How do you nurse out and about?

[CordeliaJ]

Hi ladies, I haven't been out much since our LO was born, only a few times to the park with DH. I'm going to start leaving the house more often & on my own, and I'm looking for advice and tips on nursing while out.
When I'm home I need serious pillow support because baby is HEAVY and I haven't developed many baby carrying muscles yet as he's only 3 weeks old. I really struggle to hold him during nursing, and the few times I've had to do it I've given myself serious cramp!
What positions would you recommend, or do some of you bring a cushion with you to bf on? Any advice much appreciated, as we still struggle with latching and whatnot and I'm nervous about trying to get him feeding properly when I'm in public. X

 

[shelx]

I havnt nursed in public apart from once today in the car. But i find it quite easy to nurse standing up. Could you try that? Like football position with LO sort of resting on my hip. Hes quite heavy too, hes 5 weeks and was 9lb3 at birth so im guessing hes 11lb+ now. Saying standing up though i would probably to to a bathroom or parent and baby room but thats just me. x

 

[Jadie]

I'd recommend going into a parents room where you won't have judging eyes when trying to latch him on! They usually have comfy chairs which will make you more relaxed and easier to feed.

I find wearing a fitted tank and an ahh bra or similar is best with a baggy top over the top. Lift the ahh bra down with the bottom tank and the baggy top up (minimal exposure). My LO likes to pull on and off the breast so it's best I wear two layers.

I don't take a pillow with me but I don't see why it would be a problem if you could fit it in the nappy bag somewhere!

Why don't you have a trial run with DH there for support the first time? That way it's not a huge stress on you for your first time?

Good luck! Remember relax and focus on you and bubs... The rest of the world doesn't matter!

 

[_Lexi_]

I feed anywhere. I tried covering her, but she hared it and would just thrash about and cry, drawing more attention. If I'm near somewhere with a feeding room, I'll go in there, just because it's comfier (my local mothercare have a feeding room with gliding chairs and a water machine - but they do only have 3 chairs). I have seen online inflatable feeding pillows, so that could be an idea? Would fold up small enough to fit in your bag, just don't know how long they take to blow up?

 

[Kellen]

Have you looked in to baby wearing? Maybe using a sling to support the baby while out and about? My LO was smaller I would wear her and allow her to nurse any time she needed to. The Moby covered everything so we didn't have to worry about a cover. When she graduated to the Ergo carrier I was able to sink her down so she could nurse from there as well. Now she just sort of crawls down my top. We are working on having good nursing manners in public... As of the moment I sit with her heavy 20lb body in front of me, legs wrapped around my waist and let her go for it.

 

[ThunderPearls]

I have found that if I can find a seat with somewhere to prop my foot on, it is much easier to nurse. I prop my foot up so that babies shoulders/neck are supported by mu thigh aswell as my arm, it takes so much of the weight off my poor arm muscles!

If you are outdoors with a park and weather is permitting or even if you can find a bench or big enough chair I find it easy to sit cross legged with baby 'cradled' by my legs and my arm supporting his head resting on my thigh to lift him up.

I have thought about a nursing pillow but they tend to be quite bulky and if you dont want to draw attention to yourself it might not be a good idea.

 

[Rachel_C]

I think a pillow would be too bulky to carry round, but you could roll up a chunky cardigan or coat to use instead. It might be a bit warm for that right now but soon it'll be time to get out the coats! I would actually stop using a pillow all the time at home - if you're not taking baby's weight now, you won't develop those muscles and LO is only going to get heavier. Perhaps for a couple of feeds a day try without a pillow. That way, you'll also be able to experiment with different positions without worrying what other people are able to see!

One that I quite like is to start with a normal cradle hold but let LO's bum and legs sink down to rest on your lap. If you're in an armchair, the arm supporting LO's head can rest on the arm rest and you have your other arm free. Your legs take a lot of baby's weight.

 

[CordeliaJ]

Thanks for all the advice ladies.

I think one of the big problems is that we have no armchairs at home. Our sofa sinks so I need cushions to even prop myself up, and I'm still in a great deal of pain from labour meaning it's quite hard to just sit down (even with a cushion underneath me). Even though I use pillows, the positions I try vary, and it's different when it's at night in the bedroom or during the day in the living room.

I have a couple of slings, a moby wrap and a baba sling. LO does not seem to like the baba sling & never stays in it without crying. The moby wrap seems quite complicated to feed in (because he's still so young & head flops about etc) and the only way he sort of stays in it is when he's high up against the middle of my chest (plus I find it hard to put that one on by myself :S).

I will try the legs crossed thing while out, as I sometimes do that at home when I'm not in too much pain. It's such a shame because I love our bfing time, but I get so uncomfortable after about 10 mins and just can't seem to find a way that works just right yet, especially without pillows.

 

[ThunderPearls]

You could also use your changeing bag as an arm support, put a blanket over it to pad it a bit and its just as good as an armrest of a chair.