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Thanks for hopping over from Mummies Waiting and welcome to my post for the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt Day 2 Positive Public Feeding we have over £700 worth of breastfeeding and baby goodies up for grabs including prizes from Snoob with a breastfeeding scarf, a goodie bag from Forever Patricia and a breastfeeding necklace from Booby and the Bead. Full details of the Grand Prize can be found here and all entries to be completed via the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
I’ve spent almost 4 years breastfeeding one or other of my sons. I can’t imagine myself feeding them in any other way, breastfeeding has just worked for us from the very beginning when my eldest was first born.
I struggled to get him to latch on his first day and when family came over to our house the day after his birth I went into the bedroom to get him latched on as I wasn’t very confident. That was the first and last time I ever left the room to feed my child. From then on I’ve breastfed my boys wherever and whenever they wanted fed.
We have fed in buses, trains, planes, boats, in shopping centres, in castles, in cafes, standing up, sitting on the floor, on hillsides, roadsides, fields and sitting on wall by a busy roadside. We have fed in rain, snow, wind, sun, covered in sand and beside a puddle on a popular track to let me eldest throw stones in.
There has been no point that I have thought, can I breastfeed here? Sometimes I look around to see if anyone’s looking, but at the most I’ve seen a few smiles directed at me. Most often I forget to even look, I’m too wrapped up in my own little bubble with my family and don’t think about looking.
When A was newly born he would always get hungry halfway up the hill on the way home. I would find myself sat on the same wall at the side of the road feeding him while rocking O’s buggy with my foot to get him to sleep. People would often pass by, smile and comment on the weather.
Maybe I’m just lucky, or maybe it’s where I live, but I’ve never had anyone give me a dirty look or snide comment about public breastfeeding. I’ve never had to defend breastfeeding and hope I never have to.
My hope is that my story becomes the norm for breastfeeding mothers.
I hope that they can breastfeed their child wherever and whenever they want.
I hope they can breastfeed as indiscreetly or as discreetly as they (and their wriggly baby!) want.
I hope that they can publicly breastfeed their baby without being judged.
And I hope that both breastfeeding and formula feeding families can support each other in each others feeding choices.
Lets be #PositiveaboutBF!
For more positive feeding in public experiences please hop on over to Quite Frankly She Said where you can gain further entries into the grand prize draw. Full terms and conditions can be found on the Keeping Britain Breastfeeding website. UK residents only.
J x
Claire says
Thanks for sharing your beautiful story, It’s so very important to feel free to feed. I too have always been safe in th eknowledge that if my baby was hungry it was feedingtime… wherever that may be! #SundayStars
Sian @ QuiteFranklySheSaid says
I hope for the same for future generations too! I think we are getting there slowly but surely x
Lynsey Buchanan says
Great Giveaway
Becky (@EducatingR) says
Lovely thoughts on the Breastfeeding world. I BF’d my son for 10.5 months till he decided he didn’t want it anymore. He got the occasional bottle of expressed or formula too. I’ve never once felt judged for any of my choices and I feel sad that others do x #SundayStars
gemma clark says
I found the first latch with my daughter 9.5 years ago relatively easy, but I just couldn’t do it after that. I tried expressing but gave up after just 2 weeks so have no experience of feeding in public. Have regretted it ever since and am more determined than ever to get it right with number 2. Due in 10 weeks and hoping to feed until at least 6 months, hopefully a year this time 🙂
Jenni - Odd Socks and Lollipops says
A great post and I totally agree, I hope that your story can become the norm and we can all feed comfortable breastfeeding our children where ever we are when they need to be fed!
Rosie says
I’ve been breastfeeding my daughter in public for 4.5 years, and mostly it’s been fine. Had an issue at a swimming pool in Bristol, and a couple of comments on the bus about her being too old (when she was 2), but either I am oblivious to negativity, or nobody is bothered!
Jenny Eaves says
Thanks Claire! It’s a lovely thing isn’t it, never worrying about bottles and things. I love it! 🙂 x
Jenny Eaves says
Fingers crossed! I will keep my hopes up that my grandchildren and their peers will be mainly BF! 🙂 x
Jenny Eaves says
That’s great! Glad he fed for so long and you were never judged, that great! 🙂 x
Jenny Eaves says
That’s a shame, but you tried so hard! I’ve got my fingers crossed for you and your second baby, if you ever need support, then I’m here to chat. 🙂 x
Jenny Eaves says
That’s great you’ve fed for so long and with little negativity. I’m sure some people are just not used to toddlers being fed in public, the more they see it the less likely there will be comments I guess. x
Jenny Eaves says
Thank you! Fingers crossed that’s our kids future! 🙂 x
Heledd - Running in Lavender says
Congratulations! Like you I’m a big believer in breastfeeding and managed to do it with both my daughters for the first year of their lives. I can’t say it was easy or painless at the beginning but we got there and I’m so proud that we managed to it. I also never felt uncomfortable about feeding in public and never had to justify it. Thank you so much for linking up to #SundayStars xx
Jenny Eaves says
Thank you! Good to hear that you never felt uncomfortable feeding out and about either. Well done for feeding both of your daughteers for so long as well. 🙂 x
Natalie Crossan says
Great post, great giveaway 🙂
Sadia says
I’m so glad you’ve been able to feed wherever you needed to. I had heard so many horror stories that I kept a copy of the breastfeeding lay in my diaper bag, but not once did I have to reference it. I did once shock an older woman pumping in a bathroom at work, but there just wasn’t time after a meeting for me to get back to my office to pump. Thanks for linking with #TwinklyTuesday.
Jenny Eaves says
Ha ha! That must have been a little bit of a shock for someone to come into the bathroom when you’re pumping! Great that you had a great breastfeeding experience too. 🙂 x