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Tricks of the Trade
10 Tips to Breastfeed in Public
By Brenda Nixon
Your baby cries and it's feeding time. You feel the milk let down. Trouble is, you're in a crowded mall, museum or market. Do you go home to privately meet your baby's need? Yes, if that makes you both comfortable. However, we eat in public. Why shouldn't babies?
It's not necessary to leave your location unless you feel more contented being alone in the nursing relationship. Breastfeeding in public is legal in the United States, with the majority of states having some form of legislation enforcing a woman's right to nurse her baby in public.
However, public nursing is often a concern for first-time or shy moms. At first, the act may seem awkward – but like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Although nursing your baby is normal and natural, no one likes to feel exposed or embarrassed or to purposefully offend others. Most women don't enjoy being ogled or gawked at because of the size or protrusion of their fatty milk duct tissues. So how do you tactfully handle this joyful job? Here, experienced breastfeeding moms share their tricks for success.
1. "Buy a nursing bib. Mine was a denim bib with a mesh at the top for breath-ability, and it tied around my neck. With that in place, I nursed at restaurants and at my older kids' ball games without exposing a thing." – Trish Berg, Ohio
2. "I started going to my van and sitting in the backseat with a book. I would run the car, listen to music and have the air-conditioner on." – Marybeth Whalen, North Carolina
3. "Just lift up your shirt enough and cover the baby enough with a small burp cloth. Look out and around ... don't stare at the baby or watch her nurse – other people's eyes will follow yours. No one will even know you are breastfeeding if you don't draw attention to it." – Michele Steinhauser, California
