Breastfeeding in Public for the First Time

The first few times I breastfed my baby in public, I dreaded any judgement from strangers. I had seen the videos of people harassing moms online and accounts of strangers making comments.

I had purchased a nursing cover and took it with me on my maiden voyage. Before settling in on a couch at a local coffee shop, I quickly scanned the room for potential judgemental onlookers.  Meanwhile, struggling to get my daughter latched under the cover. Everytime I would take my head out of the cover, my daughter would unlatch. Every. Time. And we both were SO hot. I finally got fed up enough that I was questioning why I was covering in the first place. We were miserable every time! I quickly tossed the cover and never looked back. And guess what, my baby breastfed for 2 ½ years and I never once had a person give me so much as a dirty look! If they had opinions, I sure didn’t hear about them.

I started noticing how little I saw mothers breastfeeding in public. It saddened me because I was sure so many of them were experiencing the same anxieties I was and probably resorted to feeding in their cars or in bathrooms. Or maybe they weren't leaving their homes at all. It lit a fire in me to let go of my people pleasing attitude and keep nursing my baby in public. New moms need encouragement, solidarity, and support! 

Here are my tips for jumping in and nursing in public for the first time:

1. Bring a supportive spouse, family member, or friend with you. It’s nice to have someone to help with anything you need and offer support and company. 
2. Choose a place that has a comfortable place to sit. My favorite places had couches or armchairs that gave some support for my back and arms.
3. If you want to cover, great! If not, great! Just remember it's not worth sabotaging your breastfeeding journey to appease others if you or your baby aren't comfortable using one (two shirt method or breastfeeding specific shirts are great alternatives).
4. Center your focus on your baby and what they need, not in searching the crowd for a person that might be looking at you. 
5. Bring things that will make it more comfortable the first time (like your nursing pillow). Eventually, you won’t need it and will be feeding your baby anywhere like a pro.
6. It seems like there are tons of incidents when you are looking online. Stay off the posts about them and out of the comment sections. Remember that a video of a rude person is not a reflection of what commonly happens in real life and is only a tiny snippet of people out there. 
7. Remember that it is your legal right to breastfeed anywhere that you have a right to be in all 50 States. 

If you are a Grand Junction local, Colorado Baby is a great place to wet your feet. We are breastfeeding friendly, and have a couch just for that! 

Until next time,

Sharon