Tips for breastfeeding feeding out and about

[shouldistop]

So I'll be spending lots of time in freezing cold parks with my 4yo over the next while.
I have a 1 month old baby and would like to be able to spend more than 2 hours out of the house at a time.
I have huge boobs (34H) so it's pretty hard to cover them up when feeding too.
Can anyone suggest clothing solutions that will keep me warm and slightly dignified? Also has anyone mastered opening and closing the clips on their nursing bras one handed and if not what do you do with the baby when you're fastening yourself up?
He's a bit refluxy so wouldn't want to lie him straight down in his pram.

I’m in a similar boat - 2 year old and 8 week old here. My boobs aren’t as big as yours (C normally, DD when Bf!) but I’ve done a lot of park feeding in the last few weeks. I can manage the bra clips one handed which really helps - I guess you could just temporarily pull your top down until the baby can go in the pram if that doesn’t work for you?
I’ve been wearing nursing tops under big jumpers. With my first I did the two top thing (one up one down) but managing lots of layers is tricky with coat etc outside so I find actual feeding tops with slits for your boobs are easiest and warmest. I use the sling most of the time and have managed to feed in that under my coat which is the warmest solution I’ve found, if a bit fiddly.

It’s going to be a tough few months!

@FolkSongSweet do you know anywhere online that sells nursing tops that aren't also maternity tops? I lost weight very quickly after this one and all of my maternity stuff is huge so don't want to buy other stuff that's too baggy as well.

I bf my daughter for 14 months and never managed to clip a nursing bra up with one hand ! In the first 6 ish months I took a huge muslin everywhere. I didn’t really use it to cover her/us while feeding but when I pulled her off I would throw it over my shoulder to cover my boob! That way I wouldn’t worry about flashing the whole cafe and gave me a chance to sit her up, wind etc or balance her on my opposite shoulder or put her in the pram to do myself up. When this became impossible due to a wiggly big baby I gave up on the nursing bras and clothes in general and just used to yank up/down my top and bra!! Much easier but not for your best clothes I dressed like. Sack of potatoes for most of the time I breastfed haha!

Huge boobs and a huge muslin here 😘 secure 1 corner of the muslin under your bra shoulder strap. Works a treat you'll get the hang of it in no time, I promise. And I found people to be unfailingly nice to me when bf in public

I have big boobs too. I wear a molke bra under a stretchy vest top and whatever else on top (usually a hoodie / sweatshirt and a coat).

I flop a boob out of my bra and over the top of my vest. I then pull my jumper up as much as possible while guiding baby to boob. Nobody can see anything, I'm warm, baby gets fed.

Molke don't have any fussy clips etc and they give great support and a nice shape, IMO.

Carry a nice Xl blanket scarf - I have one and I find it comes in handy (for privacy or weather reasons)!

I sit on my pram rain cover or use a (clean) nappy to wipe wet benches.

I also feed, usually in a quiet spot, and typically don't care what anybody thinks tbh -- though it took a while to build the confidence i suppose.

Another tip is to get into baby wearing and then you can feed on the move, you just have to master to knack but there's plenty of video examples on YouTube. I'd recommended finding your local sling library- most are offering online consultations now!

Good luck!

[quote shouldistop]@FolkSongSweet do you know anywhere online that sells nursing tops that aren't also maternity tops? I lost weight very quickly after this one and all of my maternity stuff is huge so don't want to buy other stuff that's too baggy as well. [/quote]
Mine are my maternity ones but I think ASOS might do nursing only. Does it matter though if they’re baggy since you’re going to be outside with layers on top anyway? Not sure where you are but I’m in tier 4 so won’t be seeing anyone except DH indoors for some time, so no one will see my base layer 😢

32H here - I found the two-top thing worked fine, I wore a lot of H&M nursing tops with a jumper over the top.

I had a wrap sling for the first four months, and used that as a cover when I needed to (sitting on a tube train, etc). In parks though, I never found anybody took any notice.

Join the 'can I breastfeed in it' page on Facebook. Loads of feeding mums on there sharing breastfeeding friendly clothing that they find. There are also lots of small businesses that make nursing clothes that aren't maternity.

A variation on the one up one down method that worked well for me was to put a thin t-shirt or merino wool base layer under a buttoned shirt. I lived in buttoned flannelette shirts and fine merino jumpers from uniqlo for months. Tshirt or base layer goes up and shirt + coat opens. It’s less bulky than the one up one down method and covers large boobs well in my experience. A zip up hoody or cardigan would also work.

I too have huge norks and just stuffed the baby up my jumper. Mind you, this was nearly 30 years ago before we had newfangled things.

I like H&M nursing vests - you can wear with or without a nursing bra, with a big jumper over the top. I also wear the vests at night to keep breast pads in place and for easy access.

I always just did one up one down. So always wore a vest top under a jumper. Jumper came up vest top came down so very little on show. I can do the clasp one handed too which is helpful.

I lived in fitted striped nursing tops from Jojo madman Bebe, lift up flap, nice and warm. They still sell them: Breton stripe nursing top. I used to just pull up the bra flap rather than trying to reclip if it didn’t take right away and then do it up properly after baby was down. Would also invest in some thin fitted gloves for hands! Maybe a baby wearing coat?

Why be out in the cold for two hours?

@jessstan1 I have a 4yo. In Scotland small children don't need to socially distance so quite often he's happy playing for hours at the park. Nurseries are closed here so this would be the only thing he gets to do for god knows how long.

Thanks for all of the posts, will go back and read them all for tips. I saw someone suggested a molke bra so have ordered one to try.

There a Facebook group called 'can I breastfeed in it' and women post clothes that they've found that work well and also sell clothes on.