Tips for Christmas Shopping and Sticking to Your Breastfeeding Schedule
Christmas is almost upon us! And what better way to get started on your Christmas to-do list than to embark on a family shopping adventure? Ticking people off your Christmas list may seem a bit overwhelming if you’re breastfeeding, so head to breastfeeding-friendly locations in the UK to make the Christmas shopping experience a little easier.
From Edinburgh’s Princes Street to London’s Oxford Street, Cardiff’s Queen Street to Belfast’s Castlecourt, or in any of the UK High Streets, you’ll find breastfeeding-friendly venues aplenty.
But which shopping locations are the best at making UK breastfeeding mummies feel super supported?
Here’s my guide to help British breastfeeding mums decide where to do their Christmas shopping:
Go To Glasgow
Scotland’s second ‘capital’ city, Glasgow, is the location of a shopping centre that has recently been voted the UK's best breastfeeding-friendly shopping destination. The survey, called Feed With Confidence was undertaken by Lansinoh Laboratories, and they awarded Silverburn Shopping Centre in Glasgow as the best place for breastfeeding mums to shop.
Silverburn has a family room which provides mammas a quiet space to nurse if they don’t want to breastfeed in the more public areas of the centre. The centre has also been given accreditation by Heathier Scotland as ‘Breastfeeding Friendly’ and is considered the most ‘friendly’ place to breastfeed for mums who choose to nurse in public.
So for a Christmas shopping spree, breastfeeding mums should head to Silverburn Shopping Centre.
England’s Eden
Breastfeeding mums can find a little slice of paradise at Buckinghamshire’s Eden Centre shopping arcade. The shopping centre has been nominated by British breastfeeding mums as the best location in England to breastfeed and get your shopping done.
Eden has a brand new comfortable baby feeding facility where mums can seek a moment of quiet away from frantic Christmas shopping. Mammas can either use this room to nurse or express using a portable pump like a Momcozy pump. Knowing this will delight many breastfeeding mums who can tick off their Christmas list and not miss a single feed.
Breastfeed in Belfast
Victoria Square in Belfast is one of the top shopping destinations in Northern Ireland, and it’s also brilliant for breastfeeding mums. Not only can you get some fabulous Christmas gifts in the shops around the precinct but breastfeeding mammas can escape from the chaos for a while in private feeding facilities.
Victoria Square provides a designated parent and baby room located on level B2 and is push-chair friendly too. As it’s only a short walk from the central lift, accessibility is easy—such a relief if your baby is playing the Christmas Grinch and needs a feed.
Get Christmas ‘Cozy’ in Cardiff
St David’s (Dewi Sant) shopping centre in Cardiff offers breastfeeding-friendly shops throughout its shopping centre. Mothercare, House of Fraser and Debenhams all provide areas for mums to nurse while fitting it around their Christmas shopping.
Dewi Sant also has a cosy lockable breastfeeding room that has a handy sink if you want to clean out your pump, bottles, or kit or clean up after nursing. What’s even better is that in 2023 the centre has been working with leading baby-feeding experts to make Dewi Sant a go-to shopping destination for families, especially breastfeeding mums. We can’t wait to see what provisions they have in mind!
Shop But Don’t Drop
Wherever you choose to do your Christmas shopping in the UK, you’re legally entitled to breastfeed in public. So don’t let a trip to the shops interfere with your nursing schedule.
But if you prefer to leave your baby with your family and enjoy some baby-free retail therapy, express your milk beforehand using a Momcozy M5 breast pump and store it in handy storage bags until needed. This will ensure your baby is still getting the best nutrition while you’re enjoying the festive hustle and bustle of the High Street.
The last thing you want is to turn your festive glow into a frosty frown this Christmas. Christmas shopping can be stressful without trying to fit in your feeding schedule.
With that in mind, here are my top tips for stress-free breastfeeding while shopping this Christmas:
Tips for Easier Breastfeeding While Christmas Shopping
- Plan Your Route:Your home is the cosiest place at Christmas time. But we have to get that shopping done sometime! Before hitting the High Street identify breastfeeding-friendly locations and roughly work out what time you’ll need to get there for a scheduled feed or pump. Larger shops like Mothercare, John Lewis, M & S, and Boots usually provide a space for mums who prefer a little more privacy while they nurse.
- Dress For the Occasion:It’s freezing up and down the British Isles in December—dress for it! But remember that your clothing will need to accommodate easy access to your breasts. Wearing a nursing brais essential for making the process easier too. And if the thought of taking clothes off or even loosening them brings a shiver to your spine, stored expressed milk will fit nicely into your baby bag like this Momcozy detachable stroller organiser. So you can bottle-feed your breastmilk instead of baring all in sub-zero temperatures.
- Pump First:It may not be possible to breastfeed comfortably in public during your Christmas shopping trip. Shops are busy, it’s freezing outside, and you may not feel confident nursing with so many people around. Investing in a breast pump is well worth it. This way, you can use stored breast milk when nursing isn’t an option. And if you need to pump while you’re out it doesn’t have to interfere with your shopping experience. Momcozy's hands-free pumpruns almost silently and fits neatly into their pumping bra so no one would guess that you’re expressing while you shop.
Yule Be Delighted To Shop This Christmas
This Christmas, let the festive spirit shine as you and your family embark on your Christmas shopping adventure. Visit the best shopping centres around Britain that support breastfeeding mums to make the Christmas shopping experience one to remember rather than one to forget.
From one breastfeeding mum to another, I hope you enjoy the magic of the season.
Happy Shopping!
