A number of women express mixed reactions when it comes to breastfeeding while in public places.
To some women, it is shameful to breastfeed in public and thus would not expose their breasts during breastfeeding.
In a rural setting however, women openly expose their breasts while breastfeeding and it seems normal to them. To such women, even if they are in the midst of many people like a meeting or congregation, they find it easy to breastfeed their children in public without caring about who is looking at them.
To women who find it hard to breastfeed in public they could adopt the following tips:
- Move a short distance away from people so that you can breastfeed the child comfortably.
- If a meeting is short, try and breastfeed your children from home so that they do not get hungry in public.
- A child who is six months and above may be fed with enough food that can keep him satisfied thus reducing chances of breastfeeding in public.
- *If it is a work environment, the breastfeeding mother may talk to her supervisor so that she is allocated a better place and time to breastfeed her child to satisfaction.
- *A mother may resort to milk bottles that she may carry milk for a baby to depend on while in public.
- *Using a piece of cloth may also be help so that a breastfeeding mother is able to cover her breasts while breastfeeding.
- *Finally, if the baby is six months of age or above, a mother may breastfeed and leave him or her at home with a caretaker. Breastfeeding may resume when the mother returns home later, but this is effective when appointments or meetings are short so that the baby is not starved at home.
In all conditions, mothers should be given ample time to breastfeed their children in public.
Healthy Baby 