10 Best Style Tips for Breastfeeding Mothers

Being a new mother comes with an immense number of challenges, and if you’re breastfeeding while maintaining an active life, it can be difficult to get the hang of the process.

Part of what makes breastfeeding a successful venture for new moms is choosing the right clothing to wear. Utilizing a wardrobe of breastfeeding-friendly clothes is one of the best ways to ensure that both you and your baby get the most out of feeding time.

10 Best Style Tips for Breastfeeding Mothers

Take a look at the style tips for breastfeeding mothers listed below. By working with an array of clothing types, you can ensure that your casual outfits are just as stylish as they were before your pregnancy.

 

On top of wearing stylish pieces that feel comfortable, a big part of planning how to dress for breastfeeding should ensure that the different cuts and fabrics in your wardrobe enable you to feed your baby without any hassle.

 

Follow these ten tips for breastfeeding fashion and feel free to mix and match ideas so that your style completely meets your new needs.

#1- Wear a crossover or wrap top

Crossover and wrap-style tops are great for breastfeeding fashion options. They’re styled in a way that makes them easy to move down or off to the side when you need to feed your baby, yet they’re discreet enough to keep you feeling covered.

They’re usually made from stretchy material, and they’re not too tight so they work really well with nursing bras.

 

When it comes to style tips for breastfeeding mothers, button-down shirts are among the best options to work with. They’re great for almost any occasion and when it comes time to feed your baby, loosening only a couple of buttons will do the trick and keep you relatively well covered at the same time. In fact, the flap of the portion you unbutton to facilitate feeding your baby can be drawn back in for extra discretion if needed.

#3- Take advantage of v-necks or other low necklines.

Stretchy fabrics and low necklines are components of ideal outfits for breastfeeding moms. V-necks and other low necklines make it easy to pull the fabric aside for easy and relatively discreet baby-feeding.

In addition, a standard v-neck shirt is quite casual and can be worn by just about anyone so they’re a great choice if you want to keep your pre-pregnancy style instead of wearing clothes that are specifically designed for breastfeeding mothers.

#4- Wear a nursing bra or tank top.

No matter what you’re wearing, a nursing bra or tank top is a big part of how to dress when breastfeeding. These products are designed to make feeding a baby easy, so that you don’t have to pull off layers of clothing (especially underclothing) to handle breastfeeding.

Having cups that easily detach makes breastfeeding with a bra on much more comfortable than it would be if you had to deal with moving hard underwires or tight elastic bands.

#5- Utilize layering to complement breastfeeding outfits.

Layering your clothing is a smart option when it comes to implementing various breastfeeding style ideas. If you’re wearing a shirt or sweater that you need to lift in order to feed your baby, wearing a fitted tank top under your outfit can help keep you feeling secure and covered.

 

If the top portion of tank tops make breastfeeding difficult, certain brands offer underbust tank tops, which provide a comfortable layer around the waist without interfering with the utility of nursing bras.

Additionally, if you’re feeding your baby by moving the fabric of a v-neck or wrap top, having a loose cardigan layered over your outfit can help make the feeding discreetly pretty easy no matter where you’re at.

#6- Wear a scarf during cooler weather.

 

In addition to layering under your outfit, layering on top can also be a great idea when planning what to wear when breastfeeding. If your breastfeeding fashion choices include a top that you need to pull down or sideways, wearing an oversized scarf or shawl on top can provide an extra layer of coverage when you need to feed your baby.

If the weather is relatively warm out, wearing a scarf is still applicable. Instead of using a thicker, warmer scarf, choose a thin, relatively sheer material for a spring or summer-appropriate scarf.

#7- Try higher-waisted pants for different coverage options.

If you’re not fond of wearing a tank top under the shirt you plan to wear, or you just want to try a few different layering options, high-waisted pants are a smart option when considering what to wear for breastfeeding. High-waisted pants not only flatten and shape your waist, but also provide great coverage if you need to move or lift your shirt to facilitate breastfeeding.

#8- Wear off-shoulder or peasant-style shirts for easy breastfeeding.

Off-shoulder shirts can be a big part of creating cute breastfeeding outfits. The dropped sleeves provide easy access and if you wear a jacket or sweater on top, you’ll have reliable coverage.

Peasant-style shirts are also great for breastfeeding fashion, being that they’re designed to be a little more flowy than a form-fitting shirt. As such, they can be easily moved or lifted when you need to feed your baby.

#9- Shirts and sweaters with extra fabric help a lot.

Loose t-shirts and sweaters can be a convenient clothing choice for breastfeeding mothers. The extra fabric can provide for both easy lifting or moving of clothing material and extra coverage when you’re breastfeeding your baby.

It’s important to wear clothing items that are easy to lift, pull down, or move to the side without stretching out the fabric or making the process of baby-feeding too difficult or impractical.

Though comfort and versatility are more important than style, you can take advantage of both benefits when wearing a stylish, yet loose breastfeeding shirt.

#10- Wear nursing pads with all of your breastfeeding outfits.

Utilizing nursing pads with any outfit that you wear is especially helpful during the first few months of breastfeeding. Leaking is fairly common, and in order to protect your clothing from becoming damp, nursing pads are the way to go. They’re quite discreet, so most of the time, unless your clothing is made out of very thin, form-fitting material, no one is going to notice you’re wearing them.

Planning what to wear when breastfeeding doesn’t have to be a drawn-out, complicated process. There are plenty of stylish options designed specifically to make breastfeeding easier for new mothers, and many pieces of your pre-pregnancy wardrobe can get the job done as well.

You don’t have to sacrifice looking good when you utilize clothing that combines style with functionality. Shop around and try a few different clothing options to discover which clothing types best fit your unique lifestyle.