clothes for breastfeeding

[rosie and joe's mummy]

does anyone know any good websites where i can buy clothes for breastfeeding?

i'm not a small girl (UK size 18 ATM) and i'm finding it hard to find any nice clothes i can BF in.  I hate hiking up my shirt and exposing my flabby sides and belly. I like wearing clothes with discrete openings in them but i'm running out of places to get them from!  I've looked on JJMB and Blooming marvellous, but does anyone know of any others in the UK?  It seems to me the usual suspects, like mothercare, only seem to do breastfeeding PJs or nighties, and nothing for feeding during the day!

[Marisa's Mom]

Here are some links I bookmarked (in no particular order) when I was searching for nursing wear, when I was looking for something nice to wear to a wedding. I ended up wearing a regular non-nursing outfit to the wedding.

http://www.motherwear.com/
http://www.expressiva.com/default.asp
http://www.onehotmama.com/
http://www.mommygear.com/
http://breastisbest.com/


Stores in my area include: Motherhood Maternity, Mimi Maternity, & Pea in the Pod.

[Petunia]

I highly recommend Expressiva! (website given by previous poster) They have excellent quality nursing clothing.  And they make their nursing clothing already a size bigger in the bust so you just have to get your normal size!  They also tend to have much nicer (trendier) stuff than some of the other nursing clothing websites.

[rosie and joe's mummy]

thanks, but the trouble with US based sites is the shipping ends up costing so much money and returns are expensive too if they dont fit!!

there seems to be plenty of lovely nursing clothes in the US but nothing much here in the UK.

[Petunia]

Ohhhh...didn't notice you were in the UK.  Yeah, nursing clothing is expensive enough without having to pay international shipping.

Are you sure there aren't any maternity stores near you that don't also sell nursing shirts?

[daisymelan]

Any shirt that buttons up the front would do.  You dont' need it to be maternity really.  But then again, I just hiked up my shirt.  LOL.  You can just drape a blanket so that no one sees your sides. 

But good luck.

[Samuel's mum]

In the UK try these for a few ideas. Doesn't sounds like we have the US range though. 

http://www.mothersbliss.com/shopping/bfeed.asp

http://www.breastfeedingandbabywearing.co.uk/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=ClothesforBreastFeeding&Sub=8&isThumbs=Yes&Thumbs=100

http://www.bumpto3.com/product.aspx?cat=Products&PID=KF104L

the best I think:

http://www.nctms.co.uk/prodlist.asp?cat=68&scat=95

[daisymelan]

BTW, Alyssa, I love your ticker.  It is beautful.

[Messa]

I have seen this nifty little "shirts" that you put under your top shirt the one you would hike up and it has a cut out so that your breasts are free above it (in bra etc) but your tummy is still covered.  A website I was on one gal just got some cheap tank tops and cut the tops so that it did the same thing. HTH

[Fife_Mum]

I used blooming marvellous (http://www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk) at home. Not cheap but I recommend choosing something basic you can dress up or down. There is so much more choice in the US and I now have a vest top that doubles as a bra which I can wear under a shirt or loose top - it has clips like a breastfeeding bra - great for summer as all the other breastfeeding clothes I have are multilayered so hard to keep cool in. It is hard enough just finding a nursing bra where I live in the UK, nevermind a shop that sells nursing clothes  no wonder breastfeeding rates are so low...

[Marisa's Mom]

I hate hiking up my shirt and exposing my flabby sides and belly. I like wearing clothes with discrete openings in them but i'm running out of places to get them from!

Sorry, I didn't realize you were in the UK. I didn't read your original post very carefully this morning; had DD sitting on my lap squirming at the time. Sorry about that. I'm in the US so am not familiar with UK vendors.

As for hiking up your shirt and exposing your sides/belly, I understand exactly how you feel! I felt that way too. I got around this by wearing a Nursing Camisole, something like this : http://www.bellamaterna.com/products.asp?style=2132 .  It has flaps like a nursing bra that you can pull down for nursing. I would wear a Nursing Camisole underneath a regular (non-nursing) style top, and felt so much better. I stopped nursing last month (DD self-weaned  ) and I still wear my Nursing Camisoles because they're so comfortable.

Oh, I just want to add that I didn't get that many nursing clothes. I didn't feel I really needed them. I just wore regular tops over a Nursing Camisole (especially when I know I'm going out) or over a Nursing Bra (when I'm at home). So don't feel like you need to get a whole new wardrobe of "nursing" specific clothes.

[zbear]

one gal just got some cheap tank tops and cut the tops

I'm in the same predicament, and have thought of doing the same thing!

Isn't it annoying that after compromising with limited maternity styles, finding appropriate nursing clothing is even more challenging!

[katie6579]

one gal just got some cheap tank tops and cut the tops

I'm in the same predicament, and have thought of doing the same thing!

Isn't it annoying that after compromising with limited maternity styles, finding appropriate nursing clothing is even more challenging!

ladies, i just started doing this and i love it! i feel so liberated wearing my old clothes again, lol. MUCH cheaper than ugly, expensive nursing tops so i highly recommend it (btw my dh was really excited too b/c it completely covers my sides and most of my boobs, plus it's cheap)

 

[Messa]

one gal just got some cheap tank tops and cut the tops

I'm in the same predicament, and have thought of doing the same thing!

Isn't it annoying that after compromising with limited maternity styles, finding appropriate nursing clothing is even more challenging!

ladies, i just started doing this and i love it! i feel so liberated wearing my old clothes again, lol. MUCH cheaper than ugly, expensive nursing tops so i highly recommend it (btw my dh was really excited too b/c it completely covers my sides and most of my boobs, plus it's cheap)

 

Well I hope it works well for you all.  Unfortunatley I wasn't able to nurse long enought to find out.

[rosie and joe's mummy]

i WISH i could wear my old clothes and do some sort of arrangement to hike them up, but having gone up FOUR cup sizes since before i was pregnant not a single item i had before having rosie fits now. I really want some more nursing tops because i simply can't hike up a shirt (or open it at the front) with these massive tankers and not expose myself, so i do like the few nursing tops i have already!  I know lots of people don't wear specific nursing clothes but in my case normal stuff just isn't pratical!

i'll have a look at the ones you've mentioned samuelsmum! thanks!