What Are The Best Clothes To Wear While Breastfeeding?

You will be healing physically and emotionally from a profound experience and you cannot put a price on the importance of feeling comfortable during this time.

Loose-fitting clothing that does not aggravate your skin and possible wounds work really well for some women. Although I suspect, like me, the uniform of choice will be comfortable pyjamas while your snuggle up and settle into life with a newborn.

When my baby was a couple of weeks old and we were out and about once again my wardrobe resembled nothing like my pre-pregnancy wardrobe. I was breastfeeding and needed to be able to latch my baby on as quickly as possible when he looked for a feed. Many of my regular dresses and T-shirts were not suitable. I ended up stocking up on a couple of key items that felt comfortable and made feeding on the go a lot easier.

Here are my tips for your breastfeeding wardrobe:

1. If, like me, you enjoy wearing dresses – try to pick up a couple of styles that have a lower neckline. You can easily team them up with a neutral coloured string top if it’s a little too low for comfort but many of them are actually just right. You’ll be able to quickly latch your baby on without feeling too exposed. I picked up a couple of basics from websites like boohoo.com and stores like New Look and good old Penneys.

2. Hang on to the maternity jeans and leggings if they are still working for you. Jeans are great because they are super versatile and you might get a couple of wears out of them if you have good reflexes when your baby spits up. They will give you the option of wearing lots of different T-shirt and jumper colours while still feeling comfortable. Many of us have a baby bump for long after the baby is earth-side. The maternity jeans may give you the comfort to find a good nursing position while out and about.

3. Stock up on string tops. I had one in every colour and I basically wore them under everything. It meant that I could still wear my regular clothes and I could easily lift the jumpers and t-shirts up and expose my breast for feeding without having my entire tummy on show for the world. This would have made me feel very uncomfortable. I picked mine up from Dunnes Stores and Penneys for about €3 each. There was always one or two in the wash. A total staple.

4. You know the way you pack a spare outfit for your little one? Start packing a spare one for yourself. It might just be a T-shirt your throw into the changing bag but we’ve all been in the unfortunate position where leaking breasts left massive wet patches on our chest area. It’s nice to have the option to change if you want to.

5. Button down shirts and dresses work a treat. They are so practical and give you just enough scope to help your baby access the breast without stripping off too much.

6. Wrap dresses or tunics are great for occasions where you want to dress up a bit but also feed your baby. There are so many beautiful options in this style.

7. When in doubt wear a scarf. If you really want to wear an outfit but you know it isn’t very breastfeeding-friendly the scarf will give you the opportunity to cover up your tummy or chest area if that makes you feel more comfortable.

8. Stocking up on a couple of specialised breastfeeding clothes is actually not a bad idea. They can be pricey but these things are genius. Dresses, T-shirts, blouses and even swimsuits that has subtle pockets and zips that allow you to feed easily while still wearing clothes that appear to be a nightmare for breastfeeding. Most people get a tonne of wear out of them to make up for the price.

Written by Tracey Quinn staff writer at FFHQ who also blogs at www.loveofliving.ie.