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It never fails. Just after you’ve settled into your new role of playing on demand milk factory, and shortly after you’re able to dress in something other than yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt, you realize that you need to get back to the real world! By real world, I mean that you actually need, or most likely want, to leave the house. EEK! Nursing in public?! As much as you’d like to stay put, life must go on even though your baby is connected to you at least 60-70% of the time. It’s not always easy to schedule your outings around baby’s feeding schedule and let’s be honest, you can’t stay inside the four walls of your house forever.

If you’re a little nervous about nursing in public, I don’t blame you one bit! We all know that when we are first trying to get the hang of it, there are boobs and milk everywhere! To top it off, I had a very rough start to breastfeeding with my firstborn. We were finally able to make it work and this mama was ready to enter the real world again. But there was one problem: I was terrified to leave the house!

I had the same fears as you, and guess what? I was able to overcome them!  I’m sharing the easy trick I used to get comfortable nursing in public in just one day.

Here’s How I Got Comfortable Nursing in Public

First, I chose a day and planned an outing with my baby. I decided the mall was a safe place to go, and I wanted to shop anyways, so what the heck? I think a mall is a great place because there are many different areas you can nurse depending on your level of comfort. You can nurse in a fitting room, the food court or in a sitting area of the main walkway. Many malls have designated nursing areas or sitting rooms connected to the women’s restrooms. Heck, if you want to be sure comfortable, you can even nurse in a department store that sells furniture!

Even though there are so many different places to nurse, I was still terrified that I would be out in public with a crying baby and not be able to get her fed. My solution to that was to pack everything that I could possibly ever need while out.

Do Whatever Makes You Comfortable

I packed my nursing pillow (love this one! So much better than a Bobby!), a bottle of breastmilk, (in case my fear turned into reality and my breasts just magically stopped producing milk when it was time to feed my baby.) multiple burp cloths, (I was still dealing with an overactive letdown) a change of clothes for both of us (anything is possible, right?), a nursing cover, a nipple shield, (These are the ones I used in the earlier weeks when I was dealing with latch issues.) my breast pump (Pump bags don’t have to be ugly! Here’s my beautiful pump bag!) and all of the courage I could muster up. It’s worth mentioning that I left most of this stuff in my car. I was not walking around the mall with a huge pillow and breast pump!I would have brought these 25 breastfeeding products as well had I enough room in my car:)

I also wore a shirt that I knew would make it comfortable to nurse. I’m sharing some darling nursing shirts later on that would be perfect for this occasion. So, keep with me!

It sounds silly now, but when you are a brand new mom, all of this is new and there are A LOT of unknowns in your head.

When the day arrived, I fed my tiny baby one last time, grabbed my overstuffed diaper bag and headed to the mall. I was able to get a little bit of leisurely shopping in but to be honest, I knew what lied ahead so I was having a hard time enjoying myself. About 2 hours into shopping, my sleeping baby awoke and was ready to eat.

Choose a Safe Place for Nursing in Public

I had only nursed in front of family members at this point, so I decided that I was most comfortable going into one of those sitting areas that are typically attached to the women’s bathroom in a department store. (I ended up in Younkers) If anyone were to see me nursing, it would be a woman so I was okay with that.  It was a Tuesday afternoon so I had that going for me too as the store wasn’t busy at all.

I got into the room, picked a seat and whipped that boob right out. My daughter latched on like a pro and there we sat. In public, (well, kind of) nursing away.  At one point a lady walked in. She just smiled and walked past. Once she finished one side, I had the courage that I needed to head out into the mall and finish feeding her.

I headed out into the mall and found a quieter wing and sat right there in the chair. I nursed my baby right there and nobody cared. Nobody saw my breast, and nobody paid attention. My babe finished nursing, I put myself back together and gave her a quick burp.

I did it! I had officially nursed in public. To be completely honest, that is all it took for me to become a natural at it! After that experience in the mall, I was able to feed my little one pretty much anytime, and anywhere that I needed to.

Be Discreet!

If you’re still feeling a little nervous about nursing in public, that’s okay! The biggest fear about nursing in public for most new moms is that you might accidentally slip a boob shot to someone who you’d rather not see your breast! That strange man at the restaurant or the little boy sitting across from you on the train is probably at the top of the list. Lucky for you, there are some super cute nursing shirts, hoodies, and cover that will assure you keep your modesty! Here are my top picks:

If you’ve had a baby in the heat of the summer, or live in a warmer climate, this tank top is adorable! It comes in 15 colors/prints and it’s a super clever discrete design. You just lift the flap to feed your baby. The best part? You can’t even tell it is a nursing tank! 

I used a nursing tank top like this one to layer beneath my regular shirts. These tanks clip down from the top like a nursing bra, making it easy to lift your top shirt and feed that baby! They also mank nursing tanks that are designed to just pull to the right or left instead of unclipping. If that’s what you’re looking for, try these ones! Keep in mind that when using the layering method, your top shirt will need to be a bit looser or a stretchy material when. These are probably the most versatile nursing tank top you can own. I used to sleep in them, lounge in them, and go out in them!

More cute tank tops you can buy on Amazon!

Casual tops you can buy on Amazon

Perfect for a day out shopping or you can dress them up a little for business casual. I’m dying a little inside about the woman in the red shirt. How awkward do you think this photo shoot was with her?!

Long Sleeves and Hoodies on Amazon

Spend a cooler day in one of these cute and fashionable tops that look so cozy! Go to a football game, talk a walk in the park or visit a cider mill and have easy access for feedin@ Next time I am nursing a baby, I will definitely be getting myself a comfy nursing hoodie!

Feeding baby in public doesn’t have to be scary or uncomfortable! Combine my simple method with one of the fashion-forward nursing tops above I’m sure you will rock at nursing in public! You can do it, mama!

Do you have any other tips that helped you get comfortable nursing in public to add? Share them in the comments!