nursing cover - gimmick or essential?

[cantbelieveimonhere]

I've been breastfeeding for two months. After being unwell I'm now ready to drive and get oout and about. Baby is feeding well, but I just can't master feeding discreetly.

Q - are the cape/covers useful?
Can you still see baby easily?
Is anything exposed or is everything covered?
Any difference between brands? (Online £9-£30)

*out

I used mine a lot. I'm not particularly shy, and can feed discreetly, but it meant that I was comfortable feeding wherever and whenever (such as tube where seats face eachother).
I don't use it much now (8 months) as I think I'm past caring, but for those early months when baby fed a lot it was invaluable.

I bought one with DC2, but didn't use it, and instead stuck to my tried and tested method of wearing a big drapey neck scarf every day and using that when needed. Or just a muslin if I forgot.

If you really want to try one, have a look on eBay at the Faye and Lou ones, the butterfly.

But a neck scarf would be my suggestion. I still wear the scarves now, long after finishing breastfeeding.

Which do peeps prefer - "apron" style e.g. bebe au lait or "shawl" style?

Bump

Another question - how do you wind your baby while wearing a nursing cover? Can't see this on any youtube demos

UNDER or OVER the nursing cover?

I used my big floaty cardigans or a Muslin. I only know one person who had one, but it's a personal choice. Try bf out at a playgroup or similar where it will be common first until you build your confidence

In my opinion a scarf or muslin will suffice.

I had an apron one and loved it. I felt much more comfortable with it. Mine was about a tenner from Amazon.

Ideally I would prefer to just use a big muslin, but I still like to be able to look down and see baby, gnd I just don't seem to have enough hands. Any tips?

Back when I was breastfeeding I went out with DD for lunch with my parents. There were several mums breastfeeding. I only noticed this because I was looking for it and was doing it too. The only breastfeeding mums who were extremely noticeable were those wearing the big aprons. I think it's far more unnoticeable to feed without one, or with just a scarf to hide any bits of tummy on show.

I am a very 'discreet' feeder. Like that woman in Claridges who made the news. But I have a Bebe au lait. They have a loop at the top so you can easier see baby and breast. I can't get on with giant muslin at all. I only use the cover when going out with male friends or relatives. It saves them the embarrassment on not knowing where to look.

I agree that it is much more obvious with a shawl. I just use a scarf or a muslin but so far no one has batted an eyelid.

I mean I don't mind people knowing I'm breastfeeding at all. I usually go without cover. Strangers can just not look!

IMO they are silly and unnecessary, a way of parting new mums from their cash.

Just use a scarf or a muslin. One less thing to carry around.

zennudist I could also say scarf and muslin are unnecessary. I carry neither and I don't normally use a cover. What's wrong with just babys head as cover? That's what I nornally use.

But the OP wants to consider one and Id say they are better than a scarf. What's the use of a Muslin really?
The difference between a no cover is that you can put baby in front of you with the cover over baby and still see clearly your breasts and babies head. They have a metal loop at the top for viewing.

I was given a second hand bebe au lait one. Used it a few times but agree a scarf is actually easier and looks better. I only really needed it while faffing with nipple shields and breast pads. While baby is feeding there is nothing to see.

To be honest even with the metal loop it wasn't that easy to see baby. I would tuck boob away and wind baby in full view at the end of a feed ( or pass to someone else to do it if poss!)

I never bothered with one, but used a muslin in the early days while I was still building my confidence. I wore a vest top under my top, and pulled my top up and the vest down, so there was no exposed tummy. If I wanted extra cover I tucked the corner of a muslin into my bra strap on the side DD was feeding, so I could drape it around her so that there wasn't any side-boob on show. A scarf probably does the same job while looking much more stylish!

I prefer to wear a nursing vest under a long sleeve t-shirt. Bra and vest come down under boob, t-shirt comes up. No tummy on show, and no boob once baby latched. A casual checked shirt on top, open, assists with obscuring any side view. This is my breast feeding uniform and is far more discreet than any cover I tried.