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Dear Hands-Free Breastfeeding Mom that I saw in IKEA,
You might have noticed me staring at you. It wasn’t because I was appalled that you were feeding your baby while walking around the living room showroom. It wasn’t because I thought that what you were doing was inappropriate either. It was because of one thing and one thing only: I admire your ability to breastfeed your child without having to use your hands. You see, I would love nothing more than to do a little handsfree breastfeeding the next time I breastfeed a child. I just can’t seem to get the knack of it though.
You could say that I’m blessed (or cursed, depends on who you’re asking) with a large bosom, and the British rock band, Cornershop, did say that everyone needs a bosom for a pillow, but it makes it exceedingly difficult to mimic your handsfree skills while wandering around IKEA. I am just amazed by how effortlessly you nursed your baby, covered with a delicate gray shawl, walking about the showroom. It was discreet and it was beautiful. It actually made me want to another another baby, which is a good thing.
Sincerely,
Me, Bert
While my family and I were shopping for pillows at IKEA today I saw so many women breastfeeding their babies in public. Some were sitting on benches with breastfeeding covers. Some were wandering around the store; some were discreetly covered by a shawl and one woman I saw had a cami on and that was it. And one woman came into the family restroom I was in changing my daughter’s cloth diaper to sit in a comfy leather chair and nourish her baby.
I walked about the store with a sense of pride. These women are my people. They know what it’s like to not only give physically give their bodies to growing and sustaining another life for at the most 40 weeks. They understand what it’s like to continue sharing their body with a child ensuring he grows healthy and strong. Maybe I’m hyper aware of public breastfeeding because August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month and there have been a few breastfeeding in public debates on the morning network shows? Whatever the case, on this particular Sunday afternoon, IKEA was surrounded with beautiful women breastfeeding their babes confidently. That right there, being able to feed your child publicly in confidence, is what this awareness month is about.
On a lighter note, can you breastfeed your baby without your hands? What’s your secret? I want to make this happen next time around!
Special thanks to the beautiful mothers who shared their breastfeeding pictures with me: Shannon, Erica, Karine, Kim & Meg.
Seeing women breastfeed in public is always so encouraging to me. As a new mother who is breastfeeding for the first time, it’s rather scary to attempt breastfeeding in public for the first time. So if you’re one of the women who can so confidently nurse your baby without a care in the world for anyone else, keep up the good work! You’re an inspiration!
I can breastfeed handsfree if baby and and boob are on a pillow of some kind. Otherwise, I’ve got to prop that sucker up for her. I’m also envious of those moms who can just unsnap the bra and their baby can sit up and nurse. DD is 1 and she still has to lay down. That’s just the way I’m built.
I nursed in the Pikkolo easily from birth – 9 months 🙂
I am blessed with a larger than average chest, too. After some practice in low stress situations (like at home with a baby that wasn’t starving, I was eventually able to successfully breastfeed hands-free discreetly. It took a Beco Butterfly II, an udder cover,a great bra, and the baby dropped low enough so his mouth met up with the nipple, but we did it! We often have had people chat with us and not even realize he was nursing! He is now almost two, and we don’t do so much public nursing anymore, but it was so liberating to be able to feed my baby whenever wherever when he was younger.
I’m Large Chested Too, And I Do Ok Hands Free In My Boba. It Helps Now That My Son Is A Toddler And He Can Help Out And Hold And Support Things. Before, I Took A Prefold And WedgeD It Under My Boob For Support. You Do What You Gotta Do!
I’ve nursed at IKEA, on the couches that provide a ‘sitting room entrance’ to the restaurant upstairs, but not walking around. However, I have managed to nurse while walking (hands-free) using a sling. I don’t think the baby liked it much though, because that was the first time he bit me. We haven’t tried much since.
Nope- I can’t do it.. I have fed my baby every day for over 16 months now, and I have zero skills at public feeding.. She never would latch and stay latched with a distraction in the room. And I could never cover her…
I tried.. it just ended up in a lot of pain for me as she bites and fights to look around.. we usually end up in the car, with a shade up so she can’t see anyone.
And at 16 months, she is even pickier- she will only nurse lying on one side, in our bed..it works great for us though. I wouldn’t change it. Really. She is on a schedule, and she is happy!
I can nurse hands-free when I’m wearing my daughter in our ring sling. It’s awesome.
Great post. I too love seeing moms nursing in public. I just mastered nursing hands free this time around with our fourth child. I use my Baby Hawk and go about what I’m doing.
I can nurse hands free when we are lying down. I can almost do it hands free in the Moby wrap, need a little more practice. 😉 Hoping that we can go hands free when he gets bigger. (he is almost 3 months, so still kind of little)
I nurse hands-free while wearing my Ergo carrier! At Ikea, Target, grocery stores..wherever. I’m rather ample in the bosom department as well, so to make it work, I loosen the underarm straps on my ergo to let baby sit further down, then I pull my breast up and out of my shirt. Snap the Ergo hood in place and tada! I tried it a few times at home to get the hang of it and check myself out in the mirror to see how much (if any) I was exposed. Good thing is that even with a huge bust, I can make it happen without being exposed. Depending on how fussy baby is, I will need to slip one hand into the carrier and just position my breast so that she can nurse comfortable, but I can still continue on with a free hand and walk around getting things done.
I have been able to nurse hands free while wearing my baby in our bjorn, moby wrap, as well as a baby sling. The bjorn was definitely the most difficult, it took some fanagaling for sure… But it’s super awesome to use a carrier of some type and a cover over us! We have done this quite comfortably many times.
Great post Bert! I am able to nurse in my Boba and my Lillebaby carriers. I could nurse in my ring sling, but not well. It is never comfortable for me, but it does work when it is necessary.
Two children later and I still can’t nurse hands free. I have to be sitting or laying down.
Love, the idea is more come to brestfeed in public with no shame!. I need to use a carrier to breastfeed handsfree
I was never able to be hands-free but it’s amazing to see women do it!
I cannot nurse hands free! I would love to know the secret! Maybe a different carrier or bigger boobs! LOL! I need all hands on deck!
I have big breasts and I cannot seem to do it! Need to use one hand to support the girls! ;o)
i want to learn how to do it hands-free!
I was nervous to nurse my son in public, but before my daughter came I decided I was tired of hiding and missing large portions of church and I was going to nurse her with a cover wherever we needed to. It was great! I never got a dirty look and I had a few friends tell me they appreciated it because it gave them the courage to do it too. I can nurse a baby while walking around, but I need at least 1.5 arms.
I can’t do hands free but I nurse in public all the time sans cover. I have a hard time breathing under a cover so I don’t expect my baby too. Nobody has ever said anything or given me a dirty look.
Love this post. I too have a “large bosom” and can’t for the life of me figure out how people nurse hands free. I’ve nursed DS in his Ergo once, but that was no small feat for me. In the end I just prefer to sit somewhere and feed my little guy. My favorite place to nurse him in public is on the Belmont Pier. We go there after swim class and it is so peaceful and nice. But really I’ll feed my little guy anywhere, from a restaurant, to the museum, to an airplane. That’s what’s great about breast feeding, you don’t need anything but yourself to feed your baby!
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