What have your experiences been? Ive managed to avoid it so far and feel myself getting anxious if I think I might have to do it! I know it will have to happen eventually
I think the majority of people don't even notice and if they do, they generally just continue on. I've only had one semi negative experience with my first, otherwise I've had quite a few people tell me to keep it up and that what I'm doing is beautiful. I've never used a cover and the only negative comment I had was after I left a changing stall with my baby in a stroller! It was a group of teenagers and one of the guys said ew that's so disgusting etc, but not to my face, to his friends after I was walking away.
I want to follow your thread b/c I have the same concern. I cannot physically get comfortable, even in my car. At home I use tons of pillows to position DD, not sure how to get comfy out and about.
Not to mention even at 8 weeks my DD is still kind of spastic when nursing. On and off the boob, arms flailing around, it's a hot mess. I just don't think we are ready to take this show on the road yet.
DS is sort of a spaz when setting up, so I feel you there! I've found he actually feeds better and stays latched longer when I'm standing, so I know once we do get set up, it will be a breeze through the feeding, if we are walking around. I have nursed to the car a couple times when LO was hungry, usually though DH and I stopped for something quick and he just ran in while I fed.
The badass breastfeeder(love this blog) has some great resources for people who have anxiety about nursing in public. She actually has a free course on nursing in public. It gets easier as baby gets bigger. I can't wait for ds to be able to nurse sitting up, he's hefty. Babies become latching pros and it takes less time as they get super efficient at draining you dry. I never use a cover. I think the covers draw more attention to you plus it just add to the procedure and the crap you have to lug around. The one time I tried to use one dd was grabbing it and waving it like a flag
So far I just sit in the back of my car. If someone gets too close (like loading groceries in the car next to mine), I just throw a blanket over us. I'm overly modest but it helps me feel more comfortable.
We nursed in public for the first time today, twice! The first time was at A new moms group where everyone was BFing, and the second time was in the waiting room of the doctor's office. It was nerve-racking at first, but at the new moms group it was really empowering seeing so many moms nursing. I'm not completely over the anxiety of it, but it certainly gave me a huge leg up on not caring what other people are thinking, and only caring that my baby is fed
Lurking from Feb16. Today was the first time I NIP with this baby, 3 days old, in the waiting room at the doctor. One lady stared at me the whollllle time (after trying to talk about baby, etc. she was just overly interested.) baby fell asleep and we were going to be called soon, so I let him be done after only 5 minutes or so. He woke up again a few minutes later and she said, "you didn't feed him long enough." Oh. Thanks for the critique, lady. Maybe if you weren't staring at my chest I might have;)
From feb 16. With my first, I nursed in public whenever I needed to without any issues. He hated the covers so we didn't use them even though sometimes I was able to put a muslin blanket over the top of my breast. This baby is about a week and half old and I have nursed her at the doctors office and a restaurant. No one stared or commented or made me feel uncomfortable. I have no issues with breastfeeding in public, rather, I can't / don't want to breastfeed in front of people I know, like my FIL or my male friends/ husbands of my friends. I don't know if that's odd but usually I can go to another room or go to my car to nurse.
I've pulled over and nursed in a parking lot, at his doctor's office (in the patient room with nurses going in and out), and in the nursery at church quite a few times. I prefer to use a cover. It definitely gets warm under it, but it doesn't seem to affect him. I look forward to him getting slightly older. I have noticed it is getting easier to latch & feed him quicker.
I've nursed him in a couple of restaurants and the Dr's office, and at an event so far. It has all gone fine. I do use a cover due to personal preference though. My husband said there were a few people shaking their heads and kept glancing at a restaurant, but I didn't really notice nor care if it bothered anyone. Hopefully everyone continues to have good experiences
Great to hear your experiences! I'll get used to it I'm sure! i have a cover but I get more stressed out trying to get baby under there and latching on without exposing myself than I would just getting the boob out! Nearly draws more attention!!
I've had to nurse in my car and at walmart today. While we were there in the baby section i was feeding lo and my mom goes "put it away" i said "what"? Her response "ugh your boob" me: "why would i do that?" Her: "theres a man down that isle" me: *laughs* "fuck no im feeding my child im not gonna stop feeding him cuz theres a man nearby". Not another word was said about it lol
BF is hard enough at home with all the pillows and such, so I'm also scared about doing it in public simply for the difficulty of setting up. I'm also less worried about BF in front of strangers, but for some reason self conscious in front of (male) family members/friends
I'm not concerned about it but DH closes the blinds in our living room if I am BFing on the couch... I have a feeling that's going to be an issue down the line...
It's crazy that we've to worry about it!! i very rarely see breast feeding in public which is why im nervous! Are all the women avoiding it?! Things need to change!
I'm pretty much exclusively pumping now, but have breastfed in public (in the car, once we parked, and in the doctor's office.) I thought I would be so shy about it, but both times poor baby was SO hungry and crying so hard I didn't care at all! I just wanted her fed.
I have NIP a few times already with this LO, I don't really even think about it. This time around, I have made it a goal to not leave the room when people are visiting and I need to nurse LO. With DS, I was stuck upstairs in the nursery half the time people came over to visit. I find my FIL or anyone else uncomfortable will just make an excuse to leave the room, and I get to stay put.
I have fed baby Out to dinner, in a funeral home, in the backseat of The van, at the airport and on a plane. I haven't gotten any looks or comments yet.
I am very large breasted and my son can take a bit to latch. It's bad enough at home. No way am I doing that in public. Lol but just personal preference.
I've NIP quite a bit. I used a cover at my sister's wrestling matches a few times, and at restaurants. I NIP at an Old Navy a few weeks ago with no cover, and had no problem. There may have been a look or two from some people but I wasn't paying attention to them. I've also done it in my car a few times. I'm lucky to have such a supportive family also, if I am ever visiting I just whip it out when I need to. All they ever say is how happy they are that I am able to breastfeed. No one on my in laws side was able to.
I've only nursed a couple times at the grocery store in the car so far to get comfortable practicing for my mental sake. I use a light muslin swaddling blanket to drape over my shoulder and that has worked well for me and LO doesn't notice it. I hope to try more places in the coming weeks. I go back to work on March 21 at which time my schedule with LO will demand more flexibility and being out and about between work events and daycare and normal errands so I figured this will be where I'll just get into the groove...hopefully it goes well at more public places! I'm a little nervous not going to lie!
I have two infinity scarfs that are my nursing covers. One was sold specifically for that purpose, but the other one is one I've had for a while. I've NIP at the doctor's office and the church nursery.
Married March 19, 2011
TTC off and on 04/14
BFP 06/13/14 MC 06/15/14
BFP 12/14/14
1st Appt 01/13/2015 M/C 1/19/15 D&C 1/20/15
BFP 5/13/15
1st Appt 06/10/2015 Peanut has HB 150 A/S 09/02/15 It's a Girl!! Low placenta, but everything else great!
I NIP for the first time yesterday! (Not including in the car or in the doctors office room) in the church lobby and I used a cover. But it went pretty well. I felt proud of myself! I still can't imagine doing it in a mall/store/restaurant setting though. Baby steps!
I was able to NIP yesterday for the first time. A few days ago at lunch I chickened out and fed her standing up in a bathroom stall but yesterday we were at target and she was losing it so I put the cover on and hung out in an empty aisle. Then I fed her again at the table at a restaurant. We were in a secluded spot so no looks or anything. Felt so empowering!
Me: 30 DH: 31 Married: 2012 BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016 | BFP #3 May 2017, MC July 2017 | BFP #4 Jan 2018, MC Feb 2018 | BFP #5 July 2018, fingers crossed
Not sure if this is dumb or not but what are the best shirts to wear? I've majorly avoided nip because I have such a limited wardrobe and not a great idea on what to buy?!
If I know I'm going to be out long, I don't have a bottle, and I think I'll have to feed I will make sure to wear a nursing tank and a cardigan. I feel like that is the easiest and most accessible. I avoid wearing something where I will have to lift my shirt up and expose my back or have to take off a sweater.
Not sure if this is dumb or not but what are the best shirts to wear? I've majorly avoided nip because I have such a limited wardrobe and not a great idea on what to buy?!
I wear a nursing tank with a shirt I can easily lift up to right above my nipple (thin long sleeved shirts or loose sweaters). Works great because it covers all the skin and you can literally see nothing. If you're nervous definitely practice at home first. I've NIP quite a bit in restaraunts, at the doctor's office, anywhere really. I used a cover at first, but LO starts to overheat quickly so I've given up. I have a few other friends who are BFing, so we always have a group of us doing it in public. We haven't gotten any looks or comments yet. The great thing about the nursing tanks is that people can't even tell you're nursing, they just think baby is curled up sleeping
I don't have any nursing clothes and I don't have a budget for that right now, so I usually wear a normal tank under my shirt and slide the straps off. Tank goes under the boob and shirt goes above, baby on boob and not that much is exposed. It's not great but it works. I've NIP multiple times now and I don't mind that much with strangers but I agree I don't like to do it in front of people I know! I don't have a cover, baby is against it and it's too hard to make it work with one. I usually just try to drape my shirt over the boob a bit.
Married DW 08.2013; AI 2x; IUI 6x; IUI #7 05.2015; DD born 2.2016 ; Reciprocal IVF FET #1 on 11.18.2020
Just wanted to update that I took my BF in public to a new level today! We were going to an indoor community event and LO wouldn't stop wailing from the car ride. I ducked into the local swimming pool lobby, grabbed a chair by the door and then did our thing. Tons of people came in and out, and a woman even sat beside me for a bit going through her bag, and nobody even looked twice! It was scary but the response (or lack thereof) has given me lots of new confidence!
I nursed LO pretty much the entire time we were at Panera the other day because she was fussy without a cover because it was freaking roasting in there and then again today at a cafe. I usually wear some sort of tank or tee with a cardigan over it and a nursing bra. It's worked well so far.
Re: BF in public
Its more the setting up for the feed than the feed itself
I want to follow your thread b/c I have the same concern. I cannot physically get comfortable, even in my car. At home I use tons of pillows to position DD, not sure how to get comfy out and about.
Not to mention even at 8 weeks my DD is still kind of spastic when nursing. On and off the boob, arms flailing around, it's a hot mess. I just don't think we are ready to take this show on the road yet.
a cover. I think the covers draw more attention to you plus it just add to the procedure and the crap you have to lug around. The one time I tried to use one dd was grabbing it and waving it like a flag
This baby is about a week and half old and I have nursed her at the doctors office and a restaurant. No one stared or commented or made me feel uncomfortable.
I have no issues with breastfeeding in public, rather, I can't / don't want to breastfeed in front of people I know, like my FIL or my male friends/ husbands of my friends. I don't know if that's odd but usually I can go to another room or go to my car to nurse.
Hopefully everyone continues to have good experiences
i have a cover but I get more stressed out trying to get baby under there and latching on without exposing myself than I would just getting the boob out! Nearly draws more attention!!
I'm also less worried about BF in front of strangers, but for some reason self conscious in front of (male) family members/friends
i very rarely see breast feeding in public which is why im nervous! Are all the women avoiding it?! Things need to change!
but not instead of a bill! Woot. Go nip.
TTC off and on 04/14
BFP 06/13/14 MC 06/15/14
BFP 12/14/14
1st Appt 01/13/2015
M/C 1/19/15 D&C 1/20/15
BFP 5/13/15
1st Appt 06/10/2015 Peanut has HB 150
A/S 09/02/15 It's a Girl!! Low placenta, but everything else great!
Married: 2012
BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016 | BFP #3 May 2017, MC July 2017 | BFP #4 Jan 2018, MC Feb 2018 | BFP #5 July 2018, fingers crossed