). A closet made up mostly of neutrals & versatile pieces that can be dressed up or down with accessories makes getting ready so much easier, assuming it is not pajama day. It’s usually pajama day.
With cooler weather just around the corner, I have been on the hunt for some nursing friendly styles that I can wear on repeat for the next few months and beyond. I have never been much of a fan of traditional nursing tops, but rather shirts that make breastfeeding easy but still blend well into my everyday wardrobe. Here are my six style essentials for the nursing mom:
Linen Henley // Nursing Hoodie // Grey Drape Front Cardigan
1. A classic chambray shirt. Can be worn a plethora of different ways & I am not opposed to throwing it on with a pair of skinny grey sweatpants. I also love this chambray with white dots
which is a little more casual & also super affordable.
2. Nothing says Fall like black & white gingham. I bought this shirt a while back (shown above, now on sale!) & love how low the buttons go. It is long enough to wear over leggings but fitted enough to not look frumpy.
3. A scoop neck (front and back!) top is perfect to just slide off the shoulder to make nursing a breeze. I love these because the sleeves are still very fitted & they come in tons of gorgeous colors!
4. I love a good linen shirt for Fall, this is super slouchy & comfortable. I especially love it in the grey & mustard colors.
5. Boob Design nursing shirts are genius, and everybody needs a good hoodie. Bonus points for pairing it with a puffy vest or cargo jacket.
6. Drape front cardigans are so comfy & versatile. With a nursing tank underneath, it doesn’t get much easier than that! My current favorite is this chunky knit sweater, I love it as a layered piece.
As for nursing tanks, I love the boob design tanks that I had from after Eloise was born. They are very fitted & they have held up so well after being washed over and over.
I also LOVE these modal fabric pullover bras from the Gap, they aren’t nursing bras but I live in them. They’re super stretchy & soft, and I find them equally convenient for nursing! Granted, I don’t need much support (if you get my drift) so these may not work so well if you are blessed with bigger boobs! 😉
And there you have it! I hope you find this helpful & I would love to hear about any of your favorite styles/brands! Also, I wanted to say thank you for your feedback the other day about Claire not taking a bottle. We will keep trying and see what happens, and in the mean time, I do imagine myself attempting to lean over her car seat to feed her while we are on our upcoming road trip! 😉 Thank goodness for tinted windows.
XO
i love that gingham shirt! I can totally imagine it with a pair of leggings…and…now I need it. Off to shop. Thanks for sharing!
Chel
thatssochelish.blogspot.com
(Ok, so this off-topic of your post so forgive me but…) Omg, I JUST finished that book and it is changing my whole outlook on life. Of course, she suggests doing the whole house in one swoop and short of sending my child to our in-laws' for a week, that's not going to happen. Instead, I've been slowing purging things I've wanted to get rid of forever but didn't have the courage to do so. It feels AWESOME.
(done, sorry to stray off topic!)
As someone who has done the hang-over-the-car-seat thing several times, I can say it's tricky but doable. Not sure we would have made it on our own 15 hour drive otherwise!
I just started reading that book too! Before I even clicked on the link, I thought, "I bet I know which book she's talking about." And I did! Now I want to give everything in my house away… Oh, and that gingham top is adorable! I'm still nursing and this would be a good one to add to my wardrobe!
I'm dying laughing! I LOVE this post for so many reasons but mostly because now I know I'm not the only one who breastfeeds their baby while they're still in the carseat! Lol. Seriously. A moms gotta do what a moms gotta do!
Love these suggestions! I've been breastfeeding for almost 7 months now, and am a teacher, too. The convenience of easy to nurse (or pump!) outfits is key. I love flowy tops that I can pull up (when I'm pumping on lunch breaks or prep), or scoop necks when nursing her.
xoxo
Still nursing my 18 month old over here with no plans on stopping anytime soon. ( I know, for many I am that weirdo, but in my defense I still donate to the Milk Bank. I get a lot of enjoyment out of that.). Anyway, I love to wear things that have a lower neckline, I just quickly pull it under the boob, unsnap the bra and joila! That's my favorite way to nurse. I mostly wear stretchy cheap Target tanks when I'm home, otherwise anything is game, minus turtlenecks. 😉
-Noodle
Love the gingham shirt and the drape front cardigan!
Leaning over the car seat to nurse for the win! My youngest hated the car seat and this would always calm him. Your back will hurt, but it saves so much time and nobody needs to listen to baby cry!
Please, please pull over to nurse. It is so unsafe to do that while traveling at highway speeds.
Good luck on the bottle! We are having the same problem with our 13 week old! He was better for a few weeks but recently has started to hate the bottle again….it's so hard!! And the funny thing is I just bought that cardigan like 30 minutes ago! Glad to hear it's comfy!
I didn't read all the comments on the last post, but my youngest daughter didn't really like taking a bottle and we found out through trial and error, that she liked the milk SUPER warm, like think body temp. Also, look up tips for bottle feeding a breastfed baby. I use the slowest flow medela nipple and try to simulate nursing as much as possible. Also, definitely let someone else do it. She does not like taking a bottle from me when she could just nurse!! I have done the "dangle" in the car and it did save A LOT of time, but I have since read some things that talk about how unsafe it is, so I will probably make my husband pull over on our trip next month. Just to be safe!
I need to do an overhaul too. I am finding I gravitate to blouses more now, as they can handle the extra laundering and still look fresh. I have found a few on Modcloth that I really like. I have some cute chambrays for my daughter, but haven't found mine yet.
Please do a baby jogger city mini and select review!!!! x
The nursing hoodie is on zulily right now =)
After my second son, I joined a nursing clothes subscription company- Mamas Milk Box. They are an even more amazing version of stitch fix. I have gotten such cute and stylish things and it's super affordable! You can find them on Facebook and IG!
I did the lean-over-nursing thing and it worked. For whatever reason, my daughter didn't want to nurse when we pulled over, so it was my only choice. Hopefully Claire will be old enough you won't have to worry about burping her after and y'all can avoid some extra pitstops. 🙂
Sarah
http://www.thepolkfolk.blogspot.com
I just got way too excited about the combo of denim & black/white gingham. My favorite. Also, I missed your post about the not taking a bottle drama, but I WAS JUST THERE. Simon refused any and ALL bottles. But he took a paci (the MAM), so I got a MAM bottle, and it worked. If she takes a paci, maybe try that brand? Off to go read now, so I'm sorry if you already covered this. Lol
Great picks mama! I've been on the verge of ordering that book so your suggestion may very well be the tipping point!
<3
Milena
ladyandlittle.etsy.com
I've done the "lean over and nurse" so many times! I call it NINJA NURSING lol
Please do not nurse her while the car is moving. It is incredibly dangerous. I used to do this too but cringe every time I think about it now that I know how dangerous it is. I'll never again. Your body weight is enough to kill her in a crash. It is not worth the time you'll "save." Life is too short and life with Claire too sweet to make such a potentially tragic mistake. Please please rethink this.
You will be pulling over to change diapers anyway, might as well nurse then! Avoids the risks of nursing while driving and gives everyone a little car break.
Any info on the bar necklace in your photo? I love it!
A couple of other ideas for the bottle situation– you could try a Boon spoon (meant for purees) but worked for getting my oldest to drink pumped milk before she took a bottle. And my lactation consultant always recommends trying to have her drink from a small cup. It works for some babes. Love your blog and style, lady!
That black and white gingham is to die for!
Good luck on your upcoming road trip… let us know how it all goes!
I wasnt a fan of nursing shirts with my first baby, but she was a summer baby so tank tops were super easy. Then came along baby #2 born in the dead of winter and that's when I found Latched Mama! Their nursing tops are seriously life changing…I own 4 of the nursing hoodies and now that the weather is getting cool, am super excited to start wearing them again!
So I was just saying yesterday that I need to find cuter tops for nursing… perfect timing! Thank you so much this is exactly what I needed to nurse my new little guy!
I'm still nursing my 18 mo old and so is my best friend, who also has an 18 mo old! Great job, mama! 🙂
Please reconsider breastfeeding while in a moving vehicle. If you guys were to get into an accident your body is going to be a projectile right into her face.
Yes!! did that with both my kids when we would travel from colorado to oklahoma for vacations..
They say its dangerous but stopping that many times would have woken up my toddler and no body wants that.
Thanks! It's just the best! 🙂
That nursing hoodie looks amazing! Ordering one now.
I'm a new mama and a teacher as well! Going back to work in January and would live to get more ideas from you as well about your nursing/pumping attire ideas!
Great suggestions! I really really needed to clean out my closet (I was a great candidate for what not to wear interventions) so while I was pregnant I got rid of everything non maternity. Now I'm trying to get good staple pieces that are actually in fashion & are nursing friendly since it seems that will be my life for the next forever 🙂
This is super helpful! It is always way easier to have a "nursing friendly" shirt on, especially while you're out and about. I'll definitely look into some of these pieces. Love the polka dot chambray!
Lindsey
http://www.careerintherearviewmirror.blogspot.com