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I think it's fine as long as the child isn't old enough to walk up to mommy and say, "Milk please."
Completley agree. It doesnt bother me at all, I do however feel that if you have a toddler than they need to use a cup or pre pump first. I dont understand a 16 month old being breast fed in public.
I think a woman should be able to breastfeed her child anywhere at any time. I'm sure there are some exceptions to this with a toddler, but not much. I NIP with my breastfed babies. It wasn't easy for me because of size and shape. I could never nurse an infant one-handed. But if baby needed to eat, then baby ate. If toddler needed to nurse for comfort, then toddler got that. I let my kids have the breast/bottle/pacifier as long as they need and make few distinctions between the 3 during the early years when sucking/comfort needs are intense and variable.
But then, I'm a crabby, peri-menopausal woman in her 40s, so if you think my 2yo should not have a bottle and/or pacifier, you should keep that opinion to yourself, because I don't care.
But then, I'm a crabby, peri-menopausal woman in her 40s, so if you think my 2yo should not have a bottle and/or pacifier, you should keep that opinion to yourself, because I don't care.
My mamma taught me to never argue with cranky or crazy people, and you have identified yourself as both.
Do you make a distinction when NIP as to how public the situation was? I have seen some women that have exposed their entire chest, both barrels so to speak, when nursing in line at the grocery store. That seems a bit excessive to me. I grew up in an era when a bit more discretion was observed. Either postpone nursing to a more private scenario, or better preparation with clothing designed to minimize exposure.
How "militant" do peri-menopausal mothers get on this subject? BTW, I have nothing, absolutely NOTHING against bottles or pacifiers regardless of the age of your children. Mine refused them at any age, so I am pretty indifferent to that whole argument.
I know that in 2004 Walmart got a lot of unpleasant backlash about hassling a mother who was breastfeeding in their store. They got a customer complaint. They subsequently apologized to the woman.
I notice that NOW they sell lactation supplies! Yeah.
When I was pregnant 10 years ago, they did not even sell maternity clothes. Can you believe it? The store where america's families shop, did NOT sell maternity clothes. They do now.
How bizarre. That is where my wife got many of her maternity clothing 17 and 23 years ago. They had breast pumps, bottles, enfamil, and many other baby supplies at the time too. Of course, we were in a larger city (San Antonio) but I would have expected the main lines to be fairly consistent across all locations.
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!
I'm thinking more along the lines of 'sippy' for mothers who want to continue breastfeeding well past beginning solid table foods...toddlers, 2-3 years old. There is a population that holds such a desire, for various reasons. I'm just suggesting a solution to an awkward situation.
I've heard enough about nipple confusion to think, like night terrors, it exists no matter what the experts say.
I have no personal experience here since my daughter came to me at 15 months and promptly refused her routine formula which until then was a staple of her diet...
Do you make a distinction when NIP as to how public the situation was?I have seen some women that have exposed their entire chest, both barrels so to speak, when nursing in line at the grocery store. That seems a bit excessive to me.
Wow, I have never seen someone nurse with their entire chest exposed. I have seen a lot of ppl nurse, and even at LLL meetings and other similar type meetings where everyone is nursing children of various ages I haven't seen them expose their entire chest. I don't think it's very typical. [On a side note, my husband saw a 3 year old kid in the grocery store the other day wearing nothing but a diaper and thought that was kinda inappropriate too. Sometimes people do odd things in the grocery store that they wouldn't do in other places it seems]
If I am nursing in the grocery store, I am probably walking around with a cart, in which case I have her in a baby carrier (I use a mei tai in this situation) so that I have my hands free. I do this for my own convenience more than to be discreet, but you probably couldn't even tell I was nursing unless you were practically on top of me.
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I grew up in an era when a bit more discretion was observed. Either postpone nursing to a more private scenario, or better preparation with clothing designed to minimize exposure.
As I mentioned above, it is nearly impossible to even find such clothing, and in the specialty catalogs it is crazy expensive! I have a few nursing shirts, but not nearly enough for a daily wardrobe. The reason I like to wear nursing shirts is more to hide my belly while nursing more than my breasts though.
I'm thinking more along the lines of 'sippy' for mothers who want to continue breastfeeding well past beginning solid table foods...toddlers, 2-3 years old. There is a population that holds such a desire, for various reasons. I'm just suggesting a solution to an awkward situation.
Yes, I would agree that a 2-3 year old can drink from a sippy in public rather than nurse. They can drink water or juice or cow's milk in it, so you wouldn't have to pump even. I was just confused by the mention of bottles and pumping I guess.
Personally, I do hope to still be nursing my daughter at 2, but she will probably be nursing infrequently enough that she won't need it in public and she will be able to understand that it's something we can do once we get home. I don't think I would really have any problem with it though if someone else chose to nurse their toddler in public. Maybe I've just gotten more accustomed to seeing toddlers nursing lately since my daughter is almost a toddler and still nurses a lot!
What do you think of situations where you are at a friend's house or something? Do you consider that nursing in public? Does public imply that you are around strangers, or just that you are not at your own home?
I was just thinking about what I said about not nursing my daughter in public when she is older. But I think that would just apply to strangers. I think I would be fine with it if we were over a friend or certainly a relative's house, and also if we are at a meeting like LLL or NINO where it is not at all uncommon to see nursing.
My mamma taught me to never argue with cranky or crazy people, and you have identified yourself as both. []/QUOTE]
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Do you make a distinction when NIP as to how public the situation was? I have seen some women that have exposed their entire chest, both barrels so to speak, when nursing in line at the grocery store. That seems a bit excessive to me. I grew up in an era when a bit more discretion was observed. Either postpone nursing to a more private scenario, or better preparation with clothing designed to minimize exposure.
In general, most women have good manners when it comes to NIP. Therefore, I'm willing to give a mom who's being more indiscreet the benefit of the doubt that perhaps she just got rushed and didn't prepare well enough for that outing.
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How "militant" do peri-menopausal mothers get on this subject?
It depends on their hot buttons.
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BTW, I have nothing, absolutely NOTHING against bottles or pacifiers regardless of the age of your children. Mine refused them at any age, so I am pretty indifferent to that whole argument.
It depends on their hot buttons.
