Need Help Finding Clothes for Discreet Nursing in Public

I was told my a birthing coach that for discreet public breastfeeding, she really recommended (she has a 6 month old herself), breastfeeding tanks with a button up shirt over it.

I went to Target and bought a breastfeeding tank (which I find SOOO comfy too). for like 17 dollars. You could do a short sleeve button up or a long sleeve button up over it and just unbutton the bottom buttons. She really RAVED about that...

Hi! N.:
It's nice to meet a mom with a 16 month old son and a newborn just like me! Our daughter was born on July 18th and my son turned 16 months on the 24th. How busy are we??!
As for the nursing in the public; I have always just used a receiving blanket to cover up and never had any problems.
Try that and let me know how it goes. I never bought any 'nursing' tops....it's enough that I have all these cute maternity clothes that I'll never wear again!

hi! with me, i really don't have the resources to keep on buying new clothes. considering the fact that i don't intend to have another child soon and i won't be nursing forever i wanted to use my regular clothes. so the 2 things i would wear to be prepared in nursing in public: 1) a button down shirt (even those that go only half way will do) and a receiving blanket; 2) a t-shirt and a stretchy, i-dont-really-care-if-it-gets-messed-up tank top underneath and a blanket still. a relative told me about a nursing poncho that has a zipper at the side or sumthing which is really good at covering you up. maybe you can check on that one too. :) i hope this helped. :)

Hi N.
I have a couple of ideas for you. First I have nursing tank tops. I found them at Target. They have a shelf bra built in and easy to use closures on each strap. They don't have tons of support, but some and it keeps your stomach covered. Also, have you checked out the website Motherwear.com. They have lots of options in shirts with different kinds of openings. I haven't bought anything from this site, but the clothes look nice. Hope this helps and congratulations on the new addition.
S.

I used to drape the baby blanket over my shoulder and the baby so that I could breastfeed in public. I think that there are blankets that you can purchase that have a string you can tie around your neck so that the baby does not pull the blanket off from your shoulder. It looks like and extremely large bib, but it is better than people getting all flustered from seeing you breastfeeding your baby. Oh, and if anyone gets "offended" by you feeding your precious baby, just tell them that everyone needs to eat. It always makes them stop and think. lol

M. *~

N.:

Hi. Well I was just dealing with this topic myself today (out shopping for nursing tanks). I have a 2 year old and a 1 month old. I never really nursed in public with the 2 year old (went into a dressing room or nursed in the car) but I was determined this time around to not have to leave a room if I want to nurse as it is somewhat isolating. Someone else mentioned the Hooter Hiders cover up which I have and LOVE. I'm not confident enough to just whip it out without a cover up of some kind but I've used the Hooter Hiders cover up several times just sitting out in public or visiting with relatives and it works great. It has a strap that goes behind your neck and then the neckline has a stiff section that keeps it bent out so that you can look down at your baby, what you are doing, etc. That was always my problem with just using a receiving blanket - 1) the baby didn't like a blanet directly on their head and 2) I kept having to lift it to see what was going on, readjust, etc.

Re: nursing clothes - I see that others have mentioned MotherWear. I just ordered a cute tank from them. It is a decent (but not awesome) built in bra - I'm a 36DD right now. My biggest rave though is for the Bravado nursing tanks - I just bought 2 today. They have an awesome, really supportive built in bra, they have good coverage so you're not hanging out all over and you could easily just wear the tank alone. They are a bit expensive but its so hot right now I plan to live in them. I got them at Goore's in Sacramento but you can order them online - you'd want to try one on first though because I got a bigger size than I would have thought.

Good luck!

Dear N.,

I don't have any idea about the clothes that are on the market now, but I do have one little suggestion. Practice at home with your own clothes and shawl - I know that those shawls work very well, my grand daughter used them a lot and for many months - restaurants, playgrounds - oh , anywhere - and it was just fine. So practice is my only suggestion, and then there is - just do it. People do not tend to stare at your tummy. ALSO the baby love having that time with the family outside the home, and that sip of warm milk. Just turn aside from the crowd side while getting the baby settled. It is o.k., and wonderful. \
Sincerely, C. N.

Hi N.,

Congratulations on your new arrival!

My son is 9 months next week and I've been nursing him in public since he was about a week old. I've tried several brands and my favorite is Motherhood Nursingwear
http://www.motherhood.com/Nursinghome.asp?mastercategory_...
Their designs are pretty nice, good quality and reasonably priced. They have different styles of openings to choose from (check the list of links on the left). Some of the designs have a built-in support so you don't need to wear a bra. There are also tank tops with built-in bras available - I have several of them in different colors and wear them either alone or with regular front opening tops (shirts, jackets, etc.), so nursing is very easy and the jacket adds an extra privacy...

Warmly,

I.

Hi N.,

I Know the felling. I'm big busted & got even bigger after my Daughter was born & the milk came in. I have found a few tops at Motherhood that some what work. The place that I love the best is Motherwear (http://www.motherwear.com/) All of there clothes are made for Nursing Moms. I have bought quite a bit from them & have loved everything! Everything fits great even on me & the material is soft. I love them. I tell every nursing mother about them.

I hope this helps!
M. D

N., I must say you are one brave person, the baby is only one week and you are already out and about!! I remember when I could not even get myself ready for at least 3 months- about the nursing in public, believe me no one cares what you have on when you are nursing, as long as the baby is fed! I am sure you will be fine, bra or no bra!
My boys are now 7/6 but geez I can remember like this was yesterday. Have you tried feeding the baby right before you leave? The baby can last 2 hrs without food right, so do your stuff between feedings.. so the baby is sleeping. Good luck!! And I am sure you will be great!!

Have you seen the BEBE AU LAIT nursing covers (aka Hooter Hiders)? I haven't got one yet, but it goes far enough that the stomach area is covered. You can get them at some baby/maternity stores and online at amazon, babycenter and babystyle. I want to try one on before buying, but a friend of mine says it makes nursing in public much more comfortable.

I have been wearing nursing tank tops almost daily (with a shelf/like bra built in) They are comfortable, but not perfect. Sometimes I'll layer them under a second shirt so I don't have to wear a bra, and keep my tummy covered. Hope that helps!

Hi, you sound like me i had the same problem with nursing, andim preg so i will soon have two children under the a of 1 1/2.
Well i am some what a bigger person so it is hard covering up and unbuttoning and have her latch on all at the same time.... but i promise it will get easier, you will perfect it and you will start doing it to where who ever your with they wont even notice.
some tips: buy some materinaty shirts like tanks with a bra inside it, that helps alot. make sure its big enough to pull down on the top. if you dont like tanks you can throw a cute little button up or sweater over it. hold your baby as if your feeding her, then throw the blanket over her and you/ your sholder. then just with the opistie hand pull your boob out. youll get the hang of it. if you still cant get the hang of it i use to do it in my car before i got out, i got my back windows tinted just for that and it also helped to keep sun off my baby. so hopefully i help you a bit... good luck

Hi N.! :)

I struggled with the same thing when I nursed my daughter, but I found a couple things that helped a whole lot!
Go to www.motherwear.com and order yourself about 10 nusing shirts that are empire style. ONLY get empire style. Everything else is nothing in compairison. Empire shirts have an upper layer that ends just under the breasts and those shirts combined with snap in the center style nursing bras are a perfect solution. It makes nursing fast, fun, easy and descrete. :)

Best of wishes!
M.

Hi, N.. www.motherwear.com has lots of great options. Button-downs are a good option too -- look for henley syle tees. Also, my son nursed in the sling the first few months, and now in his ergo carrier. We can walk around and people don't even notice. I suppose I wouldn't care if they did notice to be honest. Always remember your doing what's best for yor baby, and it has to be convienent for both of you. I do understand your modesty though. Some people say to practice in the mirror so you can see what other people do. I feel like a pro nurser now that my son is going to be 12 mo on fri. In fact, I have no plans to wean him yet. I hope you enjoy the nursing experience, and good luck with the clothes. Motherwear should really suit you needs well.

Hello N.,

My name is M. and I'm a mother of three girls. My girls are now nine, five and two, But I nursed them all for 15 months. When I had to nurse out in public I always had a blanket with me. That way I could put it over my shoulder and no one can see a thing. The blanket also helped my girls from getting distracted from what was going on around us. I hope this will help you out. Good luck.
M.

I just wear a regular tank top with a nursing bra and then whatever shirt I want over that. You can also try a tank with a built in bra, there are some such as the ones made by glamourmom http://www.glamourmom.com/ or the ones you get at target that are made just for nursing. But I find that a nursing bra (I love the bella materna ones http://www.bellamaterna.com/ but Target has cheaper ones that seemed to be just as nice, you can also try Motherhood) with a regular tank top works fine too. Pull your t shirt up, pull your tank top down, unhook your nursing bra and you should be covered.

this is something that bugs me too - exposing the belly!! Gr.

One thing I do... I'll wear a sleeveless shirt (or tank) under a button up shirt that i leave unbuttoned. or it can be a light sweater, or whatever just as long as it's open. Then when I lift my shirt, I have the sweater to drape around the side and back area that is being exposed. I cross my legs to hide the belly or position the baby in a laying down position to cover the belly or stuff a blanket over my belly (not the baby's head of course!!) That's just a tip for how to dress. Of course I don't always dress like that each day... but if I know I'm going to be somewhere where I really want to try hard to be descreet... I try to wear that type of outfit. I also use a nursing bra from sears (only $11) that is super simple. No hooks or snaps. I pull it down before I lift my shirt. Then when the baby is ready and in posititon I lift it quickly and latch as fast as I can. Then I just watch my son (he's older now so it's kind of different) and when he pulls away, I immediately move my shirt over the breast. Once I know for sure he is totally done nursing then I reach in from the top and re-position the bra. This way my breasts are always covered as much as possible. I don't care if people see my son breastfeeding, but I don't want to give a show either. :) hope that some of those tips help out. I think it in some ways it gets easier as the baby gets older but then there are other challenges too. always check out kellymom.com for more nursing moms on message boards... i love that site!!

i tend to wear a tank top under everything i wear (t-shirts, other tanks, whatever). that way, i can pull the top layer up, and the bottom layer down, only exposing the part of my boob that the baby girl wants :). i also put a blanket over her, usually twisted around my bra strap to keep it up. it's a little warm for all of that right now, i know, but it keeps me covered and i'm not too uncomfortable. congrats and good luck :).

I felt the same way the first time around! I bought two nursing camis from target. It is like a tanktop bra. You can probably find them at Motherhood Maternity, too. I also wore a tube top under my shirt so if I was wearing a regular nursing bra my tummy was covered.

Good luck!
J.

I didn't spend any money on "nursing" tops because I knew my twins were my only pregnancy. (I don't want any more kids). I was too cheap to buy a wardrobe to allow me to nurse in public. What I did was wear a lot of button up shirts and I unbuttoned from the top. Take the first two or three buttons open then unlatch the bra, secure baby and throw a receiving blanket over his/her head if you dont' feel you have enough coverage w/ the nursing bra.

Hope this helps. It was a great tip given to me by another mom of multiples!

N.,
I think I can help you. I work with Jockey Person to Person and we have a line of clothing for women that is super comfortable. Everything has stretch and is very soft. Everything we have is designed around being soft and comfortable. In our new catalog we have lots of tops that may help you. We actually have a lounge outfit that is great for nursing moms... they are so nice looking that they can be pajamas OR an outfit to go to the grocery store in. I would be happy to send you a catalog so you can take a look. You can view it online also at www.jockeypersontoperson.com I have some specials on the "perks" page of this website too. Thanks for looking. I do home parties as well if you are interested in getting clothes for free and half price. It's a fun way to fill your wardrobe. Let me know how I can help you. Thanks so much.

Dear N.,

Congratulations on your newborn and bravo for your determination in nursing!

I like the variety of the Glamourmom tops. I've also bought one of their dresses and understand that they also have bathing suits.
You can view them out online at www.glamourmom.com
Be sure to type in the GM code CLPO70 when checking out.

There is also http://www.expressiva.com/ that has nursingwear too although I have never bought from them.

I also like and use the nursing tanks at Target.

Wishing you all the best,

C. P.
San Jose City Coordinator
NUTRAPOWER
http://www.nutrapower.net/nutra
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Hi N.,

Target sells nursing tanks for about 17 dollars and I found then nice in the beginning. Once I got tired of undoing the clasps and they were a little baggy I switched to regular camisole bra tanks - just lifted my shirt and pulled down the tank. I have to say though that I am over the modesty factor with my son as he hates being covered when nursing. I found some really nice tank tops at the banana republic outlet that I can just pull down (instead of lifting up) and I wear themwith a tank bra underneath. The downside is that my whole boob sticks out while nursing. If I feel like being modest, I just tuck a light blanky under my straps and drape it across my chest.

Also, if you really want a real bra, try something with a really stretch cup that you can just pull down (instead of nursing bras). They also sell nursing tube tops online, but I have never tried on, although it looks like a great idea.

Hi N.. I was pretty modest when I first started nursing too. I only had one of these but, a nursing top works wonders. They simply have slits that are very well covered when not being used and they keep you covered while they are being used. Motherhood I know has them. Or if you look on oldnavy.com or gap.com they both have great maternity clothes online so I would imagine they have at least one nursing top. They are GREAT to have if you don't feel comfortable in crowded areas while nursing. Good luck.