Breastfeeding in Public

Breastfeeding In Public Helps Increase Awareness and Boosts Confidence For Other Mom’s Who Plan On Breastfeeding Her Baby

I can’t even count on both hands how many times that I have seen a breastfeeding mom’s complain that they were told to leave or to stop breastfeeding their baby while in a restaurant, mall, church, ect.  As a breastfeeding advocate, I could see how offended I would be I was asked to leave, nurse my baby in a restroom, or to stop breastfeeding.  As a new mom it would have made me rethink my decision to breastfeeding in public.  Most nursing mom’s are more worried about their breasts leaking, showing too much skin, or just feeling self-conscious of their feeding choice.  Instead of people judging mom’s for breastfeeding, people need to show them respect by acting normal around them.  Respecting a breastfeeding mother’s decision to nurse in public will increase her confidence.

New mom’s shouldn’t be afraid to nurse their baby in public.  Remember it is up the mother to determine if she wants to cover up while nursing or not and it isn’t your place to judge her.  As a mom who breastfeed my children for over 4 years combined, I wanted to share a few suggestions to help a new moms to feel more confident about her decision to breastfeed in public.

  • Know the Law – There are laws, mostly at the state level, to protect breastfeeding mothers while nursing in public.  Each state is different so it is important to determine what the law says for your state.  Some mom’s have printed out the state law for their state and kept it in the diaper bag so that they could easily show someone what the law was about breastfeeding in public.
  • Stand Your Ground – If someone does confront you, stand up for your rights to breastfeed your baby in public.  If you are asked to leave, contact the manager on duty to verify the company policy.  In fact, 9 times out of 10 most places don’t have a policy in place.  Even if there is a written company policy, they are still bound by state laws and you can refuse to leave as long as the law states that you can breastfeed where ever you are at.
  • Use a Blanket or Nursing Cover – If you aren’t comfortable with nursing in public, you can use a blanket or nursing cover to cover up your breast and baby while you are nursing.  Some babies don’t like to be covered up especially when they get a bit older.  If it is hot, it might not be a good idea to cover your baby up.  Babies can easily overheat and they don’t sweat the way adults do.
  • Find a Discrete Place to Nurse – If you are uncomfortable nursing out in the open, find a hidden or secluded area to feed your baby.  There are some stores that are breastfeeding friendly and have set up special rooms for nursing mothers to use.  You can also ask an employee if they have a comfortable place for you to nurse.  If it is too hot to use a nursing cover or blanket, you have the right to use a dressing room to nurse my baby so that you don’t have to use a blanket or nursing cover.  Never use a bathroom to nurse your baby, after all you wouldn’t eat in a bathroom.
  • Express Milk for Your Baby – There are some mom’s avoid nursing in public and express breast milk for outings.  A breast pump is a great way to safely express milk for your baby so that you can feed your baby a bottle with breast milk while out in public.  A breast pump also works great for mother’s who have to return to work and want to continue their breastfeeding relationship.

I realize that breastfeeding in public is a very controversial topic and not everyone is going to agree with my post.  I wrote this post to help educate new moms that they have a right to breastfeed in public and I wanted to support their decision to breastfeed their baby, even in public.  Mom’s who breastfeed in public are helping make breastfeeding acceptable and teaching other women and our daughter’s that it is perfectly acceptable to breastfeed their baby in public.

Have you ever been asked to stop breastfeeding in public?

Comments

23 responses to “Breastfeeding In Public Helps Increase Awareness and Boosts Confidence For Other Mom’s Who Plan On Breastfeeding Her Baby”

  1. Amber Avatar

    I don’t mind women breastfeeding in public because it is natural part of life. However, I read an article where a woman was walking around with her boob hanging out, not covered up while feeding her baby in public. That’s the only thing i have a problem with. If you are going to breastfeed in public, just throw a little blanket over your shoulder to cover the boobie up.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you Amber for sharing your opinion. I feel as if some clothing choices often show more than what a breastfeeding baby does.

      Covering up with an older baby is more difficult than a newborn but it is up to a mom to decide. I hope that breastfeeding becomes more acceptable. Things are slowly improving but it takes mom’s standing up for their rights to breastfeed in public if they chose too.

  2. Kari Avatar

    I breastfed all 3 of our kids and thankfully I was never asked to stop breastfeeding in public. But I also am pretty modest so I always found a quiet spot and typically used a cover up.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for sharing Kari. I am a modest person so I chose to cover up as well.

  3. Amber Avatar

    I agree 100% with you! I personally use a nursing cover just more out of modesty. I don’t think there is anything wrong with moms without covers. What bothers me more is how this is even an issue when our society does not have an issue with ads etc. that show women in hardly any clothes.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for sharing Amber. I agree our society thinks its okay for you to wear less clothes than a nursing mother does. Hopefully, things change but I think it is going to take a few years and women standing up for their rights. 🙂

  4. Heidi Avatar

    I also breastfed all four of girls and luckily never had anyone come up to me about breastfeeding in public. Anyone who has the nerve to make harsh comments towards a breastfeeding mother should be ashamed of themselves in my opinion. We should be celebrating breastfeeding for all the benefits it provides both mother and baby!

    1. Christy Avatar

      I agree Heidi. I am thankful that no one ever said anything to me either.

  5. Jonathan Avatar

    Totally agree with what you’ve said about breastfeeding. I recently did an article about the situation here in the UK on my dad blog: http://dadsthewayilikeit.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/breastfeeding-why-dads-are-important-too/

    I really don’t get why some people have an issue with breastfeeding in public.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for stopping by and commenting on this post. It is nice seeing a dad who is supportive of breastfeeding. I think education will improve the awareness and help other’s understand that breastfeeding is a natural process. 😉

  6. Kristl Story Avatar

    I breastfed all three of my children, and I never had any “complaints.” Modesty is the key!

    1. Christy Avatar

      Kristi thank you for sharing your breastfeeding experience. 🙂

  7. The Detox Diva Avatar

    I for one believe in a mother’s right to breastfeed in public or anywhere else for that matter (and I am not even too picking on modesty!) . I have travelled the world and have seen beautiful strong women proudly (actually, no, just as a matter of course) breastfeeding their children and I think it is a bit puritanical (and a double edged sword too if you think about it) to give any woman any kind of difficult time about breastfeeding.

    1. Christy Avatar

      I agree that it is a touchy subject and I think if someone gives a breastfeeding mom trouble for feeding her baby that it says more about them. 😉

  8. Raine Avatar

    I was luckily never asked not to breastfeed in public. That person would have had a bad day and I fed my baby whereever and whenever. And I wore nursing shirts, so i was mostly covered up, but never used a blanket or anything. This is a great post with some great information for new mothers. Good job!

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for sharing your story Raine, I am not sure how I would have handled the situation had someone asked me to leave. I am thankful I was never put in that position.

  9. April - My Bizarre Family Avatar

    I don’t see anything wrong with breastfeeding in public. I do think it should be covered, but I am a very modest person.

    1. Christy Avatar

      Thank you for sharing your opinion April. 😉 I chose to cover up for the most part but if I had to feed my baby I would have done it as discretely as possible if I didn’t have a blanket or nursing cover to use.

  10. Paul Wandason Avatar

    Thankfully my wife never had any problems with breast feeding in public. Maybe in Holland things are more open. I think people who have problems with seeing mothers breast feed are only serving to show their own ignorance.

    1. Christy Avatar

      I agree with you Paul. I am thankful that the Internet allows us to talk about these types of subjects and raise awareness. But your a are right a person who comments negatively about a mother feeding her baby is ignorant and it reflects poorly on them.

  11. Columba Lisa Smith Avatar

    The only place I was asked not to breastfeed was in a church NURSERY, in a rocking chair, with my back to the door, covered with a baby blanket. So I went out in the rain and fed my baby my van. Good thing I was already a Christian! Vent over…

  12. Columba Lisa Smith Avatar

    I meant, fed my baby IN my van, lol!

  13. Rachel Avatar

    Amen, Christy! I couldn’t agree with you more. Women who breastfeed should be celebrated. They are doing what’s best for their baby, and breastfeeding is not easy. Great post!