this way, You have your breasts to feed the baby and you do it discreetly. This young things theses days wear clothes that only just cover their bums and boobs. Who is in the wrong??? Im not that old by the way Im only 33. Good luck babes and enjoy your baby while you can as they grow up really fast. xx

Answer 6

Lots of towns do have many areas to breastfeed, it's just a case of finding them. Are there any mother and baby groups local to you, maybe if you join them you can ask other moms where they fed/feed their children.
Well done on your decision to breastfeed, all the best for the future.
Maybe you could raise awareness in Canterbury and get some more feeding areas set up!

Answer 7

I agree it is a tough world out there for the breastfeeding mum to feel at ease. For sure specialised areas would help, but then why should we have to hide away? Even better would be for there to be a general respect & acceptance mums need to be given a break in doing the best for their child. In the absence of the right purpose places being available, it is a case of doing ones best in a nice cafe and getting seated in a relatively private position. Purpose clothing that you feel good in (many pieces are ugly tops with slits!) helps a great deal in feeling confident, whatever the venue. For intance the cami tops with shirt, as in this site though out of stock the brands could be located elsewhere http://budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/Nursing.html Keep up the good work!

Answer 8

I think it is wonderful when businesses set aside space for women to breastfeeding and that more need to do it. We were just at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and they had a building with 3 small rooms (really 6 foot tall divider walls) for breastfeeding moms. Sometimes, I go out to my car to breastfeed because I am not comfortable feeding in front of people.

Answer 9

I would have liked to have more quiet places to nurse my son when he was little. It's not that I was embarrassed by it. After about six months or so, he would be so interested in what was going on that he couldn't settle down to nurse, even when he was really hungry.

A place like that might also be a good transition for getting used to nursing away from home.

Ikea has a similar "family room" for nursing or changing diapers. It's very convenient, but alas, not all shopping can be done at Ikea.

Answer 10

Many shops have these facilities as do some coffee shops. However, inspite of what some people might say, it is NOT against the law to breast feed your baby in public, as long as you are discreet so as not to embarrass the old fogeys who try to pretend that breast feeding does not happen. So sit in the park, in the shopping mall or anywhere convenient. When baby needs a feed to hell with what people say or think, just go for it.