You don’t need to buy new clothes to breast feed successfully and discreetly. So if your budget will not accommodate a whole new wardrobe for breast feeding here are a few tips to get you started and feeling a bit more presentable yet practical at the same time.
Necessary purchases
Breast feeding bras are a must for many reasons and there are a number of stores online and on the street that sell a range of options. You will need at least 2 to rotate and if you can stretch it, breast feeding singlets which you can get in stores like Kmart and Target are another great staple for the breastfeeding wardrobe. Otherwise there are some great tutorials for making your own with sew and no sew options.
From your existing wardrobe
Wear separates – shirts and skirts, or pants, are a great breast feeding combination especially if the skirts are elastic waisted which helps as you gradually lose the baby weight. All you need do to breast feed is lift up shirt (you can wear a singlet underneath for greater modesty or shield it all by using a feeding apron (find our tutorial here).
Button up blouses – great dressed up with pencil skirts, or dressed down with jeans, button up shirts allow easy breast feeding access and there are so many styles available to suit everyone.
Jersey knit tops – a stretchy and robust fabric these tops, most commonly used for singlets and t-shirts, are very forgiving and can be dressed up or down.
Dresses – anything with a wrap bust or opening on the front is suitable for breast feeding. Maxi dresses with spaghetti straps and a crossover bodice make breast feeding easy and you can add a shrug or light cardigan for modesty. Other dresses often feature button or zip fronts which, as long as they are not fake openings, are very helpful too.
Cover options – shrugs and shrug-length cardigans are fantastic for breast feeding fashion. If you do up the top 3-4 buttons on a full length cardigan you can lift this up, and pull your dress/shirt down to feed and you’re only creating a discreet opening for feeding. They also work well over breast feeding singlets.
Scarves – not only these dress up an outfit and add a pop of colour they can also come in handy for discreet breast feeding. You can use them to cover a lower neckline as well as using them as a feeding apron too.
Layers – a common breastfeeding tip is to pop a singlet under any shirt when breastfeeding just to give you the extra modesty when feeding.
These are just a few options that I’ve found work – share any others in the comments below!
Originally posted 2015-01-08 00:28:32.