Public breastfeeding

DS1 used to grin at me when he was breastfeeding, and the milk would dribble out of the sides of his mouth! DS2 was far too greedy to let that happen. Oh and after DS1 had grinned, he would then clench his teeth and bite. Soon after that he weaned himself. Brother never ever bit me.

Same here

When I give my dgd a bottle, she gazes up at me with big eyes. How can these mums not want to do that?

Me too, Ella, and i don't like to see a baby being fed without being able to gaze into mum's eyes. If i see one more mum texting whilst feeding her baby.....!

I find it more offensive to see young mums feeding a baby in a pushchair with a bottle, instead of picking the babe up and cuddling it.
Some poor children spend all day in the buggy

I can't remember that far back.....

Yes. But it's quite nice when................

Oh, never mind!

I am always disappointed to hear women complaining about other women just because they are breastfeeding their babies. That is what breasts are for! They are not playthings for men but are there, like on all mamals as a necessary milk supply. Without them we humans would have died out long ago.

I agree - I didn't say I agreed with the tut-tutters!

.....but W H Smiths have breasts with nipples on display, and they are definitely there for titillation! No wonder breast feeding mums feel they need to collaborate to change the distorted views of tutting people who don't have a hungry baby to feed. That's not the mums' fault - it's our sexualised society.

Yes, I see that, when, but bottle feeding doesn't feature breasts, which a lot of people still see as objects of sexual titillation - hence the tut-tutting disapproval of breast-feeding in public.

Anagram I should have said it more clearly - both breast and bottle fed babies are equally entitled to be fed when they are hungry, and if a baby can be bottle fed on a bench or at a table in the Trafford Centre, who can deny the breast fed baby the same entitlement? There are many more bottle fed babies having their hunger assuaged when you look around a shopping mall.

Nobody is 'pounced on' - people simply express their own opinion.

Breast is best. I rest my case.

Well, it isn't really comparable, is it?

I know quite a few women who feel strongly that breast feeding for at least a year is good for their baby, and they have busy lives so do make use of any facilities that are conducive to breast feeding when they meet up with friends. I have sat in a cafe whilst my friend has breast fed her baby, with my own babies who I would feed if they needed it (I usually would feed the babies before going out, but sometimes timings just don't work, or babies need pacifying by offering them the breast).

I don't see being enthusiastic about breast feeding as earning the activist label - they are just enthusiastic - a baby who doesn't need or want to feed won't bother.

When I look around places like the Trafford Centre, I see many more young women bottle feeding their babies in public - how come this isn't noticed?

I hesitate to say anything as I will probably, like the OP, be pounced on for my views. Of course breastfeeding is best and should be done wherever baby needs fed. However, there is a group of what I would call "militant breast feeders) often seen in local cafes John Lewis etc, who seem to me to be less concerned with nurturing their babies than making a point - and as for three and four year olds pulling down their mother's tops in the middle of cafes - that can't be about nourishment as they are often downing "babyccinos" and eating muffins as well! Well, I await condemnation!

I am puzzled - why would anyone find the sight of breasts unpleasant?

Oh, I don't know ginny - it would depend on the male body sans top! I can think of quite a few beautiful bodies that wouldn't disturb my dinner one bit! Might disturb me, though..

I see no problem with breast feeding in public as long as it is done discreetly, and I believe most mums do this.
Personally I don't want to see womens boobs whilst I eat my dinner anymore than I would want a man to sit there without a top on.

None at all j04 (well as far as I know!) Twas nice though that he was presumably supporting a friend.

How much breastfeeding does he do then Alison?!

I fed mine in public over 30 years ago but I did it discreetly. I don't think anyone even notices if you are careful and surely we should all be considerate of other people's views, whetheh we agree with them or not. My DiL won't even feed in front of her own mother!

I do think some women thrust their breasts out in public as if they are making a point and there may be people who would prefer not to see it done quite so brazenly.

A gay male friend of mine posted something on FB a while back along the lines of 'if you don't like seing breastfeeding in public, its your problem not mine!'

Nanban - you expressed your feelings and some of us expressed ours - being politically correct has nothing to do with it. No doubt if some other members agree with you they will feel free to say so.
For myself, I see nothing wrong in the sight of a breast and calling the mothers 'over-endowed' was not helpful to your cause.
Surely you realised that your post would provoke some disagreement?