How to Nurse in Any Baby Carrier
You’re out with the baby and suddenly he starts fussing and bobbing his head around. You know what that means, it’s time to eat. Again. But there’s nowhere convenient to sit or you just don’t want to stop what you’re doing to nurse. So what’s a mom to do? Breastfeed in your baby carrier, of course!
You can breastfeed in almost any baby carrier you have.
All you have to do is loosen your carrier, wiggle baby down to breast-level, unhook your bra, get your boob out and latch baby on. Once baby is latched, you can adjust your shirt to cover any exposed skin or use any extra fabric from your carrier to do this same. After baby is done nursing, you must always re-tighten your baby carrier and reposition baby so he’s high on your chest.
That’s it! You can easily, discreetly nurse in public while babywearing.
The exact mechanics of this will work differently depending on what baby carrier you’re using, your baby’s level of development and your own anatomy.
With large breasts, you may need to lift your breast a little to reach your baby’s mouth, because it won’t necessarily be feasible to get your baby low enough to align with your nipple.
A baby with less neck control will need more help latching and staying latched on, whereas older babies will likely do most of the work themselves.
How do I breastfeed in different baby carriers?
Every adjustable baby carrier follows the same basic steps as above.
Breastfeeding in a Stretchy Wrap
You generally should not breastfeed in a stretchy wrap. Due to the material they’re made from and the way they’re pre-tied, stretchy wraps cannot be properly re-tightened after loosening to breastfeed. This is a safety hazard, as babies can slump down and have their airway blocked in a carrier that is too loose.
The only way to safely breastfeed using a stretchy wrap is if your anatomy allows you to wiggle baby lower and bring your breast UP to baby’s mouth, without loosening the carrier at all. If you do this, make sure to wiggle baby back up when you’re done, so they’re close enough that you can easily kiss the top of their head.
Breastfeeding in a stretchy wrap by wiggling baby down but not loosening the carrier. Wiggle baby back up when you’re done nursing.
Breastfeeding in a Huggaloops no-wrap stretchy, by wiggling baby down. The Huggaloops Everywhere Carrier is approved for water use, but not for taking in a swimming pool, despite my using it this way in the photo above.
Breastfeeding in a Woven Wrap
You can do several different carries with a woven wrap, which gives you lots of options for breastfeeding. Some breastfeeding-friendly two-shoulder woven wrap carries are Front Wrap Cross Carry, Front Wrap Cross Carry tied at shoulder (TAS) or tied under bum (TUB), and Front Cross Carry or Short Front Cross Carry.
Some people prefer one shoulder carries for breastfeeding, as it’s easier to get baby to the breast opposite the shoulder that the carrier is on. Some good one-shoulder carries for breastfeeding are Robin’s Hip Carry, Hip Cross Carry, Semi-Pocket Wrap Cross Carry and Traditional Sling Carry.
Nursing in a woven wrap Front Cross Carry on the left, retightened after nursing on the right.
Nursing in Robin’s Hip Carry with Sling Ring in a woven wrap.
Nursing in a woven wrap Front Wrap Cross Carry.
Nursing in a Semi-Pocket Wrap Cross Carry with a woven wrap.
Breastfeeding in Ring Sling
A ring sling is a great option for breastfeeding, because it is used to do a one-shoulder carry and very easy to loosen and retighten. You can also shift baby into more of a cradle hold, which some babies and mothers prefer for breastfeeding. When doing a cradle hold to breastfeed in a ring sling, always move baby back into an upright position before re-tightening, as this is safer and ensure that baby’s airway stays clear.
Nursing a newborn and using the end of the sling as a cover.
Nursing a newborn in a ring sling.
Nursing a 6 month old in a ring sling in a cradle hold.
Nursing a toddler in a ring sling.
Breastfeeding in a Soft Structured Carrier
Just loosen, lower baby and latch her on. You may want to shift the entire carrier to the side that baby is nursing on, to help baby’s mouth align with your breast.
Nursing using a soft structured carrier. This is the Tula Explore baby carrier.
Breastfeeding in a Meh Dai
You can follow the same steps as above and just loosen, lower and shift. Another good option is to do a hip carry with your Meh Dai. If you know you’ll be breastfeeding, you can put baby in a hip carry when you initially put him in the carrier. If baby is already in a front carry, you can easily retie a hip carry. Just untie the shoulder straps, lift them over your head and, holding tightly onto the straps, shift baby and the entire carrier towards one hip. Then just retie the shoulder straps into a hip carry.
Nursing in a meh dai front carry.
Nursing in a meh dai Robin’s Hip Carry.