Breastfeeding Tops - Please Discuss! : 0 )

[BigBadMouse]

I breastfed DD1 and DD2. With DS1 due in a few weeks I am thinking back to my breastfeeding experience and remembering the horror or having to expose my post-baby tummy to the world while BF.

I am considering trying some BF tops and just wondered what others thought of them. Are they any good? Are some better than others? and more importantly...Where can I pick them up cheaply? - really don't mind second hand at all. Last time I just wore button front blouses but I was BF for 9 months and got rather bored of them by the end.

Less importantly I would like something relatively fitted but not sure how easy that will be to find as I am a size 30HH (when not BF) - don't really want something that is straight cut or it looks like I am wearing a tent IYSWIM

Oh yes, and I have considered making my own -pretty certain I won't have time now but just in case - anyone know of any patterns I can look at online? Surely they are pretty simple to make?

T shirt and cardie combo works best.One girl I konw wore two at a time but cut the top bit out of the first one so that she could feed without exposing her muffin top.

my friend wears a bump band under her t-shirt to hide her belly.

I like mamaway tops, they are a little expensive but maybe you could get some on ebay? Some American shops do them, Motherwear I think is one brand... try EBay in the US. I really liked them, they gave me the confidence to feed up to a year! After that I wasn't feeding so much in public anymore, just at home.
Good luck!

I did the bump band thing for the first few weeks (had them already from topshop)

Carriwell make some v nice tops
Also tried NCT ones and bravissimo but carriwell were the best (am 34K)

Oohh, thanks for all the quick replies - just been browsing ebay .

TheBlonde - did you find there were any particular brands or styles that didn't suit larger boobs? There seem to be so many different styles out there and I really need to make sure I spend my money wisely

oops didn't mean bravissimo earlier so ignore that

blooming marvellous looked great but only small holes to get the boobs out so I found it tricky to use

carriwell jenna - the pic is not the best

NCT top worked well

I tried a couple of bf tops, but the best in the end were a couple of cheap vests in gap sale. fairly low cut, thin material (so not too hot) and I stretched them so easy to pull down. I wear normal tops on top which I pull up. jelly belly's modesty is protected

I second the carriwell jenna. Very discrete.

H&M do cheap nursing tops but their sizes are bizarre. As a pre-pg size 14 apparently I'm either L or XL and not the M I expected to be.

(I'm a 34H BTW)

Rooti tooti is a good bet too. You can just buy the vest thing and wear it under your own tops. It stops my unsightly stomach from showing!

Rooti tooti is a good bet too. You can just buy the vest thing and wear it under your own tops. It stops my unsightly stomach from showing!
www.rootitooti.co.uk/

Excellent! Thanks for all the suggestions - now to find some going cheap second hand.

Evenhope - Can't believe H&M Size 14 = L / XL... wtf!!!

Hi BBM, don't know if your still looking but there is a pattern here www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/shirt.html i have no experience of sewing but managed to follow her instructions to make a sling.

I bought some bf tops from H&M but found their style was a bit too boob-exposing for my liking. Now I just lift up a t-shirt and generally have a cardi over the top which i can shield my belly with. you could also have a scarf/wrap to lay around your middle or wrap around your shoulders to cover whatever you felt necessary!

innat - thanks very much - haven't bought anything yet (I'm not too good at parting with cash - unless it is for the DCs ). I'll have a look at that pattern and probably give it a go.

To cover whatever I feel is neccessary I'm going to need one huge scarf! Just made the stupid mistake of putting new batteries in my bathroom scales and I have put on over 2 stone this time - never mind, as long as the baby is OK etc

A strapless top (like a boob tube) with a shirt over the top looks nice and you can just unbutton top few buttons and pull down the top underneath when you need to feed. I like the layered look and you can mix & match colours for a different look. Cheap too. Strapless tops are easy to pull down whereas I tend to struggle with vest tops.

I love these from jojo maman bebe - I wear a looser top over the vests and hardly anything shows. But then am a teeny weeny 34B so might not be enough support for those more blessed?

My first child fed constantly and I wore bf tops until I stopped feeding him in the day at c20mo. My second child believed in routines and rarely fed when we were out as life was too interesting to be bothered with mother's familiar bosom. I was fine without bf tops with him as it was so rare that I had to expose my gorgeous tum.

So I'd say wait until you see how it goes. You may get away with it. I ordered expensive new ones before DS2 was born and they just weren't needed.

With DS2 I wore mostly strappy vests under normal tops so I could pull up the top and not expose the tum. These were top cheap and gave more choice of clothing.

i second h&m nursing tops, v good, but thb i just wear anything and use a piece of muslin to cover up and catch any sick at the same time!got it down to a t!x

How about a tie halter neck under a cardy, seemed to work ok, as you can just untie the halter, and have your nursing bra underneath.

I third Carriwell - reasonably priced.

Or how about these ones, as they are a bit different www.everydaymaternity.com/nursing-tshirt-p-288.html

Or try Boob Nursing Tops - they have a great range, dresses, vests, tops. www.boob.se