Brigadeiro's Nursing Style/Tips

A little while back, Anonymous wrote:

(...)Being pregnant myself, I really enjoyed your post on how to dress during pregnancy. Thanks for all the good tips! I would love to hear your thoughts on how to dress while nursing. As you say, I think that will be more difficult than dressing while being pregnant, so please, can you offer some advice?(...)

Firstly, apologies for taking so long to get back to you; ever since lil J's arrival I feel like my time is no longer my own...Now, I must admit that at times I struggle to find a decent outfit to wear that will allow me to nurse whilst out and about, I was told that dressing whilst nursing was harder than dressing when pregnant, and that is absolutely true. I have not lost one gram since lil J's arrival, so having to hide my 'pregnancy weight gain' as well as having to dress to be able to nurse at the same time is often challenging, so this is something I am trying to figure out myself. I have searched for 'nursing clothing' only to be flabbergasted at how unflattering and ugly the options available are. However, many of my staples that I wore during my pregnancy still serve me well:



I could not live without my Bonds maternity singlets and my many pairs of black leggings, they form the basis for most of my outfits. I also wear my Gap pilates black pants to death, so the pants and/or jeans that you may have been wearing during your pregnancy will continue to be of use whilst nursing. Some other 'principals' discussed in my 'pregnancy style post' still apply to my 'nursing style' too, that is why my maternity black singlets are so versatile, as I wear them under different cardigans, vests, button-shirts & shirt-dresses, coats and jackets:

Another item I have been wearing to death is my black jersey wrap dress, it is my 'safe go-to' dress and I try to change its look each time with different accessories. A stretch jersey wrap (or low v-neck) dress (with or without sleeves) is an absolute must for anyone's 'nursing wardrobe'. Be sure to pick one that is very stretchy and/or relatively low-cut so that you can pull it down when required.

Shirt-dresses are also great (I have used my TOV checkered grey shirt dress a lot):





I also look for tops/dresses that have buttons or a zip that go low in the chest (like the Willow cashmere sweater dress I recently purchased), Henley tops are great for casualwear:

I bought the Vanessa Bruno faux (the buttons do not unbutton) double-breasted jersey navy top (bottom left) a few years ago, and absolutely love it, now even more so, as I can still wear it whilst nursing...

Here are some items I have recently added to my wardrobe to facilitate my 'nursing style':

TOV checkered shirt dress (love the billowy style which hides my post-pregnancy bump, as well as the low buttons which allow me to nurse)

Dries Van Noten embroidered blouse (adds some interest to my 'basic' outfit)
Willow cashmere sweater dress with front zip at the top part of the dress (great for layering once again)

Vanessa Bruno wool jersey blouse

Yes, I bought the Vanessa Bruno tops in two colours...as I wrote in my 100th post (Brigadeiro's Shopping Tips), when you find something that works well (and these were at a very good price), it often pays to buy them in as many colours as you can find them in, as you never know when you will come across another piece like this.

It is currently Winter Down Under, so layering has been key, in addition, a lightweight scarf serves double duty as a stylish nursing 'cover'...Capes and capelets also work well as a stylish 'cover' (although I have yet to use this Burberry Prorsum ombre cape I purchased a few months ago):



Unfortunately, 99.9% of the time I have to wear clothes that can be spit up on, and I save the nicer items for special occasions (lately dressing up occasions have been few and far between)...

Do you have any tips on 'nursing style'?

Would it be helpful if I picked a few items that are currently available for another post?