tips for nursing in public

[LHcj2008]

I have a 4 week old infant and I am nursing him all. the. time. He is a big comfort nurser, can only suck to soothe himself and perhaps is also colicky? But he can be consoled 100% of the time if I put my boob in his mouth so I don't let him cry much at all since I know that is what works. However, as a first-time mom, I was not anticipating nursing to be this demanding, so I am very nervous about going out in public, considering I spend 24 hours a day in my nursing bra or topless at home since my baby is attached to my breast more or less the whole day & night. Nursing around family and friends is fine, since I can put on a v-neck top and they don't care about me whipping out a boob. However, I am feeling a big lack of confidence when it comes to the possibility of nursing in public in a discreet, skilled way. I feel so awkward managing clothes even at home. I have one of those nursing covers that looks like an apron but I find that that is almost more of a pain than it is to just whip the girls out, considering it's another thing I have to pause to put together while my baby is crying, and then because it is a dark color I can't even see down in there in order to get my baby to latch on properly. The few times I've used it I've actually just pulled the whole thing over my head as well so that I can see what is going on in there.

I would love to get out of the house one of these days without worrying/being nervous of my ability to NIP. I haven't been out of my or my parents' house but maybe 3 times in a month, and during none of those times did I need to nurse since they were short trips (ped. appt., etc).  I don't have any nursing tanks nor nursing tops- just bras. Not sure how to manuever my clothes or how to nurse discreetly in a way that I will feel confident being out and about and having to nurse as often as I do. At home I do nurse my baby in the Sleepy Wrap (like a Moby) but it's in a position that I sort of made up and is in no way discreet, since as of late my baby prefers to sleep up against my breast (only is able to sleep if I nurse him to sleep). 

Any advice?

[Marissamom]

I usually pull my shirt up from the bottom so that I can somewhat cover with my shirt. my biggest recommendation is to try nursing in front of a mirror, so you can see what's covered and try different stuff out until you find a way that makes you comfortable. good luck, I know it took me a while to feel completely comfortable. 

[carepear]

I wear a nursing bra, nursing tank and a tshirt over that.  I wear both the tank and the bra because I haven't been able to find something that was supportive enough.

So what I do is tuck the nursing tank into my jeans so it won't creep up and then pull my tshirt up, unbotton the flaps, I can do it one handed and without anything showing.  Latch her on quickly and then scrunch the tshirt back down towards her face. 

It was tough at first but eventually I got to where I could do it without much effort.  And the nursing cover was totally not working for me - when I found my self putting my head in there (just like you!) so I could see what was going on I just gave up on it.  I just never could get the hang of it and felt like it was drawing more attention to myself by using it.

[PatioGardener]

i wear a nursing top and a nursing bra underneath. i always think a cover says "look at me look at me i'm nursing a baby under here!" while you really can't tell i'm nursing with the nursing top unless you're used to nursing moms or you want to get really close to the baby!

eta: nursing in front of a mirror helps, or you can get someone to take a pic of you like i did with my friend who was really shy.  her husband didn't even guess she was nursing in the photo!. 

[averlee]

There's lots of solutions & tricks.

One option is what I call the "triple black". I'd wear a black nursing bra, a black Tshirt or tank top, then a black button-down top over. Open the buttons, top shirt opens from middle, lift Tshirt from the bottom, and nursing bra flap down. All the layers the same color, plus baby blocking the action, is pretty discreet. It actually looks like you're just holding your baby close and your clothes are rumpled.

Another option I call the "snip snip". Find the funkiest, ugliest tank top or t shirt in your closet or drawer, one that sorta fits but you wouldn't mind ruining. Put it on over your nursing bra and use a marker to draw a horizontal line over where each of your nipples are. Take off the shirt and snip along the lines you drew...Ta da! Your very own super-coverage thing. Wear it under any cute shirt with your nursing bras.

Also, the "silkscreen" method. Instead of a receiving blanket or nursing cover, use a pretty silk scarf. You can just hold it, wave it around a little, and cover up for a second here & there like when baby pops off or the waiter comes with your lunch. You can sorta secure one corner under the strap of your nursing bra and let the rest dangle down the front.

You can plan your first outings to be especially nursing-friendly, too. Some places I've been especially comfortable nursing have included: starbucks (every single one, no matter how crowded, nobody looks twice), the diner I ate at a lot while pregnant (everybody was so glad to see the new baby and were really nice), the library (especially in the children's area, bookish people tend to support breastfeeding), playgroup (lots of us milky mamas there!), the beach (naked people everywhere, nobody cares what I'm doing), and the kids' goods thrift store even has lots of comfy places to sit (and they sell hand made nursing pads).

[MoxieC]

my best advice as a first time mom with a four month old:

-my daughter was the same at one month, even two months!  felt like she would never stop nursing and it would always stop the crying.  around 3 months things changed drastically, so don't worry- eventually you'll be able to go out for 2 or 3 hours without nursing!

-i am not comfortable at all with exposing myself in public...just too modest.  the apron cover works for me now that baby can latch on with no assistance, but when she was smaller and needed help, i used one that had a neck with some sort of stiff support that bowed outwards so I could see down the apron without any trouble.

-i started buying shirts from motherwear.com, and they are awesome...the best are two-layer tops where the under-layer has slits...so you can open your bra and expose yourself through the slit in the under-layer, then pull up the top layer to the point where baby can latch on.  i found this easy and the best part is that your back and belly stay covered.  i don't like pulling the top of my shirt down in public because if she dribbles, i end up with a big milk stain at the top of my shirt!  but if you pull bottom-up you're less likely to have this problem.

-not sure what bra size you are...i'm usually an a-cup and am still only a b now that i'm nursing.  i use soft-cup bras without underwire- not nursing bras- and i just pull the cup aside to expose my breast so that i don't have to worry about all of the snaps/clips that come with nursing bras.

good luck- hope that helps!  just start experimenting in mom- and kid-friendly places and do what works for YOU. 

[Nicole730]

First for sure get some nursing tanks or else cut some slips in some a-shirts (beaters).  Then tuck that into your pants so your stomach doesn't show (if you care about that, I do!).  Then pull up your shirt and have that cover the top of your breast.

Do you have a ring sling?  If your baby continues wanting to nurse nonstop, you can nurse in a ring sling- hands free if need be.  It takes some practice and I did lots of laps around the house before I got the hang of it.  But, now I can say that I've walked around the store and zoo nursing DD in the ring sling, without other people even knowing I'm sure.  There is enough fabric in the ring sling to pull around baby and you can use the tail as a cover too.

good luck!  the more you nurse in public, the easier it gets.  My second is now 10 months old and I have no problems whipping it out and nursing anywhere without any sort of cover.  Although I do still prefer my stomach not show.  People can see my breasts, just not my gut ;)

[Anna Phor]

Good luck! Can I also suggest finding a new moms group to practice at? Or maybe a LLL group? I had a fantastic new moms breastfeeding group, and that was really helpful for me.

[bbrandonsmom]

Hi, do you have a sling or wrap?  They are the best.  You can nip, and the extra fabric from the wrap or sling can be used as a cover if you like.  Also, you can get things done around the house, as well, since you can nurse and carry babe at the same time.  I never liked those extra blankets to cover up-too much trouble, and called attn I thought.  Slings and wraps also cover your belly, shoulder and breast as well, if you have the right one, so takes care of modesty and accidental flashing :)

   It's hot here, but I just wore a cami under my regular tops.  Nursing bra for the first 6m, until my breasts went back to normal, and I could wear a nursing pad in my regular bra.  I could lift my top, pull the cami down, un-clip bra, and nurse.  No skin showing.  

[crystal_buffaloe]

Here's my advice:

1) Practice at home in front of a mirror :)

2) Go to a LLL meeting & watch other women BFing in public & practice there -- no one will bat an eye, even if you have to whip the whole thing out over the top, like I did at my first meeting

3) Set yourself up for success with your first NIP experience. Go with a friend with a baby if possible (she can keep and eye out for you and let you know you're covered) and go somewhere friendly. A not-too-crowded coffee shop or a comfy chair in the children's section of the library, or a park bench (okay, maybe not in this weather, but you get what I'm saying).