This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe's Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today's post is about nursing in public. Please read the other blogs in today's carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!
Having my first child at a young age has had lots of advantages. One of the greatest is that I had no expectations of what having a baby, nursing or the years to come would be like. I didn't have peers with kids, so I made up the rules myself. I had no idea that there was any stigma associated with nursing in public.
I went to a La Leche League meeting during my pregnancy. I continued to go to meetings after my son, Kurtis, was born. This I feel was my greatest advantage to feeling comfortable nursing anywhere. Placing myself in the company of others who wholly supported my parenting style was key. I remember very clearly my first nursing in public experience. Kurtis was only one week old and I attended an LLL meeting. Of course, I nursed him there, but that hardly seemed like "nursing in public" as it was a breastfeeding support group. The real test was when I was invited to lunch after the meeting to a local restaurant. There I sat at a table with all the ladies trying to latch on my tiny nursling with milk spraying everywhere. The great thing was that I wasn't phased because neither was anyone I was with. It was the norm for this group of ladies and so it was the norm for me.
I wish every mother could start off breastfeeding with such a positive nursing support group. Without judgment I had no fear and without fear, I had no reservations. Only later in life was I to learn that not everyone nursed in public so freely. Now here I am nearly fourteen years later with a third nursling and I still nurse everywhere. I have nursed in planes, on trains, in public pools, weddings, libraries, schools, restaurants, theaters, parks, grocery stores, you name it. I find with the confidence I gained so long ago I am able to nurse anywhere and most people don't even notice.
If I could say one thing to a new mom about nursing in public it would be surround yourself with other nursing moms so you too can gain the confidence to meet the needs of your baby where ever you may be!
LLL of Sandy
Find an LLL group near you!
Here are more posts by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.
- Emily @ Baby Dickey—baby eats when baby wants: nursing in public
- BoobiesNBabies @ Num In Mind—NIP a Lil Giant, How We Do It
- Sylko @ Chaotic Mama—Breastfeeding Carnival: Nursing in Public
- Claire @ The Adventures of Lactating Girl—My Biggest Advocate
- Timbra @ Bosoms and Babes—Making it easy for everyone to nurse
- Kaitlin @ Bringing Birth Home—Breastfeeding Uncovered - A Peaceful Protest
- Claire @ Geeky Gaming Mama—Nursing in Public: What Makes it Easier
- Brooke @ Milk Maid Mama—Nursing in Public
- Kathy @ Musings From an Arid Neverland—Do I need fancy clothes to nurse in public?
- Shary @ Mama Fish—NIP: Nursing in Public
- Kimberly @ Monkey Tales Mama Thoughts—Nips: Not those, well kind of those
- Shelly @ Lousy Mom—Breastfeeding Public
- Sarah @ Most Revealing—Nip
- Renee @ Just the 5 of us!—No Reservations
- Natasha @ Natural Urban Mamas—Nursing in Public-Not a Big Deal
- StorkStories @ Stork Stories... Birth & Breastfeeding—Little Old Men… & Nursing in Public (Back by “PUBLIC” Demand)
- And of course the guest poster on the Breastfeeding Cafe’s Blog today is Heather Hendriksen—Tips for Nursing in Public
3 comments:
Great Idea! I still have not gone to a LLL meeting or breastfeeding support group. But it really would have been helpful to have people around me that didn't question my choice to breastfeed.
I love love love my LLL friends!
The first place I nursed in public without a cover was LLL. I was amazed that no one even noticed. It definitely helped me when I was trying to lose the cover everywhere.
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