Today more and more women are attempting to breastfeed, and many are taking it to the streets (literally) by breastfeeding in public. Regardless of what your stance is on breastfeeding in public, the truth is there will be times your baby is hungry and you aren't at home. What can you do? Nurse him, of course!
If you are a more modest mama, like me, you will probably not feel comfortable pulling out your boob and feeding him with everyone watching (the waiters, your grandpa, your best friend's husband) but a hungry baby must be fed. When I am out at a restaurant, I ask the staff for a quiet area to nurse. It's unbelievable how helpful people are to nursing mamas...they want to help you! While at a convention recently being held at a Marriott hotel, the staff provided me with a hotel room for half an hour at a stretch so I could nurse little man (whom I toted along to my classes) immediately and without charge. While at a shower party, the reception hall offered the manager's office to all the women who were nursing. It's wonderful to find so many people who are willing to help us out. If you try to nurse your baby in the middle of everything, not only do you risk exposing yourself (not an issue for everyone, but I'm shy!) but try feeding a baby with people around, talking and laughing- he wants to be part of it all, and won't sit still.
A great item to help out while out and about and nursing is a nursing cover. Mine is from Joia (they make very pretty covers) but choose one based on your own taste (many companies offer beautiful nursing covers in different materials and patterns, and you don't need to buy an expensive one- as long as it covers you it will do the job). Even if you manage to find a quiet area to nurse, you are still out in relative public and people will pass by (even other moms). If you are shy, or just don't want your baby distracted, a nursing cover may be what you need.
If you really don't want to breastfeed in public, you can also express and store milk in bottles to take along, and feed your baby with when he gets hungry. Diaper bags store bottles, many with built-in insulated pocked or attached coolers.
There are laws today protecting nursing mothers, so if you find resistance to nursing when you are out, you can remind anyone refusing to let you feed your baby about these laws. I'm aware that there are people who are offended by public nursing, but a baby must be fed, and especially if a mama is wearing a nursing cover, I can't imagine anyone feeling ok about giving her a hard time. We can't be locked up at home, and we can't neglect our babies or ourselves just to appease others (hey, they can look away if the sight of a mama doing what comes naturally is so offensive to them).
Breastfeeding is beautiful and healthy, and we shouldn't let anything stop us from giving our babies the best. With the great laws today protecting our rights, and great products that make taking nursing to the streets easier, there is no reason to stop either.
If you are a more modest mama, like me, you will probably not feel comfortable pulling out your boob and feeding him with everyone watching (the waiters, your grandpa, your best friend's husband) but a hungry baby must be fed. When I am out at a restaurant, I ask the staff for a quiet area to nurse. It's unbelievable how helpful people are to nursing mamas...they want to help you! While at a convention recently being held at a Marriott hotel, the staff provided me with a hotel room for half an hour at a stretch so I could nurse little man (whom I toted along to my classes) immediately and without charge. While at a shower party, the reception hall offered the manager's office to all the women who were nursing. It's wonderful to find so many people who are willing to help us out. If you try to nurse your baby in the middle of everything, not only do you risk exposing yourself (not an issue for everyone, but I'm shy!) but try feeding a baby with people around, talking and laughing- he wants to be part of it all, and won't sit still.
A great item to help out while out and about and nursing is a nursing cover. Mine is from Joia (they make very pretty covers) but choose one based on your own taste (many companies offer beautiful nursing covers in different materials and patterns, and you don't need to buy an expensive one- as long as it covers you it will do the job). Even if you manage to find a quiet area to nurse, you are still out in relative public and people will pass by (even other moms). If you are shy, or just don't want your baby distracted, a nursing cover may be what you need.
If you really don't want to breastfeed in public, you can also express and store milk in bottles to take along, and feed your baby with when he gets hungry. Diaper bags store bottles, many with built-in insulated pocked or attached coolers.
There are laws today protecting nursing mothers, so if you find resistance to nursing when you are out, you can remind anyone refusing to let you feed your baby about these laws. I'm aware that there are people who are offended by public nursing, but a baby must be fed, and especially if a mama is wearing a nursing cover, I can't imagine anyone feeling ok about giving her a hard time. We can't be locked up at home, and we can't neglect our babies or ourselves just to appease others (hey, they can look away if the sight of a mama doing what comes naturally is so offensive to them).
Breastfeeding is beautiful and healthy, and we shouldn't let anything stop us from giving our babies the best. With the great laws today protecting our rights, and great products that make taking nursing to the streets easier, there is no reason to stop either.
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