Pretty Nursing Clothes

What a lovely post! Joanna, I would love to see something on the site aimed at mothers who do not breastfeed. I applaud efforts to support mothers who choose to breastfeed their children, but I think many of us who use formula (for whatever reason) feel really marginalized by what seems to be a steady focus on breastfeeding at most blogs aimed at mothers. We have worries and fears and concerns too! I think it would be a really unique approach to choose to feature women who do not breastfeed or issues related to formula-feeding, as I think many of us feel stigmatized about this parenting choice (though not by your site–I don’t feel “put down” in any way by Cup of Jo, but it would be nice to see a wider range of experiences represented). Thank you for all that you do!

Hi there, I don’t know if this has already been posted somewhere, but Loyal Hana has some beautiful, pregnancy/nursing clothes.
https://loyalhana.com/collections/whats-new-2

I was looking for maximum coverage so I felt comfortable nursing in public. After spending money on fancy bras and nursing tops, I quickly discovered my uniform. A tank top (any tank top) with a shirt that you can pull up easily (almost any shirt you have that’s not too tight). That way, your belly is always covered by the tank and your décolleté and breast are covered by the shirt hiked up. I found a bra that has no wires or clips, just ones you can pull down, were cheapest and worked the easiest. Good luck!

The “Naked Nursing Tank” available on Amazon. I used two (charcoal & light grey) exclusively with baby 2, and really wished I’d had for baby 1. Really brilliant concept…so easy to nurse on the fly, and you just wear all your regular tops! Plus they are nice and long, the fabric is a good weight, and the snug fit helps you feel a little trimmer as your tummy slowly goes back to normal (and for when you pull up your shirt). I just got one for my sis in law I loved these so much. So grateful someone thought to make this product! I didn’t care much for regular nursing tanks…unclipping of bra strap was enough for me…didn’t want to wrangle a second strap or extra fabric on top of that. And yes, nursing is soooo hard in the beginning…even the second time around. I’d been through it once and even then felt ready to quit with baby 2 in those early weeks. But once it gets better it becomes so easy and wonderful. Medela makes great soothing gel pads, during the rough phase those saved me. I nursed both kiddos to 14 months. I used lactation specialists both times in the beginning – Worth their weight in gold!

It was winter when my son was born. I wore a singlet under all my tops and I would lift up my top and pop my back boob out the top of my singlet. When my daughter was born I bought 8 linen button up tops (it was summer) and I wore them with a nursing bra that had material over my boob even when I unclipped the bra.

I’ve been living in Cadenshae nursing sports bras and hoodies and Loyal Hana nursing dresses and tops. Both amazing brands with strategically placed, discreet zips. Worth the money.

I had nursing bras when my now-8-month-old was born but totally blew it with nursing tops! I thought all my maternity clothes would still work – didn’t stop to consider the logistics! It took a lot of trial and error but I ended up really liking the Canadian brand Momzelle. It’s pretty affordable too.

These are so lovely but hot tip for any big busted ladies- most don’t look like they would work – boo hoo!
As a lady with large ones I’m a fan of maternity bras with underwire made of plastic not wire – you can buy them from specialty stores such as brava so the girls stay firmly north. These can be really Expensive but you only need a few so worth it!

I was also a fan of very loose shorter shaped tops – matched with skirts with higher waists! You can simply pull the baby under without exposing your boobs or if you’ve been eating too many doughnuts.

Also what is it with most maternity and nursing clothes being made of polyester?!??? Aghgh those hormones make me HOT! I ditched them in favour of normal fashionable cotton clothing.
I think it’s really important to wear clothes that make you look good especially after a baby when you are vulnerable and your body doesn’t feel
Like yours. It’s your armour !

I’m pregnant with my second and specifically looking for fashionable clothes for
After (even if they don’t fit now) – I want to come out of that delivery room feeling the best I possibly can- not hunting through my wardrobe wondering what on earth I’m going to wear. Bright happy clothes to hide those future
Bags under my eyes! Haha
Have fun baking any preggos out there !

Other than a couple of Target nursing bras, I really didn’t spend much on “nursing clothes” – just made sure my shirts were comfortable enough to either pull up or down.
But I felt that my nursing cover was invaluable – looked like an apron, but it made my life so much easier and I could wear either types of shirt. I felt so comfortable that I (the normally conservative person I am) would nurse anywhere including meetings (ha ha, I think it was making the male representative we were meeting with uncomfortable though).

The cover had a mo

Thank you SO much, Joanna, for your sensitive and thoughtful wording: “if you decide to breastfeed, (and are able to)”.

I am a pediatrician and have counseled so many moms over the past 25+ years who have either preferred not to breastfeed for personal reasons, or who have struggled mightily with serious breastfeeding problems (babies who won’t latch on; raw, tender, bruised, and bleeding nipples; insufficient milk supply; miscellaneous medical/emotional/social barriers to successful breastfeeding, you name it, the list goes on). I have witnessed the sometimes devastating emotional toll that unsuccessful breastfeeding can take on a new mom, and it truly breaks my heart. Don’t we women have enough crap to deal with? I have also, I’m sorry to say, witnessed the pressure that some moms put on other moms to continue nursing even when there are serious complications that preclude successful breastfeeding. The insensitivity of that kind of pressure boggles my mind sometimes.

I personally had serious problems with breastfeeding with my one and only child (I joke that mine was “the breastfeeding experience from hell”, i.e., everything that could go wrong, DID go wrong, lucky me), but miraculously I was able to overcome most of the problems we were having, and successfully nurse our baby for 10 months, thanks to the amazing support of the world’s best EVER lactation consultant (if you are out there reading this Peggy, you know who I’m talking about!!), and the support of my husband, family, friends and colleagues. I was lucky. Many women are not so lucky as I was to have that kind of support.

This is a great topic, though the ideal solution is going to be different for each woman depending on her preferences and the seasons of the year. I think summer is hardest because I don’t want extra layers. Also, the older my daughter grew (we weaned at 27 months) the less I needed to be ready to pop out a boob at a moment’s notice, so my options evolved over time. H&M has the best nursing basics and some surprisingly cute and clever dresses as well. One of my favorite hacks is to layer a crop top under a dress or shirt that opens in the front for more coverage.
Now, can we talk about how often we walk around without noticing that one side or the other is unclipped…?

No Motherhood Around the World? ?

I wear ribbed tank tops under cardigans or baggy open sweaters to make it easy to access the boob and hide the goods. ? Low-cut t-shirts from Gap and old Navy are great too! Nursing makes me sweat, so I need cotton tops.

I can’t say enough good things about ‘Loyal Hana’ https://loyalhana.com/ I found a couple of their tops in a boutique near me, and they are my favorite nursing pieces. They have these super discrete side zips that you use for access. So smart! Just wish they were a bit cheaper so I could get more. I don’t like the layering strategy much, because I seem to overheat while pregnant or nursing (most be an hormone thing).

I’m still breast feeding my 20 month old, and I go bra-less with tops like these:

http://www.rw-co.com/en/printed-cami-blouse/770968.html?cgid=women-clothing-tops&dwvar_770968_color=Black#start=1

Ever since I started breast feeding, I just hate wearing bras. When he wants to eat I just lift my shirt up on one side. I think I’m being pretty discreet but who knows!

Great post! I don’t have children yet but I love reading these types of articles. I am storing all these tips for the future! Thanks :)

Sarah

This Athleta romper! I I’m currently nursing my third child and have pretty much figured out how to pick non-nursing specific pieces that are cute and totally nursing accessible. This romper, which I bought in black, has a wrap front that pairs perfectly with a black racetrack nursing sports bra from Target. The romper can be dressed up or down, is in a lightweight fabric that packs down small, doesn’t wrinkle and dries in two seconds if you get milk or spit up on it (which inevitably happens when breastfeeding), forgiving and flattering for postpartum body, has deep pockets that hold your phone perfectly, and built in shorts which make it perfect for getting down on the floor with little ones without giving anyone a show! I can’t say enough how much I love this and should order in the green. The best part is I love the style whether I’m breastfeeding or not.
http://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=596199002&CAWELAID=120299870000031169&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=43315877506&CATCI=aud-297609329436:pla-295801473779&tid=atpl000001&kwid=1&ap=7&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn6DMBRC0ARIsAHZtCeOrUUL13GJRUMHBQUwwrugdjf7sabXKbK5pwmof2k1ohMGttN1WzDIaAqjnEALw_wcB

Oh, this is perfect timing! I am 13 weeks pregnant with my first baby and reading everything newborn-related I can get my hands on. Maybe someday nursing bras and tanks and tops won’t be so exciting, but right now, it’s the most exciting topic in the world to me :)