Nursing Your Baby in Public

I admit it. Before I had a baby, I was totally and utterly clueless about breastfeeding. Specifically, I had no idea whether it would be possible for women to breastfeed discreetly without exposing themselves. I had few opportunities to observe breastfeeding in action, but one instance really made an impression on me.

One afternoon (long before I had a baby) I was dining at a restaurant, and a woman in the next booth, who was very well-endowed, decided it was time to nurse her baby. She literally pulled her entire breast out and began to nurse her child. She remained exposed while breastfeeding. For me it was quite a sight. The woman was in mid-conversation and didn't even miss a beat or a bite of her meal. At the time, I was shocked at what appeared, then, to be brazenness. Today, I admire her for being so comfortable with herself and with nursing. Admiration aside, when I became pregnant and was taking breastfeeding classes, I realized that I personally would not be able to adopt her particular style of breastfeeding in public.

After having my baby, I tried to find ways I could nurse in public without being quite as conspicuous as the woman in the restaurant. I began to watch how other women nursed, and I have included options here:

Go ahead and let it all hang out, just like the woman I saw in the restaurant. If you are comfortable with your body and not embarrassed about what others may see, then more power to you! However, be forewarned - not everyone is as comfortable with your body as you might be. There are numerous stories of people getting the "evil eye" or worse when breastfeeding in public. To reduce the risk of being accused of indecent exposure, consider local laws and the sensitivity and possible reserved nature of the community.

Seek a nursing or lactation room. There are stores that provide such a location, but these are few and far between. If your child is hungry and demanding to be fed, there is often little time to find a location to latch before the little darling reaches nuclear meltdown. Some women have retreated to women's restrooms to nurse their children, but restrooms are rarely conducive to comfortable nursing!

Use a nursing cape. It's really quite a clever invention. It reminds me of the capes that the hairstylists put on you before cutting your hair. You are completely covered from the neck down, and so is your baby. I admit that I have never used one, and I am somewhat curious as to the logistics. If you're completely covered, how do you discreetly see underneath the cape to latch your baby on? Or, once your baby is latched on, how do you put the cape on with only one available arm (assuming your other arm is holding your baby)? My main issue with a nursing cape is that it is like sending up a flare to announce to everyone, "Hey, look! I'm nursing under here! You can't see anything, but really I'm nursing under here, not trying start a new fashion trend!"

Cover your baby with a blanket while nursing. I prefer this method, as it's more discreet and attracts less attention. Moms with babies often have blankets, burp cloths, and other items on their shoulders anyway, so a blanket draped over the shoulder is really quite discreet. However, if your baby is anything like mine, she won't like things covering her head. She'll pull it off, and then you'll end up fighting to replace the blanket back on the shoulder while negotiating a squirming, nursing baby. Finally, the blanket doesn't really address one of my personal issues with nursing in public, which is having my belly exposed when pulling up my shirt.

Wear nursing clothes. What an awesome invention! Before I had a baby, I didn't even know there was such a thing as nursing clothes. However, I have to say that one of the best things I ever did was invest in really good nursing clothes. I was attending a trade show when my daughter was 10 weeks old. While she was nursing, I was able to walk up and down the aisles, looking at the booths and nonchalantly talking to vendors. With the nursing clothes no one could tell I was nursing and not a spot of skin was exposed that wasn't meant to be! People just thought I was holding my baby while she was sleeping. Well-designed nursing clothes are great because they look like regular clothes, and they keep everything covered up that you don't want exposed, like the belly!

Good quality nursing clothes really are worth the money. In fact, you may likely be nursing for longer than the amount of time you needed to wear maternity clothes. When looking at things from that perspective, you should be able to justify an investment in at least a few good pieces. Also, because well-designed nursing clothes don't look any different from regular clothes, you can wear them whether you are nursing or not. I can attest to the fact that much of my wardrobe consists of nursing-wear that look just like regular clothes. No one needs to know that there's an extra front layer and nursing openings underneath my shirts!

Intrepid mothers everywhere take note: Select a nursing style that fits your personality and your baby's needs; that way you and your baby will always be comfortable with nursing - anytime, anywhere.

First published on ClubMom.com on May 3, 2006. ClubMom.com is ceasing operations on December 31, 2008, so I am republishing my work here.