Newborns and young infants need to be breastfed every two to three hours. That alone can make you feel confined and trapped at home. However, that’s not how things have to be. It’s not only doable, but also simple, to go out in public while breastfeeding your kid.
Breastfeeding in public may seem daunting at first, but once you give it a try, you’ll realize it’s not as difficult as you would have thought. If you can get used to breastfeeding in a variety of settings, you and your baby will benefit from increased chances of exclusive breastfeeding for a longer period of time.
Video of Tips to Remember When Breastfeeding In Public
Breast Feeding On The Go – Your Must-Have Guide
Having a baby is great, but the world doesn’t stop for you. You’ll have to run chores with him by your side. You may not be a fan of this as you breastfeeding in public. This could be a mess if you’re not careful. That’s why you should keep reading as we’ll be running through some of our top tips.
1. What Are You Wearing?
Okay, you’ve just given birth to a beautiful baby. Although that’s over, you still can’t wear whatever you want. Loose-fitting clothes should be abundant in your closet as nursing on the go can be very hectic.
With just any top, you’ll struggle to breastfeed, making your baby not latch on that well. Not only is this a hassle to deal with when out and about, but this can be painful. The uncomfortable position and lack of access can cause your little one to start biting and sucking harder to get more milk.
In terms of what clothes you can wear, there is a range of nursing-specific clothes out there. They look like regular pieces, but they’re made to make nursing easier. That being said, you need to do some research before you head to the store. Some brands are notorious for selling nursing clothes that aren’t that fit for nursing.
If you’re not aware, you need to invest heavily in nursing bras. They’re like regular bras but they have an opening that lets you breastfeed easily. Paired along with loose/nursing clothes, breastfeeding in public is not that difficult.
2. Get Comfortable
One of the major problems with nursing in public is not being comfortable enough to do it. No, not physically comfortable, but mentally. A lot of mothers feel embarrassed to do it as it draws attention and what’s more is, they’ll be having their breasts out in public.
Although it’s true, breastfeeding is a perfectly normal thing. And if people do stare, feeding your child in public is good as you’re raising awareness of how normal it actually is, helping other mothers know they shouldn’t be ashamed.
Obviously, you can’t just force yourself to be comfortable doing it.
There is something you can try to make this happen:
3. Practice At Home
The best thing you could do is to practice at home. Keep breastfeeding in front of a mirror and see how well you do it. Most of the time, the baby’s head blocks out the entirety of your breasts, so no one will see anything anyway. So, by watching yourself in a mirror, you’ll notice you have nothing to worry about.
4. Make Note Of Your Surroundings
While on the topic of comfort, you can’t just breastfeed anywhere. Wherever you may be, try and analyze the environment. This will let you pick out the perfect spots to breastfeed your child. This will save you from spots that are too noisy, sunny, or dirty.
5. Be Like A Kangaroo
Learn from the Kangaroos and have your little one in a pouch. By having him in a sling, breastfeeding is easier than ever as you’re seconds away from access to your nipples. What’s more, a sling allows you to breastfeed while on the move as your arms are free.
6. A Breast Pump
When breastfeeding in public, one of the biggest issues mothers face is their ability to not produce enough milk. This is perfectly normal, but if you’re running errands with your kid and you’re dry, you can’t just leave your baby hungry. Breast pumps are amazing contraptions that can help with this.
However, you need to find pumps from sites like https://littleonemag.com/best-breast-pump as this helps you get the most milk out.
A breast pump is also useful as it allows you to not breastfeed, yet still, feed your child when you’re out and about. You could’ve pumped milk at home and put it in a bottle; give the bottle to your kid and he’ll happily suck on it.
7. Feed Your Child Now
While on the topic of hungry babies, when running errands, you shouldn’t put off breastfeeding. This is one of the worst things you can do as babies can get pretty fussy. So, you’ll cause quite a scene.
Not just this, they’ll latch onto your breasts tighter than usual as they’re so hungry. As you know, this is painful. Such a thing isn’t the most comfortable scenario to be in when grocery shopping.
8. Your Nipples Are Sore
When you’re at home, breastfeeding is fine as you’re not moving about too much. When in public, it can get pretty painful as your nipples are sore. Although this isn’t the case with some mothers, a lot get sore nipples due to their child latching on too tight.
This is the case unless you get some kind of breastplate. They all do the same job, thankfully, so you don’t have to do too much digging. What they do is act as a soft barrier between your nipples and cloth, not letting them get rubbed.
Obviously, you may not be a fan of adding a plate between your breasts. No need to worry as some nursing bras have thick, soft paddings, helping this not take place.
9. Your Baby Is Asleep
Depending on how old your baby is, he’s likely to fall asleep while breastfeeding. Although it’s cute, you’ll have to wrack your brains on how you can get him off. If you disturb him, he’ll start making a fuss, after all.
When nursing in public, it’s important that you strategize which breast to feed him on. You should first let him suck on the fuller breast, then switch to the not-so-full one. This will cause him to experience a range of pressures, not letting him fall asleep. This is a hack many mothers use, and if you didn’t know about it, it’ll save your life now.
Although you switched breasts, you might see that he’s still about to fall asleep. The moment you see him closing his eyes, gently get him off you. This is an easy solution to a possibly noisy dilemma.
