Breastfeeding in public? how do you do it?
Answer:
I was only able to nurse for 3 months, but towards the end I got pretty good at doing in discreetly just about anywhere. My first bit of advice to you is to go to a maternity clothing store and purchase at least 3 good nursing shirts. My favorite were the kind that were made like tank tops but had a flap over each breast the you could fold down. When you weren't nursing, it was secured by a small clip that blended right in with the tank top straps. The ones that I had also had a built-in bra that could hold nursing pads in place, in case of leaks.
I also bought a few new (or you could use ones you already have, just my bra size went up considerably and my old ones didn't fit) button down shirts. I wore them unbuttoned, over top of my nursing tanks. That way, you don't have to try to hold a blanket over everything, as the opened shirt keeps you hidden from view while you get the baby latched. Once he's latched, then you can pretty much go about your business, and unless they get right up in your space, people will just assume you're just holding the baby close.
Also, you don't have to or want to go into a restroom to nurse. They are usually dirty and unsanitary, and it's very uncomfortable to sit on the toilet while trying to hold the baby at the same time. Also, most public restroom toilets don't have lids, so there's no surface for you to sit on. Not to mention that some babies like to nurse for 30 minutes or more on each side...
Some stores, like Babies-R-Us and Motherhood Maternity actually have places where you can sit comfortable on a couch or bench out of public view to nurse.
If you go into a restraunt, you should ask for a booth instead of a table, and sit with your back to most of the rest of the room. That way, if the baby needs to nurse, you can do so without receiving the dirty looks.
You'll get really good at doing it at home, probably, before you'll want to try it while you're out, so I would invest in a quality pump. Medela is the absolute best brand. It's also the one recomended by hospitals. I received a hand pump in that brand from my hospital, but I wish I would have bought an electric pump. It was pretty pricey, so I went with a cheaper one, but was never able to make a decent bottle with it. I did try, but I was only ever able to get about 1/2 ounce out at a time. So as pumps go, cheaper is definately not better. Don't waste your money on a battery operated one, as those tend to work the WORST.
After about a week of nursing in front of your boyfriend and your mom, you'll start to be okay with others walking in while you're doing it, like your grandma or a sister or something, and then as another week or two goes by, you'll just stop caring at all. Once you stop nursing you'll become private about it again. At least that's how it went for me.
Good luck with the nursing. It is hard at first for most moms, but it usually doesn't take long for everything to work out. If your nipples get sore, you might want to try Lansinoah (or something like that, sorry I can't remember exactly) cream on them. Put it on right afterwards everytime, and it's supposed to be soothing. Also, it's okay for the baby to ingest, so you don't have to worry about wiping it off.
But be aware that in rare cases, women can be allergic to the cream, so if the soreness gets worse, stop using it. That happened to me. I bought a brand of nursing pads that already had the cream on them, and I got so sore that I really wanted to stop nursing altogether. It brought tears to my eyes when my son latched on, but after about 5 minutes, it was okay. We bought a tube of that cream, thinking if I used more it would be better, but it just got worse. And then one day I used a different kind of nursing pads and wasn't as sore. Turns out, I had a reaction to it. It hurt less after he nursed for a few minutes because his saliva washed the cream off!
Anyway, good luck and congratulations!
How are you going to have a baby if you don't want people to see you? You know when you are having the baby you are going to be exposed to everyone in the room. That means nurses, doctors, and family members. I breast fed for 5 months and it was the best thing that I could have done. When and if I have another I will do it again. If you feel really uncomfortable about it then pump some breast milk when you go out.
Nursing usually starts out awkward but if you stick with it you'll start to feel more and more comfortable 'pulling it out' anywhere!
When you are nursing your breasts become utilitarian, it's nowhere near a sexual exposure and anyone thinking otherwise has issues of their own. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, nurse in the nursing station in womens washrooms, run out to the car, pump, do what you need to do!
Be proud that you are nursing, don't let anyone make you feel ashamed!
just put the spare baby blanket that you will carry around with you over your shoulder and breast no one will see a thing..
or you could express some milk b4 going out if that would make you more comfortable.
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