Summer time Nursing

[Gina Grothoff]

Nursing in the summer can present new challenges from traveling, to being with family and trying to nurse discretely in a bathing suit. My only nursling right now is still an infant but I found myself at the pool needing to nurse. I discovered having a top over my suit made it easy to nurse discretely. Funny how I never figured this out with my other two (or maybe I did and I forgot).
I can remember being at the pool with my first child when he was an infant. Another mother asked if I was nursing him and when I said yes, she whispered to me, "I am still nursing my 2 year old but I don't tell anyone." Her comment has stuck with me all these years and has sparked in me the desire to not hide nursing a toddler ( even more challenging when they are over 3.)
Share your challenges and how you have handled them, share a funny story or pose a question.
Some ideas:
Do you nurse a toddler at the pool or beach and do you try to be discrete and if so, how while wearing a swim suit?
How do you handle comments from relatives or friends on "How long are you going to nurse that child?"

[Brooke Atkinson]

I try to find a swimsuit that I can easily just pull down or over easily. Sometimes I will use the edge of a towel to cover exposed breast, but I don't cover the child...too hot. The shirt over the swimsuit is a good idea as well. Most of the time if people ask how long I plan to nurse (my 3yr old still nurses sometimes) I say it depends on whether or not the college is local. That usually gets them to laugh and not push the issue. If it is someone who is a nursing mother and genuinely wants to know because they are facing pressure I tell them I will nurse as long as they want to and give them information on the benefits of nursing a toddler.

[Garrett]

I constantly find it amusing how hyper worried I was about flashing some unsuspecting citizen when Ivy was a newborn. Now? Honestly, I don't give a rat's behind. It's hot outside, Ivy doesn't like being covered, and I have nothing to be embarassed about!

Ivy is only 10 months so I haven't started getting the "how long will you nurse?" questions, but I really like Brooke's response about a local college. I'll have to borrow that.

[Karen Davis]

I usually did the towel thing. If it was hot, then I would dampen the towel. I didn't usually try to disguise the fact that I was nursing but I did try not to flash anyone. Yes, I know it is silly how squeamish people are about a natural function, especially when there are usually boobs hanging out all over from super skimpy bathing suits but for me, it is a manners thing. That was what posed the biggest problem with nursing a toddler because they didn't care if mommy was flashing anyone or not!