What to wear when you’re nursing

Nursing is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done! With my first baby I had a really hard time, it’s not like they make it seem in movies where the baby is born and starts nursing and the mom just smiles. The baby comes out and is just as clueless as you as to how to start eating from you. If it’s helpful, I can write a future post about tricks that helped me nurse even though it did not look promising in the beginning. For this post, I wanted to share how some outfits, pieces and fabrics really helped me feel good and also look as best as possible given the milky circumstances. I will caveat that I am a breastfeeding advocate and celebrate it when I see it in public. Personally, I never felt comfortable being partially topless in public so this post emphasizes accessibility and coverage!

Things that will matter:

1. Fabric, color & layers- put your silks, satins, suedes and other treasured pieces away, you’re not gonna see them on a regular basis. Colors that are really milk and spit-up friendly are the usual dark colors but also prints! Also,say hello to cotton, spandex, polyester, Lycra, and linen.  Lightweight scarves, dusters, cardigans, mini-capes, ponchos, camisoles, button downs…..there are days were I felt like I was wearing half of my closet to go out with these kids. Embrace them.
2. Textures- No ruffles, hard fabrics. Remember the baby is going to be pressed up against you want really soft fabrics that won’t leave them with huge marks on their faces.
3. Fragrance- I think scent is an extension of your outfit, and for as long as I can remember I wore perfume daily. Until….I had a baby. Then I felt really bad spraying on me, and feeling like he was eating it, so I just stopped wearing perfume until really recently. Even now, they are still all over me so I opt for organic scents.

Here are my recommended pieces and styling:

Scarf Express// PJ’s Third Love

1. The lightweights scarf- This is a key element because when all else fails and you don’t have the right shirt on and you spilled all the bottled breast milk you had brought with you, a big scarf will save and cover you! 
2. The bras-You will be wearing a bra at all times, even to sleep, for the first 6-8 months of nursing if you go that long. Not only will it contain your milk but it will help prevent unnecessary chaffing that becomes super painful right away.  Finding the best bras that you can wash A LOT, and that you feel comfortable in will be key. These are some inexpensive to slightly more expensive bras that I really loved. Honestly, Target was my best friend in this department. When I was at home, I LIVED in this one and slept in it too! A big take-away for bras (no pun intended) is that you’re most likely not going to be as busty for very long so don’t invest a lot of money because you’ll have to likely toss these! 
3. The camisole layer is your best friend- The camisole layer acts like a little modesty shield when your’e wearing ANY shirt. Nursing bras are great at releasing your milk source without exposing your entire boob but they do leave your whole torso exposed. If you are wearing a camisole you can lift up your shirt and pull the camisole down to get to your nursing bra without exposing your entire midriff, which you usually don’t want anyway. 😉 These are great quality camies that will do the trick. 
4. Layers that act blankets and covers- I loved wearing these layers on top for extra coverage. These are some recs! 
5.  Halters, bathing suits and off the shoulder tops, oh my! Luckily, we’re headed to warmer weather and all of these pieces are so accessible and truly make it seem too easy. I remember the first time I went to the beach with a newborn and I was like I never want to leave. Let’s be island people until he finishes nursing…wishful thinking! 

I haven’t nursed for the past 9 months, but would love to hear what helped you get through nursing so that other future mamas can benefit! XO, Z