I’m no breastfeeding expert, but between my two children, I’ve logged quite a bit of experience so far. I nursed my first-born for 14 months and I am currently 7 months (and going strong) nursing my second born. During those 21 months of nursing, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks to make things easier. These might be no-brainers to some vets in the breastfeeding game but not everyone has access to a support system full of knowledge and experience.
In case that is you, we hope these things make your journey easier!
RELATED: 5 Benefits Of Breastfeeding For New Moms
1. How To Nurse Comfortably And Confidently In Public
People who’ve never nursed, and a select few that have, don’t understand that nursing in public is a thing that happens when you have a breastfed baby. At some point in the next few months, you will be out in public shopping, eating, or minding your business in general and your baby will start the hungry cry. It has happened to me plenty of times and at first, I would get nervous but now I know exactly what to do.
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The Double Shirt Method is a good way to discreetly nurse without feeling the need to run to a dirty public bathroom or quarantine yourself in the car. It’s also a good way to avoid spending money on nursing shirts.
Essentially, you wear a tank or camisole under your regular shirt and when it comes time to breastfeed, you pull the top shirt up and the undershirt down around the breast you plan to nurse with. You then latch your baby. This way you can nurse your baby with only a small amount of skin exposed.
Another tip is to use a fitting room as a nursing room. A lot of malls and large department stores have family restrooms with a nursing station or two but if not, this is always a great option. Fitting rooms usually always have a chair or a bench, privacy, and they are a lot cleaner and better smelling than a public restroom.
If you find yourself in a store that doesn’t have a nursing or fitting room and you forgot to double up those shirts, you can always do the discrete cross cradle. I have had to do this a few times while my baby and I were stuck on an airplane.
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I’d pull up my shirt on the side I want to nurse, just enough to let the baby latch, and cradle her across my stomach. This is best done while sitting in a high back chair. You’ll want to position yourself and the
