How to Use a Breastfeeding Cover Up

A breastfeeding cover up (also called a nursing cover or hooter hider) is a lightweight piece of rectangular fabric with a neck strap in the middle. The neck strap fastens on one side so that moms can easily don the cover up with one hand, and boning at the neckline makes it easy for mom to see baby while nursing. Mom can see everything from her vantage point, but no one else can see a thing. A breastfeeding cover up won't slip off easily like a blanket, and will keep your baby cool due to the light fabric and good air flow. Keep reading to learn to use a breastfeeding cover up.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Buy a breastfeeding cover up from one of many online or brick and mortar retailers. Bebe Au Lait first created the nursing cover and offers them in designer fabrics, but these are among the priciest nursing covers available. Many WAHMs (work-at-home-moms) sell handcrafted breastfeeding cover ups on sites like eBay, Etsy, and Hyenacart at reasonable prices.

2. Put on the breastfeeding cover up. The neck strap goes around your neck just like an apron strap. Fasten at one side. Most nursing covers use double rings to fasten the strap, but some use a Velcro strip instead. Adjust the strap until the neckline of the nursing cover is in the right position so that you can nurse discreetly while still making eye contact with baby.

3. Put baby beneath the breastfeeding cover up to that baby's head - and your breasts - are shielded from view. Look down at baby though (the space provided by the boning in the neckline), and latch and nurse baby as usual.

Tips & Warnings

• A breastfeeding cover up can be a life saver for moms who are very apprehensive about nursing in public. These moms can still have an active social life without feeling self-conscious about nourishing a baby at the breast in public.
• While a society that fully appreciates breastfeeding - and moms who are entirely unselfconscious about breastfeeding - is the ideal, sometimes gentle advocacy and respecting the sensibilities of others can go a long way toward achieving these goals.

[almommabear]

on 2/5/2009 I need to keep one of these in the car...I have been out and about many times and needed to feed my son--usually ending up in the restroom. Thanks for the tips!