Feeding an infant

[MinnieTink]

Have to agree with lots of previous posters...you'll be fine. I have seen many nursing moms, and thankfully, have never witnessed them having any "issues" with other guests. I would like to also mention that the baby centers are really great. I used them for the first time on our recent trip, and they are very comfy and clean and have almost anything you could need for a baby. It was a great quiet and cool place for him to take a little rest, away from the heat and crowds.

Anyway, have a wonderful time!

 

[blessedby3]

We are heading down in Jan. with our family including Breastfeeding DD 3 1/2 mos. I have nursed all 4 of my kids everywhere including Disney World and have never had a problem with anyone. No glaring looks or words. I cant imagine that anyone would say anything to a mom being discreet and feeding her baby- its just not their business!! We will be nursing all over the world and I just might check out a baby care center if I am near one as I have never used one before.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I agree. Has anyone been confronted by staff members anywhere for nursing their child in the past few years? I know it used to be a problem but these days more mothers nurse than before( meaning women from my mother's generation). Why is nursing in public discussed so often? If you are considerate to others in public (while doing anything) why should nursing be a problem?

A quick response to this post. When my first DD was an infant I was nursing her in a dark resturant in a corner booth with a blanket covering her. No one was around. I was quietly eating my dinner when an older man, his wife, a waiter and a manager walked up to our table and the older guy said that's her she's ruining my meal. The manager asked me kindly to leave and said he would bring our check out right away and offered to box up the remainder of my meal. I was speachless and in tears. Yes there was a law but I was so upset I didn't think of anything except to leave and leave fast (no I didn't pay the check and no I don't feel the least bit guilty). By that time all the staff and most of the customers were staring. Law or not when someone call it to an entire room's attention it can be quite upsetting. She was my first and I was young. Now I would told them where they could st**K it.

 

[disney_family_1247]

PLEASE don't listen to your friends who are either totally misguided or anti-breastfeeding!!!

You are protected by FL law to nurse wherever you are allowed to be. I have nursed babies of all ages at Disney, so I know what I'm talking about. I have nursed 7 week olds, and 2 year olds with no negative looks, no comments, and definitely no disruptions by Cast Members. I am very discreet, but I have seen other moms showing more than I would ever expose, and they had no trouble either. I have nursed on benches, long rides, shows, restaurants, hotel lobbies, buses, monorails, etc. I have used the Baby Care Center once to nurse in the 7 years since I had my first baby (and we visit at least once a year). I have never found a better place to nurse than WDW .

My only warning is DO NOT NURSE in the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor show. They film the audience, and I was almost on the screen nursing my fifteen month old last month! Just when I realized that I was in the danger zone, I stopped her. Literally thirty seconds later, I saw my baby on the screen because they were talking to the guy in front of us .

Have fun and nurse your sweet little baby to your heart's (and his stomach's) content.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I am a wife and a mother and totally feel that nursing your child is your choice. It sounds like you are considerate of yourself and of the others who are around when you are nursing. But I have seen mothers at WDW who are not discreet at all when nursing - I think it is in extremely poor taste to not even attempt to cover yourself while nursing. No matter how "natural" nursing may be this is Disney and if what you are doing (or wearing for that matter) is not suitable for a G rated Disney movie - it is not suitable for the parks.

 

[disney_family_1247]

I'm not writing this to debate because the PP was not rude or inflammatory at all. I just wanted to put out there my idea that we (our society) make things like breastfeeding and breasts "R" rated by acting like they only have one purpose. My kids have seen me nurse their younger sister a million times, and they will never connect breasts with something dirty .

I am discreet when I nurse because I'm not comfortable flaunting my body in public. It doesn't bother me in the least to see someone being less modest, though. When we see stuff like that, we always say how cute it is that the baby is eating.

Now, if they could only ban bikini tops and spandex in WDW in the summer !

 

[kids of the kingdom]

Excuse me for posting an opposing view but the whole in your face, you're the one with the problem, we're here so get use to it, breastfeeding and proud of it thing has gone just too far. Please be sensitive to the fact that not everyone is comfortable with public breastfeeding and plan accordingly. Our 2 children were successfully breastfed comfortably and in private. Don't trample other peoples sensitivities because another has been repressed for so long. And breastfeeding should not be something we multitask, either. Is it really more important to see an attraction - even if we waited in line for an hour - than providing quiet and comfort at baby's mealtime?

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

We were there in September and a well endowed woman in a tube top fell out of her clothes. She was getting up from a seated position with a bit of pep and the not so little **** came right up over the top and flopped out for the whole world to see. The nipple ring was a lovely, and might I add classy, addition to our Walt Disney World Experience.

On the other hand, we saw more nursing mothers on this past trip than we have ever seen before, and every last one of them was modest. Some had a blanket over themselves, but others were just relaxing in cool places like....
Hall of Presidents, American Experience, Living with the Land, Finding Nemo Musical, waiting for Fantasmic, Riding the Monorail, or watching the parade.

A previous poster suggested nursing on the Safari ride, but I think the ride was too bumpy for nursing. I saw a mom nurse while standing in line for the Test Track. She had her little one in a baby pouch.

Viva la Breast.

--Eeyore's Wife

 

[Daydreamer64]

If you go at a slow time of day or year, the TTA is great for BF- done it with all three and will be doing it again this winter with baby #3- tell the attendant that you need to rest while the baby sleeps- they often let me stay on the ride -if it was a slow time, for several rides until I was done- I used a baby blanket to keep private and keep the lights from bothering the baby, put my feet up, amd relaxed.

To the posters who asked why Bf in public, if you are not comfortable BF in public- it's not a matter of being comfortable but aware of each state's laws- some states have not allowed for nursing Mothers to legally nurse in public yet.

Everyone has their own comfort level when deciding to BF in public. In my experience, people who bare all do not represent the majority of BFing Moms- just a thought to consider.

How much skin is shown when BF can be as different as how much is shown when swimming- some people are comfortable in a thong and some like the full cover-up. Maybe the "in your face BFer's" at WDW are from other cultures- many Europeans are very body comfortable and many think nothing of showing more skin then we "Americans" are used to seeing. Granted WDW does not allow thongs and I hope that a BF Mom who was showing too much-whole Breast, and not even trying to keep covered , would be asked to cover up a bit.

Just for what it's worth- I am not siding, just sharing my experiences. I have always been descreet- if someone stares they are welcome to look away.
As for this trip, we will be using the baby centers- as older nurslings like to see what's going on around them and tend to pull off the covering blanket. Since the baby is down to once a day nursing at nap time, I suspect that we will be weaning during this trip- he probably won't want to nap- so Okay!

 

[GEM]

Excuse me for posting an opposing view but the whole in your face, you're the one with the problem, we're here so get use to it, breastfeeding and proud of it thing has gone just too far. Please be sensitive to the fact that not everyone is comfortable with public breastfeeding and plan accordingly. Our 2 children were successfully breastfed comfortably and in private. Don't trample other peoples sensitivities because another has been repressed for so long. And breastfeeding should not be something we multitask, either. Is it really more important to see an attraction - even if we waited in line for an hour - than providing quiet and comfort at baby's mealtime?

For the nursing moms reading this, please don't let the very, very occasion post like this one bother you. Just go on nursing your little ones when and where you need to and know that there's nothing wrong with it, no matter where you are. And, know that most people will support you. For people who seem to share the viewpoint above, well, that's why there's now legislation in most states protecting the rights of nursing moms.

As I said in my earlier post, I never covered up with a blanket, but you sure couldn't see anything except my baby's head. Yes, you probably would know that I was nursing if you looked closely - but if just knowing what was going on was too much for you, then, yes, that would be your problem. I'm not "in your face". I don't "whip it out". However, I also don't hide away in private or try to make sure that nobody can tell what I'm doing.

As for not multi-tasking while nursing, I'm actually laughing at that. I can't believe anybody would say that, especially someone who says she breastfed. My little guy nursed pretty much 24-7 for what seemed like forever! If I hadn't nursed on the go or multi-tasked, I would never have gotten off the couch, much less left the house. Other than the health benefits, that's the best thing about breastfeeding - anytime, anywhere convience! My little guy couldn't have cared less if we were in a quiet, dark room or sitting on Main Street watching the parade - as long as his milk was there he was more than comfy and happy!

And as far as respecting other's "sensetivities" goes, there are, in my mind, certain "sensetivities" that shouldn't be respected. I don't care that it bothers some people to see my white best friend out in public with her black husband and mixed-race children. I don't care that it may offend some people if they see my cousin and her partner holding hands on a walk. And, I don't care if someone gets worked up over me feeding my baby in public. Trust me, if you're going to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, you're going to see WAY more than I'll be showing.


I'm not even going to open this thread again, because I've promised myself only one response on these kinds of threads. Anything more gets my blood pressure too high and keeps me up at night.

Please people, just let this one go. It's not worth it. Trust me.


Edited to add:

I just wanted to say that this is a little bit misleading.

To the posters who asked why Bf in public, if you are not comfortable BF in public- it's not a matter of being comfortable but aware of each state's laws- some states have not allowed for nursing Mothers to legally nurse in public yet.

It's true that not all states have legislation that actively protects the rights of nursing moms (making it illegal to ask breastfeeding mom to move or cover up), BUT it should be noted that there are NO states where breastfeeding in public is illegal or included in indecent exposure laws. So, while it's not expressly protected in all states (while it is in many), it's certainly not illegal anywhere.

 

[Daydreamer64]

Edited to add:

I just wanted to say that this is a little bit misleading.

It's true that not all states have legislation that actively protects the rights of nursing moms (making it illegal to ask breastfeeding mom to move or cover up), BUT it should be noted that there are NO states where breastfeeding in public is illegal or included in indecent exposure laws. So, while it's not expressly protected in all states (while it is in many), it's certainly not illegal anywhere.

Gem,
I wasn't trying to be misleading- just trying to respond nicely to the posters who were asking why "ask" about BF in public- Thanks for rewording what I was trying to say! I think you were just a tiny bit stressed with the other poster and misunderstood my intentions- I was not trying to mislead anyone.

 

[Daydreamer64]

duplicate post

 

[MomtoGKC]

I nursed my 20 month old all over the World. The hardest was the Beauty and the Beast show at MGM because the loud noises scared him and he kept popping up to see what was going on. The best was the train that goes around the MK - we hopped on, the girls had fun riding and I got DS to sleep. I knew he'd wake up if I tried to walk around with him too much so we just stayed on for two or three rides aorund the kingdom after he fell asleep so he could have a nice, quiet nap.

 

[thunderbird1]

The easiest trip I ever had with ds was when he was 4 months old and nursing exclusively. I nursed on lots of different rides (Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion come to mind), on benches and in the baby care centers. I have also seen lots of other women nursing, both discreetly (with a blanket) and right out in the open. Your baby needs to eat, and it will never be easier than when s/he is nursing, so do what you need to do and don't worry about what other people might think. Remember--a large segment of WDW guests are from outside the US, where nursing is not a big deal. Have a great trip!

 

[lundve]

The easiest trip I ever had with ds was when he was 4 months old and nursing exclusively. I nursed on lots of different rides (Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion come to mind), on benches and in the baby care centers. I have also seen lots of other women nursing, both discreetly (with a blanket) and right out in the open. Your baby needs to eat, and it will never be easier than when s/he is nursing, so do what you need to do and don't worry about what other people might think. Remember--a large segment of WDW guests are from outside the US, where nursing is not a big deal. Have a great trip!

I did just as this woman did with my 3 1/2 month old a month ago. Several places I used this cool nursing cover from Bebe Au Lait (I got mine from the babycenter store). It made me feel less conscious and often people did not know I had a baby under there. It made me feel better and less like everyone was staring at me. It was really lightweight too. Have fun!

 

[Ariel8676]

Oh i had a Bebe Au Lait nursing cover too.. they are so pretty and nice and cool for you and the baby.....although mine was still called a Hooter Hider(before they changed the name) LOL!!!

 

[2 princes 1 princess]

I agree. Has anyone been confronted by staff members anywhere for nursing their child in the past few years? I know it used to be a problem but these days more mothers nurse than before( meaning women from my mother's generation). Why is nursing in public discussed so often? If you are considerate to others in public (while doing anything) why should nursing be a problem?

This was my question. Okay, so far only one mother has been confronted in public years ago. I feel it was very wrong of that resturaunt to make her leave with her baby and I believe nursing is best for babies. I still don't see why this is such a widly discussed topic when only one person has been confronted and that didn't even happen recently. I think most of society has accepted breast feeding. It's natural, it's been discussed over and over again. I don't think anyone has a real problem with it. Go ahead and nurse. Who cares? I think this is such a non issue that shouldn't even be a problem.

 

[ksafavi]

I nursed all 3 of my kids at WDW and never had a problem. Yes the nursing stations are apparently great...but honestly I never had TIME to make my way all the way over to one to nurse! I just find a quiet spot. Disney is so family friendly I would be surprised if you had a problem. BTW - there are many quiet, cool places to nurse.

If you would like specific places in specific parks...I can expand.

--Ketherine