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Original poster

For the love of god, find me a dress I can get my boobs out of.

73 replies

ReshapeWhileDamp · 07/04/2011 18:18

I am nearly 4 months postpartum (if it really needs qualification, that means I'm still carrying the vast majority of my baby weight and am nearly 11 stone at 5'2", gah) and bizarrely, am acting as Godmother to the DD of a friend of mine in mid-May.

Aside from losing three stone miraculously before then (not going to happen, I'm one of those women who hoard weight while breastfeeding), is there anything I can do to make myself presentable at this numinous event? (I should probably consider converting to, um, Christianity too, while I'm at it, being an atheist Godmother-to-be, but that's an entire other can of worms, probably on AIBU.)

Basically, I need a presentable dress that I can hoick my boobs out of. Probably one with a wrap top or similar. Ideally, it would be something I could flop about in for the rest of summer (Christenings aren't as Smart as weddings, right? I don't have to get dolled up in a mega-posh Outfit, do I?), and while I know I'm not going to find something with breastfeeding flaps , something I can breastfeed in without taking off the whole top part would be good. I can wear a shawl or wrap at the Christening to shield the masses from my wrinkled old lovebags, I suppose.

All I've found so far is this, which you'll probably say isn't dressy enough. No, not even with little strappy sandals and an oyster-coloured wrap? Sad I do quite like it, and can wear it the rest of summer, assuming it doesn't showcase my fat back and muffin top.

Any advance on Boden? White Stuff totally useless - necklines won't allow boob/baby interface.

OP posts:
TheAllNewOoooh · 07/04/2011 22:10

Cute with wedges and blazer

TheAllNewOoooh · 07/04/2011 22:11

Add coral cardie

TheAllNewOoooh · 07/04/2011 22:13

Feeling bold??

TheAllNewOoooh · 07/04/2011 22:14

Last one

smellyeli · 07/04/2011 22:17

Oooh, I am watching this with interest - my sister is getting married in September and DC3 will be 8 weeks. My brother got married when DD was 3 months, and my husband's brother when DD was 3 weeks - you would think I was a pro at getting my norks out on special occasions, but I have got rid of all of the clothes as I thought we weren't having any more babies.....

I'm liking the Monsoon numbers - I have the Boden one, agree it's quite fitted so would be tricky although you could get a breastfeeding vest with a drop cup to wear underneath? Although I always find it a hassle undoing vest AND bra. I wore a Boden wrap dress to my brother's do (SIL and all her rels are stick thin which was v. depressing) and it unwrapped when I tried to dance. Bad memories. I will keep watching this thread.......

Also - I think you're right, Christenings are not as dressy as Weddings - when I was (atheist) godmother some years ago when a poor student, I wore a dress from Mark One. (I thought I looked great, obvs, but actually didn't look v.posh)

TheAllNewOoooh · 07/04/2011 22:19

Plunge bra, ladies. Just whip 'em out from the side, none of this clippety malarkey.

hellymelly · 07/04/2011 22:44

What size are you? I have lovely Omnia silk jerseywrap dress in a print with shades of pink and grey,heavy jersey,that I wore to a family function when DD1 was six months and have never worn again.It was about £200! It is sitting in a drawer and you can have it. Would have to check but I think it is a 12?

TomlinTowers · 07/04/2011 23:03

Hi, we christened both our DS and DD when they were 12 weeks old so I had to wear a formal-ish BF dress. I thought the dresses on milkbug were fairly reasonable, it might be worth a look. Or if you google there are some really reasonably-priced dresses that you will probably be able to wear again after the christening, especially if you like wearing frocks anyway. Hope that helps.

KarenHL · 07/04/2011 23:11

Might not be smart enough, but Frugi do some nice maternity/nursing wear (mainly tops, but there is a knee-length dress). I pretty much lived in the tops when pregnant & they are designed for v.easy access. Also like that they wash and dry on standard washing cycles (no messing around).

Gettinthehangofthisatlast · 07/04/2011 23:25

Sorry if I've missed a link to this, but Mama Cocoon do the nicest breastfeeding dresses and tops I could find when BF. I'm not really a dress person, but had several of their tops. each had a crossover top combined with panel which went straight across to cover the 'overboob' bit.

Importantly (for me) they were in attractive prints - I found plain colours a disaster when BF as showed up the damp patches, which patterns hid much better. Thye have their own website and I think trade on ebay too (the tops are designed by 'Bara Glad'.

Think there were some nice dresses in JoJo too, but mostly plain colours, and if like their tops, I found the 'openings' in the under layer were visible through the top layer so looked a bit obvious/ embarassing IMO.

Christenings vary in formality, because churches are not all equally formal. But smart-summery should be about right. Think 'distant-relative-at-a-wedding'...

beijingaling · 08/04/2011 03:57

Get thee to www.babeswithbabies.com

UnreadyLiv · 08/04/2011 06:54

Have a look at a website called MamaNana which specialises in BF dresses which are quite 'posh' but not too much so. I wore one of their dresses to my son's Christening with a cardigan for he ceremony. Good luck.

moogster1a · 08/04/2011 07:11

I second Babeswithbabies. It's fab!!

Original poster
ReshapeWhileDamp · 08/04/2011 09:03

Helly - what a very generous offer! Smile Thank you so much. Unfortunately, I'm currently a generous size 16 (DS2 is 4 months...) Grin.

Gettingthehang, I know what tops you mean from Mama cocoon - the Bara Glad ones. I already have several - I wear them all the time! Smile Not sure they're smart enough for this do though.

Thanks for the two recs for bf dresses - will check out. BUT - I was doing a frenzied wardrobe search last night and found a dress I bought last year for a wedding reception - it's a jersey Fenn Wright Manson (so in terms of the criteria on S&B, positively middle-aged Grin) and very forgiving. It's also a size 14, so I'm cheering up quickly. Will spend the money on some new shoes and Spanx instead.

And yes, it is a PRINT not block colour.

OP posts:
Original poster
ReshapeWhileDamp · 08/04/2011 09:14

Although ... this is rather lovely and I could wear it all summer. And it presumably passes muster, being boring monochrome teal all over. See? Am learning.

Babeswithbabies is a fab site, wish I had a huge disposable income and was a size 8. Love the http://www.babeswithbabies.com/product_details.asp?product=Mariposa+Dress+:+Indigo&product_id=3556 Mariposa dress.

OP posts:
SkaterGrrrrl · 08/04/2011 10:00

I'm going to a black tie wedding and am BF. I am wearing a halterneck maxi dress from Monsoon. Can undo dress around neck and lower behind the safety of a wrap or shawl.

Quenelle · 08/04/2011 10:49

Reshape if I were breastfeeding a 4 month old I would wear a print as well. Wet patches don't show so much on patterned material.

popstar · 08/04/2011 10:55

This would be dressy enough for a christening, but you'd still get lots of wear out of it afterwards.

stegasaurus · 08/04/2011 11:09

Oooh, this is just the thread I need to come back in a month or 2. I am being godmother to my niece in July, which will be 8 weeks after my baby is due. I have seen some lovely dresses here, but won't know what size I will be in July, but at least this gives me hope as I wondered where on earth I would find a nice dress that I could breastfeed in, that is summery enough in case July is hot this year but not too strappy and revealing for a religious ceremony, doesn't cost a fortune and won't be too long for 5ft tall me. I probably wear a dress about twice a year and think dress shopping with a newborn will be a nightmare.

quirkychick · 08/04/2011 12:51

mama nana is good, I wore this one in orchid for a family wedding last year with a pink coast shrug. I have worn it loads since. Really good advice on body shape/size on the website too.

Fourleaf · 08/04/2011 13:48

Ah, I see you've found a solution now. But to anyone else with this problem my big tip would be a skirt with matching TOP and/or jacket :)
Looks just like a dress but you can pull it up to breastfeed. This is what I did when I went to a wedding with DS (12 weeks).

Found dresses v tricky when BF during the day AND they make up pretty much all my wardrobe so I lived in jeans and cheap T shirts for about 9 months Blush

itshappenedagain · 08/04/2011 16:07

here is the site you are looking for

all dresses are fab, allow for real sized women, with breasts and wash lovely and fit fantasticly too. i wore one of theirs to my DDs christening, she was 10 weeks old, i was carrying baby weight plus huge breasts! and i can still look at pictures and think that i didnt look horrific.

howabout · 08/04/2011 16:27

Jojomamanbebe do a nice linen dress designed for brestfeeding which I think is smart enough for a christening

Original poster
ReshapeWhileDamp · 08/04/2011 17:41

Ooh, had forgotten Bravissimo! I get my bras there but never clothes. Love this, but could I get norks out without half-undressing?

OP posts: