Many women are comfortable breastfeeding in public, while many others aren’t. The discomfort mostly stems from the fact that people in general are not very comfortable with a woman breastfeeding in public. While on one hand the very idea of people taking offence to feeding a baby in public is somewhat ridiculous; a lot of it results from the general attitude about breastfeeding, display of breasts in public or traditional mindsets.

But first, is breastfeeding in public legal in the United States?

Laws about Breastfeeding in Public

Breastfeeding in public and laws regarding it in the U.S. are fairly developed. Breastfeeding in public is legal in 47 US states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. Two out of the three remaining states – Virginia and South Dakota, exempt mothers who need to breastfeed from laws against nudity and public indecency while the third state, Idaho, is yet to have any laws protecting women breastfeeding in public.
Each state also has separate provisions regarding public breastfeeding. Many states have enacted separate laws governing breastfeeding in workplaces. For example, Arkansas has distinct laws about workplace breastfeeding but Arizona doesn’t. But even without that, your workplace in Arizona may not have a problem with it. So, it is important to check with your office if you are in such a state if you may breastfeed while on duty.
Another example can be about public breastfeeding laws in California. Here, while women are legally protected when breastfeeding in public; if you are in someone else’s house (perhaps a new neighbor), you will need permission from the occupant of the house if you need to breastfeed there (for legal protection).
Also, even in states where public breastfeeding is legally safe, the owner/management of an establishment can ask you to leave or press charges against you, citing other reasons such as trespassing. Business owners are also protected under the law and are allowed to ask any customer to leave their premises at any point of time. So, it is very important to consider the rules of an establishment as well, if you want to protect yourself from legal hassles when breastfeeding in public.

Recommended Read:  Practical Tips for Breastfeeding Success

Tips for Breastfeeding in Public

Women who wish to breastfeed in public, first and foremost, need to be comfortable with it. Breastfeeding older children in public can also be another controversial point. But in case of older kids, women do have other feeding options – packing snacks whenever heading out with your older kids. So, it is best to utilize these measures with older kids.
Many women choose to exclusively breastfeed their kids who are under a year. If you are in a restaurant or mall, you can choose separate areas for breastfeeding, if available. If not, it is best to cover up your baby during breastfeeding. Your breast is more exposed throughout the time your baby takes, to latch on to the breast. So, you can either get the baby under covers or turn your body away towards a wall.
Wearing comfortable clothes that are easy to manage when nursing a baby in public, is probably the best remedy for the issue here.
One other way to avoid breastfeeding publicly is to time your baby’s feeds in a way that she remains full during your outings. Breastfeeding in public controversies can stir up easily. So, it is best to follow your comfort level when breastfeeding your baby in public or if possible, avoid doing it altogether by bringing into practice the tips outlined above.

Keep yourself updated with the latest on Parenting . Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more on Health and Family Planning & Pregnancy . Also, check out our Health Tools and try out our health-related Quizzes .