Starting with some background: I have spent 26 (and counting) of the last 36 months nursing a baby or pumping on weekdays. Needless to say, comfortable, stylish, and accessible are probably the top 3 words I’d use to describe my wardrobe. Do I still have things in my closet that I LOVE that aren’t nursing friendly for the eventual ‘someday’ when I can wear them again? Yes, yes I do. And for the 4 months between Ted weaning and needing maternity clothes again, they were glorious. So I keep them for when I will wear those beloved pieces again. But this post isn’t about them. It’s about the other 90% of my closet that I wear regularly.
What makes a good ‘Mom Uniform’? Well I think it is the 3 things I mentioned earlier: comfort, style, and accessibility. Now, if you are exclusively pumping or formula feeding, then accessibility may not be as important, but goodness knows that you still need comfort and style! I am going to focus on accessibility and comfort, because I’ve found that style can vary from person to person, and can be found more in the details (print, accessories, fit, etc).
We are going to work from the inside out, starting with bras. Finding a nursing bra that works for you can make all of the difference. There are two main types of nursing bras; clasps/clips or pull down. When I was nursing Ted, I used exclusively the clip-on-the-strap kind. They worked great, and I was able to convert some of them to pumping bras for work (nod to Regina George). At first I had to practice doing the clips without pulling my shirt up or down to see what I was doing. And the number of times that I accidentally clipped it on the strap for my nursing cami *facepalm*. Then I noticed as Ted got older and was more mobile, he would start running away before I was clipped back in. At home, this was no biggie, but in public it was trickier. I will say that I LOVED that these had more structure and support, which can be a necessity depending on the size of your ‘nurses’, as my nephew endearingly calls them. This go ’round I went with the pull down variety. I love the ease of access, especially with a crazy 2 year old to chase around. I’ve also found that they are more sports bra-esque, which ups the comfort level a ton! However, if you are on the larger busted side, they may not have the support that you need.
If you are a first time mom, or if you’re new to breastfeeding, I would suggest getting one of each, and seeing which one suits you. You may even find that you like one for when you’re out and about and the other for lounging and soaking up some baby snuggles.
Now that we have our base layer, it’s time to talk shirts. I am a huge fan of multi-use things, so a lot of my nursing shirts can either double as maternity or regular shirts. I break mine into 2 main categories: pull down or pull up. Pull down shirts include nursing specific shirts, and pretty much any stretchy v-neck or u-neck shirt. If it is a shirt that you aren’t worried about stretching the neckline out of shape, you can nurse in it. This is especially helpful when you and baby are first learning how to latch and you need a good visual to what is going on. I love these maternity v-necks for nursing, as well as these nursing specific shirts. Pull up shirts can be pretty much any looser fitting shirt. I would stay away from bulky items, like sweaters and hoodies, because the thicker fabric bunches uncomfortably, and can make latching difficult. I always pair a pull up shirt with a pair of high waisted leggings or jeans. These leggings are FANTASTIC and designed specifically for postpartum mamas. The loose crop top and high waisted bottoms has been on trend recently, so this can reach into the ‘stylish’ section mentioned earlier. However, if high waisted things aren’t your style, or just not comfortable for you, then a good nursing tank under any shirt can turn any shirt into a nursing shirt.
*High waisted biker shorts under a flowy dress is a great solution during warm summer months!*
The last items we’re going to talk about are nursing covers. They are optional, based on your personal preference. I go both ways when it comes to covers; they can be your best friend if nursing in public isn’t something that you’re very comfortable with or they can be a hassle. I used them a lot with Ted, especially at church. However, there came a point when it was too much of a hassle to take it on and off (i.e. when he was teething or distractible), so I just went without. Much like pull up shirts, I also found it inconvenient when learning how to latch to have to bury my head inside the cover to help him out. After nursing Ted for 15 months, I became comfortable nursing in public (and may need to run after Ted at any moment), so I haven’t used a cover at all with Junior. I still keep one in my diaper bag, just in case.
Living in Plaid 