Talk to me about nursing clothes

[MarineWife]

I'm in search of the easiest and most discreet clothing to wear for nursing in public while wearing my 6 week old baby. At the moment, I use either a ring sling or a wrap. I can do a cradle carry with the wrap but am most comfortable with front cross pouch carry (not sure if that's the correct name but you should understand what I mean if you use a wrap).

Wearing a regular shirt or a full-length nursing shirt isn't working. It's too hard to pull the shirt up underneath the wrap or sling in-between me and my baby. I tried a button down top and a nursing top that slides to the side but I feel very exposed by both of those. I do have one nursing top that has the half shelf or whatever it's called on the top so you only have to pull that small part up. That's easy enough but then there's still the layer underneath that needs to be pulled to the center and then I have to unhook my bra and mess with the nursing pad. Too much fiddling and it takes me forever.

Is there a trick to all of this or a certain type of shirt that works best?

[TiffanyToo]

Nursing tank tops are genius! They snap like a nursing bra and cup drops down like a nursing bra allowing baby access. A button up shirt thown over you and baby in the wrap will provide coverage. If you concerned with exposure ask your spouse to watch you latch baby and to tell you what is exposed and to help you get to the point your both comfortable with.

[MarineWife]

i have a few nursing tanks and don't really like them. they are advertised as if they can be worn alone to nurse in but i feel too exposed from the top. Honestly, I don't know why people seem to like them so much. No spouse home to tell me what's visible and what isn't atm.

I'm finding that the empire top that lifts up from just under the breasts is the easiest but it's still a pain. Ugh!

[bignerpie]

I never wear nursing tanks alone, unless I'm home. I usually wear a nursing tank and a loose-fitting shirt (think peasant top-type with a wider opening at the bottom). That way it's easy to pull the shirt up, which covers the top of your breast, and then the tank covers the rest. The baby's head covers any exposed part.

Latch your baby on in front of a mirror, so you can see what everyone else sees. It's not nearly as much as you think!

ETA: Do you have a LLL meeting close by? Those ladies helped me a lot to feel comfortable NIP.

[MarineWife]

i'm not uncomfortable NIP but i am uncomfortable with having a majority of my breast exposed. i'm trying to figure which style of nursing top is easiest when i have baby in my sling or wrap for nursing hands free while shopping. i have looked in the mirror and, to me, there is quite a bit of the top of my breast exposed in a nursing tank without a shirt over (which defeats the purpose when wearing baby) or with a button down or slide-style nursing top, which are the only styles that i find workable while wearing baby. i'm very short, 5 feet, so almost everyone would be looking down on me and could easily see almost my entire breast exposed.

my only option as of now is to use the sling or wrap to cover my babe's head. that doesn't work b/c i have a very strong let down that causes babe to come off mt breast at first. if i don't have easy access, milk sprays everywhere and soaks both of us. i was hoping someone might have experience with the various styles of nursing openings who could tell me which works best while keeping baby in the wrap or sling.

[Katarianna]

I LOVE my Glamourmom nursing tank. It solves a lot of the problems with other tanks. First off, it has lots of support. To me it is like they took a bra and sewed it into a tank top. There is even a hook in the back just like a bra so you can tighten or loosen as needed. It also solves the exposure issue. When you unhook the tank and pull it away there is another mesh layer underneath. This layer leaves your nipple area exposed but keeps the rest of the breast covered. I only have one so far because they are a little pricey and I need the full bust model, but I plan to buy a couple more. 

When I am wearing my baby in the wrap I only wear the tank underneath. Then I spread the wrap out as much as possible so it isn't all bunched up. This allows me to wear the baby without lots of layers and kind of mimics a shirt. If it is chilly I just wear a button up sweater/jacket over the wrap.

Like I said before, they are a little pricey, but totally worth it considering you don't need to buy a nursing bra to go underneath. If you don't need the full bust size (like E-F and up) then they are a little less expensive AND are sometimes available places like babyhalfoff and babysteals. 

[weliveintheforest]

I like nursing tanks, but only with a shirt over top.  I feel way too exposed otherwise.  This works with a sling or pouch (for me) but if I'm wrapping I don't wear anything over top and just take the baby out to nurse, using the wrap to cover things up.  I can't find a way modestly nurse while carrying my 2 month old upright in the wrap, and I've tried.  Sometimes I can tuck her in sideways so I can do it one handed, but I haven't been able to manage two free hands.  I find it easier with a pouch or ring sling.

[snanna]

Tuck a light cotton scarf into your purse for these moments, and throw it casually around your neck to cover the top of your breast as you nurse? I do that in the winter with a heavier scarf/kerchief when nursing outside....

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by snanna 

Tuck a light cotton scarf into your purse for these moments, and throw it casually around your neck to cover the top of your breast as you nurse? I do that in the winter with a heavier scarf/kerchief when nursing outside....

oh, that's a good idea. thanks.

haha! glamourmom was the first nursing tank i bought, about 7 years ago, and the reason i didn't waste my money on any more until now. they were the ones i was so disappointed with b/c i thought i could wear it alone based on the ad photos (false advertising, maybe?). maybe it was because i was living in hawaii at the time but i couldn't stand layering clothes. that's why i wanted to be able to wear the the tank by itself. i got some cheap ones from walmart this time to wear under regular shirts just to cover my belly.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by weliveintheforest 

I can't find a way modestly nurse while carrying my 2 month old upright in the wrap, and I've tried.  Sometimes I can tuck her in sideways so I can do it one handed, but I haven't been able to manage two free hands.  I find it easier with a pouch or ring sling.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Sometimes I feel like a dunce or something because all these other people seem to nurse so easily in a wrap or a sling and I just can't do it. Well, I can nurse easily in the sling but not modestly.

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by snanna 

Tuck a light cotton scarf into your purse for these moments, and throw it casually around your neck to cover the top of your breast as you nurse? I do that in the winter with a heavier scarf/kerchief when nursing outside....

This is what I do.  When it was super hot outside, I wore only the nursing tank top b/c I was wearing it alone at home fine.  Then I was outside nursing and I was all, holy cramp my entire bewb is out.  I took a burp cloth and put it over my bewb (not over baby's face) and I felt more comfortable right away.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes 

When it was super hot outside, I wore only the nursing tank top b/c I was wearing it alone at home fine.  Then I was outside nursing and I was all, holy cramp my entire bewb is out.

that's what i did, too. even with side slings on the nursing tank, almost my entire breast would be exposed.

[schoonersam]

Yup ladies...same issues.  I have two nursing tanks and don't like either and DEFINITELY don't wear it out alone.  The only thing that has ever worked for me - besides trying to nurse in places where I frankly don't give a cr*p if someone is offended (like hiking in the woods or at the beach) - is an actual nursing cover (see brands: udder covers, bebe au lait, hooter hiders). 

It's a similar idea to the "just chuck a scarf over your chest", but they have a rigid hem at the top that arcs out and allows you to see what's going on and allows for some air flow.  I found I had two problems with the scarf method (I actually used a light sarong in a pinch), the first was that it got way hot under there and my daughter would be sweating in like 2 seconds, and the second was the same as you - old faithful, geyser action shooting my poor DD in the face or her clothes or mine. 

Anyway, the nursing cover takes a little adjusting (and you gotta be extra diligent on a windy day) and wouldn't work at a stadium where there's a row of folks sitting above and behind you, but unless my husband is lying to me, it covers the works pretty well for most normal situations (i.e. a park bench or restaurant).  And it's compact, I just roll it up and tuck it into the back of my wrap.

Good luck!

[mcnovia]

I haven't found nursing clothes to be very helpful--what I have done is sort of create my own. I bought some of those stretchy tanks from old navy (or anywhere) and cut one so that it was like a mini tank top that just covered my boobs. I put that tank on first and then the match one over top of it. When I need to nurse I just pull down the front of the tank and pull up slightly on the under-tank. Everything is covered and your baby is happy! I have done the same under-tank thing with v-necked shirts too. It is really the only situation that I have found that works for practical on-the-go nursing.

Hope that helps!

[MarineWife]

thanks. that's an interesting solution i would not have thought of.

[Baby_Cakes]

I saw an ad on the side the other day, I thought it was a really cool idea!!

http://undercovermama.com/

[Zenmama1]

Pea in the pod has a vneck tshirt I really like. You just pull the white center part to the side and it gives you access. Kinda hard to explain so just check out their website.

[Hockeyhoney6]

I NIP all the time with my little guy in his Ergo and no one even has a clue! I bought some nursing shirts from Motherhood and they're very discreet. The bottom layer is a loose tank top so you pull the top layer down and the bottom layer to the side slightly and everything stays covered. Here's a couple of the shirts that are similar to what I have:

http://www.motherhood.com/productdetail_CloseUp.asp?Product_Id=904920362&Category_Id=0362&MasterCategory_Id=MC29#

http://www.motherhood.com/productdetail_CloseUp.asp?Product_Id=98402910362&Category_Id=0362&MasterCategory_Id=MC29#

[Hockeyhoney6]

I NIP all the time with my little guy in his Ergo and no one even has a clue! I bought some nursing shirts from Motherhood and they're very discreet. The bottom layer is a loose tank top so you pull the top layer down and the bottom layer to the side slightly and everything stays covered. Here's a couple of the shirts that are similar to what I have:

http://www.motherhood.com/productdetail_CloseUp.asp?Product_Id=904920362&Category_Id=0362&MasterCategory_Id=MC29#

http://www.motherhood.com/productdetail_CloseUp.asp?Product_Id=98402910362&Category_Id=0362&MasterCategory_Id=MC29#

[MarineWife]

Thanks, hockey. I do have a few shirts like that but they seem to leave a very large portion of the top of my breast exposed. I saws those shirts at motherhood and didn't buy them because of that. Maybe they are slightly different and I should try them. I need some cold weather shirts now.