A Few Breastfeeding Memories - Keep Britain Breastfeeding 2013

I have heard others talk of their negative experiences of breastfeeding in public - dirty looks, snide comments, being told to leave or feed baby in the toilets - but personally, every one of my nursing in public experiences has been positive. Perhaps I have been lucky, or maybe I just have a f**k-off look on my face! I wouldn't say I'm extremely discrete, but I always wear a vest under my top, so that I can pull one top up and the other down, showing as little breast as possible. I don't think it matters whether one pulls the top up or yanks the breast out, but I personally feel more comfortable keeping my bosoms more covered. We are protected by the Equality Act 2010 when breastfeeding in public anyway, so if anyone has a problem with you nursing in public, then it is their problem and not yours, and you are free to complain about them. Check out this info sheet for more advice.

Even princesses need their milk

There are a few humorous moments that have occurred during our breastfeeding journey. The first I remember was when B was about 5 weeks old and pulled off to smile at me. I managed to capture a photo of her lovely grin and sent it to my mum. As I was about to upload it to Facebook, I realised that my nipple was standing proud in the bottom corner of the picture, so I stopped the upload until I had time to crop it out. A few minutes later, whilst looking through my Facebook newsfeed, I saw my photograph, complete with nipple! My sister had posted it, not having noticed herself. Fortunately, she was quick to remove and crop when I pointed out the problem.

The ultimate in bookshop-cafe!

Another time, whilst feeding B in a coffee shop, she pulled off to have a look around, and the poor woman opposite got an eyeful of bosom, which I wasn't quick enough to cover up. I was mortified, but luckily for me, she didn't comment or react.

As our journey has progressed, there are frequent amusing moments. Breastfeeding is no longer the full entertainment for B, and she often brings a book to read whilst she nurses. Great for her; not so comfortable for me. She also likes to wear a variety of headgear during feeds, from tiaras to big, fluffy Russian hats!

I often have to remind B that she can't eat and nurse at the same time, much to her annoyance, but she still attempts to talk to me whilst her mouth is full of nipple. Always fun! And her obsession with bee-boos extends to pointing out every instance of breastfeeding she sees when we're out and about. I find it funny, but I'm not sure how those mums attempting to nurse discretely feel about her eagle-eyes and commentary.

Sometimes bee-boos can be chilly.

An amusing, and moving, situation that we now find ourselves in is that B likes to mimic me by breastfeeding her dolly and other soft toys, but it doesn't stop there. She has on occasion fed a knife, a fork, a piece of pastry, her water bottle and a remote control. Bonkers. And sometimes there are just too many toys to feed, so I have to join in. So far, I have tandem fed B and a minion from Despicable Me, and I often have to feed her toy rabbit. B also likes to pretend that she is having daddy-milk, bending to his chest and making nom-nom noises.

These stories go to show how important and normal breastfeeding is to B, and what a positive experience it has become. I am certain that she will grow up to breastfeed her own children.

Check out some more of the Scavenger Hunt blogs:

Let's Walk Together for a While - I offer a lot of different ways to support mothers and families, but whatever role my support comes in - my aim is to support you so that you can get to where you need or want to be.  The process is a collaboration.
A Baby On Board -  A blog about life in London as a mum to my daughter Eliza. It covers everything from breastfeeding to baby clothes.

 Smiling Like Sunshine - I am passionate about natural childbirth, breastfeeding, babywearing, gentle discipline, green living, organic and local foods, sustainable living and informed healthcare decisions.  Here I write about natural family living, early years education, play, food, literature, music, design and cinema. 

Red Rose Mummy - Tales of life, love and laughter in Lancashire with Bud and Little Miss. Breastfeeding second time around with my daughter having nursed my son until he was 25 months old.
Pobbing Along -This is how I will record my little bits of the pob I don’t want to forget.

And one of the Scavenger Hunt sponsors:

Breastvest - Makes any top a breastfeeding top, meaning you don't have to show off your mummy-tummy when feeding in public :) They're offering a prize of one black and one white vest in your choice of size.

 

  

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