Nursing in public was something that did worry me when P was little. I was quite nervous about exposing myself or making someone else uncomfortable.
I had spent time attending La Leche League meetings at the end of that pregnancy and watched many other women nurse their babies. Some were quite discreet while others a little less so.
Before venturing out with P and needing to nurse in public, I had a test run at an enrichment meeting with many experienced moms around. Hearing that I wasn’t flashing anyone or drawing a lot of attention to myself while P nursed helped me to make the leap to breastfeeding in a public setting. Plus, the LLL Leaders were constantly reminding us that New York had made it legal to breastfeed in public.
By the time D was born, I felt like it was second nature. With him, I utilized a homemade sling almost any time we went out. After watching a few videos online, I was able to nurse him IN the sling with very few people having any idea he was breastfeeding.
With a six year gap between D and J, the confidence for breastfeeding in public was a little diminished. And, where D practically lived in the sling, I found J quickly wanted to be out. Using a nursing cover was tried with mixed results. I think he overheated quickly and that’s why he was forever trying to knock my original one off of him. The ones reviewed on this blog were a little better. However, finding them when he was already a year old meant I faced resistance. So, I have taken the approach at this point in our nursing relationship of finding something else for him to do when we are out…most of the time.
Advice for a mom from a mom…..
know you and your baby well enough to plan how to breastfeed when you are away from home!
There are times when it is just easier on all involved to find a quiet, secluded spot to nurse rather than staying in the center of the action.
Pretty much all of my boys hit an age when they wanted to shove all cloth away from their face leaving me feeling a bit too exposed. Sometimes they were easily distracted and needed that quiet to calm themselves and get down to business.
I also tried to be in a separate room for certain relatives who both felt uncomfortable and made me feel a little uncomfortable about breastfeeding around them. That included when a few of the relatives came to MY house.
If it makes you feel better, try out a nursing cover. (The Pirose nursing cover I reviewed is lighter weight, so J did not get so warm, so quickly. Baby Bond kept the cloth off J while keeping me covered, but took a little longer to figure out.) Or learn how to wear the baby in a sling and nurse at the same time.
Here are more post by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.
Great blog! Breastfeeding is something that can definitely make some people uncomfortable and you hit on some great points. I have known so many mothers that breastfed anywhere and everywhere and so discreet :)
ReplyDeleteMy son is at the - easily distracted, look around and pull all the covers off him stage. I find I just plan to go out around his feedings. Some people are just more comfortable then others - wish I was one of those. Great post!
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