How do the words breastfeeding in public make you feel? Do they make you feel anxious and scared? Or do they make you feel carefree and confident?
As soon as I found out I was going to be a mother for the first time, I immediately knew that I was going to breastfeed exclusively. I knew there would be times when I’d have to breastfeed in public but decided I wouldn’t worry about it until I had to cross that bridge.
I never thought that it’d be a problem or that anyone would have an issue with me breastfeeding my child in public until I had to start breastfeeding in public.
And I learned that the main person who had an issue with breastfeeding in public? Was me.
Is Breastfeeding in Public an Issue?
Breastfeeding in public isn’t quite normalized, that is true.
And if you pay attention to occasional news stories about nursing in public, yes, there have been weird men who have sneered at women feeding their babies in public.
Maybe some people don’t appreciate the beauty of a mother nursing her baby. And they might have their private thoughts about it.
But what I’ve learned over time and after nursing two babies is that most people don’t really care. Everyone’s pretty much minding their own business these days, it seems.
When I started nursing my first baby in public, part of me was always waiting for that one person to call me out in the middle of the crowd screaming, “Hey lady put that thing away!” or “Find a bathroom to feed your child!”
But, thankfully, that never happened.
In fact, no one has ever said anything to me. Except for one time when I was sitting by myself at a restaurant at the mall, a kind woman came up to me while I was nursing my baby and told me that I was amazing.
QUITE the opposite of what I had expected and built up in my head.
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So, all of the hesitation and issues I had? They were all in my own head. They were fears and stories that I had created in my own mind based on a couple of isolated news stories and incidents.
So, now that I’ve had experience with breastfeeding in public, I’ve grown to be very confident and comfortable.
How to Get Over Your Fears
I mentioned feeling uneasy while breastfeeding my son in public when I first started out. One thing I didn’t do was allow stop me from doing what I knew I wanted to do.
The more I fed my child out in the open, my confidence grew.
Don’t feel bad if this is something that you struggle with. Keep developing your confidence by breastfeeding in public every time you get the chance.
Breastfeeding, let alone breastfeeding outside of the comfort of your home, comes with its own set of challenges. You want to be prepared to make it enjoyable for both you and your baby.
Do what you need to do to feel comfortable. Bring a nursing cover if you feel more comfortable using one. Ensure you’ve got everything you need so that you are not scrambling around looking for things in the middle of a feeding.
Surround yourself with people who have experience with breastfeeding in public. These are the mamas who will have your back and who will give you some tips that will also help you be more confident and comfortable.
If it helps, try focusing on your baby, or reading a book, or even browsing the web on your phone. That way, you won’t be so aware of people looking at you.
I hope you found this helpful, and if you need more tips I have written a full guide on how to get over your fears of breastfeeding in public. And, I took that a step further and even have some words of wisdom from over 40 moms on what it takes to breastfeed in public — fearlessly.
No matter how you choose to feed your baby, you should not be shamed. Whether your child is fed through a bottle or a breast, you should not be judged.
Don’t let the negativity of a few — or the perceived negativity that hasn’t even happened — discourage you from doing what you need to do as a mama. Your babe is counting on you, and you’ve got this.
- How to Breastfeed in Public Without Worrying About Comments From Strangers
- Tips From 40+ Moms on Breastfeeding in Public
- 6 Common Breastfeeding Mistakes That Will Hurt Your Milk Supply
- The 7 Best Nursing Covers for Breastfeeding Moms
- 7 Best Organic Nipple Creams for Breastfeeding Mamas
- 8 Unexpected Things That Surprised Me About Breastfeeding
I think everyone who wants to do public breastfeeding should be comfortable to do so without judgement.
This is a very helpful article for new moms. I remember being almost afraid to breastfeed in public because there was such a stigma around it. That was years ago (my kids are now middle and high school ages), but it is still difficult for some moms. Great post!
Great tips! Breast feeding in public can be tricky until you get the hang of it!
I’m glad you found these tips helpful Holly. Thanks for reading!
xx
you go mama!!! feed the babies! I fully support this
These are great tips! I participated in a breastfeeding photo shoot after my second was born and which ended up boosting my confidence in nursing in public. I had such a fear of doing it with my oldest that I’d just go to the car if we were out. I was much more prepared and confident that second time around.
Great post!! My kids are too old to breastfeed, but this would’ve have been so helpful back in the day! I believe that if you are capable, you should always choose to breastfeed. Sharing this post with my new-mom friends 🙂
What a helpful post! It definitely took me some time to get used to nursing in public. It was a game changer when I finally bought proper nursing tanks and a great nursing bra. (I think I had purchased one ill-fitting, saggy nursing bra when I was pregnant, and thought, “Great! Got all my nursing gear!” WRONG.) I then lived in them for the next year. Totally worth the money!
PS–LOVE that pizza pic! 🙂
A beautiful post and information about one of the most important aspects of motherhood. Love this and grieve that others seem to make a big deal over a natural bond and importance for the baby.
This is absolute great info to share with parents who bf. I used to bf my kids for 2 years and I really love the feeling of closeness with my kids.
Thank you! And yes that closeness you develop with your baby as you breastfeed, is truly priceless.
I completely agree that basically the best thing you can do is to start off being informed about how to BF well! The hospital where I delivered had a BF clinic and I went like 4 times. That’s where I really gained the confidence to get a good latch, etc., so that when I was in public, it was reflex and I didn’t bumble around with my boob out. Great info!
It’s great that you had that resource made available to you. And yes, being informed and learning as much as you can is key to developing confidence! Thanks for reading!