Breastfeeding in Public
Encouraging Tips for New Nursing Moms
Breastfeeding in Public is a topic that I feel like an expert in! You see, when my son was an infant – and really throughout the first year of his life and beyond, he was a “nibbler.” He didn’t eat a lot at a time, but he ate often! On average, he nursed every 1-2 hours for the first year of his life during daytime hours. So no matter where we went, we ended up breastfeeding in public. I became the queen of finding great places to breastfeed my baby and I developed a list of tips and tricks along the way. I’d like to share those tips with you now.
Tips for Breastfeeding in Public
Many moms are nervous about having to feed their babies in public. The first thing you should know is that you are doing what is BEST for your baby and what is NATURAL! You shouldn’t ever feel intimidated about breastfeeding in public. In fact, you should be PROUD! Below are some tips to help you feel more confident.
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Know your rights. In most states, breastfeeding mothers are protected by law. Read up on the laws in your state and be knowledgeable about where and when the law is on your side. La Leche League International, an international organization which provides information and support to breastfeeding mothers, publishes a summary of breastfeeding legislation in the U.S. on the website - www.llli.org.
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Practice. Many moms are nervous about breastfeeding in public because they are afraid that they will bare too much skin while getting the baby latched on. The best way to get good at getting your baby latched on is to practice. Practice at home, where you don’t have to be nervous while you are doing it. Another good thing to do is to practice in front of a mirror. That way you can see yourself and see how little of your breast can actually be seen. You will be surprised at how discreet you already are – without even knowing it!
Get some nursing clothes. Many women feel more comfortable breastfeeding in public if they have clothing with easily accessible nursing access. This is what I did. For me personally, I didn’t care if someone happened to get a glimpse of my breast, but I didn’t want them to see my belly!! So I invested in nursing tops and wore them everywhere! I even wore them at work when I was pumping. Now-a-days, nursing tops are so cute and stylish that your non-nursing friends will be asking you where they can get a top as cute as the one you are wearing! So treat yourself – you deserve it!
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Use a sling. Using a sling makes it easier to nurse your baby while walking around or even sitting somewhere comfortable. It helps to keep your baby close to you and makes nursing a little more discreet by giving you some extra fabric to cover up. I can remember walking around shopping when I had family in town. I had my sling and my baby was nursing while I walked around! It was great. The only down-side was I wasn’t wearing a nursing top, so I had to cover up my belly with a receiving blanket! I highly recommend combining use of your sling with a great nursing top – that way you can walk around, have one arm free and still nurse your baby anywhere!
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Be confident. You are doing the best thing for your baby!! Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for it. I can remember being in a restaurant one time with a friend. My baby needed to nurse and we were sharing a table with another couple. I thought about asking them if they “minded” if I nursed my baby. But then I thought to myself “What if they say that they do mind? I’m not going to change what I am going to do – my baby needs to eat, so I am going to feed him” So I didn’t ask. They didn’t say anything either!
I nursed my son in public just about anywhere you can imagine (at the grocery store, at the mall, sitting on a park bench, at the library, when visiting friends at work, at my work, at my husband’s work, at Disney World, at the museum, on the side of the road in my car and just about any other place you can imagine). We nursed in public until he was about 18-20 months old and we NEVER had anyone make a negative comment towards us. I was always ready in case they did – but no one ever did. Sometimes people would smile at us and sometimes they would walk away, but I always felt good because I was giving my baby exactly what he needed!
Bottom line, there is no need to cover yourself when nursing in public – you have a right to feed your baby. Different women feel more or less comfortable when doing this in public – so use the tools that make you feel better. Get out and enjoy this time with your baby! And most of all FEEL PROUD of what you are doing.
