Breastfeeding in Public

It is almost a cliché that this would be an entry on a breastfeeding blog—some think it is so taboo and there are lots of strong women (and men) out there right now fighting for our rights to breastfeed ANYWHERE and ANYTIME
But that isn’t why I’m writing—I’m writing because law or no law, it takes nerve to whip out the boob to satiate a crying baby and for the newbie, this is a daunting task.
In the beginning of my exclusive breastfeeding—it was still quite the ordeal—my son was on oxygen (via nasal cannulas) and I used a nipple shield to assist with latching on. It was quite a production to say the least, but practice makes perfect—right?
So my BFF (breastfeeding friend, not best friend forever) and I scheduled a breastfeeding in public outing. We went to Homewood Park with the intention to breastfeed in public. We had the upper hand because we weren’t caught off guard with a hungry/needy baby—we were prepared and that helped to simmer the fear of public breastfeeding. It went pretty smooth--almost—my BFF had her baby in a sling and you couldn’t even tell she was doing anything. On the other hand, my baby was a bit older and was not used to being covered up by a blanket—so although he latched on quite well, he spent the entire feeding raising his arm up to knock the blanket off. I wasn’t prepared for this—needless to say, I was over exposed. But it wasn’t mortifying. Instead, I felt sorry for my son—he didn’t want the stupid blanket covering his head, he wanted to watch the trees, birds, airplanes. I learned and we have been able to adjust well together in public so he gets to see lots of things and I can remain discreet.
But sometimes public places offer a nice private alternative—or so I thought! I packed up Par and head to The Fitting Touch a wonderful lingerie store with a knack for getting that bra size just right! Anyway, I was in need of some nursing bras that were more supportive. The lady who helped me was great and gave me some bras to try. So there I was in the dressing room trying on bras one after another. And with each new bra the interim was met with baby grunts from Par. Yep—each time I unveiled the mommy milk makers, Par got excited and started grunting to be fed. At first I didn’t notice, until I heard people laughing—it was obvious to them I was playing mean game of Peek-A-BOOB! I had no choice but to take a break and give the boy what he wanted! It was a little weird, but they were so understanding that I think it may happen more often than I realize.
I’m not a BIP (breastfeeding in public) pro— except in my car—I do feed him A LOT in my car. But I would like to master the art of discreetly feeding my baby while enjoying dinner at a restaurant or even better, sitting through mass without having to get up because of a hungry baby. Any tips?