Tips for Breastfeeding in Public

As you will know as a parent, breastfeeding is a completely natural, normal, and often necessary way to feed a young child. 

Feeding your baby will obviously be something you need to do several times throughout the day, and for many parents, this involves the act of breastfeeding. 

When you are breastfeeding at home, you will likely not even think twice about doing so, but when you are in public, you may have some reservations. These reservations could be to do with your own ideas about not wanting to breastfeed in public or could be more to do with the opinions of other people.

Breastfeeding in Public

Breastfeeding your child in public is completely legal absolutely everywhere in the UK. 

This means that if you are in a public place, like a café or a supermarket, and your baby is hungry, then nobody is allowed to discriminate against you for breastfeeding.

If you are asked to leave the premises for breastfeeding your child, then this is illegal, and you should stand your ground. This might be hard to do at first, but as your confidence grows as a parent, you might find it easier to assert your rights. 

If another person in a public place is offended by what you are doing, then the service provider legally cannot refuse to serve you, request you stop what you are doing, or ask you to do it somewhere more private. It is the responsibility of the offended person to move away should they wish to do so. 

Discretion and Privacy

Although you are completely within your rights to breastfeed your baby anywhere you wish to do so; some parents might prefer to have some privacy during feeding. This is a choice that an individual must make for themselves, and this decision may be influenced by any number of different reasons.

If you do wish to feed your child discretely in public, then a baby feeding cover is a great solution. A feeding cover can easily be worn by the breastfeeding parent and will obscure the breast from view. 

These feeding covers are quick and simple to use and can be stored easily in a bag to take with you everywhere you go.

Clothing Choices

Choosing clothes that make it easier to breastfeed in public is a good idea if you are going out somewhere with your child. 

Loose-fitting tops that you can keep on while feeding your child are a fantastic choice. You can simply pull a loose-fitting shirt down and breastfeed your child without having to take the garment off. You can also lift up the shirt from below and feed this way if you prefer.

Loose-fitting clothes are good for both ease of feeding and also for maintaining your privacy. 

If you are wearing a bra, then a sports bra that is quite stretchy is often a good choice. Having to undo the clasp of a bra in order to feed your baby in public might not always feel like the easiest choice, so bras without clasps are a sensible choice.