Breastfeeding benefits for both, the mother and the baby cannot be denied. The first ever decision I made regarding my baby in the initial days of pregnancy was to breastfeed my child no matter what happens. I did all my research beforehand about things which will help me this decision. I made arrangement for the breast pump, sterilizer and feeding bottle so that my baby gets breastmilk even in my absence. Not only that, I was eating lactating foods from the early days of motherhood. The very first goal of my motherhood was to provide breastmilk to my baby, whenever and wherever he demands and Alhamdulillah I have been able to achieve that goal till date.
My baby was diagnosed with Acid Reflux/GERD in around 15 days of birth so giving bottles to him was out of the question. I kept the bottles for emergencies like when I’m in shower and Ali is crying. I had no option except to nurse Ali in public and with the help of a few things, it became extremely easy for me.
Here’s how you can breastfeed in public easily:
1. Never Shy away:
The first and foremost thing I would say is to never shy away. Breastfeeding your child in public is nothing to be ashamed of. Consider this something normal. Won’t you feed your child in public when he is all grown up? This is the same thing, just the method of feeding is different. I have never shied away from nursing Ali in public. I have nursed him in the hospital corridor during our doctor visits, in the cab, in restaurants and in malls as well. If you have fully covered yourself, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.
2. The right clothes:
When I was pregnant, I use to think, what is the need of maternity wears. But now in my breastfeeding journey, I have realised the importance of maternity wear. Wear nursing Bra, nursing top or kurti whenever you are going out. That will be very helpful to nurse your baby. Just unbutton or unzip and you are done! If you are wearing hijab, go for abayas or coats with front opening.
3. Feeding Cape:
No matter what you are wearing and where you are going, Carrying a feeding cape is very helpful. I always keep a feeding cape in my diaper bag because you never know when your baby demands feed.
I would like to feature my friend’s brand of feeding capes here. Nurture feeding capes are made by mommies at home and the cloth used is breathable and comfortable. You can get affordable capes from there in your selected design. You may check out the capes and contact the Nurture team here.
So these are a few things that I feel makes it easy to Breastfeed in public. If you have some other tips, do share with me in the comments section below.
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