How to thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail with a baby

In August 1990, a declaration was signed to promote World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7) to encourage moms to breastfeed and improve their and their baby’s health and well-being. With all the benefits that come with breastfeeding, the decision to nurse also brings many challenges – including the many obstacles that come with nursing on trail. But don’t let that keep you from hitting the trails with baby. To help you overcome some of the fears you might have about breastfeeding on trail, we’ve gathered some firsthand tips from our Hike it Baby families to help you breastfeed on the go trailside. Practice makes perfect It takes some practice playing with your SSC carrier to drop baby down lower so they can latch and you are still comfortable. I keep the waist the same and loosen straps and just keep adjusting baby so that he can latch. Nursing camis work best because you have one shirt under your SSC hip belt. Try to make sure the shirt over your cami is not under the belt. It’s not the end of the world but it takes a little longer having to pull it out to get it up. I often pause until I get him lactched and then I can keep going. It’s easier to readjust after they unlatch while on the go. Practice before you go out on the trail (or store). It helps with your confidence when they are hangry. – Keira, Lexington Branch In a front carry SSC, wearing layers and practicing loosening the shoulder straps to lower the baby is key! Nursing tanks with a shirt over makes it easy to lift the top shirt and still have a covering on your stomach. It also prevents baby from sticking to you (I have sweaty kids) while hiking. With a little practice, I was able to very discreetly feed my son on the trail or out in public and keep going. – Suzanna, Akron Branch Use gear that works for you I really love hiking with a short woven wrap because it makes it really easy to move baby from back to front or hip to nurse and keep on moving. For toddlers who want to walk on their own feet but may still want to nurse, a ring sling is awesome. They pack down small and it's super fast to get kid up and then back down when they're ready. – Courtney, Charleston/Lowcountry Branch For me, layers are great. My favorite combo on the trail is a synthetic nursing tank top with a zip jacket or button-down shirt. Not having to pull my clothes up or down in weird ways allows me to get baby to latch quickly and usually I don't have to stop and remove my pack, etc. – Sarah, Albuquerque Branch Learning to nurse in a carrier was one of the most freeing skills I ever acquired as a parent. I could simply loosen the straps on my SSC carrier to give my baby access and she would contentedly nurse as I walked along. In fact, she got so used to nursing in the carrier that she would grab for the carrier, even when home to tell me she wanted to nurse! The carrier hood also served as a good cover for those times I wanted to be more discreet. It worked so well that I once had a Monk (we were visiting a monastery) come up and pat my daughter on the head when she was nursing, thinking she was simply snuggling! – Rachel, Charleston/Low Country Branch I loved how so often you couldn’t even tell I was nursing, like in this photo. – Rachel Minimize breastfeeding stress on trail If you’re nervous or shy about nursing in public or on the trail, find another mama to nurse with! It's a huge confidence booster when there are 2+ of you sitting together feeding your babies. It definitely helped me the first couple times nursing in public without a cover. – Sandy, South King County Branch My advice is to make it awesome. Find the best possible spot with the best possible view and own it. Make it something to look forward to. – Kathryn I personally don't like nursing in a carrier while walking/hiking because my kids would gag or choke if I was moving. I LOVE the "no hiker left behind" mantra of HiB because I never feel awkward asking to take a nursing break. Luckily, both my kids are fast eaters, so it's never a long stop. My advice: if you're not comfortable hiking while nursing, don't feel bad about asking to stop! – Colleen   What are some ways you’ve successfully nursed on trail that weren’t mentioned here? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments below. Read more: Ways to get back on the trail after having a baby Babies on trail: 4 ways to feed your baby on a hike 9 Tips for soothing a cranky baby on the trail How to prevent clogged ducts on trail Photos by Jessica Human and Andrea Leoncavallo, as well as courtesy of Kiera Wickliffe and Rachel Adams.    ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

Whether you’re new to hiking with your baby or toddler, or you’re looking for a new trail to explore, the Hike it Baby community is a valuable resource for finding family-friend hiking trails around the country. In this article, we share three breathtaking hikes in Montana to explore with babies and young children while considering the unique ways young children hike, wander, dawdle and explore. McDonald Creek, Glacier National Park Glacier National Park’s landscape feels sacred thanks to mountains jutting up toward the sky and big animals roaming freely in spite of the area’s popularity on the national park circuit. No matter where you go in Glacier, you can’t go wrong for capturing beautiful scenic mountain moments wherever you look. If you pick your trails wisely, you’ll still experience all the vastness Glacier has to offer without feeling limited with little walkers. McDonald Creek is an easy trail with many spots along the way to stop and nurse, change a diaper or for adventurous toddlers and kids to climb rocks and trees. There are several waterfalls along the way, and the trail overlooks the creek as it winds through the mountains. The bridge is a gathering spot, as there are several big rocks to hang out on and have a picnic. The less crowded spots are just past the bridge as the trail continues up along the creek. A bit farther and you can even access a small beach-like area that is nice and secluded and is a perfect place for lunch, swimming and skipping rocks. Most of the trail is level along the creek with lots of fun things to look at and explore. I loved McDonald Creek best because there were so many waterfalls and the trail winds along the creek at the upper end of Lake McDonald. All of the running water helped get baby to sleep. We also found a great rock to change him at the viewpoint. We hiked that one twice and walked along the lake, too. Great views of the surrounding mountains. It was beautiful! – Angela Malson Tips: To avoid the crowds, go past the bridge where the trail gets narrower. It goes through a beautiful forest and has more secluded spots to access the creek. This trail also intersects a horse trail, and kids will enjoy seeing horses on trail. Keep your eyes open for fish in the creek and chipmunks along the trail. Other wildlife you can expect to see regularly are deer, hawks, and signs of beavers and bears. Parking is at the trailhead, down by the north part of the lake. There is also parking by the bridge in the middle of the trail, but that may get full as the bridge is also a viewpoint for people who don’t hike the trail. St. Mary Falls, Glacier National Park If you follow Going To The Sun Road and head east to the other side of Glacier from McDonald Creek, you’ll reach the trailhead to St. Mary Falls. But if you’re coming into the park from the St. Mary Entrance Station, the trailhead is 10.5 miles westbound from the entrance. St. Mary Falls is one of Glacier’s most spectacular waterfalls. St. Mary Falls has three tiers of rushing glacial waters, with the bottom tier being the smallest. The trail is only 1.7 miles roundtrip, but offers amazing views of surrounding mountain peaks. It winds through a dense conifer forest, fields of wildflowers in summer and a burn area from the 2015 fire. Along the way you can also see Baring Falls at just 0.7 mile from the trailhead. Once you reach St. Mary Falls, there’s a foot bridge over the waters you can cross to get a full view of the falls. Tips: Due to its popularity, the parking lots fill up quickly, so plan to arrive early, come later in the afternoon or take the shuttle from Sun Point or Rising Sun. If you have time, continue on the trail for another mile to see the impressive Virginia Falls. Come prepared with sun protection as the trail brings you through scorched areas with little shade. Pine Creek Falls, Gallatin National Forest (Park County, MT) Pine Creek Falls offers beautiful views of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness with views of Black Mountain, which is the second highest mountain in Montana at 10,941 feet. The 2.5-mile out-and-back trail leads to a waterfall and narrow footbridge where you can cross the creek below the falls. If you have time, stop and let the kiddos play in the pool of water and small rocks that have been swept down by the fall. But be careful of little ones drinking water on this trail as giardia, the microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea, is ever present in this area. Expect a little bit of climbing, but nothing a toddler can’t do – but bring the carrier in case. The trail is dog-friendly and fairly well trafficked most of the day. However, if you plan to hike alone first thing in the morning in the summer, consider bringing bear spray (but to be safe, always have bear spray on you). There are bears and other large animals in the area, so making noise can help remind animals of your presence and encourage them to move on before you arrive on the trail. The trail extends a lot farther to a popular but very hard hike called Pine Creek Lake if you want to go beyond the 2.5 miles. This is a favorite hike for our family, both just as a day trip and also when we camp at Pine Creek Falls Campground. While it does get crowded in the middle of the summer, it’s nice in the spring and fall too. The trail is a bit rocky and has some elevation gain, but in general, it is really kid-friendly. It’s shaded well in the summer and the views of the falls are pretty at the end. – Amelia Mayer Tips: Remember this trail is near Yellowstone National Park, so expect to see a lot of people on the trail in the warmer months. If you’re looking for more solitude, consider visiting in winter when you can hike and snowshoe. You can also hike out on various side trails from this main trail to get a little more mileage in. Want to make it an overnighter? Check out the 25 single camping sites at Pine Creek Campground. They are first come, first served. The campground has water and is handicapped-accessible. The road to the trailhead is located a short drive through the camping area. There are several parking areas (which become full on a busy summer day) and the trailhead is clearly marked. What are your favorite hikes in Montana for families with babies, toddlers and young children? Leave a comment below! More Resources for Families with Young Children Montana offers an abundance of trails for families with young children. For more family hike ideas, see: Hike it Baby calendar (or connect with local branches) Hike it Baby Family Trail Guide Montana state parks National Park Service Hike it Baby: 100 Awesome Outdoor Adventures with Babies and Toddlers – by Hike it Baby Founder Shanti Hodges Read more: 10 Unforgettable things to do in Glacier National Park with kids 3 Memorable hikes in Colorado for families with young children 3 Amazing hikes for families with young children in Wyoming 10 Fun things to do with kids in Yellowstone Trails contributed by Angela Malson, Amelia Mayer and Shanti Hodges. Photos courtesy of Angela Malson, Amelia Mayer and Steven Smith.