Nursing Clothes
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Questions
SUPPORTIVE nursing swimsuit
Sept 2004
Nursing mom needs a SUPPORTIVE swimsuit ...nursing access would be nice but support is biggest issue, so to speak! I've tried Land's End and Breast is Best, sent back both. Is there a company that makes different bust sizes, like a bra? Thanks! Kristine
Your dream come true is to be found at www.decentexposures.com. They make a bra to fit you (either nursing or not -- if not, you just lift the elastic band up over your breast or lift your breast over the material to nurse, that's what I do and I'm rather large breasted) and then custom make the bathing suit (either one or two piece) to go over the bra. I LOVE mine and am thrilled with their service. Plus it is not expensive! Check it out. I promise you'll be glad you did. Plus, for any woman, if you think the bras aren't supportive, you are mistaken. Get the stronger material models and feel the comfort! If the one you order doesn't fit, you can send it back and have it adjusted or exchange it for a better size. Karen
You should take a look at Title 9 Sports, http://www.title9sports.com/ -- see also their outlet store at 1374 Tenth in Berkeley, behind the REI near Gilman and San Pablo. Letitia
Have you considered making your own? Elizabeth Lee Designs http://elizabethlee.com/ has wonderful nursing mother patterns, including a swimsuit. (I belive it has a shelf bra. I made the suit and it was very flattering and convenient to use, and easy to make. It also came with a pattern for a cute sarong skirt and coverup. Swimsuit link: http://elizabethlee.com/patterns/nc201.htm With the price of nursing clothes, I can't recommend her patterns highly enough! Another thought -- could you just wear your regular nursing bra under your suit (or a suit from her pattern)? Maybe a little coverup on your shoulders to hide the straps? HTH!
Nursing dress for a wedding
Sept. 2003
Any recommendations on where to buy a nice nursing dress for a December wedding? I prefer darker colors, short sleeves, and below-the-knee styles, but I am open to suggestions. Sharon
Try www.onehotmama.com They have some nice stuff- some are a bit pricey though. Good luck anon
How dressy do you want or have to be? Also how discreet do you want the nursing to be? I was in my sister's wedding a few days after my son's first birthday. He was eating some solid food, but still nursed. Since my relatives and family friends were not comfortable with my nursing in public, and since I had a function in the wedding, I had to find a compromise. I bought a two-piece evening dress that looked good for the pictures and was easy to adjust for nursing in private. The best selections I found were in the evening sections of Nordstroms and Neiman Marcus. If you want or have to nurse in the midst of the festivites, you might try Mimi Maternity--they have a section of nice nursing clothes. Carolyn
Check out these sites: The Ruby Romance Dress: http://www.babystyle.com/common/dProductFrame.asp?DepartmentID=3=24=1973=2676=google-nursingclothes
http://www.mama-ts.com/nursingclothing/NursingClothing.html
and this: http://www.expressiva.com/baz_category_products.asp?p_cat_id=10_cat_NAME=SPECIAL+OCCASION=1
I've been to 5 weddings so far while nursing my baby, so I know exactly how you feel. I found that there were two good ways to go. 1. Find really really nice matchings skirts and tops, such as from Ann Taylor. 2. Shop online. There just isn't enough in brick and mortar stores. The best dress I purchased was from http://www.onehotmama.com. I have their ''Trip the Light Fantastic'' dress in a size large. If you're interested, I'd be happy to show it to you in person and lend it or sell it. Have fun at the wedding! Tamar
I have a twice-worn nursing dress by Mother-To-Be. It's dark plum, short sleeve, knee length, very pretty and in excellent condition . Size is XL which I believe works out to a size 16 equivalent. It was a little large for me as I wore about a 14, but if it would work for you I would be happy to sell it inexpensively. I will be out of town Sept. 16-23. But if you're interested let me know and we'll see if it works for you. I may even have a photo I could email if you want to see it. Rachel
Motherwear (www.motherwear.com) usually has at least one or two fall/winter dresses fitting this description, and so does Expressiva (www.expressiva.com).
I bought most of my nursing clothes on eBay, both used and new (purchased at an outlet store, or received by the seller as a gift, or store closeouts) and items sewn or modified by the seller. Of course, in most cases you can't return things you bought that way, so you'd need to be pretty sure about the fit; if you haven't bought from Motherwear or Expressiva before, buying new might make more sense. However, there is an eBay seller I recommend who sells regular clothing -- often well- known brands -- that she has converted to nursing wear by, basically, cutting slits under attached vests or jackets or in ''popover'' style dresses. She may even take returns, but I'm not sure. The user name is ''cacopswife''. If you sew, you could obviously do the same thing yourself; if not, I recommend checking out cacopswife's eBay store. Holly
I'm not sure where to buy nursing dresses, but had a suggestion for an alternative. I went to a wedding when our daughter was just a couple of months old, so I needed to nurse her several times during the event. I bought a simple, pretty loose dress with straps and then a dressier jacket that went over it. When I needed to feed the baby, I slipped the strap off my shoulder. At another wedding I wore a two-pieced outfit that allowed easy access. Both of the weddings were at places where we could get some privacy, so I didn't feel totally naked (so if your wedding is in some open public place, you may not want to do this). The bonus of this approach is that you get to buy clothes that you can actually wear again! Anna.
I attended a wedding at 1 month post partum and rejected actual nursing dresses b/c I didn't want to add the folds and frou frou of a nursing dress style to already ample and often engorged bosom. Also they weren't fancy enough for my tastes. I searched nordstrom.com and ended up with a 2 piece silk skirt and top. This allowed me to nurse/pump. I also didn't spend more than $100.00. I should point out that in general I found it easier to lift my shirt than borrow into actual nursing blouses. In december you'd have more fabric options and could accessorize w/ scarves etc. The two piece style is also very accomodating of a post partum tummy. nursed at two weddings
Just a thought which might be awfully dull. I found the nursimg wear either too expensive or not my style. Instead I buy two peice outfits- either skirt/pants and jacket or blouse. That has worked really well for me and opens up a lot of options. Juliette
Nice clothes from a nice company: http://www.motherwear.com/ Jenifer
If you enjoy sewing, check out www.elizabethlee.com for nursingwear patterns. Then you can choose just the right fabric etc. J12
I didn't see your original post, but if you are looking for stylish nursing dresses I would check out www.motherwear.com and www.mommygear.com. If price is an issue, check ebay for the dress you are looking for first. I also have Motherwear's On- the-Go Nursing Dress in black, size Medium that I have only worn twice (to two weddings this summer) if you would be interested in borrowing it? I live in Albany. Good luck =) Clorinda
Hello, I had to buy a dress for a wedding last winter while I was nursing my then three month old. I looked around a lot and finally decided on a wrap front dress with long sleeves, ruffled at the cuffs. It was an interesting print, sort of a modern paisley, and the cut of the dress was forgiving.It was made by Weston Wear, I think. It was fine for nursing, though I ended up wearing a small safety pin in the front. I got it (last fall) at Earthly goods on Shattuck and Vine in Berkeley. It was more than I had wanted to spend, but I ended up getting tired of looking. Another option besides a wrap front dress is a two piece outfit that has buttons or is easy to lift. I often ended up nursing with the baby under a blanket, anyway. I also found some interesting dresses at Bienvenue, which is on Walnut and Vine, near Peet's. good luck Sabina