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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Do a lot of people buy 'proper' nursing clothing?

37 replies

TribbleTrappedinTinsel · 09/12/2011 16:31

I'm just curious, I've just been browsing on the seraphine website at their nursing gear (bored) and I just wondered if people actually bothered with them?

I bought a few nursing vest tops for night time, but most of the time went with the two top approach which worked fine for the most part. I found primark vest tops fab for this btw.

By the nursing tops, I mean specific t-shirts, jumpers etc.

OP posts:
BrianButterfield · 09/12/2011 16:38

I haven't, they're ugly, overpriced, and did I mention ugly? Frumpy, with ranges that look like they haven't been updated for the last 10 years and with no concession to this season's cuts or colours - so for example this year I have wanted to wear khakis and slim-fitting trousers in wine or dark green, but the nursing tops are either black/white or weird colours you won't find anywhere else on the high street - there's an odd pastel pink that seems popular.

WTF?

nasty colour

hideousness

Also, they all seem to double up as maternity tops. I couldn't wait to ditch mine as soon as humanly possible, so why would I carry on wearing yards of extra fabric round my waist for months after giving birth?

kickingking · 09/12/2011 16:46

No because they all seemed to double up as maternity clothes and I was back to normal size (with slightly bigger boobs) by six weeks. None of them would have fitted me.

worldgonecrazy · 09/12/2011 16:49

The only nursing items I bought were nursing bras and a dress for a posh lunch as my other posh dresses didn't allow easy access. For normal wear I'd just pull my top up and wear a vest underneath.

Indith · 09/12/2011 16:50

Nah, I know a few people who might have one or 2 tops but no more than that. I go for the layered thing too. I quite fancy some of those nursing camisoles with support built in though this time for lazing around the house in.

hazchem · 09/12/2011 17:00

my boobs are too big to go through the slits. oh and they take forever to dry because they have 25 layers across the bust to be discreet.

MigGril · 09/12/2011 17:01

The only one I won was given to me, it's two much of a faff to I've only worn it twice.

I go for the layered approach.

RockingBEYONDtheXmasTree · 09/12/2011 18:11

Apart from bras, I have a grand total of ONE breastfeeding dress, bought for a wedding where I didnt want to "layer". i went to a few family parties (DS was about 8 weeks old this time last year) where I wore a normal dress and went upstairs and fed him in my underwear Xmas Grin

abigboydidit · 09/12/2011 18:19

I bought 3 tops which I hardly ever wear but are nice (from Mamaway). I wore them on days when I was meeting ex-work colleagues and I wanted to be extra discreet and have to say, for my confidence alone, they were worth the money just for those occasions.

Bartimaeus · 09/12/2011 18:22

Ibought a couple of t-shirts which were crap - tiny access so milk got everywhere (I have a problem with oversupply).

Then I ordered a different style from a catalogue. It's brilliant! Large acces but still discreet (vertical rather than horizontal acces iyswim) . Have bought 3 more Xmas Grin I only wear it outside of the house though, inside I just pull my top up.

GetOutMyPub · 09/12/2011 18:27

I bought two that were maternity/bf tops, from Mothercare. They had slits in the side that were completly crap for access and not at all discrete.

I lalso did double layer thing. I lived in shirts/cardis and vest tops (another vote for Primarni - nice and long & straps are adjustable) I would open buttons for access and then pull vest top up. (I know others do the opposite - vest down & tshirt up) But i liked my sides being covered by the shirt/cardi

HappyCamel · 09/12/2011 18:30

I have some. I found them helpful for feeding discretely in church, when my FIL is around and other places I want to be ultra discrete. I don't bother at home.

I especially found them useful in the early days when DD and I weren't very good at feeding and I had huge boobs and leaked everywhere. Now she's bigger her shoulder hides most of my boobage.

JeewizzJen · 09/12/2011 18:50

I've bought a couple from H&M which I thought were reasonably priced and I really like them. The rest of the time I just layer though. Xmas Smile

banana87 · 09/12/2011 19:40

No, I have a few but they are a hassle really so I don't even wear them. I stick to button down shirts and nursing vests with a cardigan over the top. Saves me loads of money!

midori1999 · 09/12/2011 19:43

I've got a few and I do prefer them for feeding in, although I do the layering thing too. I've got one from Isabella Oliver which I love and I'd like to get another one or two as they have changed the colours now, but it's quite expensive, so I am waiting for another sale first.

F1rstT1meMummy · 09/12/2011 20:50

Like others have said, I have a few for feeding in public, as I can be as discreet as possible with the least discreet BF baby I have ever seen! I got mine from H&M, and although they are maternity they seem quite tight over my tummy so dont look like maternity.

TruthSweet · 09/12/2011 21:02

I had a few (one from H&M, one from Blooming Marvelous [actually a charity shop!], one from Mothercare which I cut out the discrete panel as it just wasn'tHmm).

Mostly I do the two tops method or over the top feeding if at home. I find now as I have been nursing for so long I get too cold to not wear a vest top under clothes now even in the summer.

I do have two formal breastfeeding dresses that were made for me by my MIL as I had two weddings to go to with the same group of friends so couldn't wear the same one twice (very posh too). We couldn't find a bfing pattern so MIL had to adapt an ordinary pattern based on an informal bfing dress I had. It worked really well luckily!

TruthSweet · 09/12/2011 21:05

Oh and my pet hate about bfing clothes is the ones labelled bfing but are just an ordinary button down top/dress so you just have your breasts out when feeding (which is fine of course) but I wanted boob/tummy coverage too and didn't want to pay £15 more just because it says bfing

Secondtimelucky · 09/12/2011 21:12

Have not bought a single one. All those I saw were fugly.

Mind you, I didn't, and don't, even layer most of the time. I just hitch up top, and make a half hearted effort to cover expanses of tummy with a muslin or cardie if I feel that I am scaring people there is too much of a draft.

sillymillyb · 09/12/2011 21:59

Ok, I have a really stupid question for you all on this subject but sort of not.... Im currently 25 weeks pregnant and hoping to BF..... Do you lift your top up or pull it down? If you layer does that mean you leave the bottom layer pulled down to cover your tummy then lift the top layer up so its round your neck?

Am i making sense? I can't get my head round the logistics no matter how daft it sounds!

BrianButterfield · 09/12/2011 22:03

I've seen most people lift their top up, but the way I do it is to wear a vest top, with something like a button-up/henley top over it. Then, in this order, I unclip my bra and push the cup down under my top, then pull the vest up, then undo the buttons and push the neckline of my main top down. That way you don't expose any more flesh than you have to and if baby pops off you just have to do a quick tug down of the vest layer to get covered up. It's a fine art!

TruthSweet · 09/12/2011 22:06

I stick my hand under my top top and pull down vest and bra cup so that all I have over my breast is the top top. Then I get baby in position and lift up the top top so that baby can latch on (just enough to get baby on not totally up). When baby is on I just arrange clothing so that I'm as covered as I feel comfortable with (the vest top sorts out tummy/sides coverage).

Secondtimelucky · 09/12/2011 22:08

Sillymilly - your description is roughly the 'two tops' method. Vest with a thin stretchy strap as a base layer. Pull down so it's under your boob on one side (tummy and other boob still covered). You can then hitch up your 'real' top without exposing anything.

You can simply wear a stretch v neck or similar and hock boob over the top, but that does leave you quite exposed, so in that case you'd probably want a muslin or something too.

JollySergeantJackrum · 09/12/2011 22:18

I go with Primark vests worn under whatever I'm wearing on top. The stretchier the best the better. They come in a wide range of colours and I usually wear very bright ones, as the aim is not to hide that I'm feeding, just to cover my stretch marked tummy!

sillymillyb · 09/12/2011 23:28

Honestly, you'd all be in fits if you could see me now.... Im practising getting my boobs out in the manner you have all described and I must look a total fool!

Thank you though, that makes a lot more sense to me (especially now I have run through it physically) Its daft the things we worry about isn't it?!

Secondtimelucky · 10/12/2011 09:22

Ha ha. Well, it's certainly a good idea to work it out before you have a crying/fidgeting and rooting baby in the mix!