Tips for BFing in public

[nona]

I loathe BFing when I'm out & about. Not bc I'm modest but it is so uncomfortable, my back/arms  ache and dd never takes good feeds bc I'm a bit impatient since I'm uncomfortable.

I think there is a new travel boppy but that's one more thing to haul around. SOmetimes I'll go back to my car but it isn't great.

Any tips to make it more comfortable?

[shivi]

With Emma I used a huge pashmina type scarf, totally hid her and most of me in it, it was dark so no distractions for her and practised in front of a mirror a few times at home to get the hang of it with her - she would do anything to get a nose of all around her from around 3 mths onwards so I was petrified she'd unlatch and my OAL would go everywhere! I did my utmost in fact NOT to feed when out with her - stuck to other people's spare rooms, mummy and me rooms in shopping centres and the like. With O I never had these issues - he was focussed enough to get some sort of a feed into him without unlatching...

S x

[Fiver]

If I haven't been at a toddler group or something, I've always tried to combine the "out and about" feed with sitting in a reasonably comfy chair in a coffee shop.

That said, I've never really had particularly achy arms/back when nursing

[essexlemon]

I have a fairly hefty changing bag as I like to keep *everything* to hand when we are out and about. It's a lovely, unflattering, brick shape bag and I keep it stuffed pretty full with muslins, spare clothes etc. It's not fantastic but if I really have backache I can shove that down the side of a chair to prop my elbow on, so I'm not totally unsupported.  Kind of like a makeshift sofa arm - or I will prop my knee against it with my foot up so that my arm is kind of resting in the in the nook of my knee with DS nestled inside.  Not sure if that makes sense - kinda hard to describe.  Not a very ladylike posture but there we go (I don't do skirts so no risks of double exposure).

With the car - you can wind the window up with a towel tucked over to create an instant privacy screen which gives you a bit more leeway to move about and find a comfy position.  I tend to find that sitting in the back is easiest - I tend to prop my leg against the side, or against DS1's seat and use my thigh as a makeshift support for my arm.

I tend to favour wearing a spaghetti strap top back to front as a vest (as the back is lower - it makes it easier to hoist 'the girls' over the top for feeding) so I lift my normal top up (usually a slightly tight T-shirt as they stay in place and don't keep dropping all over the baby like a baggier T-shirt) and don't expose a great flash of belly.  When DS bobs off and mucks about I just pull my shirt down a wee bit so it's covering my breast but don't worry about the belly as the vest is there - that way I can relax for a minute or two if he is taking a break without having to put everything away and then get it all back out again when he is ready to carry on.