Private nursing lounges are a catch-22 situation for businesses, etc. I worked in the retail sector for years. Most of that was in kids and baby retail. To be a truly baby friendly store I feel you need a nice, clean nursing lounge. Unfortunatly due to law, I was unable to tell mothers about it. Even though my store had one. I could only offer it if asked. Stores want to please their customers but they also want to make money. It doesn't make economical sense for them to invest in the extra space in their stores that they could use for clothing, etc. if they can't tell mothers about that service.

I too think it should be private. It's my time to bond with my child in a way that only I can. They are only a baby for so long.

That's just my two cents on the issue....

I would not breastfeed my future children in public, because I don't want to get caught, but I will breastfeed my children. My mother had never breastfed me or my sister.

Why is it against the law to tell people about the nursing lounge?

That's interesting because I've never seen it work. Yet another example for me is my friend who has an eight month old who had been breastfeeding from the start. The father got very insistent about being able to feed her so the mother allowed him to give the baby breastmilk in a bottle. It created a lot of work for her because pumping is so difficult. But, she consented. They did that for a few weeks but after a short time, the baby wouldn't nurse anymore. The mother is heartbroken.

It could be interpreted as not allowing a mom to feed in public. So to protect the mom's right to feed and to ensure businesses don't do something that could get them sued, you can not offer the room unless you are asked.

But it can be shown as an option, not a requirement.

Also, in some establishments, it is harder to nurse in the public area. Say, Wal-Mart or Target may not really have seats where you can comfortably sit down and nurse a baby in peace.

I have seen women do it in audiences at a library program. They did it so discretely that at first I could not tell- especially when the lights were dimmed.

Maybe it worked ok because they switched up back and forth from day one? I can't say for sure. The experts do say that it can make the baby lazy, I just dont know anybody who has experienced that. By 8 months, my kids were drinking out of sippy cups and eating food though! There were still some bottles, but it was much less frequent (like bed time only, I think.. but it's been a long time now). Even with introducing foods, the "experts" change their minds every few years and recommend something new. Maybe the type of nipple used has something to do with it too.. I dunno!

Oh boy! I had to come out of lurkdom for this one!

I am very impressed by some of the responses on here:)

The AAP recommends babies be exclusively breastfed for 6 months (that means no water, formula, cereal or baby food) and continue to be breastfed for a minimum of 1 year. There is no maximum. Breastmilk never loses nutritional value. AAP statement http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...rics;115/2/496

The WHO recommends a minimum of 2 years. http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/.../en/index.html

The teeth argument doesn't cut it. Some babies get their first tooth at 3 months, some at 1 year. Having teeth doesn't mean babies stop sucking and start biting.

Teeth are also not a sign of readiness for the intro of solid food. Most babies do not lose their tongue thrust reflex until about 6 months. Some take longer. This is a natural protective measure to keep anything but a nipple out of their mouths. Solid food is not meant as a replacement for breastmilk. Baby food is nutritionally deficient compared to breastmilk, or formula for that matter. The point is to introduce different tastes and textures. Into the second year of life breastmilk actually becomes fattier. Here is the nutritional breakdown:http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding often do not introduce any artificial nipples in order to avoid nipple preference or confusion. This can lead to a bad latch or refusal to nurse. Some babies can switch easily back and forth but many can't. Many breasfed babies will not take a bottle from their mother, but will for someone else. When you are so close to the source why would you take it from a bottle?! Even if a mother did this to avoid nursing in public, she would need to express her milk at the same time her baby would be hungry. Otherwise you are asking for mastitis or a decrease in supply.

As someone else said, a pump can never extract the amount of milk that a baby can. Some women have a very abundant supply, but "clam up" with a pump.

As for discretion.....has anyone here seen a woman take her shirt and bra off to nurse? You see more belly chunk from a nursing mama than you see breast. You might get a flash of nipple in the 2 seconds it takes to latch a baby on. The entire nipple and most of the areola are in baby's mouth when nursing. I see breasts used to sell clothing, beer, cars all the time. When they are used to feed a child people freak out.

A babies needs come first. Even a one year old cannot understand that they need to wait a few minutes for mommy to get to a private area. A sippy cup does no good, as its not a source of comfort like a mother's breast is. Also realise that a newborn needs to nurse about 10x+ a day. Some 1 year olds even nurse that often. This is called feeding on demand or following babies hunger cues. Scheduling a breastfed baby often leads to low supply as well as an unhappy baby.

I was never one for a "mothers" room as many of them come equipped with a changing table and a nasty smelly trashcan. I do think its a nice option to have though, as some older babies are very distracted nursers.

Here is my personal experience:
I had an unplanned and unecessary c-section with my daughter. I had a hard time latching her on and against my better judgement allowed a few bottle of formulas in the hospital at a nurses urging:mad: It took us about 2 weeks to fix our latch because of that and it was a smooth sail from then on. My daughter never took a bottle after that, and didn't show interest in solids until about 10months. At about 1 year old 90% of her nutrional needs were met with breastmilk. At age 2 I'd say about 20%. At this point nursing fills more of an emotional need than a nutrional one. Some babies have blankies, some have mama's breasts. Nursing a toddler quells tantrums, heals booboos, and comforts in a scary or new situation.

My daughter is just about weaned now at almost 3 years old, mostly due to my pregnancy. Many women lose their milk supply do to hormonal changes during pregnancy. I think it was the perfect amount of time for both of us. She is a very spririted and independant toddler. I believe the security I have given her through nursing and the sort of gentle parenting that seems to stem from it have made her so. She is very aware of babies needs when we are in public and often comments that a crying baby needs "leche mami":)

Of all the choices I have made in parenting my daughter, breastfeeding is one thing I have never doubted. I know I did the right thing.

My advice to any future mom and dads is to seek support during pregnancy. Don't wait until you have a problem. Remember that doctors have no formal training in human lactation unless they have sought it out on their own. Its not covered in medical school. Also don't listen to advice from women who never breastfed or have had a bad experience. Many moms are out to sabotage other womens breastfeeding experiences due to guilt or anger. Sad but true.

That was a brilliant post.

Mrs. DA was one of the very first lactation consultants, working for a group of OB/GYN's in the Detroit area who founded "The Family Birthing Center" at Providence Hospital in Southfield.

I have listened to her counseling hundreds of young mothers over thousands of hours on the phone.

Breastfeeding works on supply and demand, and when you "supplement," it disturbs that pattern and can cause or exascerbate (sp?) things such as improper latching, positioning, and actually is detrimental to nursing moms who are concerned about alleged low milk supply.

Unfortunately, as you say, medical people are given little or no training in breastfeeding (I had hoped that had changed over the years, but obviously not).

I hope the people will take your experiences to heart.

Nursing is best, but you can't do it all the time if you have a full time job. And if your job is demanding, you might need to get back earlier (in Canada, you get up to a year off, but I *PERSONALLY* do not believe in it, as you may lose your chance in a promotion. Mr. Tau was originally hired for a year-long mat contract and was promoted and hired on a permanent basis about five months in. That promotion could have gone to the woman who had the baby!), so how can you nurse for an entire year? If you want your child to have your own milk, you basically have no choice but to pump.

I would say it's a matter of priority. Personally, if I were more interested in a promotion than nursing my child, I would wait to have children.

Many mothers have had success in going back to work and pumping while away from their babies. It takes work, dedication, education and planning, but it can be done. Employers must allow mothers regular pumping times, and a clean private place to pump. Mothers can keep their babies at the breast by nursing on cue evening, nights and all weekend. Many moms find their supply decreases a bit during the week, but revitalize it after a weekend of straight nursing.

I wish the US had a leave plan such as Canada's:(

Delt Alum,

Your wife sounds wonderful. I am sure she couldn't have done it all without a wonderful supportive husband such as yourself:)

You can't always wait. According to Mr. Tau, the woman he replaced was probably in her mid-to-late 30s and was having her first child. Prime child-bearing years are the same years as when one builds a career.

To ZTAMiami re: I really don't understand why a year off (or a 6 month/6 month split with the hubby) is such a great idea. Again, I think it's a bad thing if someone wants to move up. I have an aunt who went back to work almost immediately having her kids (and she had three!)

Like I said, it's a matter of priorities. My father wanted to spend more time with my brother and me. So, after I was born, he gave up a position as CEO of a successful Atlanta-based company to work in education (Headmaster/Teacher).

I know there are those who can continue climbing the ladder while rearing children, but something/someone always suffers neglect. I would prefer to give up a career for my children because that's what was modeled for me. Other people are different. You, for instance, seem to be concerned about your career. Our values are different but I'm not comparing them...I'm in no place to do that.