Nursing Clothes
If you’ve made the decision to breastfeed for an extended period of time, you may choose to purchase some nursing clothes. Though they’re not completely necessary, nursing clothes do make discreet nursing easier, particularly when you’re away from home.
The one piece of nursing clothing that’s absolutely essential is a nursing bra. Nursing bras allow you to expose your breasts without removing your bra. There are many brands and styles of nursing bras on the market; shopping around will help you find a style and fit that’s comfortable and flattering. For maximum convenience, be sure you can open the breast flap of the bra with one hand. This will make it easier to maneuver when you have a baby in one arm!
A second piece of nursing clothing that you’ll likely want to own, even if you plan to nurse for a short period of time, is a nursing gown. When baby awakens in the middle of the night to nurse, a nursing gown makes breastfeeding far easier. Nursing gowns have slits down the front that are usually camouflaged by pleats. You’ll find nursing gowns and matching robes at most maternity shops.
Most women who choose to nurse for an extended period of time purchase some nursing blouses and possibly a nursing dress or two. Before you see them, you might envision nursing tops as being frumpy or obviously tops designed for nursing. However, today’s nursing clothes are designed for today’s mother. Nursing mother clothes are as hip as the nursing mothers themselves. And on many of them, it’s nearly impossible to tell that they’re nursing clothes by just looking at them. Some of these tops and dresses have very discreet panels that can be unsnapped or hooked to remove one breast. Others are double layered so that moving the top layer can reveal the breasts. With a nursing top and a nursing bra, you’ll find it very convenient to nurse in public without having to pull up your shirt or feel as though you’re undressing.
Nursing clothes are also great for the working mom who pumps milk during the day at work. You’ll be able to pump much more quickly and discreetly by wearing a nursing top or dress to work.
Most maternity shops carry some nursing clothes. Some large department stores with maternity departments also carry them. However, you may find your best selection of nursing clothes at online shops that specialize in these clothes. In addition, if you need plus size nursing clothes, you’ll likely find a much wider selection online than in stores. One of the best things about shopping online for nursing clothes is that these specialty websites also typically offer skirts and pants. These skirts and pants are especially coordinated to go with the tops that the website carries. It makes one stop shopping far easier.