Nursing in public is often a big worry for first time moms. No one likes to feel exposed or embarrassed. No one thinks twice about feeding a baby a bottle in public, but nursing publicly often creates strong opinions on both sides.

Here are some good tips to nurse in public without feeling embarrassed or offending others.

1. Practice First To Get Comfortable

The best place to start is in your own home. Practice nursing in front of a mirror so you can see yourself exactly as others see you.

Nursing your baby is not a good reason to isolate yourself in the back room. You wouldn't eat in the bathroom or in the back room, so your baby shouldn't either. If you are worried about offending anyone, tell him or her that you need to feed your baby and give them the opportunity to leave. But to avoid any embarrassment at all, you just need to have the right accessories. You can easily find on sale very useful nursing covers such as the ones from Itzy Ritzy, eco-friendly, chic and feminine! Not an apron, but a fashion accessory, they take away the ‘risk’ element of feeding in public!

2. Nurse Discreetly

Discreet nursing simply means you avoid drawing attention to yourself and/or exposing yourself while breastfeeding. If you can master this art, you will be able to nurse your baby everywhere and almost no one will know what you are doing. Most moms feel much more comfortable about keeping things discreet, and you will find that others around you will also feel more comfortable.

3. Get the Right Wardrobe 

There is no way you will be able to nurse discreetly in a skintight zip-up-the-back dress. If you are going to be a nursing mother, you are going to have to make adjustments to your wardrobe. The easiest solution is to invest in some key garments that you can easily match. Washable clothing is a must but it doesn’t mean wearing unfashionable clothes or big sizes stolen from your husband’s wardrobe.

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With regular clothing, lift up your top to expose your breast, and then, once your baby latches on, adjust the fabric to cover as much of your breast as possible.

If you are wearing a button top, unbutton the bottom few buttons but leave the top buttons closed. This will help keep you covered. Eye-to-eye contact with your baby is important, so try not to completely cover up your baby under your clothing or a blanket. With nursing clothing, once your baby latches on, then you can also adjust the fabric to keep you covered.
A baby sling is a great accessory for public nursing. With your baby safely in a sling, you can nurse your baby and have your hands free at the same time. The sling can be adjusted to keep you covered and no one will ever suspect that you are nursing your baby.

4. Stay in Tune with Your Baby's Needs

When in public situations, be very aware of your baby's hunger cues. Every baby is different, but if you are observant, you will notice your baby may root, suck on his/her fist and or begin to get fussy. This is a signal to nurse immediately. Putting things off with a pacifier or a bottle will just make your breast-fed baby miserable and unhappy. It is so much better to feed at the first signs of fussiness or hunger. After a baby has tried every way to get your attention, they will start crying hysterically as a last resort. A screaming, miserable baby, whether breast-fed or bottle-fed, attracts lots of negative attention, and that is just what we are trying to avoid. A confident mother who is in tune with her baby and meets their needs quickly is much more likely to have a successful public nursing experience.

5. Find a Good Spot for Feeding

This is one of the most critical steps to successful public nursing. If you are in a restaurant, mall, airport or any crowded area, try to sit so you have a little privacy. Sit so that you can see what is going on. On an airplane, they often offer mothers an aisle seat, but for discreet nursing a window seat is best because it offers you at least one private side. If you can't get any privacy, turn your back while you get your baby latched on, then adjust your clothing and turn back around. Look up at people and make eye contact. Talk to them, laugh, have fun. You can do all of this while you nurse.

6. What If Someone Is Staring At Me?

This can really be an uncomfortable situation. The best thing to do is to return their gaze without backing down. This will usually cause them to look away. This won't happen very often and is much more likely to happen if you have a screaming baby. A nursing baby is a quiet baby and usually doesn't attract much attention. Remember, the whole idea of discreet public nursing is to act like nothing is out of the ordinary. Most people will truly have no idea you are nursing your baby.

In summary, just remember that nursing your baby is a normal and healthy part of everyday life. Breastfeeding in public doesn't need to make you nervous or uncomfortable. Stay firm in your knowledge that you are doing the very best thing for your baby.

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