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10 tips for breastfeeding in public
Nurse your baby with confidence wherever you want with our lactation expert's advice
Breastfeeding mothers and their babies shouldn’t feel they have to stay home – hey, they want to enjoy the same activities as anyone else! Current recommendations are to breastfeed exclusively for six months and to continue breastfeeding with added complementary foods for two years and beyond. If you’re not comfortable breastfeeding in public, you can find your life becomes very restricted.
Many mothers are already perfectly comfortable breastfeeding in public. That’s great – not only for you and your baby, but for those women and girls who are not yet mothers, who learn about breastfeeding when they see you.
But maybe that’s not you. Maybe you are feeling pretty anxious about nursing in public. You worry about what people will think, and how much skin you’ll be showing. These tips may help:
1. Know your rights. Breastfeeding in public is legal and a very good thing. You are nourishing your baby with the most biologically appropriate food, and – as a great side benefit – you are educating any young men and women who might happen to see you. The Ontario Human Rights Commission, for instance, specifically states:
No one should prevent you from nursing your child simply because you are in a public area. They should not ask you to “cover up,” disturb you, or ask you to move to another area that is more “discreet.”
Remember that it is legal for women in Canada to be topless anywhere it’s legal for men to take off their shirts – so why worry about a little breastfeeding?
2. Practise at home in front of a mirror. If you’ve been concerned about showing a lot of skin, this will probably reassure you that it’s not likely to be an issue. A nursing baby covers your breast rather efficiently. You can try nursing in different outfits to see which ones work for you and your baby. Some babies can’t stand any fabric touching their faces as they nurse, others are less bothered by it, so experiment to find your best options.
3. Choose clothes you’ll feel comfortable in. You can buy (or sew) specially-made nursing clothes that have hidden openings to make breastfeeding easier, or you can put together nursing outfits from ordinary clothes. A loose-fitting T-shirt is often a good choice in casual situations, because you can simply lift up the shirt on one side to feed the baby. If it’s loose, the extra fabric will cover most of your belly and breast. A shirt that buttons down the front can be unbuttoned from the bottom to nurse, or unbuttoned from the top if your baby doesn’t like fabric touching his face while he’s breastfeeding. The belly bands that many women wear when they are pregnant can work well to cover up your postpartum tummy when you lift up your shirt. Put a cardigan, loose unbuttoned shirt, or jacket over a T-shirt, tank top or shirt, and you’ll also have most exposed skin covered up while baby’s at the breast. You can also take a snug-fitting tank top, cut two slits in the front large enough and in the right position for you to breastfeed, and wear that under your shirt, T-shirt or jacket for extra coverage.
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What do you think?
Jessica.Tabin says ....
I used an udder covers nursing cover and was able to breastfeed my baby anywhere I wanted without making anyone else feel uncomfortable. It was great for me and for everyone else. A nursing cover is a great help!
Jen (not verified) says ....
I think that it's unfortunate that the people most likely to be reading this are breast feeding moms...not the "other" people in public....the judgers!
katemadmeg says ....
I have my third child and I have to say I have never felt totally comfortable nursing in public yet I nursed my first two until they were 2 and I am hoping to nurse my third until she is one. I wish I felt more comfortable, I find that in the malls many women walk around with bottles and the nursing rooms always seem so far and some of them are so cramped and smell of dirty diapers. My strategy has always been to nurse before I leave and hope to finish my shopping trip before they need to nurse again. I do use a cover and I often nurse in the passenger seat of the car before I head home. I have had several nursing tops/bras that have added to my comfort so I don't expose my after baby belly and well I went from a B to a DD and that took a lot of getting used to as well.
Kathryn (not verified) says ....
I have never had a problem breastfeeding in public and while I will sometimes use a discreet location if possible out of respect for other people, I will also happily pull up my shirt in the middle of a crowded room to feed my baby if need be. I have actually had people tell me that they appreciated seeing how comfortable and natural I was about feeding my baby in public because it helped remind them how natural the process is. If we all breasfed our babies wherever and whenever the need arose, nobody would think twice about it.
Erin (not verified) says ....
I have my response ready for anyone that dares ask me to feed in a washroom "Would you eat your dinner sitting on public bathroom toilet?" "No? Because it's gross?? Then why would you expect my baby to?!" haha
There was a woman I read about that sued a restaurant because the manager told her she had to LEAVE! Not cover up or move, actually asked her to leave. She sued for minor $ - the amount to fill her gas tank to drive back to the restaurant, money for her family of 5 that were there to re-order dinner and an apology and they were forced to put up signs about breastfeeding rights :)
Chris (not verified) says ....
I do appreciate this article . . . I'm sure it's very helpful for someone who isn't sure about nursing in public. I am expecting my fourth child and while I am discreet, I am not bothered by what other people might think. HOWEVER, it did seem a bit strange that while the message is to know your rights, most of the tips are about searching for a private place, facing away from others etc. There is absolutely no need to be squared away in a change room! Again, I do think it's appropriate to be discreet, both for my own modesty as well as for the comfort level of others, but I will not hide in a changeroom for 20-30 minutes!
JM (not verified) says ....
Wonderful article. I have never had a problem nursing in public, but have encountered many people who have tried to shame me for it. I am not a "women's rights" fighter, nor am I someone who pushes my opinions on other people... I'm just a mom who wants to feed her babies when they need to be fed! I sincerely hope this article helps other moms to be as comfortable with nursing in public as I am so that they and their babies can enjoy the benefits that go along with it!
JP (not verified) says ....
I'm pregnant and plan to breastfeed, but just because that is my choice I don't believe everyone needs to be part of it. And I don't need to push my beliefs on others. A person can nurse in public, and another person has every right to not want to have it pushed upon them. People can be discreet, and I appreciate the tips for being discreet in this article.
Brenda (not verified) says ....
The best thing I ever did was to wear a cami with a button down shirt/sweater or anything that covered shoulders. Pull up cami and voila...chest is not exposed. button bottom buttons of shirt/sweater while nursing and belly is covered too. The sling held baby and I didn't look obvious at all, just looked like baby was sleeping. Went everywhere, nursed baby and nobody ever noticed. 3 stair step kids and not once in 4 years was i asked anything, nor did anyone ever look twice.
Anonymous says ....
great tips!!!
Shannon Logie (not verified) says ....
I think this article is terrific! Thank you for sharing!
Darleen (not verified) says ....
Good article. Thanks for sharing.
Just wanted to add that feelings about breastfeeding are cultural. In many other cultures breastfeeding is the norm. It can be here as well if we continue to do it. The more we see mom's do this the more it will become a natural part of our culture as well.