Nursing Blankets

Many nursing moms eschew the idea of nursing in public. Regardless of how comfortable you are with your decision to nurse, it can be very uncomfortable to nurse in public.

Many women attempt to maintain privacy by covering themselves with a blanket when nursing, but this can be quite awkward, because the blankets simply don’t stay put. But, today there’s a new way to protect your privacy while nursing.

Nursing blankets are blankets especially designed for nursing. They are made from a square of woven cloth with an elastic, garter-like loop affixed near one corner of the cloth. To nurse, you simply insert your arm through the loop, pulling it up over your shoulder so that the blanket drapes down your arm. Place the baby in the same arm and drape the blanket over your chest and baby. Using the other arm, you can reach under the blanket to open your shirt and nurse. The loop that goes up over your shoulder ensures that the blanket stays in place while you nurse, and effectively covers your breast.

The original nursing blanket was patented by a mom who invented a way to give herself the privacy she wanted when nursing. Since then, many other designs have been developed, and there are many different nursing blankets on the market.

If you’re interested in purchasing a nursing privacy blanket, shop around both in baby gear stores and online. You should be able to find exactly the design you like in a fabric and color that you like, too. Be certain to look for a nursing blanket that folds compactly so that you can easily store it in your diaper bag. Pockets are nice, too, as they provide a great place for storing breast pads while you’re nursing.

In addition to their use for privacy when nursing, nursing blankets are also great for keeping wind and sun off your baby when you’re carrying him. They work well over the top of a baby sling to shield baby from the elements. Choose a fabric that’s lightweight and breathes well to keep baby from getting too hot under the blanket.

Nursing blankets are inexpensive enough that you can afford to have more than one. Keep one at home for nursing when you have guests, one in your car and one in your diaper bag. They come in very handy when you need to nurse and are suddenly without the privacy you desire!