So fed up of not being able to wear what I want

[ThreeWheelsGood]

I'm 4 months into breastfeeding my first baby. I can fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans (yey!) but so little of the rest of my clothes are practical for breastfeeding. For example NONE of my dresses let me get my boobs out, and I only have one crossover top and a couple of long sleeved tops/jumpers to do the vest top/pull up manoeuvre. Can't afford to buy much as statutory maternity pay is tricking away. Just so fed up - I look so frumpy and crap and I don't feel like me at all, paired with being with baby 24/7 I feel like it's another thing eroding my identity.

Just a rant really... Unless anyone has any reassurance/tips? When will I be able to wear my old dresses again?!

I feel the same, fed up with the same things and seeing all my clothes that I can't wear. A couple of my friends and I have swapped a few things whilst we have been BF so you buy less but get to wear more. I've also got a few bargain tops at Tesco, Asda, H&M, New look etc. Mamas and papas did a 3 for 2 on feeding top whilst I was preg so I got some then and I'm still using them.

I found having even a few nice well-fitting BF tops and dresses (Boob Design do lovely ones) have been WEP in terms of feeling good about myself and how I look in the early baby days - though obviously that costs money. I like the swapping idea, or EBay, also if you have friends who've recently outgrown the need for them and might be able to pass stuff on? I can then put together outfits of "normal" clothes to go with my BF tops: good shoes, nice accessories, coats, skirts, those pre-preg jeans, etc.

You'll hopefully be able to manage the odd night out without baby at some stage, and a time will come when you won't need to feed out and about during the day - I fed DS1 til he was over 2 but he didn't feed out of the house after about 1 so I could wear anything I liked. Though tragically I discovered on my first non-babyful occasion out after DS1 was born that my new enhanced bosoms didn't actually fit into any of my pre-baby clothes. :(

I never got the hang of the one top up and one top down thing so always went for just pulling down my top. There are a lot of tops that will let you do that as so many tops have lycra in them these days.