How to Discreetly Breastfeed your Baby in Public Places

Breastfeeding in public places can often times be difficult especially if there are a lot of people around who may not necessarily like to see that activity. In fact, it is for this very reason that nursing in public places has been heated debated for many years and will continue to be for a while. The fact of the matter remains though is that you cannot control when your infant will need their milk and as a result, you may be forced to nurse regardless of where you are.

Fortunately, you can prepare yourself by investing in maternity clothes like nursing tank tops that are specifically designed to make the task of breastfeeding much easier which means that you can be able to discreetly nurse in public. The sad truth is that there are still some individuals who are uncomfortable with seeing a mother feed their child even though these are perfectly natural situations. To cope with these situations though, here are some tips on how to breastfeed your baby in public places.

1. Consider attending a breastfeeding support group

You would actually be surprised as to how popular these groups are but they are definitely invaluable with providing you the information that you need. The point of these groups is to use this information to your advantage so that you can see how other experienced mothers have nursed their babies. Just seeing them do so can really help to boost your confidence so that you do not have to feel embarrassed or anything. These groups are especially beneficial for new mothers who are unsure how to proceed.

2. Keep practicing

The saying that practice makes perfect is certainly true in this situation as you want to keep practicing in the comfort of your own home until you are fairly comfortable. You can do in front of a mirror so that you can see exactly how you look and what you can do to make yourself more discreet. When you are nursing your baby, you should definitely pay attention to certain areas of the body that might be exposed. The more you repeat this process, the better you will get at it and pretty soon you will be able to breastfeed without anyone even noticing what you were doing in the first place.

3. Purchase breastfeeding tops

There are nursing tops and bras available from companies like Bravado, Glamourmom, Medela and many others that make the task of breastfeeding much easier. These are designed in a way where you can easily be able to nurse your baby without having to remove your whole top or your bra. As you can imagine, these are very useful for discreetly breastfeeding. Before you make the purchase though, you will need to ensure that you get the right fitting bra.

4. Use a blanket or a breastfeeding cover up

Another option that is readily available to you is to use a lightweight blanket to actually cover your baby as you nurse. However, keep in mind that not all babies will be comfortable with this so you want to use this with caution. In addition, you can also consider purchasing a breastfeeding cover up if you do not want to entirely cover your baby as these are still very useful to have. These cover ups allow you to see your baby while preventing others to see while you are nursing.

5. Go to your nearest bathroom or department store

If you are able to predict when your baby requires feeding or if you have a set schedule, then you can use this to your advantage. If you are out in public places, then you can consider going to an area that has few individuals like a changing room or a clean restroom. You may even be able to take advantage of sitting rooms since these are great places to breastfeed.

6. Just be confident!

The more you start to breastfeed in public places, the more you will get used to it and pretty soon you will be develop a habit of automatically feeding your baby regardless of where you are. It might seem a little awkward at first but like with any skill, you will get better the more you do it. Being with other mothers can really help to get things rolling as you can see from firsthand experience how other mothers are able to breastfeed in public places without making a fuss.