Non nursing tops for breastfeeding

[JamieJay]

Bought two nursing bras this morning and now thinking about tops for feeding (even though the thought of feeding in public terrifies me!!)

I have large (HH) breasts which aren't a perky as they could be - have tried a couple of tops on but the fit is all wrong and the 'holes' just don't line up with my nipples.

Anyone experts out there about to advise on how I can adapt normal clothes - especially allowing for discretion and covering of post baby stretch marked belly

I'm nervous about feeding and want to put as much preparation in place so there is nothing avoidable to stop me........

Thanks

Drop-down nursing tops might fit better - the ones with clips on the straps like nursing bras.

Buttons can help - a shirt or top with buttons to open and then a cardi over the top for discretion maybe?

Or could you get something like a bump band to cover your stomach so you could lift your top up without showing everything?

T shirt on top, baggy ish vest top underneath, lift up top and pull down vest.

Or do what I do and just hoik out of the top of things and use a pashmina to wrap round yourself and the baby. Keeps the baby calm too as there is less to distract them.

Primark vest tops in a size too big.
£1.50, variety of colours, wear under whatever. Neckline of vest pulled down under bra, so covering stomach etc but wont fall down because of straps, pull top layer up.

Pretty much nothing shown, can wear normal clothes, and mostimportantly, CHEAP!

Thanks for the suggestions, plenty of ideas there to think about. Feel a shopping trip coming on

For specific nursing tops, BOOB tops have a proper opening rather than just nipple holes. They are bloody expensive new, though.

Lots of people swear by the vest underneath trick though.

dont be nervous about feeding in public - mums are doing it all the time around you, they are just so discrete you have never noticed

in you try yourself in front of a large mirror you will see it usually looks like you are just holding your baby

and dont worry about ...ahem...perkiness.... - NO ONE with real HH norks is perky

I second the stretchy vests. I just couldn't get on with those tops with holes in them, I felt really exposed in them for some reason.

Pasmina is always a good standby for draping around yourself to cover up any bits you don't want to show.

Marks and Spencer do good stretchy vests as well. I wore a lot of cardigans in the early days, over a vest. Waterfall cardigans are brilliant, but bit hot in this weather!

Definitely a vest under a normal top - and I second the suggestion to have a go in front of a mirror, I think you will be happy you are not flashing anybody

Thanks for the further ideas and re-assurance.

KristinaM you're right about the perkiness and the advantage is I don't have to worry about pregnancy / breastfeeding wrecking my boobs as they've not be up for a while

I do the vest under a t-shirt thing.

I actually don't bother having the vest over my boobs at all anymore. When I get dressed I put the vest on and pull the top of it down under my bra.

Much easier access when you are getting your boobs out. Lately I haven't bothered with the vest at all as it is too hot and I only really starting wearing them because my back was getting cold when I lifted my shirt up.

I agree with japhrimel, bump bands worn under any top, I found messing about with vest straps along with lifting up tops and undoing breastfeeding bras to fiddly. Bump bands covered my tummy and kept it warm. An alternative is to do as Morloth suggests and wear a vest but not wear the straps, I found if I looped the straps over the band on my bra it kept it in place.

I echo what everyone's said: vests are the way forward. I wore a vest underneath a scoop-neck tee or button-down shirt, and would just pull it down, hoik boob out and get on with it. I did also wear nice scarves to place around me when hoiking... but I like scarves and wear them all the time anyway.

I found nursing tops/bras/vests too expensive and fiddly. Stretch vests are cheap and work (& as I found myself changing them a fair bit early on due to milk leakage, the cheapness became ever more important!!).

Don't stress it about feeding in public. I did it for a year, never got a nasty comment/stare (though did have my put-downs prepared just in case!). Most people are lovely and sensible about it these days.

I just wear a big cardigan over a t-shirt. Pull t-shirt up and cardigan covers everything.

Another vote for the vests here - got mine from M&S too. A bit warm some days but i'm a bit less bothered now and DS has a more regular feeding pattern too. Love, love, love that my wobbly tum is covered by the vests, not so bothered about the boobs

I was about that size when feeding DS (gone down now, 'only' a G!). I did the vest thing, winter time is good because you have the cardie option.

And I've been feeding in public for a looong time now, and it's always been fine. In the early weeks with both my DC I did wonder whether it would ever come together as tiny baby and big boob/fast letdown didn't seem to be a great combo. But it did and I was soon out and proud

Thanks all, I guess I'm pretty lucky that we'll be going into the autumn by the time I'm up to feeding in public so won't be as much of a worry getting too hot.

I realise that it's unnecessary to worry about feeding in public but more generous chest has always been a focus on unwanted attention that it's difficult to move on from that. But am determined to succeed so will have to develop some confidence

Look at breast vests. They sit just under your boobs, so that you can pull your non nursing top up, while keeping your tummy covered. I find them useful even in the house when it's cold and i don't want to be sitting round with my top off while feeding my dd. Also, the post-pregnancy belly is not so nice to look at, so they keep it nice and under wraps!

point of information - there is research to show that bf doesn't wreck your boobs. pregnancy, smoking, being overweight, having big boobs and age do it all by themselves

I'm 32J so have this problem too. I just wear a normal T-shirt. Unclip the bra and let your boob out under the T-shirt. Line up baby and guide head into position with one hand, whilst whipping up T-shirt with the other. I also keep a muslin drapped over the corresponding shoulder for emergencies. When you've finished feeding, sit up the baby, let the T-shirt drop back and then once you've winded, put DC back into pram etc you can stuff your boob back into your bra at leisure. NB you will need two hands to do the clip back up whatever the manufacturers say - it's all about the weight!

It gets easier with practice. And eventually DS's head will be bigger than my boobs..... (sigh)

Also, with whatever method of feeding in public you use (vest/top, top/cardi, nursing top, unbutton shirt from bottom, etc, etc) if baby is wearing a biggish bib you can shuffle it round so the front of the bib is now raised to give a bit more breast coverage.

It's good for when your chosen outfit doesn't quite 'do' what you hope it might (H&M nursing tops I'm talking to you ). Plus it has the advantage of being able to cover you/mop up flow if baby pops off mid feed!

Whatever you chose to do definitely try nursing in front of a mirror - you will be surprised just how little you show.

I found it was always the latching off where I ended up flashing nip while I worked out what I was doing with the baby. But then I don't really care! I never got any comments either and I BF pretty much anywhere and everywhere.

Ooh yes - get your stretchy vests in now. I hate to think what first time mums who have their babies in the winter do.

Vests are certainly the way to go.

What also helped me was the belly band thingy I'd worn in pregnancy. I'd then unbutton my shirt, pull my (small) vest up to cover the top of my breasts, while the belly band kept my midriff covered.

Too hot to wear that lot in the summer, but both of mine were newborns in winter / spring.