Feeding a big, long baby in public

[halullat]

Has anyone got any tips on how to feed a big, long baby in public? I have no idea how long my LO is at the minute but at birth he was over the 95th percentile and he looks very long and I find it really hard to manoeuvre him when not feeding him on a settee, I'm only 5 ft tall so have short arms and so that makes it harder. Plus he is heavy and I am puny!

 

[CandyDay]

have you looked at getting a wrap or a sling. The weight would not be all on your arms that way.

 

[MommyJogger]

I assume you do the "prop my feet up on something so I can support the baby on my bent legs" maneuver, too? lol! If so, I always found taking our stroller with us to be useful if I knew I'd be sitting to nurse. I'd park the stroller in front of us and use it as a leg prop and nurse just like I would at home with my feet on the coffee table.
The sling suggestion is a very good one and definitely worth looking into and practicing-- nursing in a sling is sooo useful.

 

[halullat]

I've been trying to master feeding in a sling after a post in here and it looked so handy but I am useless at it! But if it is really helpful I will persevere!

It had never dawned on me to prop my feet up on the pram, I cross my legs with one ankle on my knee and then awkwardly try to get into a suitable position and it never really works!

Thank you both x

 

[Pink Petals]

DS was born 10 lbs 13 oz. I laid him on a nursing pillow the first few months, even in public. When he got too long, I laid him on my lap and hunched forward a little.

 

[halullat]

I might invest in a smaller pillow then too as the one I use at home is my old pregnancy sleeping one and is really long! Thanks for the advice! x

 

[melfy77]

I'm 5ft 2'' but have long babies thanks to my 6ft 1'' husband I use a breastfeeding poncho and love it!! It's big enough and you wrap it around your arm so there's no way it can slip and expose the boob

 

[halullat]

Thank you, yeah my husband is 6 ft 5 in, and he really seems to take after him! That is a good idea, I've got an apron but he waves his arms around a lot and exposes me from the side quite a bit, it doesn't help that I'm currently in a K cup so I struggle to be discreet at the best of times!

 

[PuddlePuppy]

Hi I am the same and struggled with my oldest, after a while I found that having knees higher then bum, either on sofa or with my feet onbuggy or similar, with babe laying across my lab on my coat worked best, I have a big bust so have to hold the feeding boob, so I have a huge scarf that I drape around us and hide everything. As she got older sitting cross legged on thefloor or leg crossed whilst sitting and leaning towards worked well.

At home I use a normal bed pillow with my feet on stool. Last time I got awful carpal tunnel in both wrists, from holdingboob and babe so I try and get pillows or coats to do the work now to rest my wrists.

Hths

 

[halullat]

Thank you, I use a cover thing that goes around my neck (he's a flailer!) as I struggle with the whole discreet feeding thing because I'm quite busty (and uncoordinated!). The knees up idea sounds good too, as he is always nearly rolling off my legs so I struggle to keep him on my lap and get him into posit etc.

 

[Tacey]

I found crossing my legs and having baby straddling the top one worked well.

 

[Rachel_C]

I found that as LO got older, it mattered much less how she was lying. It was easiest (and probably comfiest for her) if we were on a sofa so her legs could stretch out to the side of me, but really as long as she has a boob in her mouth she's pretty happy. If we sit in an arm chair, I will put her legs on the arm of it - those bucket type chairs are good for it. If we're on a wooden dining chair type, she's happy enough with her legs dangling/kicking whatever she can.

I never bothered with a cushion but a wrap or folded coat/cardigan can easily be used as a cushion for LO's head/back when you're out, without having to lug a cushion around