Breastfeeding in public

Mums have to feed their child wherever and whenever he is hungry. If this happens to be on a bus, in a supermarket or sat in a restaurant, your baby needs to be fed. Having the ability to feed your child when out in public is an important aspect to successful breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding in public can be a daunting prospect to most new mums but is now an acceptable part of modern day life. Although you may feel shy about breastfeeding when out and about, it is a perfectly natural and normal thing to do and often much easier, as you don’t need to find somewhere to heat formula and sterilise bottles – your baby can be fed straight away.

If you are worried about breastfeeding in public, find out where the Breastfeeding Friendly Businesses are in Hull. These are all places that have signed an agreement that say they are happy for your to breastfeed in that particular café/restaurant/shop and would welcome you inside when your baby needs feeding. Otherwise, some larger retails outlets have dedicated mother and baby rooms where you can sit with other mums and feed your children in private.

You are allowed to breastfeed wherever you choose. If anybody comments or makes you feel uncomfortable, politely remind them that you are simply feeding your child. If anybody is offended, they can look away, you should not have to cover yourself or move away, and you should definitely not have to feed your baby in the toilet!

Try to be discreet when breastfeeding in public as there will always be the odd person that finds the act of breastfeeding bewildering. Just remember that what you are doing is the most natural thing in the world – if they don’t like it, they don’t have to watch.

Don’t forget: breastfeeding your hungry baby should be your number one priority. There is no need to feel self conscious as it is a completely natural thing and what breasts were actually intended for! But if you really can’t cope with the idea of breastfeeding in public then you should carry around a bottle of expressed milk that you can feed your baby with when required.