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Breastfeeding on the go

nooscorner
May 3, 2016
3 min read

A question I am asked frequently is; can I feed my baby whilst I am wearing them? The answer is absolutely, with a few small adjustments made to your carrier you can feed on the go. I have personally fed in a woven wrap, ring sling and full buckle and I have seen friends feed whilst wearing stretchy wraps and half buckle carriers.

So what’s Easiest, and how do I do it?

First off it’s important that your nursing relationship is well established with any roadblocks being actively taken care of. If you are confident and comfortable nursing it will make feeding on the go easier on you and babe. Even mamas that use an SNS (supplemental nursing system) can feed on the go if they are confident. The what entirely depends on you and what you find the most comfortable to wear. Second, it will be easier for you to feed in the carrier you are most confident using. I personally prefer to feed in a woven wrap in a front carry. I can pull the passes out for a little privacy and I’m all about embracing the front carry right now. For me I can just pull my breast out without adjusting the carrier at all and my daughter latches on, but many women find that gently loosening the wrap and lowering bub just a little bit allows them to latch on easier, and once bub is finished you can just rearrange the wrap job and off you go. In a ring sling it’s a similar affair, have bub off to the side slightly on the side of the breast you want to feed from, gently loosen the top rail to give bubs some room, drop them down slightly, and let them latch on. When bub is finished straighten them up and tighten your ring sling again. A similar story with a buckle carrier, loosen the arm strap for the side you are going to feed off of, to drop bub down slightly, latch them on and away you go.

A note about cradle carry.

Cradle carry does not meet TICKS and should not be used, but you may see some people recommend it still for feeding in a ring sling. Please don’t put your baby in a cradle carry, even for feeding, baby needs to be able to freely move their head on and off the breast and with the pressure on the back of the head in a cradle carry this isn’t possible. In a cradle carry the airways can be easily compromised and a small baby can easily asphyxiate. If you are struggling to feed on the go, please, find a comfortable spot and sit down with your baby.

Important points.

When feeding baby in a carrier, it’s important that you can always fit 2 fingers in-between their chin and chest, this is to ensure their airway is clear and there is little risk of asphyxiation.

Whilst you are aiming to loosen the carrier to feed, it should still be tight enough to be supportive, if you find you have to hold your older baby’s weight completely it’s too loose. In a newborn you are still going to need to support them with one hand whilst feeding, but one hand free to eat/drink is better than none

If you usually cover when feeding, and are finding the carrier you are using isn’t giving you enough privacy then please cover yourself not just your baby. Your baby’s face should always be visible, especially when you have loosened off your carrier.

Whilst it’s great to still be hands free and feed, because you have loosened the carrier you need to be aware of what’s going on, because you are loosening the carrier, even though it’s a slight adjustment, slumping is a possibility and this increases the risk of asphyxiation. Even if your child has adequate core strength, a toddler falling asleep will lose their tone and slump. Making sure you are aware and gently rearranging the carrier back to optimal tightness when your child is finished or asleep will help keep them safe.

A note about less than perfect breastfeeding relationships

Dr Sears has championed the use of babywearing in less than perfect breastfeeding relationships. In his practice he has seen an increase in nursing and weight gain when a baby is held close to mum. Wearing promotes bonding and happy hormones and a little movement and bounce can help mum and baby relax, so even if your breastfeeding relationship isn’t perfect, don’t think you can’t breastfeed on the go, it might just take some work.