I love breastfeeding but I hate doing it in public!

Hi!

I have a 10 week old and I’m really enjoying breastfeeding him but i hate doing it in public.

Some mums seem to think it’s odd that I get embarrasses, but I’m quite shy and just don’t feel comfortable doing it. This means I spend a lot of time at home.

My Health visitor doesn’t really help, saying it’s something I’ll get used to -but I don’t want to!

Can you help?

Mum G

Hi Mum G!

Please don’t worry! It’s very natural to be a little hesitant about breastfeeding in public, particularly when you have a desperately hungry baby who is crying and drawing attention to you and you haven’t quite yet mastered the art of the quick-release bra.

If you’re struggling with public feeding then here are a few ideas for making it easier.

Clothes-

Wear clothes that make geting to your breasts easy and not fiddly. There are lots of companies that make feeding clothes now, they offer specially-designed and clever feeding tops and dresses, for example, specialists such as Mothercare and JoJo Maman Bebe and even fashion houses like H&M.

if you’re worried about lifitng up your Top and exposing your tummy- use bump bands. Thryre great under clothes and keep the tummy covered when lifting clothes to feed.

Invest in some good nursing bra’s- these are great for feeding and also keep those sensitive boobs comfortable!

Covers-

theres are lots of breastfeeding scarves and blankets available to buy, but a simple muslin cloth can often be enough to cover the bits you don’t want to expose.

Practice-

When feeding at home, feed a few times as if you’re in public, that way it’ll be easier and less fumbly when you’re out and about!

Finally, please don’t worry about your fears- it is important to get out and about with your baby and to enjoy motherhood! If you really can’t face feeding in public you can always express some milk into a sterilised bottle.

Hope I’ve helped!

Fi

I want to stop breast feeding…

Dear Fi,

I am trying to give up breast-feeding my daughter, and I’m not succeeding!

I am hoping that you will know just what to do!

My daughter is still feeding three times a day (after breakfast, after lunch and before bed). She eats a lot in the day (breakfast,lunch, dinner and snacks) and she sleeps 7-7 then about 130-230 in the afternoons and sometimes 20 mins in the morning about 9.30am.

I have tried cutting out the middle feed. This works about 3/7 days a week if we are out and there are other things going on. If we are in the house it just doesn’t happen.

I can make her miss the morning feed no problem if we go out and otherwise with a bit of fuss but nothing major. If she is left in the evening when I am not there she will refuse anything she is given and go to bed with no milk.

Is it best to just go cold turkey on her?

She will take water from a cup, but will not take bottles whether they have formula/cows/expressed milk. I have tried a variety of bottles and cups and teats and it makes no difference.

I look forward to your advice.

Mummy B

Hello Mummy B!

This is a very common problem and one of the reasons I go against all that rubbish about not mixing breast-feeding and bottle feeding at the same time.

It is true that newborn babies can get confused with teat/nipple change, but once breast-feeding is established, bottle feeding is ideal to run alongside breast feeding to give you the occasional break.

This information is of no use to you now your baby is older, but may help other readers!

Your baby likes breast because it’s all she’s ever had, she only want’s breast, and the only way to go against her is yes, no breast. At  your daughters age she will not accept the bottle while the breast is still on offer.

At this stage I would suggest formula (Aptamil is closet to breast milk) in the bottle, and try for a couple of days. During this time try your best not to offer her the breast as this will only confuse her and make getting off the breast harder.

Express your milk and store it while doing this to avoid mastitis, gradually reducing the express each day.

This is a long winded way of doing it but going ‘cold turkey’ (not expressing and letting your milk dry up quickly) will hurt and can cause inflammation which can lead to mastitis.

Weaning you daughter off the breast is going to be tough, and you need to be firm. Try a quick flowing teat, hold her close to you like breast feeding and hold it in her mouth, rocking her, singing, making it a nice experience.

Some babies take to bottle straight away, others rebel until they realise nothing else is coming. Again, its more your strength than hers, but if you’re really stressed you’ve got your milk store to fall back on and you can carry on feeding until your feeling strong enough to try again.

I wouldn’t recommend giving up and trying again but its quite hard and you need to be mind strong and want to give up totally.

Good luck & let me know how it goes.

Fi