Maternity Nursing Clothes
If you have decided to breastfeed, you can find many different styles of Maternity Nursing Clothes that are specially made to allow you to feed your baby comfortably and without revealing lots of flesh when you are in a public place.
When you reach your third trimester, you will need to start buying nursing bras, breast pads, and nursing clothes for the months ahead. You will probably start wearing the nursing bra and breast pads when your milk starts to come in, before the baby is born. You will also want to make sure you have at least some Maternity Nursing Clothes washed and ready to wear, including Nursing Dresses and Nursing Pajamas.
If you are nervous about breastfeeding in public, don't worry, most new mothers feel the same way. However, they normally find that the fear of nursing in a public place is worse than the actual experience. Usually the only people who notice you are breastfeeding are the other mothers who are doing the same thing.
Many women find ways to breast feed discreetly. If it makes you feel better,you can ask your partner or even a friend to stand in front of you while you lift your shirt from the waist. As you breast feed, the baby's body will cover most of your upper body and you can pull your shirt down to her face to cover the tops of your breast. Some mothers prefer to put a light blanket over their shoulders as a type of cover.
For those times when you are visiting someone else's home, you may feel more comfortable either leaving the room or turning away from people when you first put the baby to your breast. If you would like more privacy, you can always breast feed in an empty room, car, or restroom.
There are a lot of public restrooms that are becoming more mom and baby friendly by having a seperate area with a changing table and a chair. Several shopping malls now offer special mother's rooms where the mom can breast feed her baby in privacy. This is good for sensitive babies who are too distracted by other people and noise while feeding to nurse well in public.
If you simply cannot overcome your fear of breastfeeding in public, an alternative way is expressing or pumping your milk at home and then offering it in a bottle while in public. However, you should keep in mind that offering bottles with artificial nipples in the first few weeks of baby's life can and probably will interfere with breast feeding.
When breast feeding in public, you should always use what works best for you. During the first few weeks, it will take some getting used to. Just remember, breastfeeding will be as new for you as it is for the baby. You will both be learning together. Take comfort in knowing that with some time, you'll have no problems at all. It is important that if you don't feel comfortable breast feeding in a certain location, then you shouldn't. You must feel a certain level of comfort when you nurse, as the baby will be able to tell when you aren't comfortable doing something. If you show your baby that you aren't nervous then you and your baby will be just fine.
