How To Breastfeed Your Baby In Public

Breastfeeding is a normal, beautiful part of motherhood. Unfortunately, a lot of moms choose to bottle-feed their babies without even trying to nurse their kids first. Most of the time, these moms make the choice because of inadequate knowledge or plain ignorance. Luckily though, breastfeeding has been gaining a lot of positive public attention lately, and groups like L.A.T.C.H., and La Leche League Philippines/Best Friends in Breastfeeding (contact Cris Nicandro Rosenthal 0917-8941099) have been working double time to promote the womanly art of breastfeeding as the best way to give the best nutrition to one’s child.  

When it comes to breastfeeding in public, most Filipino moms would probably not think twice about doing so, but there would definitely still be one or two out there who may find it “nakakahiya” (embarrassing). For those of us who may be a little bit uncomfortable when it comes to “whipping ‘em out”, here are a few tried and tested tips to help dispel the discomfort about nursing in public.

1.    It’s all about the attitude Mommy!
This is the most important thing you will need to successfully breastfeed your baby, not just in public, but everywhere! When you know that you have chosen to give your little one the best start in life, you will find that you can breastfeed in confidence anytime, anywhere and given any situation.

Being a new mom in itself is a daunting task, and mastering the art of breastfeeding, with all the initial challenges of sore nipples (usually due to improper latching); fears that the baby is not getting “enough milk” (breast milk usually starts to come in a few days after giving birth, in the meantime, the “golden liquid” colostrum – packed with antibodies and baby’s perfect first food – is enough for baby’s nutrition right after birth); and battling post-delivery fatigue can make one easily give up.

Do not give up. Just keep at it. Get some advice from your ob-gyne (try getting one who is breastfeeding-friendly) and other sources who can help you in your nursing adventures. Jenny Ong, the mommy blogger behind “Chronicles of a Nursing Mom”, has provided a list of useful resources here <  >.

So to all you “milky mommas” out there, be proud of the choice you made, and arm yourselves with the knowledge and information that you’ll need to help you in your journey.

 

Click here to see more tips on breastfeeding in public.

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Read on to see more tips on breastfeeding in public.

 

2.    Practice makes perfect.
Take the time to establish your nursing relationship with your child at home, so that when it is time to bring her out and about, you are fully confident about, and at ease with breastfeeding.

It may be helpful to practice breastfeeding Baby in front of a mirror so that you can check how you will look, i.e. how “exposed” you will be. I did this with my first child, who was born in Timor Leste. I had no access to nursing clothes and covers there and so had to settle for the trusty lampin to cover me during breastfeeding. I would practice nursing little Timothy in front of the mirror in different outfits, positioning the lampin to provide appropriate coverage. This helped me gain confidence to nurse in public. There were times that people would approach me and would be surprised that Tim was actually nursing.

Whatever “tool” you will be using to cover up – breastfeeding clothes, bibs, ponchos, lampin, baby blankets – it will always pay to practice first. This will help avoid embarrassing “peek-a-boo-other-people-can-see-your-breasts” incidents later on.


3.    Choose your (nursing) cover.
When I was a new breastfeeding mom in Timor Leste (East Timor), I scoured the Internet for helpful sites about breastfeeding covers in the Philippines. I vowed to buy an appropriate cover for myself when we went home for the holidays. I discovered a lot of different companies selling nursing “gear” and here is a list of some of the available covers I personally prefer (though I am yet to purchase any of them! For Baby No.3 perhaps?):

•    Lilymoms Breastfeeding Wrap – By fellow mompreneur Denice Nillas-Price.
The wrap gives mommies complete front, back and side coverage using stylish lightweight cotton fabrics. I like the different designs available – makes breastfeeding look oh-so-stylish!
•    Nursingmom Breastfeeding Covers – By mompreneur Bessie Campillo.
These covers are of the “bib” type and Bessie’s designs look so cute and chic that nursing looks so easy-breezy and fashionable at the same time.
•    Indigo Baby Breastfeeding Ponchos or “Bonchos” – By yummymummy mompreneurs Denise Gonzales and Monica Eleazar.

This is an item I’ve been meaning to buy but keep postponing. Now that Rysse is 1 and a half, I don’t think the boncho will be much use since she keeps pushing aside any piece of cloth that I try to cover up with. But I would still buy the boncho for its fashionably funky style and the oh-so-many ways it can be worn, breastfeeding or not.

Aside from these nursing covers (and there are still others out there, just try Googling it), there are also a number of mommy-owned businesses that sell nursing wear and accessories, such as Mommy Matters, Blissful Babes, Plume and Bosom Buddy. So come to think of it, breastfeeding in public should not actually be something to be dreaded. In fact, it could be an excuse to shop for that fabulous top or dress that incidentally has nursing access too!

If however, you are a frugal mom like me (in the vernacular kuripot!), and may not be able to afford the extra cash to buy nursing wear, the good old lampin or baby blanket or shawl can serve the same purpose.

 

Click here to read more tips on breastfeeding in public.

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Read more tips on breastfeeding in public.

 

4.    Know your “battle field.” Err.. in this case, “breastfeeding field.”
Whenever one goes out, it is always best to scout out possible areas or places where one can breastfeed. Of course, one of the best places would be an actual breastfeeding station or area provided by that certain place. In the case of the Philippines, these are usually found in major malls like SM or Robinson’s. Despite the lack of proper breastfeeding stations though, all you actually need to nurse your baby are: 1. Your baby and 2. Something to cover up with. I have actually found myself breastfeeding in the corners of malls (in between shops), in the lobbies of hotels, in hospital waiting rooms, at coffee shops while chatting with my girlfriends, in tricycles, jeeps, buses, boats and planes. Again, the key here is to be confident that you are not doing anything wrong, in fact, you are giving the best nutrition for your baby.


5.    Be fiercely polite and politely fierce if needed.
Despite all your best efforts to breastfeed in public without causing shock or dismay to other people, there will always be one or two people (mostly men!) who cannot help but stare at you while you are nursing. In this case, one cannot do anything but stare back politely, or if needed, bare your teeth and say “Excuse me, but do you mind, my son is having his lunch!” In the words of David Allen – “My opinion is that anybody offended by breastfeeding is staring too hard.”

It is this author’s hope that nursing in public should not be a cause of concern to other moms out there – despite the funny stares one may get, or the occasional accidental flash of skin, breastfeeding, in public AND in private, is one of the best experiences for both Mommy and Baby (and even Daddy!)


Photo from flickr.com