The first few months of your baby’s life is precious, made more intimate by the marvelous experience that is breastfeeding. Nothing else is as important, it seems, as cradling your beloved in your arms, nourishing him into well-being. This experience can be more special if you elude some of the inconveniences usually associated with breastfeeding.
* For starters, choose a nice setting for the many days and nights that you’ll be breastfeeding your baby. Pick out nice and cozy spots around the house where you can breastfeed comfortably. You need not always do it in your room or nursery.
* Find out the best position that works best for you and your baby. Are you better off lying down or sitting up? Get yourself properly geared up as well. There are nursing pillows that embrace mommy’s tummy and nursing bras that gently prop up your breasts.
* More importantly, never ever forget yourself. Taking care of an infant is a 24/7 task. If you don’t take care of yourself, you might get burned out. Eat properly. Drink lots of water. Sleep. Psyche yourself for those long breastfeeding sessions. Have a book handy or play some games on your favorite gadget. If you encounter problems, ask for help immediately. Your family and friends would be more than happy to lend you a hand.
Going Out: Nursing in Public
Filipinos love going to the mall, and moreso the urban mom who can finish off her to-do lists just by going around a mall’s various service centers. Fortunately, our malls have become breastfeeding-friendly, providing moms with nursing stations so that they may feed their babies in a serene environment.
SM Supermalls has various breastfeeding stations across their malls nationwide. Ayala Malls offers a lounge where mom can breastfeed while her husband reads the papers and the kids play with their toys. Rustan’s Makati has an elegantly decorated Nursing Station that actually looks like a showroom. It even provides baby products for you and your baby to use.
Definitely, breastfeeding in public has become a fuss-free endeavour with the help of these establishments. But before you venture outside, here are two things to keep in mind:
* Dress appropriately. There are ingeniously designed nursing wear that allows you to feed your baby without showing an inch of skin. No nursing wear? Grab a shawl to make for a quick coverup.
* Anticipate your baby’s needs. Don’t wait till the last minute to scoot over the nursing station. By that time, your baby maybe bawling his head off in hunger. Be conscious of his feeding time, always.
Nursing rooms are great, sure. But the part about nursing in public really got to me. I mean if moms feel uncomfortable nursing in public and showing skin, that is perfectly understandable. That’s what nursing covers and nursing rooms are for. But telling moms to “dress appropriately” and cover themselves up is not helping to normalize breastfeeding. Women should be free to breastfeed anytime, anywhere (provided it’s in a place she is otherwise authorized to be). If people around are uncomfortable, they should just look away. We tolerate showing off cleavage in public, so why shouldn’t we tolerate women just trying to feed their babies? I really hope your website does more to normalize breastfeeding, because it’s difficult enough to breastfeed without other people judging.
Thank you for sharing your insights, Joanne. We shall keep them in mind always. Just like you, we are all for normalizing breastfeeding. We also believe that each mom, just like in other important aspects of parenting, has her own sense of comfort level when nurturing her child. And there should be no issue whether she wants to cover or go to a private area to nurse, or do it out in the open.The editors of Mommy Mundo