Nursing Covers

I did the same thing but it was 24 years ago almost 25. First I had a stop over if possible do not do this get a no stop trip if at all possible. IF you do have a stop see if you can take his car seat with you as a carry on. This will give you a safe place for him to rest in so you did not have to hold him all the time. I also hope you have someone else flying with you to share the baby duties with, I flew with just him. IF you do fly alone the staff on the plane and at the airports are more then will to help just let them know what you need.

I wore button-down shirts and on the rare occasions that I covered up, I just used a lightweight receiving blanket.

Hi,
I found window seats to be the most private. If you nurse on takeoff and landing it won't hurt his ears. Someone gave me as a gift a mom clip that turns any blanket into a nursing cover. Saves money and easy to carry. It looks like the old mitten-clips we used to use as a kid so we wouldn't lose them! Have fun!!!

You can do some pretty creative things, like mentioned below, or you can just get a decent sized blanket and start practicing!! It is kind of weird the first few times cause the blanket always falls down, but with practice, you will do okay!! Just be sure to wear a nursing bra and button up shirt. Or, you can pump and use a bottle, I have done that a few times on car trips! Good Luck!! :)

All you need is a receiving blanket to cover the *ahem* and fortitude to withstand the inevitable stares and possibly rude comments from the ignorant lol Take this from a mom who raised 9 and "did it" in public with little fanfare and a minimum of fuss. The flight attendants will help you make it as private an experience as possible. Good luck and God bless

I used a blanket on my plane trip to India when my son was 2 and a half months. You might want to request a window seat to give you a little more privacy, that's what I did. If you're traveling with your husband, he can help as well. Most people are very respectful and look away when they realize what you are doing, so I never saw the need for a nursing cover either. Have a safe trip!

Hi S.,
I have flown a lot over the years with my kids as my husband works for an airline. My oldest was 6 weeks old on his first plane ride. I never had a nursing cover, but as a first time mom I can understand that you might want one. I always used a blanket with my first. I am now nursing my 3rd and don't use anything. I wear loose fitting shirts and pull them up. I think that is more private than a button up shirt. I used a sling with my 2nd son. He like to be cuddled up as close as he could get to me. That leaves your hands free and makes for pretty easy nursing. Make sure you offer ther breast during take off and landing to ease ear pressure. Although, your baby might not even notice the change in pressure. Good luck.
D.

After nursing three kids for 11 to 12 months each and trying all sorts of covers, my recommendation would be for something that wraps all the way around you! I ended up making my own, but you can buy them online for sure...I'm not sure what physical store they'd be in. I patterned mine after one similar to this one on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Nursing-Privacy-Black/d...) except mine went over one shoulder and fastened under my other arm with a hook and eye. But, this should give you the idea of what I'm talking about. I wish I'd had this with all three children instead of just my last!

A loose fitting button up shirt and a blanket is all you really need. I never purchased a cover of any kind...

hi S.,
i first traveled w/ my baby at 3 months, so i also didn't know what to expect. the biggest surprise was he did great and yours probably will too. in fact, we were on a small plane so the engine roar lulled him to sleep. we got a great cover-up at target, but most seem to have the same design & functionality. the most helpful advice i could give ya would be to use a front carrier w/ him. it's the easiest hands-free way to travel, esp. when you've got luggage in tow - as well, security will not make you take him out of it! so just walk right through. Also, the flight attendents will also have you guys board FIRST, so take your time & don't feel rushed to stow your things!!! you're a new mom and you deserve to take your time!!!
good luck!
K.

I travel a ton with my son by myself. Don't be worried about the flight. They are so easy to fly with at that age. It helped my son if he drank during take off and landing to help with the ears popping. As for the nursing cover-I got a great on through Ebay for less than $20. Go to Ebay and look for one that is by Joanna design. The buy it now price is less than $20 and she ships for free. Plus she has several cute fabrics to choose from. Hope this helps.

don't hide it! be proud you are nursing, and smile happily, confidently, (and a little smugly) when you quietly nurse your baby during take off and landing while others scream their poor heads off. most flight attendants and passengers will thank you, in their heads at least! oh, and an aisle seat is easiest for me!

the only time anyone ever said anything to me,--and i fly alot!-- he shut his mouth when i equally loudly pointed out that he was publicly looking at a porno mag!

I have one made by "Peanut Shell". You can get them at Babies R Us. Its perfect and easy and affordable! Really cute fabrics too.

S.,

I traveled with my daughter when she was 3 mo, 9 mo and again at nearly 1 yr. The nursing cover I had was made for me; I do not know what it is called. The mom who made it originally ordered it online; easy to do as there are many choices but cheaper to make. It is simply a rectanguler shaped cloth (a light weight cotton as they get hot nursing) that was sewn together at two corners on the same end. The sewn corners slipped over your head, while the cloth covers the baby. Plus you could peak through. I would suggest that you practice before. I did not the first time I traveled and the baby and I had a difficlut time. In the end, I did not use it b/c I did not practice at home (the mom who gave it to me loved it - but she had been using it since her baby was little). When nursing in public, I would use a button down shirt over a t-shirt. The button down would cover my sides. Another mom I knew, cut small holes in a tight fitting tank and wore the tank under a shirt. The over shirt covers your baby's mouth nursing and the tank will cover you sides.
When flying, introduce yourself to one of the flight attendents and explain that you are nursing. If the flight is not full, they will let you trade seats to an aisle that has an adjacent empty seat. You will more room to move around during nursing. During one flight I was sitting between two big guys. I had no room to nurse. The flight attendent kindly let me set in one of their seats in the kitchen area. Most of the attendents are thoughtful and will help if they can.

Everyone has always been very kind when I nursed on flights - even the serious business suits with their laptops. I usually just say, "I'm going to need to nurse my baby on the flight." They usually smile and start talking about how much they miss the kids they left at home.

Hey! I nurse my baby too, and the first time i took her on a plane i took a med sized blanket with me, but then i got this really great nursing cover made by infantino. The material is really light and my daughter is able to breathe easily under it, and the neck part in the front has has a stiffer material so i can prop it open and we can see each other. :) I got mine at burlington. Hope this helps! :)

Hi S.,

Just a little advice, it might be a good idea to give your baby a relief bottle at least once or twice a day. There is bound to be a day when you can't breast feed (for whatever reason) and you can let someone else feed the baby if only to give you a break. I didn't give my baby her first bottle until she was 3 months old. I had a very hard time getting her to take a bottle. I had my husband give her the bottle. We tried all types of diff. nipples and even had to put one of my shirts close to her so she could smell me. Hopefully you won't have that problem. I wish you the best of luck. Sorry I don't have any advice on a nursing cover. T.

I took one of my receiving blankets ( I seemed to have lots of them) and sewed a ribbon on one side. sew one end edge of the ribbon about 1/3 of the way down the side. make the ribbon long enough to loop over your head. Sew the other end another 1/3 of the way down the same side. If you want it tighter, you can make the ribbon shorter and button or velcro the other end and sew one end. You probably have all the materials on hand. Nurse on take off and landing to protect baby's ears.

I breastfed my 4 kids til they were 1, and I always used a very thin piece of material(we live in mississippi), about as big as beach towel. It worked on planes as well. One thing that I did while traveling with a baby was try to sit next to a women, they tend to understand about the breastbeeding thing.
You can do it!!!

Hi S.!
You have lots of good advice here. I will add 2 things: 1) if you opt for a nursing cover, the more coverage the better. The "Hooter Hider" style works great and is lightweight...you can buy them in stores or online...there is even a gal here in OKC that makes them for reasonable cost and I buy them from her for shower gifts. Her website is www.freewebs.com/hidengoeat. 2) Wearing your baby is another great option and will also keep your hands free in the airport. I would suggest a ringsling as a very comfy and flexible baby carrier, and the extra fabric provides coverage while nursing. A wonderful local WAHM makes beautiful slings and will show you how to use one, and her prices are GREAT! Her site is babywearingdoula.com.

Whichever way you decide, just practice at home first so that you are comfortable with it, and maybe take some short excursions out in public as well. Confidence is everything! Best wishes and safe travels.

Try nursing during take off and landing so that his little ear won't hurt. If he's not interested, give him a teething ring, pacifier, finger... whatever he'll take to suck on during that period. As for a nursing cover bring what ever is comfortable. I never got the hang of blankets, so I used a cheap cover I bought at Target and loved it. You can buy better quality ones online though at cloth diapering stores. Babies are real easy to fly with at this age, so you should be fine!

My first thought was how long is the flight? Hours and hours or just a while? My friends at church all breast feed and modesty is quite rampant (LOL). I would think you could use any of your existing blankets, or purchase a yard and a half of light flannel, hem it all around, then put a few gathers in one corner to shape it to go over the shoulder and practice with it. I know some of those cover have weighted corners but I don't know how comfortable that would be if I had to sit for hours with it in my back.

HOOTER HIDER!!!!! They are the BEST!

I love my nursing cover, I know you can use blankets, but I was never coordinated enough to use one and feel comfortable that any moment it would fall off. This gave me so much confidence to breastfeed in public:
http://shop.bebeaulait.com/shop/Chocolat/chocolat_2

Emily W. gave you a link to the EXACT one that I have been using for years. I LOVE it!

Let us know what works for you.

Hey, congratulations on your little one, and on breastfeeding him!

By federal law, you have the protected right to nurse your baby wherever you wish. You also don't need to take any extra measures to cover up that cause you an undue burden. But if you really want one, be aware that many babies find covers intolerable, so you might want to practice with a blanket or similar thing just to see if he is okay with it. And speaking of blankets, you might find that a blanket, laid over your shoulder, is all you need, anyway. I personally wouldn't bother. People don't have to look if htey don't want to. And a nursing cover is just one more thing to buy. It's marketed so cleverly but is a made-up expense, if you ask me.

If it were me, I'd double up on functionality, as in getting a couple of nursing shirts from motherwear.com (they're having a big sale on their winter clothes now, which is especially great because many of their winter items are lighter and perfectly great for spring). They minimize visibility very nicely while giving you all the access you need (I recommend all of their access options except front-only and all-around-access-only; side-access, cross-wrap, empire, and the others are really great).

The most helpful thing for covering up that I think I can leave you with is, you can get an Ergo carrier, which is especially great for travel, because if you won't be buying his own plane seat with car seat strapped in, you want your son to be absolutely secure in any unexpected turbulence. The Ergo keeps him right near your heart and he will be able to nurse right there without anyone seeing. It's also marvelous for indoor and out-and-about hands-free baby carrying, for helping him get to sleep on particularly tough days, and calming him when he's stressed.

Good luck with your move. And enjoy the extra help from family. I'm jealous!

L.

I have two coverups and they make all the difference in the difference in the world! I have one from Target.com made by Hooter Hiders and it's pretty good, but a little pricey. However, there is a seller on Ebay that makes them for a great price and, in my opinion, they are better quality. Her seller ID on ebay is http://myworld.ebay.com/xoxoababynbags/

Both of my kids didn't care about the coverup...didn't seem to bother them at all. They are very lightweight, so I didn't get to hot in them and they just made nursing so much easier. I would highly recommend getting on, they made nursing much less stressful for me!