Nursing Wardrobe Tips

Okay all you nursing moms and soon-to-be nursing moms. Let's talk about the nursing wardrobe.
I'll never forget in the summer of 2009 when my sister and cousin Lu were talking about how they choose their wardrobe based around accessibility or "easy access" to the breasts.  At the time, I thought that sounded ridiculous, why sacrifice fashion for convenience? Ha! Ha! Ha!
And now that I'm a mother I completely get it...fashion? What fashion? Everyone is going to be looking at the baby more than me so does it really matter? And when you have a screaming baby in your arms and the only thing between peace and serenity is an article of clothing, you bet your pretty green Hermes Scarf I'm going to want the easiest access I can get.  So sorry fashionistas...we can certainly attempt to be fashionable mommies, but do you really want to wear your $150 silk blend Ralph Lauren tunic when your baby is just going to spit up all over it?  No...I didn't think so.
So here are my Nursing Wardrobe tips.

Rule #1: The Nursing bra. No underwires (this can cause mastitis and possibly damage your milk supply)
 You're going to want something soft, breathable and thick. These are my absolute fav's:
*Gilligan & O Malley make really soft but firm and breathable nursing bras and they really won't break the bank. I have 4 different nursing bras by them and I love them all! And they're really quite cute and SUPER comfortable!
*An alternative to the nursing bra is a Nursing tank. This works well and many mommies like these because they might be a little more modest. I like these to sleep in and work out in mostly. Again my favorite is Gilligan & O Malley mostly because they are so inexpensive and seem to work just as well, if not better than all the expensive mommy boutique ones that I've bought.
 For sleep bra's I also like Medela Womens Sleep Nursing Bra - Nude L
paired with a nice soft scoop neck tank top.

Rule #2: The V-neck, Scoop Neck or Button down.  There is no other way around it ladies...unless you can make room to stick your baby up under your shirt, or you intend to take off your shirt entirely, you MUST follow this rule. 
In fact, about 3 weeks after Gunnar was born, I went through my wardrobe and pulled out everything that did not fit in these guidelines and put it in storage. I did not want to make the mistake of putting on something that wasn't going to work so I eliminated all crew necks, turtle necks and their cousins to the boxes in the back of my closet.  Wrap dresses work really well for dress up occasions and I almost always seem to have a cardigan on which will cover up that "leak" that appeared on your t-shirt when you thought you heard your baby crying.

speaking of leaks:

Rule #3: The nursing pads: never leave home without backups. I am the queen of over-producing when it comes to the milk department so I've met many many, probably ALL brands and kinds of nursing pads.  Here are my favorites:
*Disposables to keep in the diaper bag: Lansinoh Nursing Pads these babies are individually wrapped and are quite discrete and small for your diaper bag...they also absorb milk better than all disposables I've tried.

*Disposbales to keep by your nursing chair at home:  Johnson & Johnson these do not come individually wrapped (which I like best for home...no extra waste) and they mold best to the shape of a breast. 

* Washable stick on: Lily Padz these are great for preventing leakage at home. I don't typically wear these out because I like to wash them after I take them off each time and that's just hard to do when you're out and about. But they really stick well to the breast and prevent most leaks. And Love that they're eco-friendly!

* Washable cloth pad: Bamboobies these are adorable, soft and organic. The best part about bamboobies is they generally don't feel cold when they're wet, which is a problem with many washable cloth pads. (However, I will say if you take a wet one off while nursing and put it back on, it will feel a bit cold).

Rule #4: For out and about...pack that scarf and or nursing cover. I got mine from Uddercovers.com use code "family2014" and all you'll have to pay for is shipping! A lightweight good sized infinity scarf will also do the trick to hide your boobies from unwanted eyes...and best yet you can wear it all day!

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Comments

  1. so glad you're nursing well, kirstin. i'm proud of you. we didn't have all the nice stuff that's out there today. i've never been a fashionista, so i just wore what worked and draped a baby blanket over my front when i nursed in public... and let me just say, there was NO where i wouldn't nurse if the baby was hungry!

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