Whilst they were pleased to hear the majority of mums had fed whilst out and about, the survey also showed that 63% of these mums had felt uncomfortable doing so. Over the coming weeks families will be spending more time outside and with this in mind Medela want to make sure that every breastfeeding mum gets the support they need in order to feed confidently this Summer.
The survey highlighted that more than 40% of mums felt uncomfortable because people gave them ‘funny looks’ whilst they were feeding. One mum commented ‘I found public feeding was stressful, people can’t help but look...’ Worryingly 26% of the mums we asked were concerned that if they were feeding inside a café or restaurant that they would be asked to leave, one mum even commented:
‘I was once sent to a single cubicle toilet and expected to feed my baby sat on the loo!’
To help mums boost their confidence, Sioned Hilton, Medela’s lactation consultant has put together some top tips for mums who want to breastfeed whilst out and about. She suggests that finding a quiet place or just practising at home can really help mums. More than a quarter of mums said they felt uncomfortable because they couldn’t cover up properly, but as Sioned advises wearing a good nursing bra or a breastfeeding vest can make this much easier.
It is not all about the mum though - the public have an important role to play too, if they can recognise that breastfeeding is completely natural, mums won’t have to worry about funny looks or comments. Interestingly 21% had never received any negative feedback whilst feeding outdoors, proving that slowly but surely people are becoming more accepting.
Breastfeeding friendly cities are springing up across the country and many cafes and restaurants now display a badge welcoming new mums, so with a little more awareness and expert advice, Medela hope breastfeeding in public can be a peaceful experience. With the recent warm weather, and Olympics starting many families will be out and about and needing to feed their little ones wherever they are.
If you want to help support our breastfeeding campaign, we would be delighted to provide top tips on feeding outdoors from Medela’s lactation consultant as well as advice on useful products.
About Medela
Medela provides the most technologically advanced, superior-quality breastpumps and breastfeeding accessories to nursing mothers around the world. A longtime champion of breastfeeding, Medela is the only company to develop products based on research by the world's leading lactation experts. As a result, Medela's breastpumps are the number one choice of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities worldwide.
Medela has developed an extensive line of products to meet the diverse needs of nursing mothers. These products include hospital-grade, double and single electric as well as manual breastpumps; breastfeeding accessories such as cleaning products, breast care products and specialty feeding devices; and maternity and nursing intimate apparel in some countries.
Founded in 1961 by Olle Larsson in Zug, Switzerland, Medela continues to grow under the ownership of the Larsson family. Medela serves customers through a worldwide network of distribution partners in more than 90 countries and its 14 subsidiaries in Australia (as of Oct. 1st 2009), Benelux, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
