Nursing In Public

Nursing in Public - Many women feel the same as you do, especially with their first baby. These same women also frequently find that once they become more experienced at breastfeeding, their feelings about breastfeeding in public or in front of family change.

You will definitely be able to leave your house with a breastfed baby. As a matter of fact, many moms agree that breastfed babies are very portable because there is no worry about keeping formula cool or finding somewhere to heat it up. You also don't need to worry about running out of formula before the end of your outing.

It is easy to breastfeed discreetly if you wear the right kind of clothing. Generally two-piece outfits with lightweight tops that are pulled up from the bottom to breastfeed are best. If you combine that with a jacket, over-blouse, or cardigan that covers your side and can be used as a "screen" to hide the baby, it can be nearly impossible for others to see any of your breast.

There are also special lines of clothing for breastfeeding moms that include pleats and slits over the breasts for easy and discrete access.

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Nursing your baby in a sling can also help facilitate discrete nursing. Slings are baby carriers made of cloth that are worn like a sash over mom's shoulder to carry the baby. They have lots of extra cloth to provide cover.

Practice makes perfect. When your baby arrives you will be probably be at home for a few weeks. Use that time to get comfortable with breastfeeding. Try to minimize visitors, except those who are truly helping with household chores. Visitors are a distraction for you, especially with regard to breastfeeding, and too many visitors can be exhausting for both you and your baby.

As you breastfeed in the beginning it is more common -- and recommended -- to expose the whole breast for ease of learning, but as you become a "pro" at breastfeeding you will be able to latch the baby quickly and easily without exposing too much.

The trickiest moment to preserve your modesty is during the latch-on process because that is when your nipple is exposed, but usually if you turn your body to the side so your breast is away from those present they won't see a thing. Once your baby is latched he or she is covering most of the breast and your clothing can be pulled closely around to avoid showing any breast.

Some women cover the baby and breast with a lightweight blanket or cloth diaper, or even purchase special "capes' specially designed for discrete breastfeeding.

Take a practice run.You may want to try breastfeeding at home in front of a full length mirror to check your technique. This can serve as a check on your "discretion level" before heading out the door. You could also practice in front of a close family member or friend. You may also want to attend a breastfeeding support group such as La Leche League where you can pick up tips on discrete breastfeeding from other moms and see discrete breastfeeding in action.

If you are still uncomfortable with nursing in public there is often somewhere you can go to be in private or to minimize your exposure. For example, I often tell moms to use the fitting rooms of department stores.

They are often cleaner than the bathrooms and usually have a stool or chair. Additionally, you can also use the mirror to there to practice your discrete breastfeeding techniques. Usually if there is nowhere completely private you can find somewhere away from the crowds, such as an out of the way bench at the park or on a blanket behind a big tree.

Some moms will go to their cars and use a sunscreen in the windshield for privacy or park in a distance spot. In restaurants the booth in the back corner works well, just make sure you are facing the wall and the others with you face out. At a family gathering you can usually slip off to a more private place in the house. In church sit in the back pew, others should be facing front and you will be too far away for the clergy person to see you clearly.

Some moms are most comfortable using a bottle of expressed breastmilk when in public. In my opinion, this option is not as easy and involves a lot of preplanning.

Try to feed your baby at the first sign of hunger, since a crying baby will draw attention. Also recognize that a quiet breastfeeding baby draws less attention and is less disturbing to most people, than one who is crying to be fed but is being asked to wait because mom doesn't want to be seen breastfeeding in public.

As your baby gets older he or she will take longer stretches of time between feedings, so it often becomes possible to time outings between feedings.

Moms who are comfortable breastfeeding in public areas should not be discouraged from doing so. Discrete breastfeeding in public also involves your attitude. Don't ask for permission to breastfeed, it is your right and your baby's right to breastfeed wherever you are and asking permission or commenting on it at all only draws attention to you.

Your body language will speak volumes. For example, turning away momentarily to latch tells people you don't want them to look right now. Making eye contact with those talking to you shows confidence in what you are doing and people are less likely to question your breastfeeding in public if you appear confident about it. You will be surprised how often people don't even know you are breastfeeding your baby.

Be proud of what you are doing, breastfed babies on average spend less health care dollars then formula fed babies so breastfeeding your baby helps reduce health care costs for everyone. (Baumslag & Michels 1995)

Most people will pass by without realizing you are breastfeeding. Those who do know you are breastfeeding only know because they have been a breastfeeding mom or have been around breastfeeding moms and are therefore very comfortable with it.

Most people, if they realize you are breastfeeding will avert their eyes to avoid embarrassing you and to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Other women who have breastfed may try to catch your eye and smile or give some positive gesture of support.

When you breastfeeding in public you are providing a wonderful role model to all young women that will encourage breastfeeding. If the only images of infant feeding women see are of bottle feeding, think of how that inhibits the initiation and duration of breastfeeding in our culture.

It makes it seem as though breasfteeding is abnormal when actually it is the norm for human babies. Think of how it has already impacted you, I'm sure if we lived in a culture in which the sight of a breastfeeding baby were as commonplace as the sight of a bottle feeding baby you would probably not feel uncomfortable about breastfeeding at all.

Best to you as you look forward to the birth of your new baby, and happy breastfeeding.