Tips for breastfeeding in pubic?

Jeanmom

Jeanmom

Registered User
Hi all,

It's my 1st post in the forum. I have learnt a lot from you all. I am originally from Hong Kong but have been living in the States for some time now. I now have a sweet 6-months-old daughter and she has been exclusively breastfeeding. Hubby and I are planning to travel back to HK in May. I am very concerned about breastfeeding in public in Hong Kong. In the States, I can always BF her in the car or at the lounge area in the public restroom. We will be on public transportation most of the time, so BFing in the car is not an option.

Any tips for BFing in HK will be very much appreciated!

BTW, any tips for traveling with an infant? Would it be possible to travel internationally with a to-be 8 months-old by myself? (I'd like to leave early) Which airline would you recommand? Is Cathay Pacific a kid-friendly airline?

Sorry for having so many questions, but you can tell all these are making me very nervous. Thanks a lot!!!:thanks
 
just be discreet. i always figure if you hide away you are not helping to alleviate the stigma. you are not flaunting your boobs, you are merely giving your child his/her lunch. if others have a problem with that it is precisely that... THEIR problem.

i exclusively bf my girl until she was 6 months old. i did it wherever i needed to, i was just very discreet about it. i didn't use any of those cover-ups you can buy as i thought it would just draw more attention to what i was doing. also, i hated fiddling with the latch etc under the cover as i couldn't see what i was doing.

good luck! you'll be fine!
 
You will be fine. As Carang said, discretion usually is the best way to go. I use a nursing bib because although I have had no qualms with getting the boob out in public you do get people who are genuinely uncomfortable with it and they too are paying customers. They're available at Eugene Club centre, bumps 2 babes and mothercare. Otherwise, starbucks and pcc's are fantastic for breastfeeding. They are scattered all over HK with comfy chairs and I've never gotten any contemptuous looks!

I would also recommend getting the Prampushers Guide to Hong Kong. I bought it myself recently from dymocks and it has been a god-send. It's basically a collection of mini maps that outlines the best routes/mtr exits with lifts etc, baby friendly restaurants and other things to do with a baby in Hong Kong. There are also recommended shopping routes, which after all is one of the perks of coming to Hong Kong.

I haven't flown with an infant yet, but I know through friends and family both Cathay and Virgin cater very well to young uns and infants. They both have an online seat chooser as well I think.

Hope that helps and Good Luck!

Nashua :)
 
sorry, it should be discrete not discreet! yikes! and i call myself an english teacher!
 
yes, once your baby is sucking, people actually are too busy too notice. the only problem i had was i had to bring out my boob to let baby suck & she sometimes pulled at my shirt, exposing my breasts. so i always used a nursing cover. but most people in hk are too rushed or too busy to notice anything. as they say, starbucks & pacific coffees are the best places. but there are other malls in hk which offer nursing rooms.

i flown with CX when my baby was 9mths. altho i was flying with hubby, i still find the in-flight staff very helpful. my baby was already too big for the bassinet at 9mths. but anyway do ask for the bassinet seat, so you have more leg room. there are lots of threads here about flying with infants which you will find loads of tips. it is actually easier to fly with an infant. my daughter just nursed thru take-off & landing & whenever she was hungry. i didn't offer her any solid food during the flight, cos breast feeding was the most efficient, hygenic & easy thing to do when you're stuck in your seat.
 
btw, i think you'll need nursing covers when you're on the plane, cos the person sitting next to you is really really close, and if it's a man, he will be able to see your breasts.
 
carang said:
sorry, it should be discrete not discreet! yikes! and i call myself an english teacher!
Click to expand...

No, you were right the first time, discreet is correct. ;)

I am new to breastfeeding in public here too. I find that sometimes I'm comfortable with it and sometimes I'm not. I agree that draping wraps etc over yourself just tends to draw attention. I wear tshirts etc that you can lift up from the bottom, and this works well. Shirts that you have to unbutton or move from the top down expose you much more, so if you avoid that you'll be fine. It's true that people are busy and don't notice once the process has started. It's just the unhooking bra, attaching child bit that can be tricky. And once they are older they start looking around more. Still, I guess you can just give them a minimum feed when out and top them up later if you're worried?

Some shopping centres actually have breastfeeding rooms, I've always loved that when I find them.

I travelled Cathay and they were great. The bassinets would only fit a baby up to about 4-6 months, i think. I just turned my back towards the man next to me and fed as usual.

Good luck!

Thanks for the tip about the prampushers guide, Nashua852, I will look out for that.
 
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