If you are a nursing mama, you have likely had to feed your baby in public.
It can be tricky, for many reasons. Baby doesn’t like to nurse under a cover, or is easily distracted. Maybe you just aren’t comfortable with it.
All of this is OK and normal!
Breastfeeding in public is important though. So, if you are comfortable with it, you should do it. Why? There are many reasons. Read on:
Representation
The fact is, only about half of babies are still breastfed at age six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control. So people aren’t as familiar with nursing – especially nursing in public – in the U.S. as they are in other countries. But the good news is, the more something is seen and done, the more commonplace it becomes. So, nursing in public is one way of normalizing it.
Baby needs to eat
Babies need to eat. Bottom line. And you don’t need to hide or find a bathroom stall to feed them in. Nursing in public is legal in all 50 states now (which wasn’t the case, even in recent history!) so feed those babies!
Parents need to get out
No one wants to stay in the house for weeks and months on end. That’s not good for anyone’s mental health. Parents need to get out and about and that means baby has to eat on the go sometimes – hence nursing in public.
Long-term success
The fact is, about 80% of moms start nursing their babies but by six months, only about half are still doing it. There are a lot of reasons for that (lack of family leave, anyone?) but if you can breastfeed in public, it can help with long-term success. Why? Because it becomes part of your routine or lifestyle and less of a hassle.
It is your legal right
Real talk: Breastfeeding is a normal and natural biological function. There are stigmas and negative attitudes about it, for sure, but every mom who nurses in public breaks down a little barrier and makes it easier for other moms to follow. It is your legal right to nurse in public, so do it!
Everything Birth
At Everything Birth, we love nursing mamas!