Nice places to nurse in the parks?

[GEM]

We are taking our little guy for his first birthday in May. He is still a frequent nurser, so I was wondering if you all have found any great places to breastfeed in any of the parks. We definately won't be hinking back to the baby care centers every time he wants to nurse! I have no problems at all nursing in public, and I will definately feed him any time any place he is hungry. However, I would also like to find some sort of quiet, out of the way (and definately shady)spots since he can be pretty distractable. If anyone would care to share their favorite nursing spots (benches, rides, shows, whatever), I would really appreciate it. We are really familiar with the parks, since we've been 10 times. However, this is our first trip with a baby! I can't wait!!!

 

[Desnik]

Right away I thought of 2 great spots, bith in Epcot.

The first is near the viking ship in Norway. There is a bathroom to the right of the ship. If you look left there are about 3 benches, off to the side, shaded by trees. It was a really private peaceful spot. I didn't breastfeed but, I was able to rock my little guy to sleep there.

The other spot I liked was across from the Fish and Chips place in the UK. There was this little garden area and there were benches. If you walked even further there was another spot similar.

I also think thatsome dark rides like HM, Spaceship Earth, etc are great places too.

I will tell you we really used those babycare centers last trip! They were great. Especially the one in the MK. I was happy to go out of my way to go in there to warm the bottle and feed/change the baby. They had private rooms for nursing. The changing areas were fantastic.

 

[winniedapooh]

I believe in WDW the first aide station has some great benches, quiet and shaded! Also along the paths behind the castle are benches and quiet.

 

[garettdoyle]

Great spot by in Adventureland by POC. There is a great little park and bench. Basically a dead-end alley.

 

[Tinkermom]

Hi

Hope this helps...I found after going with my nursing kids for a time span of about 6 years that I offered to nurse at every opportunity I came accross therefore avoiding having a screaming hungry baby and no where to sit in the shade. My favorite places include "It's a small world" "Peter Pan's Flight" Haunted Mansion" "Pirates of the Carribian" almost any of the slower boat or car rides in Magic Kingdom. Any of the shows in MGM and Epcot also has many rides and attractions condusive to sitting and nursing. Basically everytime I sat I offered to nurse, just be sure and keep yourself hydrated as you can get pretty parched nursing a baby without dealing with the Florida Heat - Add that in and if you don't drink you'll really feel the effects. So drink plenty of water, and every time you find yourself with a lap, offer to nurse and you'll both be happy!!!!

Good Luck and Have Fun Fun Fun!!!
Tinkermom aka Mary Lou

 

[GEM]

Thanks for the great suggestions! That's pretty much the way I do it when I'm out and about with Paul, Tinkermom. I always try to offer and nurse him BEFORE we get to the point of meltdown! I can't wait!!!

 

[Bird-Mom]

Yay for nursing past one year! Great job mama!

My favorite places to nurse in the MK are Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. One time I thought that I was going to have to ask if I could go through POC again because no way could I get up from the boat with dd still latched and no way was she going to let go! Amazingly, she finished up quickly. I also love the gardens in the UK at Epcot and there were some benches around Innoventions, I think, where the sun wasn't blazing in the afternoon. Spaceship Earth too. I liked the baby care center at Epcot the best if you are nearby. Don't bother with the one at MGM, the "nursing room" is a corner with a rocking chair behind a curtain. No way am I hiding behind a curtain! AK baby care has private rooms, but when my dd was 13 months, she wouldn't nurse there because she wanted to check out the wallpaper which is very brightly colored with animals. If it isn't lunchtime, down by the seating for Flame Tree BBQ is nice along the water.

 

[gary4jenn]

I nursed our 18 mo old at a little rest area nest to the Swiss Family Tree house (across from the dole whip counter),

Tom sawyer island back by Aunt Pollys.

The best is sitting and watching the Hall of Prez in the A/C. A good 20 min of sit down time and not usually busy.

My son didn't care for the dark rides so we just snuggled and he nursed on PoC, Spaceship earth at Epcot, Haunted mansion.

This trip I definitely saw more moms nursing than ever B4!

I have even used a sling carrier and nursed him with my t-shirt pulled up and a button down shirt over my t-shirt that i buttoned up half way (by my tummy) so none of my skin was exposed and then just threw a blanket over my shoulder. No one ever knew.

The sling was nice cuz then i could place him on my hip when we were waiting in line and it took some of the pressure off my arms and back.

 

[moinab]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the TTA (my favorite!!!) and the WDW Railroad. I find the Tiki Bird Show is also a good spot, but sometimes DD (13 months) is distracted by a lot of the shows.

At Epcot, the boat rides in Mexico and The Land are also great nursing spots.

There is also a train at AK.

I have no problems whatsoever with nursing in public, but as DD gets older, the main problem is that she gets distracted. If I find that she needs to nurse, but won't focus, sometimes we will hike back the the Baby Care Center, but it is usually easy to find a serene spot, no matter where you are.

I've read your posts before, but I can't remember if you have a sling. That's my number one recommendation. I love mine so much, it almost makes me want to have another baby, just so I can use it more!

 

[GEM]

Thanks again, everybody! Your ideas have been so helpful.

We've never really covered up with a blanket or anything (and he definately wouldn't stand for it now), so some less distracting spots will be great! Besides, who on earth would want to use a blanket in the Florida heat?!

However, like your daughter, moinab, our little guy does get easily distracted these days! It used to be so easy to nurse him any where, any time. Now days, he's really interested in what's going on, so Ill be on the lookout for some of the great spots mentioned! I do have a sling, and I love it! I use it all the time around here and I will definately be taking it to WDW. My only concern is that it will be too hot to wear him in the sling. We might both end up sweating to death!

Thanks also, Bird-Mom, for your support for nursing past a year! It means a lot to me. My little guy was 1lb 7oz at birth and spent 83 days in the NICU, so we had a rough time at first with pumping round the clock, tube feedings, latch problems, etc. We got past it all, though, and he came home from the NICU a champion nurser! There's no way we're giving it up anytime soon!

You guys are the best! Thanks again for the great ideas!!

 

[moinab]

My only concern is that it will be too hot to wear him in the sling. We might both end up sweating to death!

I live in FL, and use my sling all the time. I've never found it to be too hot. I did buy the unbleached cotton, however, because I was concerned that a darker color might absorb heat. I used it both at Sea World and in the Bahamas last July, no problems.

 

[GEM]

Thanks! Paul came home from the NICU at the end of July, but we really didn't take him out much until the middle of September, so I've never really tried the sling in the heat. I just wasn't sure how it would be. Paul tends to be really warm. (We call him our little lava rock in bed at night.) So, I'm a little worried about both of us being too warm with him in the sling. Maybe I will look around and try to find one made of a lighter weight fabric and a lighter color.

 

[peanutzmom]

I just want to second what everyone else said about the cool, dark rides (Small world, peter pan, etc.) and the sling! We're Florida residents (though currently too far from home ) and my kids have been "slung" from day one without a heat problem. The best slings I found for Florida heat were Maya Wraps in light colors. The cotton is very breathable, and there's no padding to add extra heat. I'm just so tickled to hear of more & more mamas nursing past the first year!

 

[DisneyPhD]

1st off, cheers to you GEM, not only for nursing, but not just giving up and starting on a bottle when your baby was born so little!!!!! That is wonderful. I too had a hard time getting DD to start nursing and put a lot of work into it. I wasn't going to stop until she was ready. Turns out that was when she was 2 years and 2 months old. (at this time we were nursing once a day, mornings or night or emergancies.) I was worried how to stop, turns out my body knew what was best, and just slowly ran out of milk.


I also found DD too distracted to nurse in puplic, and she would bite me when she was distracted! I love TTA, but many of the rides are too busy for the baby. There is some nice rocking chairs on the pouch outside of Hall of Presidents in MK. It is a great spot, except every half an hour when 100 people come out the doors near it. I got caught nursing right there! Mostly we used out of the way quit spots to sit. Too bad many of them are now smoking spots!

 

[Lexxiefern]

Wow, what a great thread! And all you wonderful mommas! I took my DD at 12 months to WDW and she was still nursing. All the suggestions are very good.

We nursed on all the dark rides mentioned, also spaceship earth is great, Universe of Energy, the boat rides in Norway and Mexico at Epcot. The Great Movie Ride, Sounds Dangerous, at MGM. It's Tough to Be a Bug at AK. Like someone posted already, pretty much any time you sit down. I did carry a very light blanket and I would use this to cover her ears on louder attractions so she was not disturbed

I never set foot in any of the baby care centers - I did not even know they existed

Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[MelessaG]

I thought I was the only one who knew about It's A Small World. I've taken two nursing babies to WDW now and will be taking a third in December. I can't really remember any of my other 'finds,' and am enjoying gathering ideas myself. Like most, I didn't bother too much with the baby care centers unless I was next to them. (I did love the one at AK, though)

 

[takemetoo]

We went in Jan with our 3yr old and then 8month old, and slinging and nursing the baby made the trip so easy. Has no one yet said the overlooks of the Tree in AK?! Many have tables and are shaded. Perfect. I saw one mom nursing on Minnie's couch at the Toon Town Fair! Though that would probably be too distracting.

I nursed my oldest until he was 2yrs 2 or 3 months, but am still sometimes shy sbout nursing in public. I never felt like people were staring, and loved meeting other nursing mothers. The only Nuring Station I liked was in MK (but loved it), so being able to nurse everywhere many, many times a day without feeling conspicuous was wonderful!

 

[lindaso]

Just wanted to add my support to all you nursing moms...yeah for us!! I've found that any air conditioned place/ride will do for us in WDW. I do remember one time checking out the MK baby care center cause he was getting so distracted and we needed a really good feeding. It was pretty nice in there.

We took a different approach around the parks. My babies were all really big and I couldn't sling them all day without my back aching so DH wore baby in a snugli (he wasn't comfortable with the sling) and they really bonded. When we sat for a show, baby came out to nurse. It worked out really well.

 

[Lollipop Mom]

My son was weaned (but not for long) by the time we took him on his first trip at almost 2 but I just wanted to add some support here (I was a little surprised to see SO many people respond that they were offended by nursing moms at WDW in the "have you ever had a shock" post on the Attractions board. I was begining to wonder if I was the only one who thought it was a completely normal thing!) I had a favorite nursing shirt for being outside in the heat. It was a button front shirt from Motherwear that had buttons that went across too (not hidden under a flap, it just looked like a cross of buttons; one strip up and down and one across). It was fantastic for nursing discretely yet it wasn't double thick like so many nursing shirts. I did fine nursing discretely in regular tops too...this was just my favorite! I also wanted to recommend a sling called the New Native sling. It's made from organic cotton and isn't padded or anything. My son hates to be hot but he did OK in the GA heat in this sling.

My little guy was 1lb 7oz at birth and spent 83 days in the NICU, so we had a rough time at first with pumping round the clock, tube feedings, latch problems, etc.

Good for you for persevering! My oldest was a preemie and a NICU resident for some time too so I can understand the frustration of pumping round the clock!! I actually pumped exclusively for him for 7 months b/c he had refulx so severely that he would stop breathing if he didn't have rice cereal added to his food. After the third 911 call after nursing I decided it would be best for both of us if I just pumped! I was bound and determined to nurse DS#2 and fortunately he nursed like a champ right from the start up untill he was 18 months old. He just turned 2 and though he pretty much self weaned he still has a lovely habit of lifting my shirt in public just to make sure they are still there!

 

[GEM]

Wow! You guys are the best!! I am so grateful for all the wonderful suggestions - and for the support! I'm especially glad to hear from all of you nursing babies past the first year, since we are definately headed there ourselves.

I can't wait for our little guy's first Disney trip! I will admit that part of the reason I love nursing so much (aside from all the health benfits, bonding, etc.) is that it's just so easy. I can't imagine having to deal with bottles, sterilizing, mixing and warming formula, etc. - especially on a vacation like this! I guess I'm just fundamentally lazy. And if Paul is just too busy and excited to sit and eat as much as he should while we're at Disney, I don't really have to worry because I know he will still be getting plenty of nurishment from my milk.

Thanks again for the advice and support. I hope to see lots of other nursing mamas on our trip!