Nurse your baby in WDW restaurants?

[dallastxcpa]

First, let me say that I breastfed my daughter until she was two....

However, when I am eating my prime rib at the Crystal Palace.... I don't want to see your ****. Please cover up or go to an appropriate private area. If you can't find a suitable place then maybe you should wait until your child is older to vacation.

I speak from experience.......What your doing is called selfish behaviour.... it's were you put your needs and desires to go on a vacation, which provides no benefit to your child at such a young age before the needs of your child...ie your selfishness. All taking a vacation with a baby does is expose your child to illnesses and viruses. As much as I love Mickey Mouse I seriously wonder about parents who bring newborns and toddlers to the park.

 

[Lollipop Mom]

I don't think it's appropriate to nurse in public. It may not be uncomfortable for the person nursing, but it could be for others. I think that it is something to be done in private (and only with infants). The nursing stations are there so a mother can nurse her baby . . . in private

It always surprises me to hear people say nursing in public isn't appropriate. I understand if they say they personal don't care to see a Mom nursing in public but just because it's not your personal preference to see it doesn't make it inappropriate. It is appropriate to feed your child when they are hungry. period. When they are infants it is appropriate to feed them whenever and where ever they are hungry regardless of if you breast or bottle feed. I have 2 sons. One was bottle fed, one was breast fed. I couldn't nurse my first born due to medical problems he had and he is just as well adjusted, just as close to me and just as happy a child as my second who was breast fed for 16 months. I take no "moral high road" for nursing or anything like that. I do believe nursing Mom's should try to be as discrete as possible but I was one who never did the blanket over the shoulder thing mainly because my son would pull it down! I'm sure I had moments where some stranger looking our way at the precise right second might have seen some skin but it was rare and it was not for lack of modesty or lack of effort to be discrete. I might be bothered by having a woman totally open one whole side of her blouse and pop an entire breast out but never by someone lifting a shirt or unbuttoning the bottom couple of buttons.

I guess I wonder what exactly it is about a mother *discretely* nursing her child in public bothers people? Is it just knowing that were the baby to move aside that her breast is exposed even if you can see NOTHING of her breast as she is nursing? do you feel it's somehow unsanitary? (even though it's not as though any breastmilk will end up all over the table or anything?). As for the nursing stations...I have a different take on them. They are there for the comfort of the mother who either doesn't want to nurse in public or wants a quiet place to get her baby to sleep. They are not there for the purpouse of keeping nursing mothers out of the "open" in order to make other guests more comfortable.

For mom's out there who are nursing and are nervous about nursing in public anywhere be it WDW or your local Chili's...yeah, there are people who may feel uneasy about it but there are people who may feel uneasy about a lot of parenting decisions you make in the next 18 years and you can't worry about them. Like I said before, when my baby was hungry I had to decide if I wanted to offend him by making him wait or risk offending some stranger who may be uncomfortable with the fact that I am breastfeeding. My baby won every time. The bottom line is that you are legally allowed to nurse anywhere you and your baby are legally allowed to be.

What your doing is called selfish behaviour.... it's were you put your needs and desires to go on a vacation, which provides no benefit to your child at such a young age before the needs of your child...ie your selfishness.

that's a pretty sweeping generalization! What about families with more than one child? Should the older child, who does get some "benefit" from a vacation be kept from enjoying a vacation simply because he or she has a younger sibling? I'm not talking taking you 3 week old to the parks but what about the family with a 4 year old and a 7 month old? The 7 month old may still be nursing, isn't so fragile anymore, would be able to enjoy certain aspects of the vacation. Is this family to tell the 4 year old that sorry, we can't vacation till little sister or brother is totally out of toddlerhood because that would be selfish of Mommy and Daddy?

 

[The6ofUs]

edited to delete message... didn't realize there was a controversy going on before posting advice to the nursing mother. I'd rather not get involved in any debates right now. Happy holidays, everyone!

 

[meandtheguys2]

I always figured anyone rude enough to stare had their own issues. I was a discreet nursing mom, and did nurse wherever we needed to nurse. (Including Disney restaurants!) Have a lovely time with your wee one!

 

[Mom to Jordan]

I do tend to notice nursing mom's at WDW. First I get the feeling of sadness that my DS was so premature and tiny, that despite 2 months of religious pumping, that he never got to nurse. Then I aways smile at the warm and loving site of mommy and baby together. We have seen both decret and totaly open nursing at WDW. While neither bothered me, one or two have made my DS 12 blush. Nursing where ever that little one needs to eat is a natural and inocent act of love. Yes, being decret is inportant but a child's needs come first.
I think the facts on nursing VS bottle are well published and most moms are quite aware of them. EVery mom must do what is best for her family. After two months of gavaged breast milk, DS went to formular and while it broke my heart, he grew to be a very healthy child.

To OP, have a blast and enjoy this specail time with your child.

Jordans mom

 

[MelessaG]

I'm trying to remember where I did and didn't nurse my DD in the parks, but after 4 kids it all kind of runs together in my mind. I know the only place she got hungry close enough get to a Baby Care center was at Epcot (which was kind of a bummer, I love the one at AK and we never saw the inside of it this trip). Her morning and afternoon feeds always happened in our room when we got up or during a rest break, but otherwise I guess I just fed her wherever and didn't give it much thought. I know I used a blanket though, because Little Miss Distractable doesn't eat unless she has nothing else to look at. I will add that her feeding times were a little off during the whole trip because our daily schedule was different. Kudos to the OP for hanging in there, breastfeeding isn't always easy. If you had told me during the first six weeks with my first baby that it would ever be as effortless as it is now for me, I wouldn't have believed it. I'm glad I stuck to it though, and I'm glad you are too!

 

[dallastxcpa]

"that's a pretty sweeping generalization! What about families with more than one child? Should the older child, who does get some "benefit" from a vacation be kept from enjoying a vacation simply because he or she has a younger sibling? I'm not talking taking you 3 week old to the parks but what about the family with a 4 year old and a 7 month old? The 7 month old may still be nursing, isn't so fragile anymore, would be able to enjoy certain aspects of the vacation. Is this family to tell the 4 year old that sorry, we can't vacation till little sister or brother is totally out of toddlerhood because that would be selfish of Mommy and Daddy? "
Yes, because a four year old does not have the capacity to do research and have any knowledge that WDW even exists unless Mommy and Daddy have told them about.... hence Mommy and Daddy's selfish desire to go on vacation.

I have never heard of any 4 year old who's life was ruined because they didn't get to go to WDW.

 

[off to neverland]

Jordan's mom,
Kudos to you for trying so, so hard to bf your son. Pumping like that is absolutely exhausting, on top of the stress I'm sure you had over his early birth. Just think about that two months he got! How fabulous for him... what a gift you gave him. It's those early days of feeding are the very best~ I hope somehow you can feel happy you were able to give him what you did. Two months is really quite a feat!!!! And the benefits to him, immeasurable I'm sure. Personally, I'm in awe of women like you who go to extremes like pumping around the clock to feed their children.

 

[frsttimers]

My DD is 7 years old and was brestfed until about 14 months of age.....its very easy to say its offensive, or pump and use a bottle, or nurse in private but there are children out there who absolutely will not use a bottle.....mine was one of them....she refused bottles and pacifiers so we had two alternatives...nurse in public or let her starve ( which obviously wasn't going to happen!). Its not like breastfeeding mother whip off their shirts and bras and sit bare breasted in a restaurant....at least not in my experience anyway : ) so as far as it being offensive....its all a matter of opinion...who knows maybe the same person that finds breast feeding offensive does things that someone else finds offensive.....i think that there are more important things to be concerned about.....when there are thousands of starving children in just the US how can you knock a mother for taking care of her childs needs? And just a quick response to the whole 4 year olds only know about Disney if Mommy and Daddy tell them.....children learn from everyone and everything...there are enough commercials, merchandise and others with vacation stories and pictures around that the knowledge can come from anywhere.....

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!!

 

[off to neverland]

 

[lindaso]

I speak from experience.......What your doing is called selfish behaviour.... it's were you put your needs and desires to go on a vacation, which provides no benefit to your child at such a young age before the needs of your child...ie your selfishness. All taking a vacation with a baby does is expose your child to illnesses and viruses. As much as I love Mickey Mouse I seriously wonder about parents who bring newborns and toddlers to the park.

[SARCASM] Yes, we are such bad and selfish parents trying to give our children a vacation with their family, making beautiful memories together, having fun...we're just awful. [/SARCASM]

If I had waited until all of my children were done nursing, we still wouldn't have made it to WDW...in 7 years. Sorry, I must be selfish but I can't wait that long to give my children a fun family vacation. Some people have more than 1 child.

RAE...I have that cartoon on my fridge, one of my favorites!!!

 

[diznygirl]

I'm sorry jackie, I do believe breastfeeding makes you a better mother.
....
I'm not saying that moms who don't breastfeed are bad. Certainly lots of kids have done fine on formula. BUT, moms who breastfeed are doing the very best thing for their child... there is no doubt that breastmilk is the ultimate food for a baby. And it's good for mom too, as it helps fight off all sorts of cancers.

Breast is best, as the saying goes....but let's not judge too harshly the moms who are bottle-feeding their babies. There are a number of medical reasons for both mother and baby why they could be doing it - they could want to breastfeed with all their hearts but it just wasn't an option for them for whatever reason. Or there could be breastmilk in that bottle...

I say "Good Job" to ANY mom who is feeding her baby and being a good and compassionate caregiver.

 

[akrake]

First, let me say that I breastfed my daughter until she was two....

However, when I am eating my prime rib at the Crystal Palace.... I don't want to see your ****. Please cover up or go to an appropriate private area. If you can't find a suitable place then maybe you should wait until your child is older to vacation.

I speak from experience.......What your doing is called selfish behaviour.... it's were you put your needs and desires to go on a vacation, which provides no benefit to your child at such a young age before the needs of your child...ie your selfishness. All taking a vacation with a baby does is expose your child to illnesses and viruses. As much as I love Mickey Mouse I seriously wonder about parents who bring newborns and toddlers to the park.

ok, i have to chime in.....i can't believe that you really breastfed your daughter for 2 years....did you stay inside for 2 full years...never breastfed in public? you must have have a terrible time during that 2 years...no support or anything....because, i believe, if you would have been comfortable nursing in public, you would have NEVER made comments such as the ones above. BUT that's just MY opinion...just like the above is YOURS.

i am a vegetarian & i think eating STEAK is gross....does that mean you should go elsewhere to eat it? NO, it just means i don't want to see you eating your steak. Does that mean i'm going to ask you not to eat it in front of me or that i will make rude comments OR ruin your dinner, NO.

I am not selfish for bringing my 14mo nursing dd to wdw...i have an 8 & 5 yr old children also. i may even have more down the road...why should the older kids wait until they are in high school before they get to go on a family vacation? we are a family....wdw was made for families...nursing or otherwise.

anyway, i better stop.......remember, these are just my opinions....and they are backed my STATE LAW (as quoted on page 1 of this thread).
akrake

 

[Lollipop Mom]

Yes, because a four year old does not have the capacity to do research and have any knowledge that WDW even exists unless Mommy and Daddy have told them about.... hence Mommy and Daddy's selfish desire to go on vacation.

I have never heard of any 4 year old who's life was ruined because they didn't get to go to WDW.

Hmm...my 4 year old knows other 4 year olds who have been and he has heard them talking about it. He's heard about it from them. He's seen commercials for it on the Disney Chanel (and no, he doesn't live in front of the tv but he does get to watch a little). He's seen photos of it at the Disney Store. Would his life be ruined if he NEVER went. No. In my opinion has his life been enhanced by going...yes. It's been enhanced by fun family time together. IMHO, it's not selfish to take your family on vacation whenever YOU feel ready to travel with them all together as long as it's OK by your ped for your baby to travel. I can say I don't believe it's selfish because we do not allow our children to disrupt other people's vacations. I don't allow them to run up and down the halls of the hotel screaming. If they are fussy and need a break, we leave the parks for a while. If they are fussy in a restaurant, we take them outside. I don't believe sitting on a bench in the parks or sitting in a restaurant and discretely nursing a baby would make me selfish either. My baby would be more likely to disrupt your vacation if he were screaming and hungry but I didn't feed him than he would by quietly nursing. If it bothers you, don't watch. Look the other way and keep moving.

 

[desiab]

Thanks raewhid! The DH and I had a good life over this one.

 

[momloveson]

I am interested in trying O'Hanas, Jiko, Kona Cafe, Olivia's Cafe and Le Cellier. I'm open to other options. I understand the calmer the better so there would be less distractions during nursing, and I wonder if that kills O'Hanas because it sounds like a happening place?

We ate at Kona Cafe for lunch and it was one of the quietest meals we had. There are tables next to a "forest" of palm, birds of paradise etc. So if you want to be more out of the way, perhaps you could ask for one of those. I'm not sure what the dinner crowd is like in terms of business though. The food was also kind of an eclectic asian inspired and VERY tasty.

We didn't eat at Jiko but we did see it when we explored AKL. It seemed to be a pretty quiet place. There were several quiet corners near here as well, even though the pool is on this level. But, the pool has several sitting areas as well, some feeling quite secluded without a lot of distractions for baby.

Also, we didn't get to do Ohana's but it came HIGHLY recommended by a few friends. If this is something you'd really like to do, then I'm sure there are quieter places pretty close. The Polonisian was the one resort we didn't wander too much in. Wish I could be more helpful.

Sorry I can't help you with the others on your list. Have a wonderful vacation and I do hope you enjoy a couple of meals out.

 

[antsss]

OK folks...this started out as a nursing Mom looking for some support, hints, tips, suggestions...
I love the idea someone had about nursing on the right side if you are right-handed before the food comes so you can nurse on the left side while eating. I used to do that and it worked very well.

 

[off to neverland]

I just remembered a great place I nursed my baby in the Magic Kingdom..... In Adventureland, right next to the outdoor bazaar area, there is a tucked away area that has round tables and stone benches. As you walk into the bazaar area, it is to your right. It's nice and cool and dark on a hot day. No one ever seemed to sit in there so while my husband took my 4 year old on Aladdins Carpet and the treehouse, I would sneak back there and nurse Abby. It worked REALLY well and became my favorite spot.

 

[jeancbpugh]

Yes, because a four year old does not have the capacity to do research and have any knowledge that WDW even exists unless Mommy and Daddy have told them about.... hence Mommy and Daddy's selfish desire to go on vacation.

I have never heard of any 4 year old who's life was ruined because they didn't get to go to WDW.

Now that is just silly. We do all kinds of things for our four year olds that aren't essential to life....like exposure to music, art, other people.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Nursing in Disney - Okay I was there just last week but I can't remember where it was to save my life. But I did not feel uncomfortable and I usually don't Nurse in public. I did see one mom walk by me with a baby while me and my DD were waiting on DH - it took me a minute to realize that she was nursing and when I did she was already past me but once I did I wanted to give her 2 thumbs up. As far as the controversy goes - the one thing that is true for almost all mothers is that they just want to do what is best for their babies. For some mothers bottlefeeding is best - for others nursing is the way to go. But to say a mother who takes her nursing infant/toddler on vacation is selfish is beyond me. I went last week with my nursing toddler. Just me, her, and DH. We didn't leave the room until between 9 & 10 - we came back for a nap between 1 & 3 - we didn't go back out until between 5 & 7 and usually were back in the room no later than 9pm any night. We did everything around her schedule. I don't believe I was being selfish! And I think that pumping 4 to 5 times a day so my DD could have milk was anything but selfish. There are a lot of things that a breastfeeding mom may be but "selfish" is definitely not one of them.