On Nursing in Public (Also titled: Avoiding a Nip-Slip)

Ten months ago when Ingrid was born, I was all gung-ho for breastfeeding. I was ambitious. I was going to do it right. I would feed her whenever and wherever she needed. Scared and anxious at first, I slowly overcame my fears. (I even had Phil document the first time I nursed her in public!) With the support of my husband, friends, and family, I have been able to keep the promise I made to myself and my baby. I have nursed my little babe all over - the zoo, church, restaurants, the park, the coffee shop, the library, in front of strangers, in front of family, in front of my dad.

At the beginning, I tried searching for tips and tutorials on nursing in public. Surprisingly, these were hard to find! I just kept practicing and got better with time. Now that I feel like an expert I thought I'd put together a little video for you all, sharing some tips and tricks so other mamas out there can learn to do it with confidence and without giving someone a nip slip. (Even though I'm sure your lover kind of enjoys it from time to time.)

NOTE: This is my very first real vlog. (Also, I kind of hate the word vlog.) Please excuse the excessive amount of 'ums.' And what is with that lip smacking? I do not think I do that in real life. Also, the first person to correctly count the number of times I say the word 'breast' in this video, gets a prize. Seriously. Count 'em up and comment here with the correct number. 

Avoiding a Nip Slip from Lacy Stroessner on Vimeo.

Cliffs Notes Version:

1. Wear a nursing tank to cover your stomach
2. Wear a shirt you can lift up from the bottom
3. Try to have one hand free at all times
4. Wear a jacket or scarf if you want some extra coverage
5. Practice makes perfect

What has worked well for you? Who has been your greatest source of encouragement?

-L