I've never been to L.A. but I've nursed all over
Seattle, San Francisco, and New York.  All possible
ages of nursing child, never a negative experience.
Nursing savvy types will know what she's up to but as
long as she's comfortable many will assume the child
is sleeping.  By far I see the most nursing moms
gallivanting about Seattle.  I lived in NYC in the
70s/80's and I am amazed, visiting now, how incredibly
child-friendly the city has become.

I would encourage her to know most will be supportive
of nursing but because nursing happens without
paraphernalia, it may not be evident how many mothers
she sees are nursing mothers as well.  Bottom line of
course is that she must be confident.  Two tips:

Nurse before baby is desperate to avoid stress &
unwanted attention.

If she feels uncomfortable, she may wish to ask a
friendly stranger for help locating a spot to sit and
nurse.  Locals will know a spot around the corner or
just behind her that she may not notice as a visitor.
People are very friendly and want to help.

I was amused that Nordstrom was cited as supportive of
nursing moms.  I’ve heard the downtown SLC Nordstrom’s
lounge referred to as a “nursing lounge” for years.
The bottle signs have had to be removed twice over
time as remodeling gurus replace them.  I found it
interesting that at one point the woman in charge of
complaints was a nursing mother attending LLL
meetings.  She said it was a pleasure to have the
offending icons removed.

It is sadly true that one reason she may not see a lot
of nursing while visiting is that some US moms “hide”
to nurse or use “convenient” bottles in public.
Fortunately, this practice seems to be subsiding as
the media focuses more on breastfeeding and duration
rates rise.

Travelers are busy but if she happens to have time to
locate and attend a local LLL meeting, she would be
most welcomed into that community.  Local tips would
no doubt abound.

Hopefully this visiting momma will be able to relax
and smile during her visit.  Smiling will put her at
ease, as well as those around her.  Confidence is
contagious.

I hope she feels welcome in her travels!


Susan Johnson  MFA, IBCLC

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