Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

It can be really hard to get used to the idea of breastfeeding around other people. All through our lives we are taught that breasts are private and should not be shown to others. They are highly sexualized in the media and even our relationships are likely to promote them as private, sexual objects.

Once you have a baby, suddenly these sexual things become useful, even necessary parts of your body. Being mammals, we produce milk that is perfectly designed for our babies. It is perfectly natural and normal to breastfeed. Unfortunately society does not always see it that way.

While it would be nice to see breastfeeding presented in a more positive light in the media, that is still a ways in the future. In the meantime, our babies need to eat, and we need to spend time out in public. So how can you manage without feeling as though you are being inappropriate?

The first thing is to get comfortable with breastfeeding at home. You should take your time to get used to breastfeeding, and relax at home when feeding. Do not make a big effort to cover up at home. What you are doing is perfectly normal and acceptable, and if you can’t feel comfortable about it at home it will be impossible to graduate to feeding in public.

Your spouse should stay in the room with you as you nurse your baby. He needs to support you in your decision to breast feed and let you gain confidence around him in preparation to moving into public. Don’t hide out in the corner or in another room. Just feed your baby wherever you are comfortable, continuing in your normal conversations and activities.

When you are comfortable at home it is time to try feeding your baby with someone you know who is not part of your immediate family. Choose someone who supports your decision to breastfeed so that you are not going to worry about that person making rude or inappropriate comments. With that friend or family member around feed your baby as usual when the baby gets hungry.

A useful technique to practice before heading into public is using a receiving blanket to cover up so that you feel that you have more privacy. By draping the blanket over your shoulder so that it covers your chest you can cover your baby’s head and your breast enough that you are not exposing yourself, but are still able to nurse. Practicing this at home will help you be familiar with how it works, so that when you are in public you are not fussing with the unfamiliar blanket and feeling uncomfortable throughout the process.

If you like, there are cover-ups available for sale that are more secure than a receiving blanket. They are not overly expensive and often are designed so that you can watch your baby nurse while others can’t see in. Receiving blanket work well though and most passers-by will in fact think that the baby is sleeping and won’t even guess that she is nursing instead.

When you are comfortable nursing in front of your friend, take that friend with you and head out. Many malls and large stores have nursing rooms available, so don’t be afraid to ask if there are facilities if you don’t want to sit in a public area.

Restaurants are a great place to get started. Get a booth and ask for a quiet area in the restaurant. When you baby is hungry, get set up and feed her at the table. The booth will block most people’s view and if you are in a quiet corner there won’t be much traffic passing by your table.

As you gain confidence you will find that you can feed you baby wherever you are. Sometimes it is easiest to feed out in the car, where you are comfortable and don’t need to worry about covering up in a receiving blanket. Other times you will be somewhere less convenient and will need to find a comfortable place to sit and feed. Either way, it is perfectly normal and natural to feed your baby, no matter where you are.

After a while you will be surprised to find that the vast majority of people are supportive of breastfeeding babies. As long as you are not whipping your breasts out and blatantly showing yourself in public, very few people will object. Being discrete pays off and often people won’t even notice what you are doing. Even if someone does comment negatively, remember that it is their lack of education and understanding that speaks. It is not different than making racially inappropriate comments. What you are doing is natural and normal and in fact the healthiest thing for your baby.

Breastfeeding is so much more convenient that lugging around bottles and formula. Once you are comfortable feeding in public you are no longer tied down by your baby and can feed wherever you happen to be. It is a freeing and incredible feeling to know that you can go where you want, when you want and your baby can come with you.