While we know you breastfeeding moms have rights, it is helpful to know which places make it easier for you to breastfeed. In this article, you will find advice for places to feed a baby conveniently in Greenville. If you know of another place that may make life a little easier for a breastfeeding mom in Greenville, let us know in the comments!
Check out our Guide to All Things Baby, Maternity and Post Partum in Greenville, SC.
Feeding Your Baby When They Are Hungry Without Worry
Before I begin listing some of the more mommy/baby-friendly places in town, please know that the “best” place to nurse is wherever you need to! South Carolina, like other states, has laws in place for your protection. According to Section 63-5-40: -Breastfeeding
- (A) A woman may breastfeed her child in any location where the mother and her child are authorized to be.
- (B) Breastfeeding a child in a location where the mother is authorized to be is not considered indecent exposure.
Essentially, you can breastfeed covered or uncovered in any location lawfully (though I would not suggest a bank vault). Should anyone ever hassle you with nursing, please feel free to mention your rights confidently or seek out support from the local nursing community if you prefer.
-A big thanks to Lindy Wilson for her wise introduction and the location compilation to follow.
Breast-feeding Support in Greenville
La Leche League meetings—This addition to our list comes as no surprise either, but we note it as a great reminder.
- to the expecting mommas: you can begin attending meetings any time for a strong start.
- to the new mommas: if you are uneasy about public breastfeeding, the La Leche League is an ideal location for a successful trial run.
The organization is an invaluable resource for your feeding journey. We are fans for life.
As a service to the parenting community, Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery also hosts regular Upstate Babywearing Meetings and Blessingways events. Upstate Babywearing would love to help you learn the glories of nursing your baby hands-free while babywearing, while Blessingways is an offshoot of the Upstate ImprovingBirth Network, introducing parents to everything from cloth diapering to group breastfeeding events.
Breast-feeding Friendly Spots in Greenville
Some days, your little one requires a little extra attention or tranquility; and some children regularly require a more hands-on approach to latching and feeding. In these cases, the extra privacy or support a business offers is invaluable and can mean the difference between escaping your neglected laundry piles at home or not. How thankful we are for these little nursing nooks on such days! Please know that however you choose to feed your baby, we hope you find a welcoming environment and a comfy seat in the list we have compiled.
Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery
This Greenville treasure offers locally produced groceries and a café using those same items. Because the business is owned by two moms, you’ll sooner find yourself applauded for whatever choices you make for feeding your baby than criticized. Inside, you can nurse in the café, in the event room if it is available, or under one of the outdoor pergolas.
The Swamp Rabbit Cafe also boasts a fenced outdoor play area for your older kids. Just pull up a stump and breastfeed while they explore! Pro-tip: You might want to bring changes of clothes for the kids and plenty of extra baby wipes for dirty hands because the play area encourages lots of good, hard, nature play.
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
Let it be known that you will likely find mothers feeding their babies in every corner of the Children’s Museum—as they should be—thanks to all the incidental seating throughout. You will never know how much you appreciate ample benches until you have visited! TCMU has really exceeded their calling, though: they provide a sweet nursing room located beside the Grandma Betty’s Farm toddler play area upstairs. The Museum staff keeps the room stocked with books for the little ones, praise be. The options for comfortable feeding at The Children’s Museum are endless and appreciated.
Bon Secours Wellness Area
They’ve got a Nursing Suite, a private and comfortable area for nursing moms, near section 106 in the arena.
Haywood Mall
Outside of the clustered seating areas scattered around the mall proper, a few designated or friendlier options exist. On the bottom floor, just outside of Dillard’s, is a mothers’ lounge. Tucked inside the ladies’ bathroom, the space is furnished with rocking chairs large and small (for the little mommies and daddies tagging along). You just settle right in and take a breather while you feed. Having a changing station and restrooms all in the same space is no small convenience during this stage of life, yes? Did someone mention potty-training toddlers?
The bench wrapping around the mall kid’s play area is another great place to nurse whether you have kids of playground age or not. The distraction of noisy kids and understanding parents does wonders for your relaxation early in your nursing journey.
Five Forks, Greer, & Hughes Libraries
In the Children’s Area of the Five Forks Library Branch in Simpsonville, there is a special room specifically for nursing moms and their littles. It’s next to the family bathroom in the same area but is totally separate. There are also nursing areas at the Hughes Main Library and at the Greer Library Branch.
Whole Foods
A big round of applause for Whole Foods for their free treat wagon near customer service! This wagon offers a free snack for your bigger kids to savor as you shop, and who doesn’t need that lifeline sometimes (read: all the time)? Just as Earth Fare offers seating around their café areas, so, quite amply, does Whole Foods. Inside or out. Take your pick. Shudder through that new kombucha flavor as you nourish your baby freely.
GSP Airport
Traveling? The airport’s nursing rooms help ease some of the stress that comes with flying with kids. At least one aspect is easy-peasy! Nursing rooms are located next to the family restrooms on Concourse A and Concourse B and are equipped with a sink, easily accessible electrical outlets, soft lighting, and comfortable seating.
Church Services
We hope that once you are feeling fit for the public eye you can enjoy religious worship free from public breastfeeding concerns. Honestly, remaining in a pew or row for nursing is likely your least conspicuous option and keeps you still and involved. But, if you desire to breastfeed away from the public eye, take heart. So many church buildings have mothers’ rooms or empty classrooms you can use for feeding, pumping, and diaper changes. Some even transmit the service so you can remain included from afar. Ask when you arrive what your room options are, and you are sure to find positive support.
Happy nourishing! May it be without outside hindrance.
Do you have any public breastfeeding success stories or suggestions?
If you are out enjoying Falls Park, I own O-CHA tea bar and would love you to consider us a safe, shady spot to grab a cool drink for mom and let baby relax and grab a much needed drink too. We will always be a breast feeding friendly spot to hang with the babes…so much nicer than the restroom next door!!
Thanks Mallie! It’s good to have a nice cool spot indoors when downtown.
Thank you! So helpful to know as we do like to go to falls park with the older boys .
Nordstrom Rack also has a Mom’s Room. You just have to ask an employee to take you because it is next to the employee break room in the back.
The Five Forks Library children section has a nursing mothers room!
Roper Mountain Science Center has a nursing room/closet. It isn’t fancy, but provides privacy in case there are a thousand kids around.
That is terrific to know! Thank you.
The newly renovated Greer Branch Library as well as Hughes Main Library have dedicated nursing mom’s rooms in addition to the Five Forks branch.
Thank you!