Would we as grownups go out to a restaurant and then proceed to eat our meals in the loo, or facing a wall? Most likely not, right? Then why is it common for breastfeeding mums to be asked to cover up or to feed their babies somewhere secluded?
The stigma surrounding breastfeeding in public is impractical and insensitive. Be it a café, park or train, mums should be able to feed their babies whenever and wherever they want. We're all for women breastfeeding in public, and you should be too. Let's normalise this not being a thing anymore!
Laws About Breastfeeding in Public
According to the NHS ‘You should not ever be made to feel uncomfortable about breastfeeding in public. It is illegal for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport.’ A breastfeeding mother should not be treated unfairly because she is breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Tips for Breastfeeding mamas
Motherhood is a unique journey, one that doesn’t need the added taboo of breastfeeding! Something as simple as feeding your child in public should be the last thing that makes you anxious, here are some tips on how to ease off the nerves or any fear caused by the small percentage of society who aren’t allies.
- Comfort: Decide on yours and your baby’s levels of comfort before anyone else’s. Where are you at ease feeding your child, where is your child comfortable being fed? These are important questions to ask yourself. At the end of the day, your chid being fed trumps a bothered member of the public.
- Clothing: Wear comfortable clothing, that allows you to feed your baby with ease, choose options that make you feel great and that will make your life simpler. Our Nurture Collection is one such option, we’ve carefully crafted nursing bras and briefs that not only provide nursing mums with practicality, but luxury too.
- Confidence: Breastfeeding your child in public is not up for anyone else to debate. Your breasts, your child – hence this is solely your decision to make, one that you can be confident making. Whatever you decide works best for you, is not up for discussion.
Wear what you feel most relaxed and confident in, put yours and your baby’s comfort at the forefront of your breastfeeding decisions and remember you’re not alone – you’ve got this!
We can all do better to make breastfeeding mothers comfortable nursing their children in public. Those of us who don’t nurse or those who choose not to in public can still be supporters. We can start by standing up for them when we see them being mistreated, or by simply going about our day when we see a mum breastfeeding. The smallest of gestures can sometimes make the biggest impact.