Breastfeeding/Nursing in Public (NIP)
In the United States, you have the right to breastfeed your child in public, anywhere you are otherwise allowed to be, and you don’t have to be “discreet” or take any special steps on behalf of other people if you don’t want to.
However, it may still happen that someone insists that you leave or may take forcible action to “oust” you. If you have had problems with public breastfeeding and have been asked to leave malls, pools, restaurants, etc., or to go to a restroom to nurse, or if you have had problems at your workplace, you can report it to FirstRight. FirstRight takes every reported incident of discrimination seriously, aiming to establish a correspondence with the organization in question, and discuss to implement a breastfeeding friendly policy.
You can also report the problem to National Alliance of Breastfeeding Advocacy (NABA). NABA advocates breastfeeding at the state and federal levels, and collects information about breastfeeding discrimination incidents for statistical purposes.
If you would like to read more about the legal side of nursing, visit Breastfeeding and the Law.
You can also look up the specific laws in your state by visiting the National Conference of State Legislatures Breastfeeding Laws page.
The Carnival of Nursing in Public is a wonderful resource for endless reading on this topic from multiple writers. The carnival posts are separated into five days and topics:
- Making Breastfeeding the Norm: Creating a Culture of Breastfeeding in a Hyper-Sexualized World
- Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers: the New, the Experienced, and the Mothers of More Than One Nursing Child
- Creating a Supportive Network: Your Stories and Celebrations of N.I.P.
- Breastfeeding: International and Religious Perspectives
- Your Legal Right to Nurse in Public, and How to Respond to Anyone Who Questions It
Resources
Breastfeeding Support Websites
La Leche League International – is the #1 source for breastfeeding information. If you are looking for in-person assistance, you may also be able to find La Leche League meetings near you. In person meetings with other breastfeeding mothers can be enormously more valuable than online information, especially if you are new to breastfeeding, having any issues, needing some friendly support, or just want to be in company that understands you. Even if there are no meetings near you, the La Leche League Leaders listed on the meeting pages will all be happy to talk to you on the phone or through email if you need breastfeeding support.
Kelly Mom – is a trustworthy site, well organized to address many different issues.
Books
Please visit my Amazon breastfeeding reading list to find and purchase the books noted below plus many more.
- Adventures in Tandem Nursing
- Breastfeeding Made Simple
- Breastfeeding Older Children
- Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding
- How Weaning Happens
- Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding
- Mothering Your Nursing Toddler
- The Nursing Mother’s Companion
- The Politics of Breastfeeding
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
Important Articles
- Circumcision Increases Breastfeeding Complications
- How to Breastfeed, A Visual Guide
- Human Milk vs. Formula Ingredient List
- Natural Mother Magazine
- Watch your Language
Additional Breastfeeding Support Websites
- Ask Dr. Sears
- Best for Babes
- Biological Nurturing
- Breastfeeding Moms Unite!
- Breastfeeding Online
- Breastfeeding USA
- Common Sense Breastfeeding
- Dr. Hale’s Infant Risk Center
- Dr. Jack Newman’s Breastfeeding Help Handouts
- Healthy Child Summit
- Human Milk Banking Association of North America
- Human Milk 4 Human Babies
- If Breastfeeding Offends You Put A Blanket Over Your Head
- International Breastfeeding Center
- International Lactation Consultant Association
- Kangaroo Mother Care
- Low Milk Supply
- Medications and Mother’s Milk
- National Milk Bank
- Natural Parents Network
- Normalizing Nursing In Public League
- Nursing Freedom
- The Lactation Consultant Directory
- The Leaky Boob
- United States Breastfeeding Committee
- Work and Pump
- World Alliance For Breastfeeding Action
- World Health Organization Growth Charts for Breastfed Babies
Posts I Have Written
- Breastfeeding Lists, Links, Advice, and More
- Coconut Oil and Breastfeeding
- Nipples, Lady Bits, Coconut Oil – Oh My!
- Blebs, Nipple Blisters, and Plugged Ducts
- Toxic Breastmilk?
- Breastfeeding and Diet – Does It Really Matter?
- Confession: My Diet Wasn’t Nutrient Dense When I First Started Breastfeeding But I Still Had A Healthy Baby
- Breastfeeding Support Blog Party Recap and Highlights
- A Tale of Two Titties
- Why Breastfeeding a Toddler is Hilarious
- Why I Still Love to Breastfeed – Tiny’s Perspective
- When Will I Wean?
- My 3 ½ Year Old Breastfeeds As Much As A Newborn – And That Is Fine By Me
- Night Weaning A Four Year Old