Our Guide To Breastfeeding On Holiday In Europe

Are you off on holiday soon? For World Breastfeeding Week, here's our guide to breastfeeding while taking a family trip to Europe.

If you're planning your first holiday abroad with your baby this summer, is there anything special you need to know about breastfeeding, especially in Europe?

To help you prepare when you're planning your holiday and packing your suitcase, here's our guide to breastfeeding-friendly holiday destinations in Europe and some tips for breastfeeding while you're on holiday.

Taking your baby on their first holiday can seem stressful enough even without the added worry of breastfeeding whilst you’re away. However, lots of parents do travel with a baby, and with careful planning, everyone can enjoy the time away together.

But with breastfeeding in public something women can still be very conscious about in the UK, how do other countries in Europe feel about it?

According to Lisa Craven, Lansinoh’s UK Marketing Manager, a country’s attitude towards breastfeeding in public could influence parents’ decisions on holiday destinations. 'If a country welcomes breastfeeding and makes women feel comfortable, then it makes a big difference,' she explains. 'In Rome for example, Pope Francis even champions mums breastfeeding in the Sistine Chapel, and in Germany 75% of people are OK with breastfeeding on a beach or on a park bench.'

Lansinoh's research revealed the Top 5 Breastfeeding-Friendly Countries in Europe:

1) Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark & Sweden)
2) Italy
3) Germany
4) Iceland
5) Switzerland

Public breastfeeding is widely advocated in Scandinavian countries – 71% of women in Norway are still breastfeeding after 6 months. Last year, an Icelandic MP even breastfed in a Parliamentary debate. The Swiss are accepting and polite towards women nursing in public. Swiss mums even described it as ‘not a big deal.'

If you're off on holiday - no matter where you plan to travel - Lansinoh have pulled together some top travel tips to make your holiday a little easier:

1. It’s worth looking at self-catering accommodation for more space and a fridge-freezer to store your expressed breastmilk stash
2. Prepare for take-off. If you are travelling by air, try to sit in a window or aisle seat. This is not to hide away, but to give yourself more space if your baby likes to kick and squirm while breastfeeding.
3. A handy hint to help stop babies’ ears getting damaged on the plane is to let them drink during take off and landing
4. Drink plenty of water – you need to drink more when you’re breastfeeding, especially if you add hot weather and travelling into the mix
5. Pack some nipple cream such as HPA Lanolin to help soothe sore nipples - the 10ml tube is great for tight airport liquid restrictions. It's also a great lip balm which means you can pack more lightly and leave your usual one at home
6. Bring a breathable cotton scarf or muslin cloth so you can shield your baby from the heat and cover up if you’re feeling uncomfortable
7. Bringing a good breast pump is a must, but if you're taking an electric one don't forget your adaptor!

Become familiar with the breastfeeding laws at your destination so you know where you can and cannot breastfeed in public; some states and countries have stricter rules against it than others.

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