nursing your baby:from what age can you expect strange looks from strangers when in public??

Question

or critism from relatives/friends???

Answer 1

Looks like people are interpreting your question in a lot of different ways. I took it to mean, "When do people start treating you as if you're doing something inappropriate by nursing an 'older' child?". To that end, I can only share my personal experience. I am breastfeeding and plan to do so until my baby is at least a year old. After that, I may still supplement his diet with breastmilk, but I think for my own sake I will probably only give him pumped milk at that point. I'm a bit too modest to feed in public when he gets too active. For now it's nice because we can be discrete.

At some point you'll have to decide: which is more important to you - that you do what you feel is right for your child, or how others make you feel.

As my La Leche League leader tells me time and again...FOLLOW YOUR HEART!

Answer 2

Kudos for nursing in public. In order to make breastfeeding more accepted, we have to get out there and do it! I haven't nursed in public in a while, but if I needed to I would. My 17 month old is just too busy when we're out, and you might find the same thing. Other babies will always make time for nursing. Just keep on nursing whenever, wherever as long as you feel comfortable. Everyone has different (stupid) ideas about how long breastfeeding is OK. Some people say one year, six months, or even three weeks! Obviously, those people should be ignored. If anybody has a problem with your public nursing, offer her a blanket to put over HER head.

Answer 3

Breastfeeding is a personal decision. I have a 16mo old daughter and am still breastfeeding her. When she was around 12 mo old I weaned all of her middle of the day feeds and I only nurse her in the morning and at night now. I was always very discrete when nursing in public ( placed a blanket over my chest, wore clothing that I could nurse her and not expose my self to much). People would give me strange looks occasionally even when she was just a few months old, but you have to ignore those people because nursing a baby is the best thing for your baby and only you can decide when it's the right time to wean your baby.

Answer 4

I think it really depends on where you live and how "normal" it is for women to breastfeed their babies in your area. I live in a place that is (I think) kind of middle of the road - not a place you think of as having tons of breastfeeding supporters, but not a place that is extremely unfriendly to breastfeeding either. My son is 5 months old and the size of the average 8 or 9 month old and I have never gotten a strange look. I don't cover up, though. I think that covering yourself with a blanket is the best way to draw attention to the fact that you're nursing, other than getting a bright flashing sign. When I see someone with a blanket over their shoulder, I know immediately that they are nursing. When I see someone with their shirt lifted or unbuttoned, I usually don't realize that they're nursing at first. When my baby is hungry, I just pull up my shirt, latch the baby on. None of my breast is exposed and most people think he's sleeping. Even from people who have realized that he is nursing, I have only gotten positive looks and comments.

Breastfeeding is not something obscene that needs to be covered up, but something wonderful and natural that women should be welcome to do anytime, anyplace and in any way that is comfortable to them (blanket, no blanket, etc.)

The reason that I breastfeed in public is that I care much more about my son being hungry or uncomforted than about the possiblity of offending some stranger who I will likely never see again.

Answer 5

It certainly seems cultural. I lived in Texas for 10 years and alter into lots friendlier to strangers then. I even have been in l. a. for the final 3 years, and this is greater rushed and much less kinder right here. I ought to admit that I fail to make eye touch with every person I bypass these days, yet frequently each physique has on shades so it would not certainly remember. i could elect to get lower back into the habit of asserting hi to strangers, because of the fact i think of it does earnings human beings to experience a connection of their instantaneous ecosystem. human beings seem to connect via computers and their telephones fairly than those status interior some feet of them. It amazes me that for the period of cities that are the main dense, human beings can now and lower back experience the main lonely. it is the place a passing stranger's smile may well be very useful at lightening the temper. Theoretically, it could make the city or city experience much less adversarial and greater open.

Answer 6

I would say that when the baby gets too big to comfortably hold in the nursing position, then that is the point when people will really start taking notice to you and what you are doing. In my opinion, the baby should be weened from 'social' nursing around 6-12 mos as baby will have plenty of other food options to choose from and is not soley reliant on your milk for food. If you want to continue nursing (which is a terrific idea) try to limit it to places such as home, friend's homes (if they are comfortable with it), or the like. Of course there will always be exceptions, I nursed my daughter during plane take-off and landing until she was 1, even when sitting next to complete strangers. 'Hey, it's this or have a screaming baby sitting next to you!' I would think.

Just make sure that if you are in a public area, be modest about it and make sure you are well covered. Most of the time I did not announce what I was doing or make a big deal of it, I just threw a blanket over my shoulder, slipped my baby under my shirt and acted like she was napping.

Breast feeding is a very natural thing to do, and as long as you are modest about it, there should be no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed, you are doing the best thing for your baby!

I am curious about the part saying and from family/ relatives? If they are upset with you nursing around them out in public, then you may have to take a stand against them and let them know that you have made a decision on how you want to parent you child. It is a good healthy decision, you are the parent and that is all the justification you need. There is nothing wrong with feeding your baby. If it is in their homes, then you may have to excuse yourself to a private room of the house when it is nursing time. Too bad for them they are missing out on this wonderful opportunity to bond with you and the baby. If it is at your house that they have an issue...well it's your house, your rules. 'nuff said.

Good luck on everying and good for you for choosing such a great begining for your baby!

Answer 7

I nursed my DDs in public until they were about a year old. As they got closer to a year and after a year, I was usually able to offer them something else to eat/drink to tide them over until we could get to a more convenient place to nurse.

For us, it wasn't that I was ever embarrassed to nurse in public (and I never got any comments/looks from strangers other than a friendly smile). Instead, as my girls got older, they were such squirmy nursers, always looking around and pulling my shirt up, that nursing them anywhere that wasn't quiet wasn't practical.

For some people, the comments from family start around 6 months, but my family didn't start asking about weaning until my first daughter was almost a year old. I breastfed her until she was 14 1/2 months (and I was 6 months pregnant with her sister). My 29-month-old still nurses once per day (just at naptime), and I can't remember the last time I nursed her in public. I don't hide that I nurse her from family/friends, but it's really nobody's business.

Hopefully, nobody will ever say anything negative to you at all!

Answer 8

I have never gotten a strange look, and my one year old looks older than that.

Criticism from family, well that starts on day one. From my MIL apparently the fact that I didn't have a feeding schedule so I might have to take the baby away to feeding during her visit was an inconvenience. Her mom was even worse, she will not acknowledge that I am breastfeeding in public. She just keeps saying "Isn't it awful the poor baby has to wait to get home to eat because mommy didn't bring a bottle" even when I am nursing right beside her, and hubby points out that the baby is eating just fine.

Don't worry about what other's think though, worry about what is best for you and your baby -and that is breastmilk right from the breast. If you have to pump and bottle feed that is fine, but there are many benefits to getting milk right from the source. Not to mention it is easier, and most breastfed babies won't take a bottle from mom.

Answer 9

Don't sweat it. This is a totally natural thing and every healthy human being one is reminded, consciously or unconsciously of the warmth, love and snuggely feeling of being held by one's mommy and nursed and or just loved. So little kids are just going to be curious, especially ones who havn't seen it before. Old folks will think of their moms long gone, and right down to your own age. Anyone who connects that scene with sexuality and is trying to "sneak a peek" won't stare TOO long, because the decent folks will just stare that person right down. So enjoy your time with your blessed little one. It doesn't last too long and soon enough that little one in your arms will be asking for the car keys or a $100 bill (inflation!).

Covered or uncovered? Well, I think there's nothing wrong with a little modesty in modern society. I think some moms get a little too self-concious and hide their baby under a ton of materials. How about a little oxygen for the kid? Nevertheless, this is no longer the age where one walked thru the farmers market on the way to buy some tomatoes and saw dozens of women nursing their babies. Times change and we have to roll with the punches. In some parts of the US and some sub-cultures, its more common to see nursing babies than other places. So consider the locals too.

Answer 10

Unfortunately, you can get some evil looks from strangers when you nurse in public from day one. This can happen less if you are discreet while nursing in public.

It seems that your question is actually about the general idea of "how old is too old" for a baby to nurse.

Most of the people I know would probably start "giving those looks" somewhere around the time a baby is one year old, but that's often more determined by the size and the functionability of the baby. Basically, most people I know would look at a nursing mom like it's "a bit much" if the baby just goes up to the mom and pulls out the boobie him- or herself to have a snack.

My niece was breastfed, and it wouldn't have suprised me to know that she nursed until well after her first birthday, although she was on solid foods as early as 10 months. It would have bothered me if she nursed after she was about 18 months, but that's more because my sister is pregnant again, and I would worry about the advisability of her trying to get enough nutrition to take care of herself and the unborn baby, as well as her toddler.

I think sometime between the 18-month to 2-year mark, it's a good idea to start winding down on breastfeeding. At that point, the valid argument that the breast milk is the baby's food, and the baby shouldn't have to eat in the bathroom, etc. loses its validity, in my opinion, since after about 12 months, breastmilk loses much of its nutritional benefits.