Secrets for Breastfeeding in Public
If You’re Out And Your Baby Needs To Breastfeed, Where’s The Best Place To Go To Do It?
Once you’ve decided you are going to do what is best for your baby, no matter what, you might want to start thinking about a little “game plan” for when your baby wants to nurse in public. That way, there’s no need to panic when baby is hungry.
Think about where you are going. Or, take a quick look around once you arrive.
- If it’s a restaurant, plan to ask for a corner table.
If possible, angle your body away from the other tables. I’ve even used my menu as a screen while latching baby on, and no one’s the wiser once I lay the menu down.
- If it’s a large department store, do you know where the dressing rooms are?
Some shopping malls and larger stores may have a small lounge (connected to the bathroom) with a chair or a couch, so it would make more sense to take advantage of that, especially if you have older children with you.
- Â If it’s the zoo, plan on using your sling and taking advantage of the benches you’re sure to find around the park.
Recently, the kids and I headed to the zoo on a gorgeous spring day. I brought a stroller. But I also brought my sling, which I think of as a “best kept secret” when it comes to breastfeeding in public.
It was so easy to nurse there! Whenever Ella was ready, all I did was take her out of the stroller and put her in the sling. Most times, she was already cuddled in the sling and all I had to do was adjust her position before opening one side of my nursing shirt and latching her on.
Sometimes, there was a park bench nearby where I sat while the older kids investigated nearby animals. Usually, though, we just kept walking around while Ella nursed away in her own little private area (my sling).
Honestly, I’m continually amazed at the number of moms who come up to me when I’m out and want to know where to get a sling. I tell them you can easily order a baby sling off the internet. Just make sure you get the right size-you want to be able to cinch it tight enough to keep your baby secure against your own body.
- Consider your car, which is another one of my favorite “private areas.”
If it’s not too warm or cold out, my van can be a quiet, familiar place for both my baby and I to settle down for a nursing.
Note. . .I’ve found that breastfeeding just before we get out and head in somewhere does the trick to fill up baby for awhile. Plus, if you put your baby in a sling before starting to nurse, he may end up taking a nap, making your outing even easier!
- Wherever you are, beware of the common suggestion to head to the bathroom when your baby is hungry.
Would you want to eat your own lunch there? Adults and bottle-fed babies aren’t pointed toward the toilet and the same should hold true for your breastfed baby.
Also, if you have older children along, spending time feeding a baby in a toilet facility with a bored two-year old is not going to make for very pleasant memories.
Overall, the key is to plan ahead.
There are numerous little tricks for nursing discreetly in public. One is to pay attention to your baby’s hunger cues before he gets too frantic (and loud). Once you latch him on and he’s calmed down, most people won’t give you a second glance.
One final word on this. . .Many moms just find a place that is “private enough” to breastfeed rather than searching for absolute privacy. We have a nursing mothers’ room at our state fair, but if I’m halfway across the fair grounds when Ella needs to nurse, I will make do with any area that is “private enough.”
You may think there’s no way you can do this. But if your baby is obviously in need, you may find that your priorities will change over time.
You CAN do it!
Linda Thom
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