Breastfeeding in public

After months of trying to pluck up the courage to feed 'outdoors', I have finally done it! I know that by law now a restaurant cannot stop you and must provide you with adequate area (not a toilet) to nurse in but there's always the worry of having another customer have a go at you for it!

We went to Butlins last week and were sat in Burger King, waiting for our apartment to be released to us- Jess was due a feed and was getting flustered. Nowhere to feed her privately and I wasn't going to traipse 15 mins to the car park so thought "Well I'll have to give it a go now", covered myself up and off I went! After the initial few seconds of being nervous, I felt quite at ease and rather chuffed with myself and even though a middle-aged couple were occasionally glancing over I thought nothing of it! The next night, I fed her while we were sat in a club- I feel quite pleased with myself!

Has anyone came across any negativity since the new law came in?

How have you dealt with any comments?

Lou x

on feeding in public. The new law came out while I was still BFing my LC and even though when the new law came out she was over 1 she was still very dependate on my milk as it was the only milk she could keep down and digest. I had negativeity when BFing her and I also had negativeity when BFing EJ but my reply was "Well hwat would you prefer me to do have a screamin gbbay until I can get to the feeding area and have you complaining about or feed my baby quickly and promptly so everyone can get on with there shopping and stuff in peace?" There was once I was asked weither I felt I really needed to do that in public when it would be so much easier to give the baby a bottle of formula. This got up my goat more than being questioned and stared at when BFing. You do what you know is right for your baby and tell the ignorate ones that are still out there well I'm only doing the most natural thing in the world if you don't like it then move or stop staring. That was hubbies favourite comment as well as "You wouldn't be complaining if she was showing off cleavage in a skimpy top like some women wear so what's the problem with my wife feeding our baby and exposing less skin than other women? Or is that th eproblem you want an eye full of womens skin with out a baby being in the way. IT's not like she has got her full tit out on show just a little bit of lovely baby belly" Very embarrassing as you can imagion I couldof lived withit if it was one of the children saying something one those limnes but coming from the hubbie who should of known better. Well men will be men I guess

no one has ever said anything to me and most people dont even notice

I'm off to Venice in 4 weeks, any idea what their attitude to breastfeeding is over there? I think, if they are like Spain, they won't mind but am just a bit concerned.

Oh Venice so lovely. I have a friends who are italion and they love seeing women BF. They are so much nicer than people over here and they never make comments or you might get "Ooh lovely look atyou feeding your baby thats so lovely to see." Hope you have a lovely holiday

I have heard this too, I want to learn some italian before I go so I can just ask for politeness' sake in a restaurant or whatever if I can breastfeed in there- just in case!

Will ask my friend to write down "Is it OK to breast-feed?" how you say it for you. He is a lovely bloke and he has taught my LC and RB how to say "Hello, How are you?" in italian. I think my older 2 are going ot be very multi-lingo when they are older as they are learning greece, italian, german and spanish and picking them all up and so far not getting them mixed up and they are loveing every minute of it. I can only speak basic spanish and just starting to get my head around basic greece

Oh that would be lovely, thanks so much!

I am rubbish with foreign language- just hope I can pull it off!

Well done. I had my first child in Australia and it was more normal to see breastfeeding out & about than bottle feeding. Breast feeding was encouraged in Australia which helps.

I breastfed in Starbucks last week, I think 99% of the time I'M more concerned than anyone around me- worried that someone will say something but then I think 'well I'm covered up so whatever!'. I'm off to Venice a week friday and hoping that I'll be welcomed to BF by the cafe/restaurant owners,and when we're out and about.

Just done the same myself, and nobody seemed to notice at all. My second child as well so I have taken a while.

Thanks for all the tips

I dont see what the problem is with breastfeeding in public is. If your out and get hungry you go to a restaurant and eat so why cant your baby not be able to eat where and when they choose. I didnt breastfeed but if i was too and did do in public and anyone was to ask me or question me about it the simple answer is "if you dont like it you go find somewhere else to eat if not stop staring as its bad manners to stare. Did your parents not teach you that?"

I had my daughter in June this year and wasn't aware that there was a law, that is great news as I have been very wary about breastfeeding in public and tried to avoid it as i am not that confident but I have tried it once in a coffe shop when I thought no one could tell but one lady said that I should not be doing it it wasn't allowed (altho I dont know how she could see anything) next time I will be able to hold my head up high and say I am allowed to. Thanks

wrighty2010 said:
I had my daughter in June this year and wasn't aware that there was a law, that is great news as I have been very wary about breastfeeding in public and tried to avoid it as i am not that confident but I have tried it once in a coffe shop when I thought no one could tell but one lady said that I should not be doing it it wasn't allowed (altho I dont know how she could see anything) next time I will be able to hold my head up high and say I am allowed to. Thanks

I would of said much more than that