Breastfeeding Away From Home

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Two precious children have made me a Mama: a three-year-old girl, Cora; and a six-month-old son, Freddy. For several reasons, my time breastfeeding Cora was short-lived, and I never had to breastfeed her outside of our home. Fortunately, the second time’s a charm and my breastfeeding journey with Freddy has been a natural partnership from day one. He’s had a great latch and appetite from the beginning, and I’ve put effort into pumping at work to provide bottles for him while I’m away and maintain my supply. Since I have a goal to breastfeed for a year, and the fact that I have a three-year-old, I have had to jump head-first into nursing Freddy on-the-go. The first time his hunger kicked in unexpectedly was when we were in the waiting room of an auto shop getting the oil changed in my car. It was an experience filled with stress, sweat (am I the only one who gets hot flashes while nursing?) and jittery hands trying to hold a blanket over my boob and belly while also maintaining a good latch and not letting my four-week-old tumble to the grimy ground.

Since that first incident in the auto shop, nursing has only gotten easier. I’ve found myself nursing at Cora’s dance class, doctor’s office waiting rooms, family dinners, picnics, street festivals, countless restaurants and shopping mall parking lots. Large dressing rooms with a seat are ideal for nursing. I’ve also nursed in the car with the windows cracked on nice days, but sometime you just have to sit on the sidewalk and take care of business. I’ve never had anyone tell me I’m nursing somewhere I shouldn’t be, or even really take a second look at me while nursing, which was a relief when I was just starting out.

In general, I think nursing gets easier as baby gets older; as he grows stronger, he can hold his head up and find my breast easier, and since he’s longer, his lower body can rest on my lap while I cradle his torso. If you’re really struggling to get your baby to latch and to maintain the latch, take a look at how you’re sitting. I really struggle with chairs that are too tall, even though they don’t seem that tall when you’re just sitting in them. If my lap isn’t squared-off enough, it’s hard for me to maintain my and my baby’s stability. This was something I didn’t realize until I had been nursing for a couple months; I knew some chairs were better than others, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. Sometimes when you’re nursing in a new place, you’re just trying to make it work, but taking a minute to make sure you’ve got a somewhat comfortable place to set up shop can make it go much more smoothly.

I always prefer to keep covered while nursing, which is easier said than done when you’re trying to keep a blanket over yourself and your baby (especially as they get older and acquire those wandering hands!). After maybe a month of nursing Freddy, I decided to make the investment in a nursing cover I was actually excited about. After reading countless reviews online, I purchased this. I love that it keeps my back, sides and stomach covered while I’m nursing, and my baby can’t kick it off. It’s also incredibly stretchy, so I often hook it around my knee when I’m nursing to help hold the neckline open so I can see in while trying to get Freddy to latch, which is helpful since I always feel like I could use an extra hand or two while nursing. Also, I just think it’s really cute.

I truly believe that in Colorado Springs, breastfeeding in public is so commonplace, people hardly notice it anymore. I am relieved to say I have never received a side-eye or snarky comment from a passerby while feeding Freddy. And while it may make it more difficult to eat your dinner while giving your baby his, just remember the convenience of nursing versus bringing bottles with water and formula (I had to do that with my daughter and I don’t miss it). The first time you reluctantly pull your baby out of his or her car seat to nurse while you’re out running errands, remember this: if you’re struggling with discreetly nursing your baby in public, this will get easier with time and a little bit of trial and error, just like many things in motherhood.

We are so thankful to UCHealth for providing this sponsored post. As always, the thoughts and opinions are 100% my own, and we always partner with brands we love and trust.
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Sara
Sara was born in Colorado Springs, and lived here her entire life until she attended college at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. There, she earned her degree in Journalism and Political Science. Sara met her husband, Luke, in the summer of 2008 while working at Wag N Wash Healthy Pet Center, although they didn't start dating until 2011 - after Sara had graduated from college and Luke had joined the Air Force. They married in 2012, when Luke was stationed in a small town in West Texas. Shortly after moving to the Lone Star State, Sara started her career in local television. She did everything from running the cameras, to producing the five o'clock news, to creating marketing campaigns for local businesses. Sara's daughter Cora was born in 2013, and Sara got her first taste of being a full-time working mom while living over 600 miles from her own parents. Luke's Air Force enlistment ended in the summer of 2015, so they high-tailed it back to Colorado Springs. Now, Sara lives near Old Colorado City and works in the marketing department of a law firm in Downtown Colorado Springs. She loves spending time with her family, cooking, biking, photography and playing with makeup (that’ll happen after working in television in Texas).

1 COMMENT

  1. I’m with you on the acceptance I’ve felt nursing in public. My daughter is 7 months old and I’ve nursed in stores, restaurants, amusement parks, the zoo, and the beach! I live in Canon City and travel to Colorado Springs and Pueblo often. I don’t always use a cover but I do always try to be discreet. No one has made negative comments EVER. It’s great that people are so understanding.

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