Newbie question - what to wear up-top for breastfeeding

[CaringForPod]

Hello,

This is our first baby (expecting April 29th), so excuse me if this a really stupid question.

But what exactly do you wear on your top half for breastfeeding. I know to get a nursing bra, but do you need special nursing tops? Or is that just a money-spinner for clothing companies?

Obviously I don't want to take off my whole top if I'm BF-ing, especially if we're out and about.

But then I don't want to have to buy yet another new wardrobe.

Sensible advice appreciated!

I wear a camisole under a normal top, both stretchy ideally. I pull the cami down under boob to hide stomach, and top up over boob. Very discreet.

I wear wrap dresses etc with camisoles under, or a normal top with a boyfriend cardi over the top to hide the side view.

The only thing I can't wear is a non-stretchy, high necked dress with a waist, as I can't get up under or down over if you see what I mean.

So basically anything you can 'pop' your boobs out over/under?

Cami idea sounds good, will give that a try when the time comes.

Thanks

I found feeding tops from Mothercare and Blooming Marvellous really good for the first few months, meant I didn't need to reveal acres of flabbage! Once I'd lost a bit of baby weight and got miles more confident with feeding I'd just wear normal tops. The cami idea is a good idea too but I never bothered with this. Good luck!

pmsl at flabbage

The cami thing works well when out and about.

I have a couple of nursing tops but to be honest I found them quite fiddly. I bought a load of strappy vests 2 sizes too big from Primark, then I just wear them under loose-ish tops and t-shirts - that way you can rummage around under your top to pull down the vest and unclip your bra, and get the baby in the right position on your lap before lifting your top up.

Also, anything with buttons down the front is good, but that does expose more breast - I'm happier to expose breast than tummy though!

What ninkynonker said.

One top up, one top down works a treat or just a button up shirt/cardi.

Righty, getting the idea now - pull up top, pull down vest/cami, baby in the middle. Thanks for the advice; it just struck me that I had no idea what I should wear!

Only problem may be hotter weather - won't really want to be wearing cami and top. In the vain hope that we may have a decent summer, what would you suggest then? I know it's a while off, just wanting to get things straight in my head before the little one arrives!

I'd probably go with either button front tops and wrap dresses, or fairly low-cut tops you can pull down (though that might depend on the size of your breasts). You can always drape a shawl or muslin over your shoulder to cover up if you're pulling a top down, however I never needed to when ds was very little, and by about 4 months if I ever tried to put something over his head he'd spend the whole time pulling at and playing with it.

In the summer I'd still go for vest tops with a cotton shirt. Or if it's really hot wear the vest top and take a cotton wrap out with you. You can throw the wrap over your shoulder, still pull down or up the vest top whichever you're more willing potentially expose, boob or belly, and hide the baby under the wrap. Thereby protecting you from exposure and baby from those gorgeous hot rays of sunshine we get. :o

A friend gave me her nursing vests and I was surprised how useful they are, especially in the summer. If you have smallish boobs means you don't have loads of layers and fiddling. But any stretchy vest works well too.

At the start my boobs and nipples were so sore and sensitive so I really appreciated soft material.

I remember meeting up with my NCT group who were all doing the muslin drap to begin with... fast forward a few months and every one had given up!

Double tops work well or you can use the vest and an open shirt or cardi or scarf over the top - this isn't quite so discrete as cleavage will be on display (no more than a low cut top tho!).

I find stretchy vests are great for layering, but they don't cover my big boobs well so a nursing vest is better if the vest itself is going to be on show.

I get Boob tops from an ebay seller (new but a third of the price) and love them. They're so simple and comfortable - the tops with little slits/holes are a faff IME.

Ooh, Japhrimel, I think I may have discovered your Boob lady on eBay (Lisa?) - have ordered a few nursing vests that I was planning on using as pyjama tops but am thinking might be useful for daytime actually.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think it's going to involve a lot of trial and error, but now I have the basic idea!

I used a BFing bra that unclipped and folded down with a strappy top under a looser top. As others have said, pull strappy top down & outer top up. Covers everything

I bought a couple of BFing vests from Mothercare with an outer flap that unclipped and had slits underneath. I just didn't get on with them and now wear them in bed as PJ tops!!

I did buy a hootie hider drape and although expensive I did use it lots when I first started BFing. Combo of tiny 6lb baby and large nipples meant DD and I struggled loads. I liked it because I could look over the top to latch DD on exposing as much boob as I needed and no-one else could see. Once we were more experienced and DD was bigger we didn't bother with it and I used it as a sun shade over the buggy! I should add that I bought it after having DD when we were having BFing issues but simply had to get out and BF in public.

Oh, another question (sorry ). Do you need to buy a cami that's a size bigger than usual, so you can pull it down? Or will your normal size ones be OK.

I really will stop with the questions and I'm sure it'll all be second nature to me in a couple of months!

A big thank you to all have advised, your help is really appreciated

I bought the vests from primark that have adjustable straps in a size or 2 larger, so they were longer. Worked really well, even in warmer weather. You can also use your belly bands to cover your tummy, and a top that you pull up.

I agree with the double layer top up, top down approach. H&M bog standard maternity vests are the way forward because they're so long and very stretchy! Then you can get the right size instead of swimming around in vests which are too big!

Thanks FessaEst and Limelight. I have a few New Look maternity vests that I wear now, will try using them when the time comes!

I found nursing tops good at first, but tend to just wear a t-shirt now, baby covers my tum! A pashmina type scarf is good for modesty, hiding leakage and doubles as an insect net / sun shade on the pram!

Really varies on size as it's more about how much stretch the straps have

I tried the 'one top up, one top down' approach, but always seemed to get boobs trapped! I've always found lifting tops up more discrete then pulling down. Similarly with buttoned tops like cardigans or shirts, un-button from the bottom and it's more discreete. Boobs stay covered, and baby covers your tum! Wrap dresses are nice and easy, either with or without cami, but you do end up with a lot of chest out (well, chest for me and my tiny boobs, boobage for those better endowed). I could never be bothered with the faf of scarves or feeding aprons and the like.

I've fed my DS out and about a fair bit, and even in the office infornt of various colleagues and people have often thought DS was asleep and not even realised he was feeding.

I actually really like some feeding tops. Matalan have t-shirts online in White and black for £8 each. They are brilliant and affordable. I've also got a few nice ones off eBay too.

Vest down, top up for me too :)
If you're well endowed then I'd suggest taking the vest straps under your armpit, wrapping the vest strap round the clip of your feeding bra. That way when you unclip your bra you drop the vest too. I never found a vest with enough stretch to get the neckline under my boobs
However I found the feeding vest tops from MC very useful at nighttime - they have a crop top support making sleeping more comfortable but have easy feeding access for nightfeeds (when flashing flesh isn't an issue :o)

I had nursing tops and found them all quite dull, I didn't like the idea of being restricted to wearing them day after day and I still struggled to feed discreetly in them. I found BF rooms in stores so depressing. I can remember my first public breastfeeding experience, I thought I was doing so well and my husband told me I looked as though I was flashing!! I ended up buying a breastfeeding cover, I put it in baby's changing bag and it came everywhere with me! I no longer needed to use BF rooms, I could sit with other people and a lot of the time they didn't even realise I was feeding. I found it so useful that I've started making them, if you'd like to see them they're online at www.peekabooboo.co.uk

I always wore a vest (do anyway so no bother) but cut a small hole (say the size of your nipples and then you don't have to pull it down at all - just pop said nipple out..nothing else on display whatsoever.