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I had a hard time BFing in public. The child would inevitably pull the blanket off, etc...I finally pumped to take with me while in public. It was a pain.
I had a hard time nip too at first, but trying to find dressing rooms etc. when I was out got old. I know I was squeamish before I had a baby, and I think it's ignorance perpetuated by the formula companies. They've just really started saying "breast is best" so we grew up only seeing bottle fed babies and others were the "weird" ones ...when it's really the other way around. I met some other moms who are definitely not discreet and it boosted my confidence tremendously. We're doing what's best for our child so why should we be embarassed. It's society that has the problem. I could beat the snot out of my child in front of people and get less disapproval than I do feeding him.
I agree that woman should be able to,and hopefully feel comfortable breastfeeding in public,I did.But,for me it was only in infancy,when they ate every 3 hours.My 3rd child nursed until 3 years old.Something that I never would have believed would happen to me! I was one of those people that used to think that that was not right! But,we did not do it in public.It was reserved for the privacy of our own home at bedtime.For me,it would have been too embarassing with a 2 or 3 year old in public.
Do you think equally of moms who NIP with an infant and those who practice extended NIP with older kids?
I think it squicks me out a little to see older kids NIP, but I think that my issue, not the mom's...
I think that it depends on how well the kid can understand. For example, if you can say, "not now honey, we'll nurse when we get home," and the kid understands that, then that's the right age to wait until later. My daughter, at 12 months, is nowhere near that though. So until then, we nurse when she needs to, wherever we are.
Adventive, I'm really curious now...what did that jackbutt manager say?! :O I would definitely have become "activist" after that too and I'd be tempted to rub the fact that he's a prude jerk right in his face every time I visit the store!
Oh, he didn't have much to say. Just that he didn't know. He still never apologized to me or anything.
I do think that a mother should practice some modesty if she is in a public place, just because so many people wig-out at the sight of a breast, forgetting the original purpose of this design.
A woman should be able to breastfeed her baby anywhere a bottle would be appropriate. And as for 'older' children, where this is more a (questionable) supplement and not the sole source of nutrition, I think she could pack a pre-pumped bottle.
And as for 'older' children, where this is more a (questionable) supplement and not the sole source of nutrition, I think she could pack a pre-pumped bottle.
How old of a child are you thinking here? I'm just confused since you mention packing a bottle, because it seems that most people wean from bottles to cups at about a year anyway. So if they are older than a year, I don't know why you would really want to use a bottle anyway. Or pumped milk really, since they can drink cow's milk at that time if they are not going to BF. But if they are younger than a year, then I wouldn't consider them "older". Breastmilk or formula should be providing the majority of baby's nutrition until 12 months anyway though, so that also doesn't match with the 'supplement' idea. Hence my confusion.
By the way, I often hear people suggest packing a bottle. But some babies, like mine, never would take one. Not for lack of trying, being that she has been in daycare since she was 3 months old. But she just would never use one. So that has never even been an option for me (not that I want to go through double the effort of pumping, keeping the milk cold until use, and then washing the bottles anyway!). I've talked to many women with the same issue, and others with the opposite (after taking the bottle, baby won't take the breast). It's because of this 'nipple confusion' that many BF moms are reluctant to use a bottle at all or too early. My doc said 'nipple confusion' doesn't exist, and though many obviously have no problem with it, that has not been my experience!
My doc said 'nipple confusion' doesn't exist, and though many obviously have no problem with it, that has not been my experience!
I think if they are over 18 months and can walk and talk it's too old...but that's just me. I know it takes some longer than others to wean, but when the kid is a full blown toddler I don't think they need to be nursing anymore, just like I wouldn't expect to see a bottle in a child's mouth after that time either.
Nipple confusion so does exist, I can't believe your physician doesn't believe that. It's more about the ease of drinking from a bottle. Babies are no dummies...it's a lot more work for them to nurse from a breast that the milk has to be drawn out of then to just sort of sip from a bottle (much less effort and if they stop sucking the milk will still drip out in their mouths with no effort at all!) so if they get a bottle too early or too often they definitely figure that out and don't want the breast because of it. It has been shown though that after a few months on the breast that babies will go to either, but this still isn't true for all babies.
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