Going out with Baby while Breastfeeding

Amanda - posted on 02/09/2011

with my first baby i was very uncomfortable at first but my baby nursed every hour. i too was going stir crazy. my inlaws were always visiting and sitting close while i nursed, very awkward!!! so i started collecting nursing tops. my baby did,t like being covered up but many tops are very good at covering up. some sets had a nursing undershirt with a light cover up over top they were fabulous for nursing around other. plus it was a great excuse to shop on line or at the shops! we are now expecting our 6th baby and i look forward to collectin some new nursing tops come june. if i could have pumped i would have but it never worked for me, there came plan b.

Krystal - posted on 02/08/2011

Feed your baby right before you leave. That should give you a couple hours or most malls and stuff have a nursing room so you can be in private and feed your little one.

Tina - posted on 02/08/2011

I nurse in the car especially on long trips. I know it is weird but I would rather him have his milk. I just lean forward and put a blankie on the side of his car seat and nurse till he is full. I do agree with all the suggestions above especially using nursing covers. My son pulls everything off so I found that nursing in the car is much easier for us.

Frances - posted on 02/07/2011

I use to feel the same way. I bought a nursing cover and it worked wonderful. Everyone was happy, including me. For the most part no one ever really looked at me weird or said anything.

Alecia - posted on 02/07/2011

i did the cover thing with my daughter, but we had such a hard time with BF in general and the cover just added to our woes. my daughter got sick of it and weaned herself at 4.5 mnths....i did everything to keep her going but she refused despite my plentiful bounty :p she would take breast milk in a bottle though (think her mouth and my nipple just werent a good match ): ) so i tried pumping for awhile but couldnt keep up with her. even at 17 mnths i wish i was still BF her and would gladly do it in public. if u arent comfortable but have a good hang on it, then practice with the cover-up at home. ive already warned my hubby and some family and friends that next time around im not covering up, and if we are in our own home with company i will not go into another room. there is nothing as natural as feeding ur baby and IMO it shouldnt be hidden. more moms should BF in public and let everyone else know that its normal. i usd to get encouraging looks when i would feed my daughter and it made me feel good to know i was giving her the best.

Briana - posted on 02/07/2011

Use a nursing cover, a bottle with pumped milk, or go to the car. I refuse to nurse in a bathroom ever again. I don't eat in there so I don't expect my child to either. I did it a few times and was grossed out. So when I was uncomfortable, I would go to the car. My husband is a Soldier and we go to a lot of functions (not right now since he's deployed) and I would go to the car because even with a cover I didn't want to make all the other Soldiers uncomfortable (his MOS is males only). While it sucked to walk back to the car, I could sit down and listen to the radio and have the A/C on (or heat if it's cold) and be comfortable in my own element.

Jacky - posted on 02/07/2011

no fun staying in all the time!!!! try feeding in your car. when I was learning how to bf in public we used a windshield visor to cover the biggest window and used a blanket to cover the door window. I hope that helps!



i want to add...please dont nurse in the bathroom......that is gross. a dressing room is a good place...but never the bathroom.



mummies nummies

www.mummiesnummies.com

a breastfeeding support blog

Melissa - posted on 02/07/2011

I was not comfortable BF in public in front of people but I would use my car for my comfort zone. You do have to walk away frequently but at least you are able to socialize more. Good luck... I did that for 11 months so it can be done.

Rachael - posted on 02/06/2011

buy a cover if it makes you feel more comfortable, but getting out there is the best thing you can do. You will get more comfortable with it, your little ones mouth and head cover most of the breast while breastfeeding so there is no "peep show" It is unhealthy for you to be stuck in your house all day. Good luck!

Lara - posted on 02/06/2011

just make sure u have a blanket to stick over ur shoulder... i fed my girl all the time in public and have no issue with it though... just dont worry about what others think all the rules have changed now... :-)

Amanda - posted on 02/05/2011

Thank you everyone, all of your advice is very helpful. I really appreciate it. I pumped yesterday and we went out for a while when she got hungry we gave her the bottle and she took it, I was a little nervous about giving her the bottle, but later that night she went right back to the breast with no problem. I have a great support system at home, and its nice to know I now have a great one with all of you too.

Jennifer - posted on 02/05/2011

Get comfortable with breastfeeding in public :) It's not something that happens instantaneously. It takes practice. With my first daughter, I didn't nurse in public until she was almost 2 months old, but once I did I wondered why I ever bothered with trying to pump and all that jazz. I've been NIP with my son from the start. Take a receiving blanket with you and throw it over your shoulder if you need to. Practice nursing with the blanket at home and you'll be a pro in no time :)

Aicha - posted on 02/05/2011

I nurse in public and what helps a whole bunch is a maya sling it keeps the baby covered and close to the breast , it is easy to nurse a baby in public but it is alot harder to discreetly nurse a toddler in public what I found really works for my toddler is to use dressing rooms and women's lounges

Lise - posted on 02/04/2011

Try a wrap! We have a Moby wrap, and I can nurse my daughter in there and have two free hands!

Heather - posted on 02/04/2011

I feel the same way I used to stay in the house while everyone was going out. So i decided to get a pump.And every night before i go to sleep i drink a couple glasses of milk and in the middle of the night if my daughter wakes up i just feed off one side.So once i wake up i pump as much as i can ,so when its time to go out anywhere i have bottles already ready to take with.I also bought a bottle warmer to take with too.But if you dont pump just make sure u feed for a while before you decide to go anywhere.I havent tried feeding in public but if i needed to i would but anyways Good Luck hope i could help a little

Elfrieda - posted on 02/04/2011

You would be amazed at all the little nursing rooms there are all over the place. Just call ahead and ask. Also, if you're going to the mall, talk to someone in a clothing store, and they will more than likely be happy to let you nurse in a change room. If you're taking a car, you can park in a far-away location, and pinch a blanket in the window, and nurse in the car. And of course there is always visiting people in their homes! If you're not comfortable nursing in front of them, or they feel weird, I'm sure they will offer you a comfy chair in another room.
There are lots of options to use while you get more comfortable. Go out and have fun! :)

Lorraine - posted on 02/04/2011

Breastfeeding is enough of a challenge besides adding cabin fever to it! It is, I admit very difficult to overcome an issue with bf in public.
I found that to begin with I used to time my outings around feeds but that ended up being even more stressful for me as I almost had to run home at times to make it to feed my son. He was as distressed as I was, so I decided to brave bf in public. It was very uncomfortable to start with but once people see that I am not uncomfortable, they barely even notice that I am feeding my baby. I wear discrete clothing and after a while it became second nature. The suggestion of a nursing cover is a very good option for you and practising in front of the mirror to overcome any worries is great advice! I don't think anyone can say that they were 100% comfortable bf in public until they got used to it.There just came a point where, I couldn't stay indoors any longer. Bf should be a pleasurable experience!

Daniela - posted on 02/04/2011

I find the most discreet clothing are nursing tank tops and a normal shirt the same color over it. That way you hardly have to expose anything plus from afar its still going to look like one shirt. If you wear a cardigan over it you can kind of hold it a little over baby's head. Then just turn a little sideways and no one will really see anything. Your baby will cover you anyway. The other moms are right. Once you've done it a few times, you'll feel much better about it. Breastfeeding is sooo convenient went it comes to leaving the house, don't waste your time indoors hiding away. It will get easier, promise.

Nadia - posted on 02/04/2011

I agree with the other moms, but before i was comfortable with nursing in public i would just time my outings.... just fed baby? great i knew i had 2-3hours to be out and about. i know it's not that spontaneous, but it worked fot me. now my little one is 5 months old and i've gotten a lot more "smooth" with feeding her (it was all flailing and flying boobs before! lol) so i don't mind taking her out any time. Also, the malls where i live have "nursing rooms" so you don't have to hide away in a bathroom stall. And coffee shops have so many comfy chairs that are great for nursing... and if you just pick one tucked away in the corner noone will ever notice you! Don't be afraid or ashamed to feed in public! it's totally natural thing :)

Diana - posted on 02/04/2011

The more you do somthing the more normal and comfortable it seems. The suggestions above are great. Maybe try going to a Mom's group where other mother's will be nursing for your first attempt, or maybe to a quiet park where people will walk by, but at a distance? I figure whenever I nurse in public I'm letting other women and girls know that it's normal, natural & ok. The only comment I ever got was from an older man who came up to me & said how beautiful it was to see a Mom nursing her baby :) Very encouraging :)

Nicole - posted on 02/04/2011

I have used a nursing cover with 2 of my children. They were perfectly happy with this and it helped us because they nursed more efficiently with a cover. I am comfortable nursing without one, but I think that any mom should nurse how ever she is comfortable and if it is covered, then go for it!!! Practice at home. Cover each time even at home. This will help her get used to being covered and help you get the hang of doing it without problems. Just make sure that she can breathe well and is not too hot. You will figure it out. PLEASE, don't be held hostage in your house anymore! Go out, use a cover, and be happy! You know breastfeeding moms need a good amount of Vitamin D and you can't get it the natural way by just hanging out in your house all the time. ;o)



And please DON'T breastfeed in a bathroom! Gross! Just use a nursing cover and breastfeed where ever you are. Public restrooms can be infected with all kinds of bacteria including E Coli and I don't recommend parents change their child's diaper in one, much less feed their child there. Blech.

Amber - posted on 02/04/2011

Use a nursing cover, nurse in a bathroom or dressing room, or pump before you go out and give baby a bottle.

Becca - posted on 02/03/2011

What are your concerns about nursing in public? Are you just afraid of what others will see? If so practicing in front of a mirror, or using a nursing cover helps alot. Keep in mind most people will not know what it is you are doing. Anyone who might say anything to you probably will have the least idea what your doing the people most likely to know are those who support bf and the most they usually say is supportive. Keep in mind this is your baby's food and your baby has the right to eat when hungry. Good luck.~Rebecca CBE