Feeding Babies

cars · Post by **cars** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:04 am

Well this is the second time this happened, so I am going to mention it now. Yesterday we went out to a restaurant for dinner. We sat down at our table & across the isle were 3 women in a booth, one with a baby in her arms. My wife had her back to them. After a while I happened to look in their direction, and low & behold the one with the baby was "Breast feeding" the baby right there at the table! No covering blanket or anything. I know breast feeding is a perfectly natural & wonderful thing. But I was kind of taken back by suprise by the experience!!! It didn't seem to matter to the woman where she was, in an open "public" place.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, IS OK FOR MOTHER'S TO BREAST FEED THEIR BABIES IN PUBLIC?? :-3

Cars :driving:

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:12 am

Perfectly natural and wonderful thing... so is taking a poop, don't want that

done in a restaurant in front of me either!

The battle has been fought and won by the breast feeders, and I don't

think there's any going back.

So call me an old grump, but I just don't think it's okay.

:(

Agnes · Post by **Agnes** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:15 am

see it all the time, women nursing babies in public, so it is out in the open, not a private issue? what is there to hide by a infant sucking on moms nipple for nourishment? it is not indecent exposure, but can be embarassing for the on-looker? i don't have a problem with it, as we live in a society where anthing goes. i would rather see a nursing mom than two men kissing? :wah:

cars · Post by **cars** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:19 am

Agnes wrote: see it all the time, women nursing babies in public, so it is out in the open, not a private issue? what is there to hide by a infant sucking on moms nipple for nourishment? it is not indecent exposure, but can be embarassing for the on-looker? i don't have a problem with it, as we live in a society where anthing goes. i would rather see a nursing mom than two men kissing? :wah:

GOOD POINT!!!

smithy87 · Post by **smithy87** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:20 am

its not really an issue for me. Babies nourishment is a priority than someone else's embarrassment.

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:23 am

As a nursing mother myself right now, I still havn't been able to pop a boob out, right in public, and start breast feeding. The most public I've gotten is going back to my vehicle when I knew I wasn't going to make it home anytime soon. Not only do I feel uncomfortable doing it, but everyone around me would get uncomfortable and I HATE awkward moments.

However, I have a friend who is nursing her 6 month old (third child for her)and she does it everywhere. I had a poker game at my house and she was there. When hubby couldn't manage the baby anymore, she started feeding him at the table. She was modest about it, covered her chest with a blanket so it wasn't really showing. But, all the men at the table were completly thrown off and immediatly uncomfortable. (Then again, maybe that was her strategy.)

Agnes · Post by **Agnes** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:48 am

i covered the area, that was my generation 25 years ago. i cannot stress it enough nursing babies are beautiful and it is the discretion of the mother, what is comfortable. some may openly feed deliberately to shock people? hopefully you won't have to see that again for a bit.

john8pies · Post by **john8pies** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:05 am

I think it`s great; it may be a little offputting at first but you soon get used to it - mothers have been doing it for centuries in public and only in the last 100 or so years has it in any way been considered "unnatural". What I find far, far more offensive (and I know I`m going slightly off topic here, but this is what I personally find `unnatural`) is women wearing such short or ill-fitting jeans / trousers/ skirts that you can clearly see their thongs or knickers - I feel like screaming, "I just don`t want to see it"!!!! ANd goodness knows what the poor 95 year old lady I`m taking shopping must think!!!!!

Post by **Betty Boop** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 8:20 am

I never felt comfortable with feeding 'in public' and like devist8me would return to my car to feed, or head home. There are mother and baby rooms in some stores but they're so clinical and not at all relaxing or comfortable. If a woman is comfortable about feeding in public then thats fine by me, it just wasn't an option for me personally.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 2:05 am

I know of a mum that went to school at break-times to breast feed her five year old!! I've also seen numerous women breast feeding three to four year olds.

I was glad to stop feeding when I did, I can't imagine carrying it on past toddlerhood!

cars · Post by **cars** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:13 am

tmbsgrl wrote: My husband and I were in Walmart about 3 months ago and this lady was down the furniture isle and she was breast feeding her kid. I think it is all fine and dandy.. perfectly natural and all but this kid she was breast feeding was around my daughters age. 3-4 years old. That is just so sick and wrong in so many ways. I had to walk past again to make sure that we seen it right.. I would have reported it but I had no cell phone.. Never seen her again.

I felt in no way compelled to "report" the Mother in the restaurant incident, as it did not embarrass & or bother me. It just was an unsual sight for me. But when you think about it, she was in a restaurant and we were "all" there to eat!!!

Cars :driving:

cars · Post by **cars** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:19 am

Betty Boop wrote: I know of a mum that went to school at break-times to breast feed her five year old!! I've also seen numerous women breast feeding three to four year olds.

I was glad to stop feeding when I did, I can't imagine carrying it on past toddlerhood!

Now that sounds a little strange, what could ever compell her to want to do that for sooooo many years??? Guess the kid doesn't eat McDonalds Happy meal- "Hamburgers"? :wah:

Cars :driving:

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:29 am

I asked the breast feeding specialists at the hospital where I had Emily, and they said the experts above them suggests up to a year. Most of the women I know who have or are BF quit when teething started (around 6-8 months). I can't see myself going much past that.

cars · Post by **cars** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:45 am

devist8me wrote: I asked the breast feeding specialists at the hospital where I had Emily, and they said the experts above them suggests up to a year. Most of the women I know who have or are BF quit when teething started (around 6-8 months). I can't see myself going much past that.

Geesh, can you imagine a 3, 4, or "5" year old with a full set of baby teeth??? :wah:

Cars :driving:

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:57 am

cars wrote: Geesh, can you imagine a 3, 4, or "5" year old with a full set of baby teeth??? :wah:

Cars :driving:
Exactly, I wouldn't know how to "break them" of not biting but I guess there's a way.

cars · Post by **cars** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 6:07 am

devist8me wrote: Exactly, I wouldn't know how to "break them" of not biting but I guess there's a way.

Yeah, at 3, 4, & "5" years old "they" understand what you are saying to them!!

Cars :driving:

lou-lou · Post by **lou-lou** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:29 am

Breast feeding is natural BUT being descreet should be uppermost in the mothers part i have 2 kids and have only breastfed in public once then i had a blanket over so no one could see but i felt uneasy and never did it again i think some people do it for the "shock" reaction to cause other people to feel uneasy!

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:56 am

lou-lou wrote: Breast feeding is natural BUT being descreet should be uppermost in the mothers part i have 2 kids and have only breastfed in public once then i had a blanket over so no one could see but i felt uneasy and never did it again i think some people do it for the "shock" reaction to cause other people to feel uneasy!

I think you are absolutely right, a lot of them use the shock value. I

wouldn't mind the blanket so much, it is just I have rarely seen it used.

It doesn't embarrass me per se, I just don't want to have to look at

someone's breast. Someone I don't even know.

Welcome to the board, btw!!

:)

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:05 am

Florrie, thanks for posting the benefits, I did know about them though.

I'm not opposed to breastfeeding at all, it is the better way to go

from what I hear.

I don't think a woman should have to go in the bathroom, either, but

I think there are ways to manage so you don't have to do that. Time your

meal for baby's naptime, or feed before or after you go out. Or step out

to the car OR if you have to, use a "receiving blanket".

(Val, you're an old grump)

;)

ice maiden · Post by **ice maiden** » Sun May 01, 2005 2:31 am

i have been watching this discussion with interest i could not feed my babies myself but would have loved to, your views seems in all to feel it is acceptable to feed in public with care i must agree see a mother doing what nature intended is beautiful men must stop only seeing breasts as a sex toy and start seeing them as part of the whole women nature body with there intented use

LottomagicZ4941 · Post by **LottomagicZ4941** » Sun May 01, 2005 2:41 am

I have only seen a few gals breast feed in public.

The fist was at the back of a Chruch. I was in the 4th grade or younger because that is when we changed churches.

One time in a bar a gal was shooting her milk around.

I was annoyed because can't bodly fluids be a health hazard?

Didn't want any of her milk to get in my beer.