Official Breast Feeding Support Thread for WDW Parks

[jahber]

Can we get non-WDW support here? 'Cause nursing aversion hit hard day before yesterday. Like I ended up tearing at my breasts to get the creepy-crawly feeling to go away (I stopped before I broke the skin, but it was HARD to stop), and I had to ice my nipples to be able to feed her to sleep. I got NO sleep. Basically back to normal the next morning after a cup of coffee, but I know from experience it'll crop back up. Not sure if she's in a growth spurt or if I'm not making as much this week, but she's been nursing like mad. I meant to not do any mother-led weaning until she was 2, but if it gets like this on a frequent basis... I will physically have to so I don't tear myself up. My son mostly self-weaned 2 months after turning 2, since I was pregnant and my supply was dwindling (I never intended to tandem nurse, so I let it happen and didn't let him start back up after he'd gone 48 hours without of his own accord.) So nursing aversion, may have to stop before either of us are completely ready, cluster feeding at 1 year old... If I mention it to my mom, she'll say how ridiculous it is to still be nursing at all. If I mention it to my mom friends, they'll tell me to suck it up and let her self wean (in nicer words).

I'm so sorry I missed this! How is it going with the nursing aversion?

 

[Mmw37]

I've nursed to 18 mo with both kids, and YDS is still going strong. Our third WDW trip is coming up in January, and I doubt he'll be weaned by then. I'm an avid babywearer and don't use nursing covers. I also stopped wearing nursing bras as the ones I have don't fit anymore and I didn't want to invest in more with my last baby well past 1.

I nurse anywhere and everywhere at WDW and can't recall ever getting a weird look or comment (not that I'd stop). We've nursed on probably every dark ride, a few times in the carrier in a long queue, and at several signature restaurants (usually with a glass of wine in hand, the amount that transfers into breastmilk from one drink is miniscule). I always figure people would strongly prefer a kid who isn't crying to one who is, lol.

I just wear whatever. My stomach isn't obscene, so I don't wear two shirts unless I'm trying to stay warm. I pull up my shirt (or down my dress, if wearing one) to get access. If not wearing a nursing bra I just lift the underwire/elastic on that side. Sports bras work well if you don't have nursing bras. If I'm trying to provide shade or darkness for LO I use my wrap or the tail of my ring sling. If you feel better covered those styles of carriers work wonderfully without the need for a separate piece of equipment. For nursing in a carrier, I love RS (or rebozo carry) with little babies. Just drop into a cradle carry, latch on, and keep walking. For bigger kids a wrap with kangaroo or front cross carry is best for dropping them down. Kangaroo takes more fiddling to get comfy again after. We'll see how it goes in Jan! He mostly only nurses at wake up, nap, and bedtime these days, but who know what he'll do in overstimulation central.

 

[act1980]

Following

 

[jkstewart1800]

I'm so sorry I missed this! How is it going with the nursing aversion?

I am sorry I missed this too. How old is your daughter? Has this always been a problem?

 

[veelachanel]

I am beyond my breastfeeding days, but I still want to show my support for any breastfeeding momma at any time, anywhere!

 

[DisneyWife2015]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one looking for advice on BF at WDW. This is not our first time but it is my first time with a BF baby. I've been thinking about where in each park would be best. This thread has been helpful. I'll be posting post-trip updates. I found this shirt on Amazon and I think it will work well at WDW. Thought I'd share in case other moms are interested: http://a.co/arlvbzq

 

[rapunzel3]

I'll be breastfeeding throughout WDW next week! Thanks for all the tips! I didn't realize I could BF on so many rides.

 

[Lupeix]

http://www.target.com/p/women-s-nur...gclid=CKGDyouLlNMCFYJqfgodjQwF1Q&gclsrc=aw.ds
Just wanted to share my number one tip to nursing at Disney: Target nursing tanks. I went last year in July and to me they were a lifesaver. It is much easier to nurse in a carrier if wearing one. I nursed in the carrier in line quite often. They are cotton and great for hot weather. They are cheap, cute and fit really nicely. They are the only ones I found that are not tight around the stomach while supportive on top. In fact I plan to wear them this summer even though I am no longer breastfeeding. To any mama going to Disney with a nursling, I suggest you go to target and check them out.

 

[rapunzel3]

I'm back, I breastfed my baby all around WDW last week! I used a few baby care centers, random benches, the ground (have to give a wave for rider swap), Nemo show, Monsters Inc show, Muppets show, riding on the bus, in line for the bus, riding on Haunted Mansion, in multiple restaurants. Nursing tank with t shirt over top, and sometimes with a nursing cover depending on the crowd around me. A cast member noticed me nursing in the park and gave me a bottled water for free once which was nice.

 

[Asherry25]

Last summer, my younger boy was 15 months, and still nursing throughout the day. I don't care about nursing in public, but distractions were a problem for him. My favorite spots at MK were:
- table in the back corner of fantasy land!outside the circus tent (if you go all the way into the corner, you can face the train and be in the shade. Lots of places for the rest of the family to keep busy in the immediate area)
- inside the air conditioned tent for Dumbo while our older DS played
- to the left of Pirates, down the path next to the ride there are 2-3 benches on the right. You're out of the flow of traffic-the only things to contend with are the CM going on and off stage there and people playing the Pirate game.

This summer, he will be over 2. He's still nursing, but no longer throughout the day.

 

[Mrs Geek]

My oldest nursed for 18 months, and she's 3 1/2 now. Baby #2 is due in just a few weeks, and will be ~4 months old when we go to WDW in November.

It's been a while since I've done this whole breastfeeding thing, but I seem to remember that, in the beginning anyway, nursing sessions lasted upwards of half an hour- 15-20 minutes per side. (Of course, she tended to fall asleep mid-feed and needed to be tickled awake to finish, so maybe that's what dragged it out.) She may have gotten faster by 4 months old but I don't remember exactly what age we were at when nursing became quicker and less of an ordeal.

This rambling introduction is to say: all you supermoms who talk about nursing on rides...there's no way the dark rides are half an hour. Are they? (Last time we were in WDW was 5 years ago on our Disneymoon so it's been a while for that, too.) For the under-6-month-set when Mommy is literally the only source of food, does "nursing on a ride" really mean "nursing while standing in line, baby still latched while you get yourself on to a ride vehicle, switching sides, nursing on the ride, baby still latched when you get off, nursing as you walk to the next attraction"? Because that sounds like a lot of stress to me right now >.< I was eventually able to nurse my oldest while standing/walking around but I don't remember when we hit that milestone in terms of coordination. I'm kind of worried that I'm going to either slow everybody down or just have to miss out on stuff so I can nurse in fully stationary places like benches or baby care centers.

This is probably just my due-date-is-just-around-the-corner anxiety talking, since I realized the other day that it's been so long since we've had an infant in the house that I think I forgot how to take care of a newborn >.< Maybe some words of encouragement, if you have any? Or (awkward), a more thorough explanation of what it's like to nurse on a dark ride? (I can see something like Carousel of Progress or Hall of Presidents being easier because you really are seated for a long time, but those of you who say you've nursed on something like Winnie the Pooh or Pirates kind of boggle my mind- in a good way- but I feel like that won't be possible for us.)

 

[DizneyLizzy]

My oldest nursed for 18 months, and she's 3 1/2 now. Baby #2 is due in just a few weeks, and will be ~4 months old when we go to WDW in November.

It's been a while since I've done this whole breastfeeding thing, but I seem to remember that, in the beginning anyway, nursing sessions lasted upwards of half an hour- 15-20 minutes per side. (Of course, she tended to fall asleep mid-feed and needed to be tickled awake to finish, so maybe that's what dragged it out.) She may have gotten faster by 4 months old but I don't remember exactly what age we were at when nursing became quicker and less of an ordeal.

This rambling introduction is to say: all you supermoms who talk about nursing on rides...there's no way the dark rides are half an hour. Are they? (Last time we were in WDW was 5 years ago on our Disneymoon so it's been a while for that, too.) For the under-6-month-set when Mommy is literally the only source of food, does "nursing on a ride" really mean "nursing while standing in line, baby still latched while you get yourself on to a ride vehicle, switching sides, nursing on the ride, baby still latched when you get off, nursing as you walk to the next attraction"? Because that sounds like a lot of stress to me right now >.< I was eventually able to nurse my oldest while standing/walking around but I don't remember when we hit that milestone in terms of coordination. I'm kind of worried that I'm going to either slow everybody down or just have to miss out on stuff so I can nurse in fully stationary places like benches or baby care centers.

This is probably just my due-date-is-just-around-the-corner anxiety talking, since I realized the other day that it's been so long since we've had an infant in the house that I think I forgot how to take care of a newborn >.< Maybe some words of encouragement, if you have any? Or (awkward), a more thorough explanation of what it's like to nurse on a dark ride? (I can see something like Carousel of Progress or Hall of Presidents being easier because you really are seated for a long time, but those of you who say you've nursed on something like Winnie the Pooh or Pirates kind of boggle my mind- in a good way- but I feel like that won't be possible for us.)

My daughter is about to be 5 months old next week. Her nursing sessions became much more manageable around 4 months. She can now finish up in about 15-20 min total, as opposed to 15-20 min per side. Much easier to do in a place like Disney! I remember nursing my son in Disney at around 11 months when his nursing sessions were only about 10-15 min long, but he needed a quiet place, and I needed a cool place. We nursed in Innoventions at Epcot (it was practically empty) and on Carousel of Progress in the MK. I would stick with shows instead of rides if you want to make sure you have 20-30 min Here's what I would do if I were looking for a place to nurse my 5 month old, who takes about 20 min to nurse these days:

MK: Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents (once it reopens), Country Bears (this show might be too loud and distracting), and maybe the Riverboat. I can't think of any ride at the MK that I would feel comfortable nursing my daughter on! It just sounds too difficult.

Epcot: Innoventions, the American Adventure, Sunshine Seasons, a quiet corner in the Seas while my son and husband rode the ride, Turtle Talk with Crush, Ellen's Energy Adventure. Ellen is the only ride I think I would try to nurse on since it's slow moving and looooong. You are still sitting in the cars for the end movie. So if you started to nurse as soon as you were seated in the vehicles, you'd have the ride and the movie at the end to nurse through before having to stand up.

DHS: Great Movie Ride (this attraction is like 25 min long I think), Beauty and the Beast Stage Show (20+ minutes), maybe Voyage of the Little Mermaid (again, I think this show might be too loud and distracting for my 5 month old)

Animal Kingdom: the Nemo or Lion King show...Nemo would be my first choice since it's a 35 min show and not as loud or crowded as Lion King.

Good luck! I felt really liberated when my daughter's nursing sessions became shorter. Like I could actually go places with my 3 year old son and husband and participate, rather than just sit and nurse for an hour while they did fun things!

 

[TarzansKat]

I just wanted to duck in and say hello!

It's been a long time since I've breastfed a baby at Disney (my middle child will be seven at the end of this month), but now we have a new baby boy and his first trip on the horizon in November. So excited! He'll be about 9 months old when we go, and I'm so looking forward to seeing it all through another kiddo's eyes.

I can distinctly remember nursing Squirt on so many rides. The Great Movie Ride, Pirates, the Haunted Mansion...I remember nursing him in Mickey's Philharmagic! Looking forward to seeing all your suggestions and joining in to support where I can!

 

[anjalee6]

Last year my DD was 4 months and I nursed her everywhere. Didn't have a problem anywhere. We nursed at dinner in restaurants, on rides, benches, baby care centers, wherever. This trip, she will be 16 months. She only nurses at night now, but if anyone has questions, I can definitely help answer.

 

[jkstewart1800]

BUMP!

 

[jkstewart1800]

Any one want to share your current best shady nooks and crannies for taking a break in the park?

 

[DisLiss]

http://www.target.com/p/women-s-nur...gclid=CKGDyouLlNMCFYJqfgodjQwF1Q&gclsrc=aw.ds
Just wanted to share my number one tip to nursing at Disney: Target nursing tanks.

I wore these constantly with my second and my gosh they made life so, so much easier than the nursing bras I used with my first. With the tanks all of you is always covered and that made me feel more comfortable, because honestly, I was more concerned about my post-baby belly showing than any other part of me, and the tanks took care of that for me. They were long enough to be tucked into my shorts and to stay tucked in. So I could lift my tee-shirt, which then covered the top of me, the baby covered the front of me, and the tank covered the rest. Plus they were comfy, too. If I had 10 more kids I would have used nursing tanks with every one of them.

 

[Dismama2boys]

I wore these constantly with my second and my gosh they made life so, so much easier than the nursing bras I used with my first. With the tanks all of you is always covered and that made me feel more comfortable, because honestly, I was more concerned about my post-baby belly showing than any other part of me, and the tanks took care of that for me. They were long enough to be tucked into my shorts and to stay tucked in. So I could lift my tee-shirt, which then covered the top of me, the baby covered the front of me, and the tank covered the rest. Plus they were comfy, too. If I had 10 more kids I would have used nursing tanks with every one of them.

I wear nursing tanks 24/7 - I agree about showing my belly. To me that’s the worst part of nursing in public! I wear my nursing bra and the tank over it, and just a tank for sleeping. I never feel exposed.

As far as where to nurse, upstairs at CHH during a time that’s not a normal meal time works well for us if we’re in that area, but honestly I just find a spot I can sit in the shade and don’t worry about it. I’ve literally nursed all over the parks (3 babies).

 

[TinkLoverSam]

My oldest nursed for 18 months, and she's 3 1/2 now. Baby #2 is due in just a few weeks, and will be ~4 months old when we go to WDW in November.

It's been a while since I've done this whole breastfeeding thing, but I seem to remember that, in the beginning anyway, nursing sessions lasted upwards of half an hour- 15-20 minutes per side. (Of course, she tended to fall asleep mid-feed and needed to be tickled awake to finish, so maybe that's what dragged it out.) She may have gotten faster by 4 months old but I don't remember exactly what age we were at when nursing became quicker and less of an ordeal.

This rambling introduction is to say: all you supermoms who talk about nursing on rides...there's no way the dark rides are half an hour. Are they? (Last time we were in WDW was 5 years ago on our Disneymoon so it's been a while for that, too.) For the under-6-month-set when Mommy is literally the only source of food, does "nursing on a ride" really mean "nursing while standing in line, baby still latched while you get yourself on to a ride vehicle, switching sides, nursing on the ride, baby still latched when you get off, nursing as you walk to the next attraction"? Because that sounds like a lot of stress to me right now >.< I was eventually able to nurse my oldest while standing/walking around but I don't remember when we hit that milestone in terms of coordination. I'm kind of worried that I'm going to either slow everybody down or just have to miss out on stuff so I can nurse in fully stationary places like benches or baby care centers.

This is probably just my due-date-is-just-around-the-corner anxiety talking, since I realized the other day that it's been so long since we've had an infant in the house that I think I forgot how to take care of a newborn >.< Maybe some words of encouragement, if you have any? Or (awkward), a more thorough explanation of what it's like to nurse on a dark ride? (I can see something like Carousel of Progress or Hall of Presidents being easier because you really are seated for a long time, but those of you who say you've nursed on something like Winnie the Pooh or Pirates kind of boggle my mind- in a good way- but I feel like that won't be possible for us.)

We went when my son was 8 weeks old. I nursed in lines (meeting Donald in the Storybook Circus area comes immediately to mind) as he wasn't finished when it was almost our turn to meet Donald we just let a few people go ahead of us. I mostly nursed on benches while waiting for my family on rider swap rides. There was (at the time) a great rocking chair in the gift shop by Splash Mountain that I used while my family rode and then I rode with Rider Switch. I timed my rides (first or second group) depending when Arthur had last nursed as he was nursing every hour or two at that point. I used a cover at the time as he was my first and my dad was on the trip and my dad and bare boobs was a bit much for me. I was on the boat from MK to Fort Wilderness for HDDR using the cover and a group of women were cheating for me to take it off as I was trying to get him latched but I was more comfortable keeping it on. The more I nursed the more comfortable I got without the cover.

 

[DisLiss]

I will add that I personally never used any sort of nursing cover with my youngest and people repeatedly had no idea I was nursing. Even at the hospital right after he was born! A nurse wanted to check him while I was feeding him and I said "Can we possibly wait, because he just got started here.", and her response was that she thought we were just cuddling. I found that covers of any sort pretty much screamed "nursing mother here!!", and by just going with my nursing tank tops people really didn't realize what was even happening. So since he wasn't a terrible latcher (like his brother!) it was so easy for me to just sit anywhere at all and feed him.