Tips For Breastfeeding In Public

#1 Know Your Rights

It's the number one important thing that you need to be sure about breastfeeding in public is to know your rights. Knowing your rights helps you to be confident when you try to do such a task that can stress us easily, and will help you defend yourself when you are offended. In UK, it's absolutely legal to breastfeed your baby anywhere anytime in public, and nobody has any rights to judge you about how you do it, how old your baby is and what area you choose to do it. Meanwhile, it's illegal for anyone trying to stop a mother or to accuse them of breastfeeding in public. In Scotland, it's a criminal offense against such action.

#2 Know Your Baby's Feeding Time

It's very helpful to know your baby's feeding time. Getting your baby on a routine can makes things so much easier. When you know your baby's hungry hours you could plan and prepare in advance, which can save you from caught in rushes. For example. if you are shopping in the mall having your baby in the pram, and you know in the next half an hour your baby is gonna get hungry, you could find the feeding room in the mall, take your time to go there, and no crying and screaming in public, no rushes and anxiety would happen.

#3 Feed In Your Car

If you drive to town, your car is a lifesaver. You could change nappies in the car, and of course feed your baby there too. That can relieve so much stress in the first few runs to the public for new moms. Usually new moms are not familiar with the public service in the beginning, so you can park your cars in a convenient place, when your baby's hungry you could run back to your car and feed the hungry bird. If you know your baby's feeding time, it definitely help you to plan ahead as well, just in stead of running into a public special area, you would run to your car!

#4 Be Familiar with Public Breastfeeding Service

Going to a specific breastfeeding assigned area is so much less scary than pulling your shirt up on a random public bench. There are just other moms and their children, no all kinds of people who might stare at you or talk about you and quite certainly there are no men in the room. You will feel so much more comfortable and confident with what you are doing. And so much more natural. So try to get a clue about those places provide breastfeeding facilities. Usually you can find them in shopping mall, some restaurants, children's hospital and maternity stores. If there's not, you could go to a nice big fitting room in a clothing store.

#5 Choose A Nice Environment If You Are Not Going To A Public Breastfeeding Room

Choose a warm, quiet, clean environment to feed your baby if you can't find a public breastfeeding room. Don't go to a toilet. It's not nice. It's not hygienic and can smell weird. Your baby will not enjoy the feeding in there. You can go to a coffee shop, McDonald's, a book store etc. Make yourself  comfortable and take your time.

#6 Be Respectful

While we got the rights to breastfeed in public, we got to respect the public as well. We are living in a cultivation, so we could cover ourselves a little bit to save a lot of embarrassment. Scarves, a nice big muslin cloth or a proper designed cover are all good choices. Of course, if you don't want to use something to cover a bit, that's no problem at all. Your baby's body and head could already hide a lot. Also when you are breastfeeding, if you don't want eye contacts with other people, you can look at your phone, or just look at your baby, or just join in the conversation with your friends if you are with them.

#7 Choose suitable clothes.

Breastfeeding in public can be a hassle. So we moms all try to make it as easy as possible. It's probably not a good idea to wear something too tight, or many layers when you need to pull up or open up your clothes sometimes. So a simple shirt or some soft cotton loose top is perfect.

#8 Be Proud

You are feeding your baby! You are taking care of another little human being. It's totally natural to breastfeed. Don't forget, all women breastfed their babies when there's no such thing as formula. So never feel ashamed or embarrassed because you are breastfeeding, no matter in front of who. You should be proud yourself and all other moms.