How
to Breastfeed Discreetly Easier Than You Think
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Breastfeeding
in public is likely something that every mom does
at least once. Babies need to eat, and eat often because
their tummies are small. Even when a mother plans
her trips around feeding her baby there is a great
chance that they will get hungry while away from home.
Therefore don't feel bad if while waiting for your
food at a restaurant you need to feed your baby or
anywhere else in public. |
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One thing
that people might tell you is nursing in public is fine,
but make sure that you cover up. Well actually the baby
covers the nipple while they are nursing and your shirt
cover the top of the breast, something that shows when a
woman wears a low cut shirt anyway. So before you drape
a blanket over your shoulder to cover your baby keep in
mind that this will be distracting to your baby, they will
likely pull it down anyway, and it will act as an insulator
causing this feeding session to become something that is
rather hot and uncomfortable for your baby. Don't make your
baby uncomfortable because someone else is uncomfortable
with something like feeding your child, that is on them
not you and certainly not your baby.
You should
do what feel natural to you and what you feel comfortable
doing. Planning ahead can limit the times that you have
to nurse your baby in public but is not always an option.
As stated before babies will want to nurse often out of
hunger. Even when you are able to feed them right before
you walk out the door, a short 20 minute car ride to the
restaurant plus the 5 minutes you wait to be seated and
the 10 minutes you wait to order your food, then another
10 minutes before your food arrives already has your baby
looking forward to another meal in 15 minutes. Obviously
a bit of multitasking, eating your meal while you discretely
nurse your baby, is all you need to do to enjoy your meal
and provide nutrients effectively for your baby. Don't think
for a minute that in this scenario that you have to gobble
your food up in 15 minutes, or eat for 15 minutes and then
leave to nurse your baby in the car and return 20 minutes
later to finish your food. First off you are taking the
time to eat at a restaurant which means that you are paying
extra money than if you were eating at your home, you are
likely with family or friends and leaving would take away
the time to visit with them, something you could do while
nursing your baby at the table. There are many times when
nursing in the car would be unfit due to cold or rainy weather,
even nursing on a hot day outside can be unpleasant for
a baby, and there is hardly the room you would have at a
table in your car, and a parking lot is a public place so
people would still be able to see you, like in the restaurant.
Never
feed your baby in a bathroom to avoid feeding them around
people, the only place that you could sit down is on a toilet
and no one wants to eat a meal while they are sitting on
a toilet and your baby is no exception.
When you
are at home nurse in front of mirror a couple times to see
exactly what you see, you'll discover that the second that
you bring your baby to the breast, lift up your shirt and
the baby latches on happens so fast that you see nothing.
You can ask your partner to observe while you are nursing
and see what they say they see if you do not have a large
mirror that you can move. Breastfeeding in public is normal,
anyone who thinks otherwise isn't normal.
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Even
when examined up close breastfeeding does not reveal
your breast. |
