As a new mom breastfeeding twins, the first few months were rough for me. I definitely felt like a prisoner in my own body (and home) at times.  Getting out of the house was hard enough, and I also felt pressure to get back home before the next feeding to avoid a scene. I have to say, my life change dramatically when I became comfortable nursing in public.

Here are some tips to help you nurse with ease on the go:

1. Nursing in public really is all about you and your baby.

You are attending to his needs and you shouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed for doing so.  Your attitude will color the experience, so try to keep it light.  Relax and enjoy this time out in the world with your baby.

2. Do some recon ahead of time.

Ask friends for recommendations or look around online for family friendly establishments like restaurants or play areas (but beware — there’s a fair share of bad advice out there!).  Some places even have “family rooms” or similar, where you can nurse your baby privately, but some are nothing more than glorified bathrooms.  Don’t feel like you have to use them, especially if they stink of dirty diapers!

3. Dress the part. 

It might sound odd, but part of my confidence to nurse in public comes the right wardrobe — one that will get the job done without a lot of fuss! Personally, I find the commercially made nursing covers to be a big distraction and actually call attention to the fact that I am breastfeeding.  For me, a drapey tee is enough to let baby nurse and still provide coverage.  My favorite outfit for easy access is a nursing tank layered under a lightweight jersey t-shirt with a cardigan on top.

Once you have your attitude, outfit and location sorted out, all you have left is to get ready, get set and latch! All it takes is some practice and you will be able to nurse discreetly and confidently no matter where you are.

How did you get comfortable nursing in public?

Plus, more from The Bump:

A Smart Start to Breastfeeding

Top 10 Health Benefits of Breastfeeding Baby

How Breastfeeding Changes as Baby Gets Older

What’s going to be big for moms-to-be and new parents this year? This is what we predict:

Less-Than-12-Week Spill

Kate Middleton and Jessica Simpson announced their pregnancies earlier than the traditional 12 weeks. Why not everyone else? A poll of The Bump readers found that 58 percent of pregnant women let the cat out of the bag in the first trimester. Blame it on the trend of over-sharing on social media, or maybe just the fact that women reason that they’d want their friends and family to know the truth even if something  bad happened. So they’re telling early!

Neon in the Nursery

Want a bold look to baby’s nursery? We’ve seen neon colors on everything from wall art to diaper bags to strollers. Neon has stepped off the runway and on to baby gear!

Baby Name Trends

Celebs have been naming their babies after hues of the rainbow for years, but with emerald being the Pantone color of the year, our bet’s on naming babies after shades of green — think Hunter, Kelly, Jade, Fern and Forest. After all, Drew Barrymore did name her baby girl Olive in 2012.

What’s out in 2013? Naming your baby after a city, like Brooklyn, Paris or Austin. This year, moms will take a cue from Reese Witherspoon, who last year named her baby boy Tennessee, and try Georgia, Virginia, Carolina or even Montana.

Also on the rise this year are popular names from the beginning of the 20th century. Due to the Downton Abbey craze, more babies will be sporting names like Mary, Edith, Anna, Robert and Thomas.

Royal Baby Fever

Just as wedding dress designers’ collections were inspired by Kate Middleton’s wedding gown gown after her wedding day, we’ll see maternity clothing designers incorporating her maternity style into their designs. And moms-to-be will be emulating her pregnancy look! Also, expect to see lots of royalty-inspired baby gear and décor in stores. Everyone will want to copy the next prince or princess’s style, too!

New Ideas for Gender Reveals

The trend of announcing your baby’s gender has gone beyond cutting a cake to discover pink or blue filling. Once couple made a “Gangnam Style” themed dance video, and others have sent family members boxes filled with pink or blue helium balloons.

Another hot trend is the “ultrasound party,” where an ultrasound technician comes to your home during a party to show your close family and friends baby’s gender live and in person!

Mommymoons

You’ve heard of a babymoon (and maybe even a daddymoon), but now mommymoons are becoming increasingly popular. Don’t know what that means exactly? It’s when an expectant mom takes a trip or plans a party for a little R&R before the baby arrives — without her partner. We’ve heard of a beach getaway with fellow expecting mamas, heading to a spa resort or hosting an at-home mani-pedi party and prenatal yoga class with friends. It’s a great way to enjoy some “me” time before middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes become routine.

Sip and Sees

2013 will be the year of the “sip and see”: a postbirth bash hosted by the parents where friends and family stop by the house, sip some drinks and see the newborn. Baby showers for second and third babies can be controversial, but with a sip and see, parents can easily celebrate the birth of their new arrival in a new, different, more casual way.

What trends are you seeing with your pregnant and new mom friends?

Plus, more from The Bump:

12 Hot Trends in Baby Products

Baby Name Trends for 2013

Celebrity Pregnancy Traditions for 2013

We can all spot a nursing cover the moment a breastfeeding mom pulls it out of her diaper bag, right? Not necessarily. Check out the Pirose by Reno Rose. It’s a nursing cover, meets shawl, meets capelet, meets scarf. And we’re totally loving, not only its many uses (multi-tasking products are the best), but the fact that no one would ever know it was a nursing cover. It really does look like a stylish scarf, doesn’t it?

And look at all the ways you can wear it. This might be part of your wardrobe even after baby weans.

The Pirose is $40 at RenoRose.com.

Check out more of our favorite nursing covers.

Do you use a nursing cover? Which kind do you like best?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Best Buys for Breastfeeding Moms

Tips for Breastfeeding In Public

Hilarious Places Moms Have Breastfed

It looks like Luvs supports breastfeeding in public.

The diaper company released a new ad which features a mom breastfeeding her baby at a restaurant. The ad is part of a campaign that humorously pokes fun at new mom mistakes, and shows the lessons they learn from them. In the breastfeeding ad, the mother fumbles through the feeding and keeps her baby under wraps  But by the second child, she is confident in her abilities and has no problem showing it.

Although humorous (and so true), the video has already received comments that it is not “appropriate” and is “offensive.”

What do you think of Luvs’ new campaign? 

Plus more from The Bump:

Celebs and Their Breastfeeding Stories

Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

Top 10 Breastfeeding Problems Solved

When it comes to celebrity moms, and celebrities in general, there’s no one else quite like Pink. The sassy singer isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and that’s one of the things we love about her. This week, she took her no-filter attitude to talk about an issue that’s important to mom: breastfeeding in public.

During an appearance on the U.K.’s The Alan Carr Chatty Man Show, Pink discussed the controversial topic and how she’s handled those who frown on it.

“The first time we went out to a restaurant, there was a guy who walked by,” she recalls. “I had a cover on called a Hooter Hider, and this guy walks by and was like, ‘Ughhh.’ He was just disgusted.”

Of course,  the mother to 15-month-old Willow wouldn’t let this onlooker get off without a little confrontation.

“I was like, ‘You didn’t get enough hugs when you were little.’” she said, “‘You are starting fights in restaurants.’ I said ‘I will… I will fight.’”

Despite Pink’s trouble-making tendencies (I mean, this was the woman who devoted a whole music video to bashing pop-stars), she says she doesn’t do this cause a scene. She does it for her daughter.

“I think breastfeeding is healthy and natural and it’s a comfort to my baby, so I can give a sh*t what somebody else thinks,”  she said on the show.

Oh behalf of public breastfeeders, we salute you Pink!

What do you think of Pink’s stance on breastfeeding in public? Have you ever encountered controversy over the way you feed baby?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Top 10 Reasons to Breastfeed

Tool: Breastfeeding Log

How to Nurse in Public

This is a lesson the students won’t forget.

Two weeks ago Adrienne Pine, an assistant anthropology professor at American University, brought her baby to school when she was unable to find someone to take care of her sick infant. During one of Pine’s lectures, she breast-fed her baby in front of 40 students. Now, the single mom is at the center of a serious debate.

Yesterday, the university released a statement that seemed to scold Pine for her actions. According to the Washington Post, university officials said they understood Pine’s dilemma, but felt she should have taken take advantage of options such as, “sick leave, break times, and private areas for nursing mothers to express milk so they can maintain a focus on professional responsibilities in the classroom.” The university also believes she put students, faculty, and staff at risk by bringing in a sick child.

Expecting some backlash for breastfeeding in class, Pine used the opportunity to write “Exposéing My Breasts on the Internet,” an article where Pine vented her frustrations about what she feels to be a “hostile” and “anti-woman” work environment.

While many understand and empathized with Pine’s decision to bring her baby to class, they believe she crossed the line when she decided to breastfeed.

Jake Carias, a sophomore and student of Pine, told the Washington Post that he “wasn’t too distracted” with the presence of a baby, until the breastfeeding occurred.

“I found it unprofessional,” Carias said. “I was kind of appalled.” He later dropped the class.

Do you think Pine took things too far? Do you think this is a matter about breastfeeding in public or benefits for females?

Plus more from The Bump:

Moms’ Tips for Breastfeeding When You’re Back at Work

Moms Unite In Support of Breastfeeding in Public

Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms

When my first child was born (after a grueling 36 hour labor) – he and I were an exhausted, overwhelmed, high strung, nervous mess. I had every intention of breastfeeding, but I had no idea how hard it would be. I latched him on over and over and as he fought me, we’d both just sob. I tried nipple shields, a lactation consultant, and after about two weeks I had an emotional and physical breakdown and switched to formula. It was insanely difficult to let go of that ideal while feeling the pressure from moms around me. I wish I could say changing to formula made things so much easier, but it didn’t. My son had a huge case of The Colic and we both were pretty miserable for six months as we tried different formulas to find one that his tummy could handle.

I was scared to have a second baby after that first experience but worked up the courage to go for it. When my daughter arrived, I wanted to try breastfeeding again. I was (way) more relaxed that time around but it still took 5 full days for my milk to come in. I used little droplets of formula to supplement while I latched her often and pumped to stimulate production. And then a moment I’ll never forget, while a lactation consultant was on the phone with me, I heard suck, and swallow! I was feeding my baby with my own body!! I went on to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months after that. Interestingly, overall, she was a much easier/happy baby. At 6 she’s also healthy, smart, and rarely sick.

So what does this all mean? Did breastfeeding make my daughter an easier baby? I don’t think so. My son is 9 now (he’s also healthy, advanced in school, and rarely sick). He’s still a pretty intense kid, too. I’m not convinced had we breastfed things would have turned out much differently. But do I wish I could go back and try it again with a new relaxed, accepting attitude? Absolutely.

Plus, more from The Bump

Mark Your Calendars, August 15 is Public Display of Breastfeeding Day

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Must Watch: Real Mom Breastfeeding in Public Tips

Breastfeeding moms, can you relate to this story? Jane Healy, a New Hampshire mom, was enjoying dinner at Tooky Mills Pub earlier this week. During the meal her 10-month-old started fussing for food and Healy fed the baby. Since in New Hampshire public breastfeeding is legal and Healy had dined at Tooky Mills before, she had no problem lowering her shirt and feeding her child. Unfortunately, others had a problem with it and complained to the manager, who then asked Healy to “use a little bit of coverage, so everybody is comfortable.”

Insulted and embarrassed, Healy left the restaurant without finishing her food. She returned on Wednesday night, however, along with dozens of other local moms to participate in a protest against Tooky Mills actions that night. The moms gathered outside the restaurant and nursed their babies to show their unity.

“It is to raise awareness that you can breastfeed in public, and you’re covered by New Hampshire state law,” Healy told a local TV station. “What they did was wrong by asking me to cover up.”

Sean Burt, owner of Tooky Mills, said the restaurant has supported public breastfeeding since it opened 14 years ago. He added, however, that the restaurant also looks out for the customers’ best interests.

Do you think Healy had the right to breastfeed in the restaurant? Join us on August 15 for Public Display of Breastfeeding Day!

How do you feel about public breastfeeding?

Plus more from The Bump:

Mark Your Calendars: August 15 is Public Displays of Breast Feeding Day!

Should Hospitals Really Lock Away the Formula?

Tips for Breastfeeding In Public

Join the boob-olution!

On August 15^th, moms everywhere will breastfeed in public to celebrate Public Display of Breastfeeding (PDB) Day. Why make a big deal out of breastfeeding in public? To empower moms and show the world that if a mom chooses to breastfeed, it’s her right to feed her baby whenever and wherever she needs to. The more people who see moms nursing in public, the less of a big deal it’ll be – and that’s the goal.

You can show your support of breastfeeding by doing your own PDB on August 15. Visit www.thebump.com/pdb to take the pledge and tweet us @thebump #PDB to tell us where you are feeding baby!

Not a mom yet? You can still join the boob-olution by pledging to breastfeed when baby arrives.

Plus, more from The Bump

Should Moms Breastfeed in Uniform?

Top 10 Breastfeeding Tips from Real Mamas

Connect with Other Breastfeeding Moms