Lactation Station
For all those nursing moms wondering:
As you should know, one of my favorite things to do at the Kansas State Fair is to eat (and smell the smells. Well, I guess, MOST of the smells I should say). My other favorite things to do are run into old friends and talk and get all the free stuff I can, but that's a story for another day. My son, I'm sure, will be no exception to this eating enthusiasm. Thankfully, we will have a quiet, comfortable place to do this.
The Kansas State Fair offers two places in which moms can take their infants to nurse. Cottonwood Court has a nursing mothers room in their bathroom and the Encampment building also has one. Both are dry (we know how Kansas likes to rain during the Fair) and AIR CONDITIONED (because we also know how hot and humid Kansas can get during the Fair as well). Both of these are not great conditions when trying to nurse.
I thought I would take this opportunity to post this information since I was completely naive of it until just recently. (I guess you don't really notice those types of things when you aren't in need of them. I had to ask my local lactation consultant from the hospital if she knew of any places. Good thing I asked! So for all of you who might have been wondering, now you know.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not mistake this information as my disguised attempt at suggesting you should use these locations if you are a nursing mother. I realize that some people have a problem with NIP (Nursing in Public) but I am not one of these people. I've nursed in multiple restaurants, at the public library while a woman came up to talk to me, and I nursed at a family reunion (which I bet most of my relatives didn't even know).
According to Kansas Law, a nursing mother has the RIGHT to nurse anywhere she has the right to be. In other words, if she wants to nurse on the Midway, she can. (Although I wouldn't suggest it since it's gross and so are most of the people there!) If you want to nurse while watching the horses in the Expo Center, go for it!
My son is at the stage, however, where everyone and everything is extremely interesting and he's afraid he'll miss something. So, instead of nursing, he tends to turn his head to see what's going on, thus leaving me completely exposed. My problem, not his. My choice is to find a quiet, private place for me to go not because I'm afraid of offending someone, but rather because my own conservativeness keeps me from it. I guess it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me to say "I don't care if you see me nursing, I just don't want you to see my nipple!"
As you should know, one of my favorite things to do at the Kansas State Fair is to eat (and smell the smells. Well, I guess, MOST of the smells I should say). My other favorite things to do are run into old friends and talk and get all the free stuff I can, but that's a story for another day. My son, I'm sure, will be no exception to this eating enthusiasm. Thankfully, we will have a quiet, comfortable place to do this.
The Kansas State Fair offers two places in which moms can take their infants to nurse. Cottonwood Court has a nursing mothers room in their bathroom and the Encampment building also has one. Both are dry (we know how Kansas likes to rain during the Fair) and AIR CONDITIONED (because we also know how hot and humid Kansas can get during the Fair as well). Both of these are not great conditions when trying to nurse.
I thought I would take this opportunity to post this information since I was completely naive of it until just recently. (I guess you don't really notice those types of things when you aren't in need of them. I had to ask my local lactation consultant from the hospital if she knew of any places. Good thing I asked! So for all of you who might have been wondering, now you know.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not mistake this information as my disguised attempt at suggesting you should use these locations if you are a nursing mother. I realize that some people have a problem with NIP (Nursing in Public) but I am not one of these people. I've nursed in multiple restaurants, at the public library while a woman came up to talk to me, and I nursed at a family reunion (which I bet most of my relatives didn't even know).
According to Kansas Law, a nursing mother has the RIGHT to nurse anywhere she has the right to be. In other words, if she wants to nurse on the Midway, she can. (Although I wouldn't suggest it since it's gross and so are most of the people there!) If you want to nurse while watching the horses in the Expo Center, go for it!
My son is at the stage, however, where everyone and everything is extremely interesting and he's afraid he'll miss something. So, instead of nursing, he tends to turn his head to see what's going on, thus leaving me completely exposed. My problem, not his. My choice is to find a quiet, private place for me to go not because I'm afraid of offending someone, but rather because my own conservativeness keeps me from it. I guess it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me to say "I don't care if you see me nursing, I just don't want you to see my nipple!"
I didn't use the nursing station as I didn't take Mackie to her first year of the Fair, but I've heard they're not that bad. You can always go to your car and cover yourself with a blanket. I opted for that LOTS of times as I wasn't as comfortable as you were in public! :)
ReplyDeleteDepending on how long you stay, you could nurse Riley right before you go and then nurse him again when you get home. We found that Mackie - even last year at 13 months - only lasted about 3 hours or so before wanting to leave. Play it by ear and be flexible, mama. (this coming from a very type-A person who's learning from God that I need to go more with the flow!)
- Amy