breastfeeding onboard

[aelittleb]

Thank you! I have a ring sling, a Baby K'Tan and an Ergo. It's a little tough to do, though, with such a big guy. But that's getting better as he has gotten older and can support himself and maneuver better. We'll work on it some between now and the trip. :)

 

hes def outgrown the baby k'tan (stretchy carriers really suck after 15-18lbs) but you can make the ring sling work, i promise :) nursing in an ergo can get tougher the bigger the baby so i wouldnt try that. but with the ring sling, you can put him in a tummy to tummy carry just a bit lower than wear you would normally wear him. or just loosen it a bit once you sit down. and just ease him in the right direction. and then you can use the tail as a cover!!

 

my ds is 19 months and a giant and we still use our ring sling all the time

[Iggipolka]

I bf my daughter who was 10 months old on our last cruise. I fed her when ever she wanted to nurse and since it was so bot, I wanted her to nurse often to keep hydrated. She was eating solids, but nursed as well.

 

Please feed your baby where ev and when ever he needs to eat. You may find that soilid foods are very interesting to him and will keep him fuller longer. We didn't both with baby food, but did real food, th baby led weaning way. Nice and easy! Have a great trip.

[Mom2B&Z]

I'll simply echo the other posters saying feed your baby when he needs to be fed! There are some great breastfeeding tops and dresses (I particularly liked the ones by Boob) that are dressy and discrete all at once. A plain bf'ing tank under your usual dress clothes works well too.

When DS2 was a bit bigger, I found it quite easy to bf him in the Ergo, either forward facing in or using the sidelying position they suggests using with infants.

Personally I was less discrete/slower getting DS2 latched while feeding in the carrier as I wasn't as used to it, but it is definitely an option. The clothes are so great now that there really isn't anything showing that isn't shown on the pool deck all day long.

Do you have a few come-backs for comments? Along the lines of "you don't eat your supper in the bathroom, why should my son" when someone suggests you take him to the bathroom ;)

My $0.02 about alternatives would be avoid the bottle. A 6 month old can definitely learn how to use a sippy, or if you're really brave, a small plastic cup. You could also try plain cheerios, farley's biscuits or Mum Mums to occupy him at the table, although you'd probably want to try them before you leave just in case.

Enjoy your trip!

 

Thank you! I have a ring sling, a Baby K'Tan and an Ergo. It's a little tough to do, though, with such a big guy. But that's getting better as he has gotten older and can support himself and maneuver better. We'll work on it some between now and the trip. :)

[graceinmelbourne]

Hello,

 

In the USA, there are indeed some puritan people who consider a breast something indecent and an evil ready to corrupt their children...:eek:

In general, any form of nudity is seen by some Americans as inappropriate whereas here in Europe, we have a much more natural view of this and are (in general) not being plagued by guild feelings imposed by Religion. Even if you breastfeed under cover, I'm afraid that you will always have people being "grossed-out", obviously for no reason other than having a fobia regarding anything that has to do with ,in their opinion, MUST BE hidden and not mentioned bodyparts;)

 

Hell, I've seen people complaining that some Renaissance paintings and statues onboard Carnival Pride/Spirit were corrupting their children as shock horror, there was an image of breasts and genitals:rolleyes: I've seen Americans complain loudly in Florence that the Statue of David by Michelangelo was not appropriate to be shown in public:mad:

And then you wonder why some people become sexually frustrated and are ashamed of their body:rolleyes:

 

Breastfeeding is a very natural thing, something that any mother should do if she is medically capable.

 

 

I agree with you. I came across the same thing in Europe - Americans who thought their children would somehow be corrupted if they so much as glimpsed a bare breast or buttock even in a painting or a statue. I saw one covering their childs eyes because they saw an advertising poster in the street which had a partially nude woman and man. It is surprising as they don't seem to have much problem with their kids being exposed to violence on tv, video games, guns etc. Not all Americans of course but more than you would find in other countries who see the naked body as a natural and normal. I would rather my kids saw a bare breast than a violent tv show.

 

Anyhow, back to the topic. You should be able to breastfeed in the dining room at your table without worrying about what other people think. It is a perfectly natural and normal thing to do. It is very easy to breastfeed without exposing the whole breast and it is more important that your baby gets fed than possibly offending some narrow minded person.

[khm1]

I nursed my first 2 children for 1 year and my 3d for 2 1/2 years. Yes, (gasp) I am one of "those Moms". I don't feel that it is anyone's business if, or for how long, or where you choose to nurse your baby. Most states have laws protecting this right. I don't know where you are headed on your cruise, but most Caribbean Moms breastfeed their children for over a year. Formula is extremely expensive there.

 

Having said that, I have experience breastfeeding in the Caribbean and on a cruise ship. When DD was 6 months, we traveled to St. Thomas and stayed for a week. When I fed her, the locals did not so much as bat an eye. I got many pleasant comments from local women on how healthy DD looked and that I must have "good milk." She was a chubby baby. I never felt uncomfortable feeding her anywhere on the island or resort. I was pleasantly surprised by how supportive everyone was.

 

When DD was 1 year, we cruised with RCL to the Caribbean. Since she was a bit older and eating solids, she did not nurse as often as your child needs to. However, I nursed her by the pool, and in the dining room, and Windjammer several times. I tried to nurse her before we went out but, as you have figured out by now, that does not always work. I did not get any comments one way or the other. If someone felt the need to be negative, I probably would have told them to mind their own business. I was always discreet and wore appropriate clothing and used nursing covers. At no time did I expose myself to anyone.

 

I say that you should do what you need to do to keep your baby happy. It is much more disruptive to have a baby screaming with hunger than to potentially offend someone who is ignorant and judgmental about breastfeeding. You are making the best choice for you and your baby. do what you need to do and try to be discreet. If someone has a problem with it, it is their problem, not yours.

 

Good Luck and have a great trip!

[Katiebug430]

Congratulations! It sounds like your little one is just a bit younger than ours - but much bigger! Our girl is ~16 lbs but a real chunk - mama's milk agrees with her. :D

 

We are planning a cruise with our DD in June, when she'll be about 10 months old. I was concerned that nursing her might be an issue on the ship but apparently it will not be a problem. She's fed on demand and she refuses bottles in my presence, since we decided that she would be exclusively breastfed outside of daycare (when she gets pumped milk in bottles). It's just not possible for me to pump a bottle to avoid offending others's sensibilities - she wants to drink "from the tap". Since she's fed on demand if we're away from our cabin it's not as simple as just going back.

 

That said I probably won't nurse her in the dining room unless we're seated by ourselves. We won't have family with us and while I nurse her at restaurants I personally feel some conflict over nursing at a table with total strangers. Since I'm a pretty vocal breastfeeding advocate, if someone made an uncharitable comment they'd get a real earful. ;) You just don't want an antagonistic situation with tablemates. If we had family on the cruise and were seated with them I'd nurse her in the dining room without a second thought.

 

I don't know about your son, but our girl is easily distracted at this age. It makes me slightly bonkers when we're in an environment with lots of new sights and sounds because she doesn't nurse well and is constantly popping off to look around. It's a bit frustrating for me because it makes it hard for me to eat! :o I find that wearing a nursing necklace or loosely draping a shawl behind my shoulder (not over her head) helps with the distraction and lessens the popping-off.

 

I don't use a cover but I wear nursing tops, and I'm positive that onlookers would see far more cleavage around the pool than while I'm feeding the baby.

 

In the same way a woman shouldn't be nursing a child that old in public (if at all). 99.9% of children don't nurse at that age and they're perfectly healthy.

 

Well, our pediatrician has recommended breastfeeding past 1 year of age as long as it is mutually agreeable for me and the little one. I'll take the position of the AAP, the World Health Organization, and our baby's physician over the court of public opinion.

[6rugrats]

My son nurses every 2-3 hours, on demand (meaning not scheduled but as needed). On-demand feeding is the preferred method and was recommended to us by our lactation consultants.

This is not a criticism, but you must be exhausted some days nursing every 2-3 hours! I have several children myself who were all nursed, and by six months, they just nursed a few times a day, but they were eating solids by then.

 

I don't know why this thread has gone downhill; OP merely asked about nursing in public on a cruise. She did not ask for opinions about how long she should nurse, or if people thought it was "gross" or "inappropriate" for a child to be nursing after they were two years old. I didn't nurse mine that long, but if someone wants to, that's their choice.

[cac&mjn]

Please breastfeed your baby with pride! i too am a breastfeeding mama. and can i just say it has been so difficult because of the reasons you have described. i live in the US, in Chicago actually and i have seen more bottles than breasts. it's discouraging and really makes me angry that people are so down on breastfeeding here. no wonder more women don't do it! my son is 16 months and we still breastfeed. breastfeed him wherever you want!!! if someone is offended that is THEIR PROBLEM!

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Personally, I have encountered women breasteeding in public, and I have never found it either gross or arousing. It's all about context. If I were to encounter the same woman flashing at Mardi Gras, it would be a different story, but my reaction has always been to smile, recalling our time as a family when our kids were infants, and I avoid looking in their direction to try to afford them whatever measure of privacy the mother needs. Nourishing a child is a positive experience, and I fail to see why it should have to be hidden or why it should offend anyone. It's not like she's relieving herself in public, and I wouldn't equate the need to feed with the need for privacy while answering nature's call. One can usually anticipate the need to use the loo, but when an infant wants to feed, it can be difficult to find an appropriate location quickly. Age is a purely personal decision.

 

Having said all that, I think Miss Manners might say that the polite thing to do is to avoid making others uncomfortable, without regard to whether their discomfort is justified or not. A discreet coverup is a good compromise.

[Ula]

No they shouldn't. They should be using a regular cup. Sippys aren't designed to teach a child to drink from a cup' date=' rather they are convenient for parents. Stop trying to act like an expert and stir up trouble when you are clearly not informed on current best practices.[/quote']

I do not get Sippy's. Just work with the child on drinking out of a glass. People have done that for years before the sippy was invented.

On breastfeeding. Just MHO, unless you announce it to the world at large. Or make a big production out of it. No one will notice. People should be paying attention to what is going on at their table. Not looking around to find something else going on.

Even sitting at your table it would be no big deal unless a production was made about it. In that case I would say you are doing nothing special here. Cause breast feeding is pretty normal.

[onthelake]

This thread is certainly getting heated - on to the practical - you may want to check your table location when boarding to see if it is in a semi-quiet spot. This is not to avoid 'being seen' merely to avoid having your son too stimulated by all the people moving around to nurse well. However your table is situated, I would try to sit where he will have the least disruption and can nurse sucessfully. Best of luck.

[SummerW]

I do not get Sippy's. Just work with the child on drinking out of a glass. People have done that for years before the sippy was invented.

 

A glass isn't very practical for a 5-6-month-old. A sippy cup enables him to independently drink. There's no way he would have the coordination at this stage to hold a regular cup himself.

 

Being able to perform tasks independently is something we intend to encourage, as this fosters a sense of pride and confidence and helps a child to understand the notion that one must work to get things. Even at less than a year these are concepts we can begin to introduce. The sippy cup is one way of doing so.

 

Also, manipulating objects is the best way for a baby to learn how the world works. A sippy cup contains fluid, and it must be oriented in a certain direction in order for the fluid to exit the container. If we were to do the work for our child by holding a glass to his lips (or continue using a bottle, since he wouldn't be ready to work with a glass/regular cup yet) he would lose an opportunity to learn these things about his world.

 

We don't intend to use a sippy cup on into toddlerhood beyond when he is capable of handling a regular cup. The same concepts apply then: we will offer him the same cups we use (or smaller versions) so that he can gain confidence and independence in doing things. By that point he will also be pouring his own water into the cups from a pitcher he holds himself. One step at a time, though. :)

[Darcy Longfellow]

OP -- good for you for nursing your son! You should feel free to do it whereever and whenever your child needs. I'd be prepared with a few snappy comebacks. If someone asks you to cover up more, tell them to cover THEIR own head with a blanket so they don't have to see you!!!

 

I'm still nursing my 18 month old daughter, who can talk in sentences and has 16 teeth. It's the best thing for her, and I'm glad I can do it for her.

 

Oh, and eating every 2-3 hours is totally and completely normal for a breastfed infant. People are so used to the way a formula fed baby eats that they don't understand the way nature intended babies to eat. Breast milk is nature's perfect food for babies and is very easily digested, so baby has to eat more frequently.

[SummerW]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the lively discussion, friendly encouragement, great insight, suggestions and even the remarks from those who are not as comfortable with breastfeeding in various contexts.

 

This trip will be very special for my family, as my son is the first of the next generation on my husband's side. In his Chinese culture, this is a really big deal, and the cruise is a way to get together with our extended family and spent time together celebrating our new addition.

 

We leave in just a couple of weeks! We're looking forward to sharing this new adventure with him! :)

[GHarkness]

Congrats on having this excellent relationship with your husband's family, too. It will be good for you, your husband, and your sweet baby!