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Home › Articles › Breastfeeding Basics › Breastfeeding in Public

Breastfeeding in Public

The Right Way

By Shel Franco

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breastfeeding Most people agree that breastfeeding gives Baby the very best start in life. Still, some nursing moms find themselves the subject of steely glares and nasty comments. Is it any wonder then that many breastfeeding mothers try to avoid nursing in public as much as possible?

"When I started nursing my first breastfed baby [in public] I was very nervous," says Kim Ryder of Baldwin, Mo. "I guess I was afraid of criticism, having someone come up to me and tell me that what I was doing was inappropriate." But over time, Ryder, like most breastfeeding mothers, learned a few tips and gained enough confidence to quiet her nerves.

The Right to Nurse
The first step in quieting those public nursing nerves is to realize that breastfeeding in public is not illegal. To further stress this fact, most states now have laws in place. Although the law will help a nursing mother avoid being removed from a public place, it can't ensure a warm reception toward breastfeeding in every situation. Rather than worry about it, there are specific actions every breastfeeding mother can take to make nursing in public easier.

The Right Information
"The key is confidence," says Heather Franco of Lake City, Penn. "The only way you can have that is to educate yourself. Whether it's by reading books, magazines, Internet articles or simply by surrounding yourself with friends, family and other nursing mothers who are supportive, you're sure to gain the self assurance necessary to nurse your child in public."

The proverbial source for breastfeeding support and information is La Leche League. Many women find that simply attending monthly meetings helps them build the confidence they need. "When I first started going to meetings, I didn't know anyone, so I was even nervous to nurse there," says Heidi Mills of Lexington, Ky. It wasn't too long before all that changed. "Before the baby was a year old, I could lift up my shirt and latch her on without looking down once, even in the middle of a conversation," she says.

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