ShannonH

Hello, I will be travelling in Italy with my 8 month old baby and am wondering whether it is OK to breastfeed him in public, as I do in Canada. I have just read the posts on this topic from 2001 and am wondering if things have changed? At the time of the 2001 series of posts, a person living in Italy said absolutely not, and several others, presumably in North America, said it's OK if you cover up... they also seemed to say they would cover up at home too. These days, at least where I live, breastfeeding is strongly encouraged (to the point where there's terrible guilt if you don't) and I suppose it has become a bit political - it is not OK to ask a breastfeeding mom to be discreet or cover up. I'm not trying to be political about it myself, but I have become comfortable feeding my baby wherever and whenever he needs to be fed. I turn away while I get him settled but I don't use those cover-ups (too hot and hard to breathe in there) and I don't pump so that I can give him a bottle in public (pumping is really unpleasant and time consuming). I have said more than I need to here - just reacting to the posts from 2001. So back to the question: today, in 2012, is it OK to breastfeed my baby in Italy? Do I need to cover up and will people think I am being rude or that it's icky? Thanks!

adrienne

I can't respond to your question about Italy but I'm intrigued. Are you saying that in Canada women expose their breasts and feed their infants everywhere without being discrete? They just open their shirts and put the child to the breast? Doesn't it get a bit chilly for the moms?

I've been with women who have breast fed in public but unless you were staring hard you wouldn't know what they were doing.

lavandula

When I was breastfeeding in restaurants in Australia (which is pretty liberal, but I felt more comfortable covering up a little), I just used to put a muslin over my shoulder and across the baby. I don't know if muslins are part of the landscape in Canada but we use them a lot - just a sheer muslin wrap, good for swaddling/wrapping babies, good for wiping up vomit, covering the stroller so they don't get sun in their face or so they can sleep, great for a little privacy when feeding on the plane (you can pin them to the seat to make a little 'fence'). Also good for bedding in hotels which might provide a crib but no bedding. And because they are so light you don't have to worry that you or the baby will get hot. Can't praise them enough. If you take a muslin you always have the option of covering up if suddenly you feel uncomfortable, and you will find out pretty quickly how you feel about it when you get there.

Lavandula

farrermog

http://www.smh.com.au/national/healt...414-1x0gh.html

Michael

Admittedly not Italy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623064002020

jamikins

Interesting question! I am from Vancouver and I think in Canada it is more acceptable to do it anywhere than in Europe. I don't have kids but I cannot recall ever seeing a woman breast feed in public here in london...mind you I haven't really been specifically looking haha! In all my travels in Europe over the last five years I don't recall ever seeing it either. Not to say that you can't but you may feel uncomfortable and people may look at you strangely because I don't think it is seen here much in public. Two ladies at work that just had babies brought their children in and both separately went into the women's shower room and breastfed their babies.

Hope you have a lovely trip!

adrienne

When you're sightseeing you're not always going to be able to find a private place to breastfeed. I don't think anyone will be so interested in you that you will be singled out. Everyone will be looking at the sights. I only notice the bizarre or the elegantly turned out when on vacation so you'll blend in with the crowd. As I said, I've seen women breast feed in restaurants and it just looked like they were holding their children. Can't you be casual and not make yourself noticed and not worry about this.

annhig

jamikins - I would never have gone into a shower room or toilet to feed my children and I'd like to meet the person who would suggest that i should! I fed both of mine until they were a year old, in all sorts of places, and no-one ever said anything except, bizarrely, in a doctors' surgery, where they were clearly in need of education. [which i then provided].

this was in the UK [and all over europe] 20 or so years ago. mostly i just rolled up my jumper or t-shirt and plugged them in; i doubt if anyone noticed.

Honestly, i think that more than half of the problem is solved if you just do it confidently.

jamikins

Fair enough Ann - just giving my experience! Like I said I don't have kids and compared to my 10 years in vancouver I haven't noticed people doing it in public as much here....and the OP is from Canada I just was saying she may feel less comfy than back at home! I was in no way telling anyone to go do it in private!! And no one at work did either, both just did it so in my experience it's a bit different!

I honestly don't have any issues with it either way!!!!

clausar

Jamikins you're right,

Having been many many times to Italy ( i am of Italian origin),
i have never seen women breastfeeding in public places.
I haven't seen it in Greece either, where i live.

Should it happen, i can imagine that people might not react in any way, but i am sure they wouldn't feel comfortable with it either.
It's not a matter of being rude, as OP asked, but rather something that people are not used to see in public....

Geordie

Not directly related to this issue, but a friend of the family who was actively involved in a breastfeeding society, breastfed her son until he was about 4 years old, I thought that was a little weird.

I have another friend who manufactures and distributes shawls that work like what Lavandula describes.

eliztravels

For anyone not familiar with the 'muslin' Lavandula describes, it is a very open weave fabric, almost like cheesecloth. It is used in Australia, and elsewhere no doubt, like we use flannelette receiving blankets in North America.

ShannonH

Thanks everyone - interesting to hear different views.
To respond to Adrienne, well no, it's not like we're all flashing our boobs everywhere in Canada. Just that there's more education now about the benefits of breastfeeding so people are learning not to think it's icky, and moms are learning not to be ashamed of it. I suppose I see a lot of it because I am a breastfeeding mom - I tend to be in places where other moms are and we're all of the same generation and getting the same encouragement from our doctors and nurses. (As for being chilly - "public" includes indoor places like the mall and restaurants - and then there is summer...)
Incidentally, there was a Canadian woman about ten years ago who campaigned for women to have the right to go topless in public, as men can do, but it just didn't pick up steam. Not that much interest in baring our breasts. (Personally I'm a little uncomfortable seeing men without their shirts on - except at the beach).
Based on the comments so far I will certainly cover up when feeding my baby, and will avoid doing it in restaurants if possible.

clausar

<<Based on the comments so far I will certainly cover up when feeding my baby, and will avoid doing it in restaurants if possible>>

Just a question....
What will you do if you realize that people are acting uncomfortable while you are breastfeeding your baby?

elberko

Annhig said exactly what I was going to say...I breast-fed in Italy, Austria, and Germany, quite matter-of-factly. A few decades ago, but can't imagine it being a problem.

~Liz

jubilada

I breastfed my son in Italy 24 years ago. I always covered up a bit, but never left where I was . Many Italians love babies and children and this was much more the reaction I remember.

annhig

Just a question....
What will you do if you realize that people are acting uncomfortable while you are breastfeeding your baby?>>

their problem, not mine.

so the answer is......nothing. except smile, perhaps!

elberko

Once again...what annhig said!

I have a though about where to breastfeed in Europe- how about finding a bench near a newsstand? All the nudie magazines will divert attention. ;~)

~Liz

nytraveler

It's true that in some countries the government has put out massive information campaigns claiming that only breatfeeding is healthy, guilting moms for using formulas and even other baby foods - and openly breastfeeding in public is accepted.

This is NOT true everywhere. Can't comment on Italy, but in the US a mom breastfeeding in public is expected to be discreet (no boobs hanging out). Also, we have accepted that for the many moms who need to go back to work breastfeeding for 2 or 3 months is just fine (the baby really gets the most benefit from breastmilk in the first 6 weeks or so - unless it has specific allergies or feeding issues). Here most women don't breastfeed past 3 months or so - (which is much more than it used to be, when many infants were on firmula from day 1) - but by 8 months almost all babies are on formula and infant foods. (Tpically other infant foods - pureed fruit or cereals etc. start to be fed at 3 to 4 months.)

I understand the strong focus on breastfeeding in many 3rd world countries - where this may be the only safe and sure form of feeding for infants (water used to mix with formula may not be clean, moms may mix too much water with too little formula powder to save money, etc) but these are not realistic issues in first or even second world areas. And while I certainly applaud women who choose to breastfeed long-term since they beleive it is best for their children - I also feel strongly that moms who choose otherwise should not be given incorrect information and made to feel guilty about not breastfeeding for more than a few months.

(This is a problem being faced by 3 women in my office within the last year. One weaned the infant at 3 months to come ack to work and the other two tried to use breastpumps - not successfully and not for as long as they wanted - since it just really didn't work with their work schedule. For women who have the option of not working this can be a realistic choice - but for most women it's really not an option.)

eluckhardt

I think you should bring a light cover with you to use just in case. You may not need it, but it would not hurt to have one around, it can serve as a shawl/burp cloth/changing pad/etc. I would venture to say most people in the places you will be visiting will not even bat an eyelid at what you are doing, but you just might get than one person who is very uncomfortable, etc., and it will just be easier for everyone for you to just cover up a little, if even if only for a little while.

I have nursed babies in the US and in Europe and with some awareness and willingness to compromise, if necessary, you will be more than fine.