How to Breast-Feed in Public

Many new mothers are uncomfortable about breast-feeding in public, but all babies need to eat when they're hungry, and a crying baby is much more noticeable than a nursing baby. Here's how to nurse your baby discreetly, anytime, anywhere.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Baby Bibs
• Baby Slings
• Burp Cloths
• Nursing Bras
• Nursing Shirts
• Strollers
• Nursing Necklaces

1. Plan ahead. If you know you will be going out for a few hours, consider how and where you plan to nurse.
2. Nurse your baby right before you leave home to give yourself as long as possible before she gets hungry again.
3. Wear easy-access clothes. There are many types of nursing garments on the market, most of them involving slits and openings hidden in a shirt or dress. You can also just pull up or unbutton a regular shirt.
4. Find a comfortable bench or chair if you are in a store or mall. If there are no chairs, ask if you can nurse in a fitting room.
5. Try to nurse your baby before she gets very hungry. This may mean that she will nurse more calmly, without drawing extra attention or pulling at your clothes.
6. Consider wearing a nursing necklace - a string of large, colorful, nontoxic beads that your baby can play with, rather than pulling up your shirt with her free hand. Otherwise, carry a small toy to occupy her hands while she nurses.
7. Drape a light shirt or jacket over your shoulders rather than covering yourself up with blankets. Blankets just draw attention to the fact that you are nursing, and can overheat your baby.
8. Nurse your baby in a sling - just draw up the padded rail to cover yourself and your baby, turn her body toward you, and you're ready to go.
9. Forgo the public restroom as a nursing option. After all, would you want to eat your lunch in a restroom?
10. Be discreet, but be proud. You are meeting your baby's needs in one of the best possible ways, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a stroller or baby carriage with you, lock the wheels and use it as a footrest. This will make you more comfortable and will help to block you from public view.
• A baby can often be temporarily distracted from the urge to nurse if you slip your little finger into her mouth to suck on while you find a calm, comfortable place to sit down.
• Request a booth if you are eating in a restaurant that has them - it's easier to nurse discreetly in a booth than at a table.
• Occasionally, someone may give you a hard time about nursing in public. Don't let that stop you. Legislation that helps breast-feeding mothers is spreading rapidly, and in many countries, states and provinces, it's now the law that women can nurse their babies anywhere they want to. If you are confronted, just explain that your baby is hungry and that you are trying to keep her calm, quiet and happy.