Breastfeeding in public can be a nightmare for a modest nursing mother. Some women dread the thought of breastfeeding in public so much that they may consider formula feeding their infant to avoid the situation. With a little preparation and practice, breastfeeding in public can be done discreetly. Here are a few tips to help you keep your sanity while breastfeeding your baby.
Nursing clothes with ties or fold over flaps can cause unexpected breast exposures while performing the most mundane of tasks like retrieving a dropped pacifier from the floor or struggling with a jammed shopping cart.
Purchasing nursing clothes with snaps, buttons or hooks will help ensure that your chest remains under wraps when out in public. Nursing clothes are a great convenience for a nursing mother and child but they can also lead to disaster if not fastened securely.
Keeping your breast feeding supplies stocked and ready to go at all times is great way to help discreetly nurse your child in public. Being caught in public with a hungry baby and no cover blanket can lead to disaster for the modest mother.
Keeping extra breast feeding supplies in the trunk of your car in an extra diaper bag will ensure that you are never caught without the items necessary to nurse discreetly. Packing extra breast feeding supplies like an additional blanket, burp cloths and breast milk pads in advance can save you from an embarrassing moment when last minute trips arise and you have little time to prepare.
Breast feeding women can choose to feed their babies in public bathrooms to limit their company to women only. Some breast feeding women choose to nurse in the backseat of the car in a secluded area of a parking lot to provide more privacy.
Another option for breast feeding women is to pump breast milk into a bottle prior to any planned outings. While this option is not helpful for those sudden trips to the store or when a telephone call summons you away from home during a breast feeding session, it can help you avoid many public breastfeeding encounters.
Breast feeding mothers often grow accustomed to the glances of strangers and an occasional snide comment while nursing in public. Some breast feeding mothers do not seem to be affected by the reaction of the public while she feeds her infant.
Other breast feeding mothers learn to be quick and discreet to avoid drawing attention while breastfeeding in public, never drawing a stray glance or awkward stare.
While your baby doesn’t notice who’s present while he or she is breastfeeding in public or at home, you may be crippled by fear at the thought of exposing your breasts in the company of strangers.
Breastfeeding in public does not have to have to be traumatic. With some practice and advanced planning, breastfeeding in public can be done discreetly.
