Open Breastfeeding?

Julianne - posted on 01/28/2011

OPEN lol, i didnt want gabby to feel ashamed to eat in public when she was older, so i never used a cover.

Ania - posted on 01/28/2011

I never used the cover, I nurse openly of course everything is covered with my clothes...I just lift my shirt or sweater so he can latch and that's it

Nadia - posted on 01/28/2011

My daughter always sweats and falls asleep if i cover up... i say if you feel comfortable feeding in public without a cover go for it... if anyone doesn't like it then too bad for them. It's not like you're forcing passerby to watch you feed your baby. you're child is hungry and he eats better/fusses less/etc when you don't cover him up. My hubby is actually more embarrassed about me feeding than i am... he had some buddies over and i got all ready to feed, and even got the cover so i didn't totally freak out his freinds, and he just looked at me horrified and said " are you feeding her HERE??" i was like "yup!" it's not like i was walking around topless flashing everyone lol! so do whatever you and your baby are comfortable with :)

Danielle - posted on 01/28/2011

I say forget the cover! Between your shirt & nursing bra, you're covered! I would only use a cover if I wasn't wearing a nursing bra for some reason. Like when we're at Sesame Place & I was wearing a bathing suit & had to pull my boob out the top.

Katie - posted on 01/25/2011

I don't use a cover when I'm at home, but I always use one when I'm out in public. I don't feel comfortable not using a cover out and about. Another reason is there wouldn't be a way for me to stay modest. My little girl is so observent and nosy, that every 5 seconds if she see's or hears anything, she's turning her head to look. I really don't want my boob exposed for the whole world to see. Sometimes I even cover up in the nursing room at church, because if there's any other person in there, she'll keep looking. When she's covered up, she stays focused because she can't see anyone except for me. It took until she was probably 4 or 5 months until I could cover her up without her throwing a fit. She used to HATE being covered. She still doesn't like it, but she's starting to realize that that means she's about to get fed.

Joanne - posted on 01/25/2011

Because there is nothing to see(bf can be very discreet by the way you and bubs position yourself)i dont cover up, why should i. I am not breatfeeding at moment as my daughter is weaned, but when this baby born in 7 weeks, then no i would not cover up, If people do not like what they see(or rather dont see)then its as simple as dont look. :)

Cher - posted on 01/24/2011

if you have a old tank top or short sleev top to wear underneath you can cut round holes around your boobs and just lift up your shirt and undo your nursing bra and then your stomach and everything is covered. Or you can buy a exspensive nursing tank to wear underneath. I personally just wear a tank top underneath that is strechy and i pull the tank down under my boob undo my nursing bra,latch him and then pull my upper shirt down a little.

Sarh - posted on 01/24/2011

I have the SAME problem! What I do is just balance the blanket around the back of his head so it shields my boob. If a little skin shows I'm fine with that, but I'm not ok with it all out there. You know. He normally tolerates it being around the outer edge of his head. It makes me SOOO nervous covering up because I can't see him and it gets so hot under even a receiving blanket and he sweats.

If he is in a mood where he doesn't want to tolerate that then I just tuck the blanket behind my shoulder (the side he's nursing on) and I hold the blanket around him and up high enough so nothing is showing, but he can still see out of the top.

This is weird to me though because he sleeps with blankets on his face... that is the only way he will sleep. He's weird lol.

My cousin found this breastfeeding cover on craigslist, she lives in Minessota and I was unable to find the lady, but I guess there was a lady who made breastfeeding covers and it went around mom's neck but there was like a metal ring so that the top was held open so you could see baby and baby could see up and out.... I hope that made sense. I never wasted my money on the Munchkin covers or any of those because it's flush against your neck/upper chest and makes me nervous with it being all enclosed.

I hope something helped! I'd still cover to avoid the nasty comments.

***Edited to add: Sometimes I will wear a tight tank top underneath and then a looser shirt over that. I will pull the top shirt up and then my stomach and back aren't hanging out.

Or like another mom said I often wear lower cut tops so I can just pull my shirt down a bit, but I normally still cover a bit.

Danielle - posted on 01/24/2011

breastfeed him open i say! I don't believe its right to cover the child up when we don't put a sheet over ourselves whilst we eat in public. its always about personal choice too and if people wanna stare and make mean comments, telling you to cover up, then just tell them to go eat out with a sheet on their head or in a toilet, see how they like it ;) all the best

Bonnie - posted on 01/23/2011

I have never used a cover personally with any of my daughters but when I go in public I try to always wear a tank top under my shirt. that way when I lift my shirt to nurse my stomach and back are covered...just a personal preference but you will be more discrete just nursing than using a cover if it upsets your son. People will notice much more if he is screaming! good luck!

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 01/23/2011

You don't have to use a cover if you or your baby don't like it. I wore a nursing tank and just lifted my shirt. That was more comfortable for me and baby. That way my tummy was covered and baby's head and my top shirt covered everything else. Practice in a mirror and you will see that no one can really see anything.

Dora - posted on 01/23/2011

It really depends on if you are comfortable with or without a cover. There is nothing wrong with breastfeeding your little one without a cover. It's not as if you are whipping it out to show people your boob. You are feeding your baby. Your baby needs to eat like everyone else. You can be discrete about it in public without covering up. When I was breast feeding I would be extremely discrete if there were children around. The only reason I did this is because it is not up to me to teach another child about breast feeding. It is up to their parent if they even want them to learn about it. I just try to respect others just as I want o be respected when I am breast feeding or doing anything else for that matter.

Heather - posted on 01/23/2011

i used a cover early on, and then at some point, just stopped bothering with it. a good nursing bra/top does the same trick and is less bulky.

Rachael - posted on 01/23/2011

let him be free, you can't see anything with baby's head in the way anyway. Everyone else can suck it up as long as you are comfortable and he is happy that is all that matters.

Mary Renee - posted on 01/23/2011

My daughter and I BOTH hate using a cover. I like to be able to see her and when we use a cover she tends to get her hands all riled up in the cover. She always reaches up and touches my face, cover or not.

When I'm outdoors I don't use a cover. For example if I'm at a park or the beach or hiking or on a walk or something like that, I usually don't use a cover. For some reason when I'm outdoors I just feel like there's no need.

When I'm in a store indoors then I usually use a cover. Usually just because there's a lot of people around. If you go to the mall, Nordstroms always has AWESOME rooms connected to the bathrooms for nursing mothers. In Hawaii it actually says "Mommy Room" You don't need to use a cover in there.

I usually wear a lowish cut top and I just pull it down and pull my boob out of the top.

My boyfriend HATES when I don't use a cover and will actually put it on me when I'm not wearing it but I just push it to the side, haha. Sometimes I just wear the cover on the side to avoid side boob since baby's head covers the front.

In many states your right to breastfeed in public is protected and people can't ask to you stop or leave. If you google breastfeeding and your state you might be able to find out. Also, many states consider breastfeeding an exemption from "indecent exposure" laws. Check it out, some states are WAY better for nursing mothers than others.

Codie - posted on 01/23/2011

when i nurse in public i just pull it out down in front of his chest where no one can see it. after he latches i put my shirt down around his mouth. he sweats perfusely if i cover him and gets frustrated. if someone doesn't like they don't need to look. nursing is the natural way of life and the way you choose to feed your baby. ppl who bottle feed don't cover their babies when they eat, so why should we? another thing is its not as if you're doing something gross or wrong. you're feeding a baby, your baby...not having sex in public! i'd tell ppl to eff off they say anything. another thing you could try is nursing a bathroom where it may be more socially acceptable to see a mother bf, if thats what you prefere. but definitely do what you're comfortable and forget about those who judge and don't like it.

Megan - posted on 01/23/2011

my daughter is the same way i just cover if some one is looking or hold a blanket where nobody can c my boob

Celeste - posted on 01/23/2011

You don't have to cover to be discreet. I stopped using a cover when my twins were a few months. There a bunch of ways to nurse without a cover. The way I did it was I wore a loose shirt and everything was still covered. Other moms have used a nursing tank. No need for a cover!