April 2015 Moms

Nursing in front of others

MommaBre2007MommaBre2007 member
edited May 2015 in April 2015 Moms
How do you guys handle this? I was at my moms house the other day and I started nursing Audrey without my privacy cloth, because, well, thats my mom. My mom seemed genuenly discusted. I did not get ypset because I realize she is from a time when you were poor if you breastfed and it was not taught as the beautiful amazing thing it is. Usually if I am in a public place I try to make it to my car or wait until I get home. I have not had any feedings that needed to be done where we are.

Re: Nursing in front of others

  • That is so unfortunate! It can be hard to stick to bf without that support but I think if you keep it up your mom will just get used it!! As a new mom it gets easier each time you do it in places where your not very comfortable, people just need to be decensitized to this! And if not...screw em! On a side note, to make it easier I'll sometimes take pumped milk out with me to dinners or in public and bottle feed...makes it a bit easier (if your baby will take a bottle)
  • I just keep nursing in front of her to make her get used to it. Luckily I only see her twice a week so its not always bad. Lol. with the bottle, i only gave her a bottle when she was a week old for 2 days because my nipples were so chapped. She now does not know how to latch and she chokes.
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  • I have issues with nursing in public also. The breastfeeding tanks don't offer enough support so I usually have to pull up my shirt and I'm really self conscious about my stretch marks and loose skin. It just Is too much juggling to try to hold the baby, my breast, and keep the privacy cloth from slipping. I usually end up giving her a bottle. I've heard the Moby wrap can help or wearing multiple layers but it's getting too hot to do multiple layers. But it's good knowing that we're offering our babies the best and it really is such an amazing way to bond with her.
  • I usually find a seperate room to nurse in if I'm out and theres one available. I bring my nursing cover everywhere and just used it in from of the Stanley Steemer guys...kids gotta eat. Im not comfortable enough to nurse without it unless its in front of DH.
  • If I am at home I don't care who you are I pull my boob out to feed my baby. The only person who made a comment was my father in law. He is a rude old man anyway though. In public I try to go in the car or use my "hooter hider." I don't really like the hooter hider though bc baby boy gets hot and normally pushes it away...I do always try to keep an extra receiving blanket in the diaper bag for when I'm in public. I would just continue to do your thing. It's how you feed your baby your mom needs to get over it.
  • I bring my nursing cover everywhere I go and make sure I wear button shirts with nursing tanks underneath. It helps with the showing of unnecessary skin as you only have to button down a few buttons under the cover. It gets easier with practice. As for people being uncomfortable, they can look the other way. One of my sisters made an uncomfortable remark the other day. She asked me why I don't bring a bottle in public. I told her it was inconvenient to pump and carry bottles when I can just breastfeed. It was the end of that story.
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  • I wear a nursing cami under a non-nursing shirt if I go out and my "easily accessible" nursing tops aren't clean. You can nurse discreetly with some practice, and remove a layer of you get too hot. I was nursing at the pediatricians office and when the nurse came in to ask questions for our one month visit she thought he was sleeping because I was covered so well. I don't care either way but I know some people are ignorant to nature, although if it came down to it I'd whip it out anywhere to feed my baby boy! This is my 3rd breastfeeding baby so I've also experimented with different techniques to keep things comfortable for everyone.
  • This is my frist breast fed baby. At home we have it figured out. When I have to put the privacy cover on is bad. I cant see. And my boobs are deffintly not perky. They are big also so I have to go hold my boob for support and to make sure its not covering her nose.
  • Once you get the hang on it, no one will even know you're feeding your babe. I advise to practice covering and getting baby to latch while at home. That way when you're out, you won't feel as awkward about it. The more natural it is for you, the less attention you'll draw to yourself.
  • lmk115lmk115 member
    I'm not fully comfortable with it either. At home, in front of other women that I'm close with- mom, sister, friend, I just feed without the cover. With people I know would feel a little weird- my dad, MIL, brother, sister's boyfriend- I use the udder cover. In public- I either pack a bottle or use the udder cover. I find the bottle easier if I can swing it and we are not out too long, so I can pump right when I get home without becoming uncomfortable.

    I give credit to those that don't care, I'm just not there yet as a FTM.
  • Pix3llePix3lle member
    We have some pretty nice nursing rooms, but seeing as i am doing jointly breast and formula i'll always opt for the formula in public because i'm really uncomfortable, unless i'm at a friends house, or my partners parents house, they are used to his sister breastfeeding anyway!
  • It's certainly not easy, but I've tried to be really nonchalant about nursing in public. I keep
    thinking about how if I was bottle feeding, no one would bat an eye about me breaking out a bottle and feeding my kid because he needs it...so why would I deny my child food at the breast? If your LOs are like mine, when it's time to eat, it's time to eat. I have a sort of infinity scarf that acts as a nursing cover and it works really well. I've fed him at church and even in some restaurants. For some it's a cause, but for me, it's a necessity to meet my child's needs.

    I'm not pumping enough yet to carry a bottle of milk around. Maybe down the road...but I don't want him to get too used to the bottle yet. :)

    Thanks for speaking up. I wondered how others were feeling about it.
  • xuxachixuxachi member
    I am one of those who nurse anywhere without a cover. I tried the cover with my first and they suck. In fact I was just at the zoo today and nurse on a bench and no one batted an eye. This is number 3 for me so I feel pretty used to it and usually wear a cami. It guess it helps that I'm smaller busted so I don't feel too exposed.
    DS born 10/25/11 **  DD born 6/24/13 **  DS born 4/20/15
  • I use my wrap as a cover in public and no one can really tell till they are up close.. Probably easier for me though because I've got little boobies I can hide easy lol
  • ldmwldmw member
    When I was nursing, I just nursed topless with no cover despite who was in the room. Personally, I was shocked I had no reservations. Now that I'm pumping instead of nursing I do the same thing but I'm finding pumping to be more revealing than nursing and impossible for me to be "modest." I can cover up if I need be once I get started, but I can't figure out how to start or finish pumping being covered. I do this in front of male and female extended family. I'm not sure nor do I care if if makes them uncomfortable or not. They can choose not to look. At my house I pump in living room which Is an open floor plan so no where for anyone to go even if it was bothered.
  • Bebe au Lait makes beautiful nursing covers with a rigid neck that sticks out so that you can see what is going on under there. They have a muslin one that is perfect for hot summer days. Sometimes I find that LO gets overstimulated, so the cover helps to calm him.

    If I was in my childhood hometown, I would be comfortable not to cover up -it is the culture of that area. However, I live in a large city that is culturally/ethnically diverse. I am cognizant of the fact that exposed breasts may make some people uncomfortable, so I make an effort to cover up or at the very least be discreet. That being said, if you come to my house my boobs are out.
  • I think my husband is more self conscious about it than I am! I cover up in front of my dad, and male relatives- I can see they are uncomfortable with it, but I've never had anyone make a comment. In public I cover up with a blanket or udder cover. People find the stupidest things to harp on.... "Poor people do it"... What on earth is wrong with saving a buck?! If you were shelling out $100s would she feel better?
  • I understand the big boob struggle. When I was breastfeeding I didn't do it in public cause I would basically need a tent to cover myself and hold my boob and baby at the same time.
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