I'm a lactation counselor and former breastfeeding and pumping mom. I work with nursing moms every day in my job with Lansinoh. Many women come to me with questions about public nursing. Did you ever do it? Is it appropriate? For me the answer is yes and yes. There were many times when my babies needed to nurse NOW and my baby’s need to nurse trumped someone else’s possible discomfort about a baby doing something as normal and natural as breastfeeding. Waiting until I could find a private place wasn’t an option and I did not feel as though I had to compromise my baby’s hunger or happiness to satisfy someone else—much less an adult who can simply avert their eyes. Sometimes a baby needs to feed. If the option is to hear a screaming, hungry baby or seeing a baby nursing, I bet a lot of people would not choose a screaming, hungry baby. As discreet as the majority of moms are, it is almost impossible except to other nursing moms to see that a baby is nursing at all. The combined immediacy and intimacy of breastfeeding is one of its challenges, and one that I coach women to embrace wholeheartedly! If you’re not comfortable in public it is of course fine to cover up or hold off, but I do urge all the nursing moms to give it a shot and be proud of their natural ability to provide for their child anytime, anywhere. It is, after all, about feeding and nurturing your baby.
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I'm a lactation counselor and former breastfeeding and pumping mom. I work with nursing moms every day in my job with Lansinoh. Many women come to me with questions about public nursing. Did you ever do it? Is it appropriate? For me the answer is yes and yes. There were many times when my babies needed to nurse NOW and my baby’s need to nurse trumped someone else’s possible discomfort about a baby doing something as normal and natural as breastfeeding. Waiting until I could find a private place wasn’t an option and I did not feel as though I had to compromise my baby’s hunger or happiness to satisfy someone else—much less an adult who can simply avert their eyes. Sometimes a baby needs to feed. If the option is to hear a screaming, hungry baby or seeing a baby nursing, I bet a lot of people would not choose a screaming, hungry baby. As discreet as the majority of moms are, it is almost impossible except to other nursing moms to see that a baby is nursing at all. The combined immediacy and intimacy of breastfeeding is one of its challenges, and one that I coach women to embrace wholeheartedly! If you’re not comfortable in public it is of course fine to cover up or hold off, but I do urge all the nursing moms to give it a shot and be proud of their natural ability to provide for their child anytime, anywhere. It is, after all, about feeding and nurturing your baby.
Gina Ciagne, CLC
April 30, 2009 - 6:36amLansinoh Laboratories
www.bymomsformoms.net
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