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For those who are against drapes

post #1 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
Are you also against nursing clothes? Because they serve the same purpose...

It seems odd to me that someone would be anti-drape but pro-nursing clothes. I'm not being snarky. I would like to know what the difference is in people's minds. Unless you are against nursing clothes as well. And if so, what should people who live in cold climates do?

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post #2 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:37pm
That's an intersting opinion.
Nursing clothes make nursing easier... like instead of baring your midrif to the cold you get to open a slit so baby can nurse and you can stay warm... or not show your post-preg strech-marked belly to the entire world.

Nursing drapes, however, send the message that nursing is something that is inappropriate, is something to be ashamed of, that shouldn't be seen.

No baby should have to have their head covered so they can eat.
post #3 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:43pm
What CryPixie said. Nursing clothes are clothes that are easy and convenient to nurse in (although I always hated them and found myself feeling a lot more exposed than if I just lifted my shirt). Drapes are specifically for *hiding* a nursing baby and the mother's breast.
post #4 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:48pm
Yes, I agree.

I own a couple nursing dresses and they make it much easier to BF. I also own two nursing tanks (more comfy than my nursing bras) and a nursing shirt that I like because I can nurse in the sling easier with it on.

A nursing cover is something I would have to go dig out of my diaper bag, clip it on, situate the baby underneath, then unclip and put away after nursing... Not to mention it's like a billboard "Look at me! I'm hiding under here so you don't see my BOOB feeding a BABY!"

I live in the south and I get hot carrying around a baby anyways, add a blanket over us and you're asking for heat stroke.
post #5 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:48pm
I personally detest nursing clothes as they are for the most part IMO tacky looking.

There is also no need for me to go spend boocoo de money on nursing clothes when my regular clothes work just fine. Its all about layering.

I dont like drapes because they draw more attention to the nursing mom then just a a baby laying in its mom arms.
post #6 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:49pm
Yup, I agree with the others...nursing clothes are about convenience and drapes are about "hiding".
post #7 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:50pm
I thought nursing clothes were more for convenience than for being discreet. I had a few nursing tops and I didn't think they were particularly discreet. In fact I thought they kind of advertised, "I feed my baby from my boobs!" I didn't even find them that convenient, it turned out, so I quit wearing them. But if some other mama finds them helpful, more power to her.
post #8 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:53pm
Quote:
I didn't even find them that convenient, it turned out, so I quit wearing them.
Yeah, they aren't THAT convenient.
I only have the one shirt because I bought it to try out. It wasn't THAT much better than regular shirts, so I never spent the $$ to get more.

I like my nursing dresses because I do get tired of wearing skirts and tops ALL the time, or only wearing dresses that button in front. My mom made them for me, so that's special too.
post #9 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:57pm
My thing is that I have to wear clothing anyway. So, if I find some clothing that makes nursing easier and looks good, then I'll wear it. I never walk around wearing an apron or a blanket, so why would I throw one on to nurse?

That said, I have one nursing shirt and I quit wearing it months and months ago. I just wear normal ol' clothes.
post #10 of 304
11/21/06 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CryPixie83 View Post
That's an intersting opinion.
Nursing clothes make nursing easier... like instead of baring your midrif to the cold you get to open a slit so baby can nurse and you can stay warm... or not show your post-preg strech-marked belly to the entire world.

Nursing drapes, however, send the message that nursing is something that is inappropriate, is something to be ashamed of, that shouldn't be seen.

No baby should have to have their head covered so they can eat.
So why is it okay for a woman to not want to show her stretch-marked belly, but not okay for her to not want to show her breast?


I've never thought of nursing clothes as being more convenient than drapes. I found the drape to be more convenient--you only need one and can take it anywhere, as opposed to a whole wardrobe of nursing tops.
post #11 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:00pm
I think a lot of people are more opposed to the drapes b/c it makes them feel as though the child is being hidden, whereas nursing clothing is supposed to hide the breast (albeit not always effectively).
post #12 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sabo View Post
I think a lot of people are more opposed to the drapes b/c it makes them feel as though the child is being hidden, whereas nursing clothing is supposed to hide the breast (albeit not always effectively).
So people would be okay with a nursing drape that only covered the breast, not the baby? The impression I got was that the anti-drape people were against the idea of women wanting to cover their breasts while nursing. Which is why I thought that nursing clothes served more or less the same purpose....
post #13 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brigianna View Post
So why is it okay for a woman to not want to show her stretch-marked belly, but not okay for her to not want to show her breast?
It's okay for a woman not to want to show her breast, IMO. But a drape makes it look like you think you have to hide your entire baby so that no one sees what the baby is doing. Like it is shameful just to breastfeed, whether or not the breast is exposed.
post #14 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:07pm
I like nursing tops.. but only cute ones that do not look anything like maternity clothes. I've found some at motherhood that you can't tell are nursing tops.

I'd never use a blanket over my baby's head though, it's hot, attracts attention and he'd never go for it anyways.

I like to keep my tummy and top of my boobs covered so I'm okay with nursing clothes.
post #15 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:07pm
Drapes are about breastfeeding "discretely", nursing clothes are about breastfeeding "discreetly".

Which is to say, drapes attempt to hide the entire act of breastfeeding, while nursing clothes permit a mama to have more control over the exposure of her own body.
post #16 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:08pm
I wore nursing tanks when I had DS. He was born at the end of July and it was HOT. I liked that when I had them on he and I didn't stick together. Since he was in the sling most of the time I didn't BOTHER with a "drape". I think it sends a negative message that BFing should be hidden from the world because we NEED to be embarrassed for feeding our children the way we were designed to.

Do any other mammals drape to feed?

We are STILL mammals which makes us animals. I have yet to see a monkey or dog cover to feed their babes.
post #17 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:10pm
Thread Starter 
That is interesting. I've never thought of drapes as hiding the act of breastfeeding. You can still usually tell that there is breastfeeding going on under the drape. And as has been mentioned, the drape can attract more attention than nursing without one.
post #18 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by afishwithabike View Post
I wore nursing tanks when I had DS. He was born at the end of July and it was HOT. I liked that when I had them on he and I didn't stick together. Since he was in the sling most of the time I didn't BOTHER with a "drape". I think it sends a negative message that BFing should be hidden from the world because we NEED to be embarrassed for feeding our children the way we were designed to.

Do any other mammals drape to feed?

We are STILL mammals which makes us animals. I have yet to see a monkey or dog cover to feed their babes.
In fairness, you're not likely to see a monkey or a dog wearing clothes, either...
post #19 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:14pm
Personally, I don't care for nursing clothes because I don't like the way they look. I can nurse quite discreetly with regular clothes. No breast shows at all. I can't STAND nursing with a blanket or drape. First of all, my poor babe has a blanket over her head and can't breathe as well, can't look at mama, etc. Secondly, I can't see my baby, either. Plus it's just another thing to have to tote around.
post #20 of 304
11/21/06 at 4:15pm
Oh, also --

I feel the blanket or drape attracts MORE attention to the fact that I'm nursing. If I want to nurse discreetly, I just lift up my shirt a little bit and my baby covers everything. Looks like I'm just holding a sleeping baby.
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Breastfeeding › Lactivism › For those who are against drapes