What do you think of this trend?

I've seen a lot of negative comments and attitudes about using a cover when you NIP. I have DD's. I know that there are Moms here with much bigger breasts, so I can't even immagine what that's like.. My point is, with large breasts, it can be very challenging.

There are times when I don't need a cover. But, when my DS is fussy, or distracted, NIP can be very hard. I'm not posing in Playboy and I don't want anyone seeing my breasts. It's not that I feel ashamed of my body, or that I feel like I'm being nice to other people by covering up. I just feel more comfortable when everyone isn't seeing inches of my breast.

I don't think that NIP is indecent at all.. But when the conventions of society is that BFing is a private activity, I don't think that using a little disgression is a bad thing.

I've heard stories of Mamas nursing very openly, not attempting to be disgreet in the least, and flashing tons of skin. While it's your right to feed your baby where you need to, at the same time I don't think that you should make a public display out of it.

The more you shove it down everyone's throat, the more resistant to it they become. If you share it in a gentle manner, people are much more open minded about it, and you gain more thorough acceptance from those who are so strongly opposed.

That's just my opinion. I see BFing like any other strong belief in my life. Vegetarianism, Religion, Circ, AP, CIO, Education, Drug Law Reform, etc. If you make it a "I'm right, you're wrong, and that's that" battle, you'll turn people off. If you make it a "Well, this is what I do because it works for me, and this is the medical evidence that backs it up, and look at this beautiful and healthy little baby who is 7 months old and hasn't even had so much as the sniffles" conversation, then there will be people who take something good from it, and sway their opinion just a little more to the left.

Love and Peace!

I think, if they help a mom nurse longer than she would have otherwise by making her feel comfortable enough to NIP - then that's great.

I think that whether the mom intends them to come across this way or not, though, the general public's reaction to them is "Oooooh, she's doing something very personal and has to keep it covered up." And yes, I think it can also be read as "This is the only way to NIP," or as "Women who don't use these are immodest," etc. To me, like blankets, they're rather like a huge neon sign saying, "HEY! LOOK!! I'm breastfeeding!!" and garner more attention than a simple nursing shirt or even just a quick lift'n'latch, KWIM? But I do think that for many of the mothers using Hooter Hider type bibs, they're not thinking of it that way - they are just so self-conscious about showing their breasts and offending others, that this is the only way they feel like they can NIP.

So for an individual mom, they can be great - but as a whole, I think they can undermine things a bit with some peoples' reactions being either "Oh, that's the only way to NIP? Guess I won't bf." or "See, everyone can be that "discreet."

I think the biggest issue with them is the fact that *most* babies are not going to stay quietly underneath the "Hooter Hider" (or a blanket) after about 3-4 months - they are going to start twitching around trying to lift or kick it off. And either the mom is going to need to be ready to move on to a less "obvious" discreet nursing method -- or she's going to be struggling to figure out how to function while avoiding NIP situations entirely, and may decide to wean instead. I'd like to hope that by the time this point comes, mom is more confident and just ditches the bib and moves on to a different NIP strategy. So, when I hear a mom say she's using these and that they're the way to go, my typical response is to let her know that as she and her baby grow in their nursing relationship, she should keep her mind open to moving to other options, following her baby's lead - and that I felt less conspicuous while wearing nursing tops than while using a blanket. (I know one mom who says that conspicuous isn't what matters to her- she's glad people know she's bfing, she just wants to "keep covered.")

I'd like to think that how women NIP doesn't matter as long as it's happening, but I do worry that there is a subtext to the nursing bibs which is damaging to the whole, "Breastfeeding is just feeding an infant as intended, and doesn't need to be hidden" message which we're trying to get out to moms and the general public too. I try to be open-minded about it but it worries me.

I think anything that gets more moms nursing is a good thing.

I suspect that many of these items are purchased as baby shower gifts, rather than purchased by new moms who plan on actually using them themselves- "OK, my DIL doesn't want me to buy bottles for the new baby so I guess I'll buy her a BF coverup instead." It's something to buy for Bf mamas.

I think "hooter hiders" and other similar items are becoming popular because many more women are BF now, including many who are unfamiliar with BF and are truly more comfortable bottle-feeding. This is a transitional item for those women- women who are 100% comfortable with BF in any situation don't need any special props or tools.

Even if a mama uses this thing once or twice, before she becomes more comfortable NIP, it's worth it because it kept her nursing through that awkward phase. Even if a mama uses this thing once or twice, then switches to artificial baby milk, then the item was worth it- without it the baby might not have gotten any breastmilk at all!

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OMG!! My Hubby is on the couch about 4 nights out of 5, too!

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I am HIGHLY offended by this statement on MDC. Hello? You are going to tell me how I "should" feed my baby?

THIS is why I hate the capes.

I "should" feed my baby however, whenever, wherever I and said baby choose.

-Angela

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I think the mom who deliberately uncovers more than would incidentally be revealed by her normal method of nursing, just to attract attention, is pretty much a myth. I do understand that some moms are able to be more covered than others, and that actually changes from month to month sometimes with the same mom/baby pair due to baby's developmental changes and preferences as well as mom's build. We've all got an auto-flash mechanism going with a baby who loves to "Nurse Big!" as my ds used to call it. I also know that in the baby fog and sleep deprivation and relaxing hormonal state, having a boob to the wind unintentionally is probably something that happens to most of us at least once. And a lot of us get to the point where we are relaxed about it and don't worry if it does happen. I think that's where the myth comes from.

I also think it's ironic that the idea of a woman attracting attention to her breasts & supposedly "making a public display" of them is unacceptable just because she's nursing. If she were utilizing the latest Wonder Bra under a tank top, no one would call it a public display or even blink an eye.

I keep saying, NIP however you need to. If you show more skin than me when NIP I don't care and I don't think it's a reason to throw a tent over the two of you - UNLESS - and it's a big unless - you have such strong feelings about it personally that you will refuse to NIP without it.

If the tent is going to make the difference between NIP and no NIP, then up it goes.

But I personally would rather see a mom with a baby latched on, skin or no skin, than a coverup that announces, "Nursing baby here! Don't look, this needs to be covered up!!"

It's just sort of ironic that the tent makes people look so they can be warned to... not look.

I think they're ridiculous but like a pp said, if it helps a mama make the decision to bf- I can't complain. I think it does make it seem that the user is ashamed & hiding, that's kinda sad.
And I cannot imagine my dd EVER going for a big ol' drape being thrown over her head!
I'm not really concerned about how other mamas choose to do things~ I'm just a "whip it out" kinda girl. When my child is hungry or upset, the last thing on my mind is some stranger's hangups re: the human body & it's intended function. It would be pretty damn hard to shame me about something I love & believe in so strongly. Ya know?

Now the name of this contraption- that really bugs me!

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Look. I'm not trying to argue with you. I have the issues with seeing women NIP, but it's just women who don't give a damn.. Like, shirt pulled up, 3/4 of their breast exposed, looking about, and daring someone to say something. I'm not an exhibitionist about my BFing.. And if that makes me less of a lactivist, or less crunchy, so be it. I feel uncomfortable with looking at a woman in a low cut shirt, I don't like looking at women wearing insaine bikinis, or pants cut so low that you can see their cracks, or men in speedos for that matter. I'm not saying that NIP is like these things, but that's my own insecurity.

I don't want anyone looking at my breasts when I'm feeding my baby. Yes, he's 7 months old. He tugs at the blanket, and wiggles, and squirms.. But if I don't use a cover, he'll get distracted when someone walks by and pop off, leaving me completely exposed. That's just me. I'm just saying that it's not like a cape of evil! I'd rather use a sarong, myself, but a woman doesn't "set back the movement" because she chooses not to flash everyone.

Again, I'm not trying to argue. I have noticed that there is an attitude of "if you cover, you're not doing anyone a favor". I simply don't agree.