What You Need to Know About Body Positive Nursing Wear

There has been a big evolution of nursing wear towards more comfortable, fashionable, and body-positive options. You don’t have to wear ugly or awkward outfits to get the functional benefits of nursing friendly clothing.

What Nursing Wear Used to Look Like

When I was breastfeeding my first baby, I invested a lot in some breastfeeding friendly tops, but they weren’t all that attractive. It was mostly tank tops that I wore around my house, to yoga class, or UNDER something else cuter. I didn’t buy a whole wardrobe, because most of the available options were expensive and not very fashionable. I just didn’t like them. It felt like I had to sacrifice looking like myself for the comfort of easy breastfeeding, so I usually chose regular clothes. The nursing tops and dresses tended to be frumpy and old-fashioned, but I was ready to get out of maternity clothes!

What About Trends in Nursing Wear Now?

In the video interview below with Lauren Reyes, IBCLC and co-owner of Breastfeeding Success, she shows and talks about what is available NOW. She had her sixth baby just a few months ago, but breastfed her first 22 years ago. She has been part of the evolution of breastfeeding friendly clothing and is very excited about the progress. There are so many options that can make you feel more like yourself. Without spending too much, you can have a breastfeeding friendly wardrobe that looks good and feels good.

Be Proud of Your Postpartum Body

Nursing tops used to be unattractive and frumpy, presumably because people wanted to cover up their body “flaws”. The postpartum body is very different from the pre-pregnancy body, and that might be unexpected news. Your pre-pregnancy clothes likely won’t fit right yet, but you might not want to be wearing maternity clothes anymore. If you’re breastfeeding, you might want clothing that fits AND that makes breastfeeding easier. The trajectory of breastfeeding fashion is to encourage you to be proud of your postpartum body. It’s OK that it doesn’t look like it did before. It’s OK that your belly sticks out more, that it’s squishy and a little misshapen. It’s OK to have stretch marks. They are your battle scars. Your body did a big thing carrying a baby through nine months of pregnancy followed by birth. Those battle scars should be praised and admired. You might even feel ready to let people see them. So much of the nursing wear available now allows you to wear clothing that fits and makes you feel beautiful while showcasing your postpartum body. You can be comfortable, feel good about the way you look, AND breastfeed with more ease. We love it!

What to Buy

Depending on your budget, you can buy more or less.

Option 1: Bras

Lauren recommends getting one or two good nursing bras that you can wear under regular clothes. You might wait to buy these until you’re a couple of weeks postpartum so you can buy the size that will work best for you in the long run. Your breasts might change a lot during pregnancy and in the first couple of weeks after your baby is born. If you buy a bra during that time, it might not fit well after. Or look for options that are more adjustable. There are some bras now that come with extra removable links so you can wear it when your ribcage is larger during pregnancy and also once it moves back to a more regular size. To protect your milk supply and breast health, it’s recommended that these be wireless and not too tight. When you have a good nursing bra, you can probably wear regular clothes as long as the top can provide easy access for breastfeeding. Look for button down tops or shirts with a neckline that can be pulled down or over for easy breast access. Crossover or wrap style shirts work great. Of course you can also just wear a shirt that’s easy to lift up enough to let your baby find the breast. If you prefer to stay a little more covered up, you can wear a standard tank top under your shirts. They are usually easy to pull down for nursing after you lift up your outer top.

Option 2: Specialty nursing tops

In the video, Lauren shows several of these that she loves. They are breathable, cute, flattering, and can be worn with all kinds of bottoms. They are specially designed to make breastfeeding easy. There are even some great affordable options available now. Even if you decide to invest a little more into some higher quality options, know that you can wear them as long as you want! You don’t have to be breastfeeding to use these tops or bras. If they continue to feel comfortable and you like them, they can be part of any wardrobe. It’s not obvious that they are nursing apparel. I still wear my favorite nursing bras and pajamas 17 years later!

Option 3: Exercise gear

Lauren emphasizes the importance of good support, especially when you’re breastfeeding. To minimize damage to your breasts while they’re larger, support is essential. It’s probably a good idea to keep them supported even when you’re not exercising, but high impact activities can definitely put more of a strain on your breast tissues. On the other hand, you don’t want to go overboard and create too much compression. This can lead to other problems like clogged milk ducts. You don’t necessarily need to have nursing friendly exercise gear. If you just wear these items while you’re exercising and not with your baby, it’s probably fine to find anything that’s supportive and comfortable. If these items do need to be tighter for your comfort while running or jumping, it’s probably best to change out of them as soon as possible.

Why Buy Nursing Friendly Clothing

It might be hard to imagine now, but at some point you might want some freedom and flexibility with nursing. It’s true that for a lot of people, it’s tricky at first. You might have to sit in a certain position, use a specialty pillow, and any clothing might feel like it’s getting in the way. But once you and your baby get the hang of it, it gets a lot easier. You might feel ready to get out in the world with your baby and want the freedom to breastfeed wherever you are. Having clothing that makes this easier can be SO liberating! It really can make a big difference. If your goal is to breastfeed for a certain amount of time or as long as possible, having the right gear can make those goals feel a lot more attainable. And you’re fortunate to be breastfeeding during a Renaissance of nursing apparel, so you can feel put together and beautiful at the same time.