Not one for getting your boobs out in public? Me neither, with the exception of the one-off "arty" naked photographic portrait of me, aged 34, published on an "arty" New York portrait photographer's website. Oh, and the one summer holiday in France with the girlfriends, aged 19, when the sunshine and youthful exuberance got the better of me and I sunbathed topless for all of five minutes.
Otherwise, I quite like keeping my knocks tucked away, fine though they are / were. Funnily enough, the larger they're getting (I'm 14 weeks pregnant) the more shy I'm becoming. The plunge-necked top is not my friend.
On to the business at hand here. Now, I realise there are a multitude of potential embarrassments to get over in the next six months, like my boyfriend scooping my poo out of the birthing pool for example. One of those is the breastfeeding in public thing. Right now, so early on in the whole experience, I'm not looking forward to revving up the milking machine in public, even in front of friends and family to be honest. Friends of mine do it with aplomb, but I just can't quite imagine how I'll manage.
Read on for recommended "hooter hiders"...I do want to give breastfeeding a go though, and so I am mightily chuffed to discover that you can get various items to keep the whole thing a bit more discrete - hilariously sometimes referred to as "hooter hiders". Celebrities use them quite a bit apparently, to maintain some privacy in the face of paparazzi camera lenses.
I realise I'm being impressed by little more than a scarf or a square of fabric here, but they represent more than that to me. It's the acceptance that it's ok to be shy about breastfeeding.
A few brands have come to my attention now, including Baby Babette, Mamascarf and Bebe Au Lait (used by Julia Roberts, Gwen Stefani and Liv Tyler apparently).
The nice people at Baby Babette have sent me one, actually. It's a very sweet red and white polka dot fabric, is lightweight, easy to shove in a bag, and has a muslin underside to double as a burping cloth. It is gratefully in the baby box to try out come December. It costs £11.50 to buy from Baby Babette.
How do you feel about breastfeeding in public? Is it just me that feels awkward? Does it get easier? Please leave a comment here.