Nursingwear

The “Home Run” Of Nursing Gowns

May 1, 2012

First of all, my sincere congratulations to Jessica Simpson, who finally had her baby this morning. The baby girl weighed nearly ten pounds, which could partially explain Jessica’s weight gain (that and the pop tarts slathered with butter). Now, Jess, it’s time for the hard part, i.e., losing all of that weight. It does, of course, help if someone is paying you $4 million to shed those postpartum pounds.

Hopefully, Simpson’s baby daddy and fiance, Eric Johnson, is showering her with new mommy gifts in the hospital and among those gifts should be a Bella Materna Women’s Anytime Nursing Gown . Anytime a parent-to-be asks me what gift to give his or her partner in the hospital, I suggest this nightgown. It’s just sexy enough to make a new mom feel appreciated, but not so sexy that it isn’t extraordinarily practical and useful. It is the absolute gold standard for nursing gowns and I was reminded of that yet again this morning when a close friend texted me to thank me for recommending it. His wife gave birth last night and he gave it to her this morning. It was a “home run,” he writes.

Because the Bella Materna nursing gown is reinforced with very strong elastic at the empire waist, there is no need to wear a nursing bra underneath it. This is not so with most other nursing gowns, which usually only have a thin piece of elastic at the bra line. And, the gown is made of Bella Materna’s trademark microfiber fabric. This incredible fabric can withstand an entire night’s worth of leaking breastmilk and still manage to dry by the time you wake up. This is not so with regular cotton nursing gowns.

As I told my friend this morning, I have expensive taste, but I know what I am talking about. The Bella Materna Women’s Anytime Nursing Gown is USD $92 and once you’ve worn it, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to prevent yourself from buying another. For all you expectant partners out there, it also makes a great Mother’s Day gift.

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The Ideal Basic Nursing Tank

April 22, 2012

The PF quest for perfect nursing pieces continues and I am a newfound fan of 1 in the Oven’s Basic Ribbed Nursing Tanks.

Let me be blunt. I like these basic tanks first and foremost because they are very, very long. Not only does that make them maternity-friendly, but more importantly, these tanks easily cover the waistbands of your trousers or skirts, thereby camouflaging the fact that you are still wearing maternity clothing several months out. Don’t get me wrong, the tank’s nursing features are great–easy nursing access using snaps at the tank’s shoulders, and the top itself is loosefitting, so no need to feel self-conscious about it being too fitted. Beware that the snaps on the shoulders are rather obvious, so if you aren’t keen on advertising that you are wearing a nursing top, this tank is best used as a layering piece underneath sweaters or button downs.

The top is available in black, white, grey, and navy for USD $54. You’d be wise to purchase a few of these, they will quickly evolve into pieces you’ll reach for every day, whether it’s because you love the easy nursing access or you need something sure to prevent that elastic waistband from peeking out.

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You’re Actually Going To Want To Wear This Nursing Top

March 15, 2012

If you’re currently nursing, about to start nursing, or planning on nursing, pay attention to this posting, because you need to own this nursing top.

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of nursing is figuring out what to wear when you are trying to dress up a bit. Nursingwear trends toward very casualwear, which makes sense, but there are days you may not want to look like you are wearing a nursing top. I usually opt for a button-down blouse or dress, which provides some modicum of discreet nursing access. Unfortunately, I don’t think button-downs look particularly flattering when your bust is fluctuating size by the hour. A button-down that looks presentable at 9am doesn ‘t look quite as presentable by 11am.

I have, however, no more need for button-downs, as I have discovered Seraphine’s Knitted Breastfeeding Top and I am completely hooked. Jennifer Garner wore this top during her pregnancy, and I liked the look of it, but felt I needed to try it myself before recommending it here. (I imagine that Jennifer received boxes full of maternity swag from designers across the world, so she didn’t need to be quite as discerning as the rest of us do because she wasn’t spending her own cash).

This top however, is well worth the USD $95. It’s made from a soft, lightweight bamboo viscose and I was very pleasantly surprised at how luxurious the material is. So surprised, in fact, that I felt really guilty when I leaked breastmilk onto it within the first hour of wearing it. I was concerned about washing it in the machine, but I used a lingerie bag and laid it flat to dry, and it looks great.

And that may be the only drawback of this top–it might be too nice for nursing. The nursing access is wonderful, with snaps lined across both shoulders so you may nurse discreetly and unsnap only one or two snaps. Or, you can unsnap the entire shirt, let the front half of the shirt drop, and let it all hang out. This is also a very pretty shirt, with a forgiving, blousy fit across the middle that all nursing moms will appreciate. I might even call this a “date night” top, a category that most definitely does not apply to the rest of my nursing wardrobe.

The top comes in solid black, blue, grey, and brown, and for Spring 2012, Seraphine has released the Knitted Breastfeeding Top in this new blue and white striped version.

Tagged as: Celebrities, European Maternity Lines, nursing

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Nursing Must Have #3: Motherlove Nipple Cream

February 24, 2012

I don’t know what miracle ingredient is in this stuff and why it works so well, but I am not asking any questions because Motherlove Herbal Nipple Cream (1 oz) has been a godsend over the past two weeks. In the past, I’d always used lanolin, which didn’t seem to work particularly well and made an enormous mess inside my nursing bra, not to mention that I’ve always thought it must taste absolutely awful when the baby latches on. Not so with Motherlove Nipple Cream, which has an oil-based texture rather than a petroleum jelly-like texture and was recommended to me by a new lactation consultant I’ve been working with this time around (and no worries, it is thoroughly safe for the baby’s ingestion). This cream somehow really works. I don’t want to overload you on the details, but I’ve had some very painful feedings over the past two weeks and I’ve been trying to push through them in hopes consistent feeding will alleviate some of the soreness and bleeding. What finally worked was the Motherlove Cream combined with a 24-hour break from nursing, during which I only pumped. Oh, and I walked around primarily topless during this 24 hours. Again, that may be too much information, but if I can save any of you some pain, I’m happy to oblige.

Motherlove Herbal Nipple Cream (1 oz) costs less than $10 for a 1 ounce jar. Buy some now and make sure it’s sitting in your suitcase and ready to use as soon as you’ve done your first feeding and after every feeding thereafter. I might have saved myself a few days of serious torture had I known about this cream going into my delivery.

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Nursing Must Haves #2: Discreet Nursing Pajamas

February 22, 2012

The pospartum hospital stay is a rather humbling experience. At any given point in the day, some private body part is likely exposed and on display for doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, and whomever else happens to wander by your room, especially if you are sharing quarters with another new mom. Once they allow you to take off that unfortunate hospital gown and have your first shower, you will be so very grateful to have a pair of comfortable, discreet nursing pajamas packed in your bag to slip into. Not to mention that it just feels nice to put on something new and pretty after what you’ve just endured. I have a few nursing gowns that I love to wear at home, but in the hospital, l suggest a more modest pajama set–ideally, long pants with a very soft waistband paired with a nursing top that has a nursing-friendly neckline that nevertheless leaves little to the imagination. I saw a little too much of the other patients in the hospital this time around, if you know what I mean. There are so many beautiful nursing sets out there to choose from at all price points, you deserve to be wearing something tasteful and well, something that offers proper coverage, after delivering your baby. And, like I wrote, it does feel nice to have something pretty to soften the blow of still looking at least six months pregnant the next day.

Figure 8 Maternity has the best selection of nursing pajamas online and the boutique is currently offering $20 off any two nursing loungewear items with promotional code “pjparty2011.” I am partial to Belabumbum and Milkstars, simply because I find these lines to be made from incredibly soft, forgiving, high-quality cotton that you can slip on easily over stitches, incisions, or swollen/engorged breasts. La Leche League also makes a cotton nursingwear line that is a bit less expensive. Figure 8 carries all of these lines and I strongly suggest perusing through the boutique’s superb nursingwear collection and finding something you might feel comfortable wearing in front of friends and in front of a good number of strangers. Do make sure you stick to cotton with a limited amount of spandex or elastane–the last thing you want to be wearing those few days is a pair of tight pajamas you need to tug over your aching body.

And, by the way, I’ve been nominated by Circle of Moms as one of the Top 25 Fashion & Style blogs for moms. If you click on this badge at the right and vote, it would be tremendously helpful, as I am currently hovering around 37th place and there are only a few days left to vote. You can actually vote once every day, should the mood strike you. I never win these things, and I have no idea how some of these mom bloggers manage to garner so many votes, but I would like to at least make a better showing than 37th place.

Tagged as: Pajamas

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Nursing Must Haves #1: The Bella Materna Bralet

February 21, 2012

I’m devoting this week to must-have nursing items to pack in your hospital bag. I’ve certainly had my share of postpartum hospital stays, but I was older and wiser this time around and knew right away what mistakes I’d made in packing my hospital suitcase (Packing the semi-sexy nursing negligee? Unnecessary). I also spent more time in the hospital this time having had a third C-section, so I was seriously stuck with what I’d packed. I hadn’t packed my own bag since my very first pregnancy (my past two deliveries were unexpectedly early), so this was a valuable learning lesson for me. I also canvased my hospital floor in an effort to find products that other new moms had with them and that I may have missed.

First off–I’ve written it before and I am going to write it yet again. The most crucial item in that hospital suitcase is going to be your nursing bra. And it can’t be just any nursing bra. It’s got to be one that is equipped to deal with engorgement, painful feedings, sore nipples, leaking, and sloppy first-time pumping, just to name a few of the unpleasantries associated with the first few days of breastfeeding. I’ve done this numerous times and it really doesn’t matter how much nursing experience you have, you are going to make a mess of yourself those first few days.

Hands down, the best bra to be wearing in those first few days is Bella Materna Women’s Adjustable Anytime Nursing Bralet #1155. This bra has no underwire, extremely easy nursing access, adjustable straps, it’s easy to sleep in, and Bella Materna’s trademark nylon/lycra fabric keeps this bra dry no matter how much you leak all over it. The bra comes in dual cup sizes, so it is particularly effective at accomodating engorged breasts in those first few postpartum days as your milk comes in. And it is best to handwash this bra, and you can do that easily in the hospital sink with a bit of shampoo. Because of the fast-drying fabric Bella Materna uses for all of its bras, the bra dries within hours so you can put it right back on again (this is definitely not the case with cotton nursing bras).

The bra comes in nude, black and bare, all basic colors that work underneath just about anything. There is also a full cup version of this bra, the Bella Materna Women’s Full Cup Adjustable Anytime Nursing Bralet #1266. And yes, this bra costs USD $54 ($64 for the full cup version). It is manufactured right in Seattle, where Bella Materna is based and it is, without a doubt, worth every single penny and then some. Buy one to wear before you deliver and you’ll immediately recognize how comfortable and supportive it is–it will only get better with time once you’ve transitioned from pregnant woman to nursing mom.

Tagged as: american

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Nursingwear Doesn’t Always Have To Look Like Nursingwear

January 13, 2012

Part of the difficulty with nursingwear is that it just about always looks like nursingwear. There are a few small nursing designers out there who have recently set out to design real fashion pieces that also happen to be nursing accessible, like Heather Lehmann and Peaks of London. But the pieces are expensive and I completely understand the reluctance to invest heavily in clothing you are undoubtedly going to stain and in all likelihood, ruin within months. Nursingwear, as I’ve learned from experience, never really qualifies as investment clothing…
…which is why I am a big fan of shopping Boob Nursingwear…on sale. Boob is a Swedish-based design company that specializes in minimalist, quality nursingwear. Somehow the Swedes always manage to turn out high-quality baby and nursing products that look great and come at relatively reasonable prices (IKEA or Polarn o Pyret, anyone?). Boob is a perfect example of that. Boob nursingwear has set the standard in the industry with well-designed nursing pieces that offer easy, convenient nursing accessibility. More importantly, a good portion of their collection doesn’t really look like nursingwear. For example, I just ordered Boob’s Striped Knit Nursing Dress. This dress offers the same nursing access as Boob’s well-known nursing tops, but it is actually a really cute and fun cotton dress. I don’t know how soon I’ll be ready to wear it alone with tights, but during those first few postpartum weeks, I look forward to donning it with leggings or jeans and walking out the door without worrying how I am going to get nursing access quickly and discreetly that day.

I do, however, wait until Boob goes on sale to purchase their items. I have a serious shopping problem, but I’m not nuts. I am not going to spend $135 on a nursing dress so I can constantly leak breast milk all over it, no matter how cute it is. This dress, however, is now 40% off at the Bellydance Maternity sale, and is still available in just about all sizes for USD $81.
Other online maternity and nursing boutiques are also carrying a good selection of Boob Nursingwear on sale right now, including some of the line’s most fashion-forward nursing pieces. Figure 8 Maternity has a wide selection of Boob nursingwear, including the cozy Knitted Nursing Hoodie, included in its winter sale for 30% off. Boob’s online boutique is offering many pieces at 50% off and Pretty Pregnant has a limited selection of Boob nursingwear available at 20% off (both boutiques ship from Europe, so you’ll have to pay international shipping). Sizes are sporadically available in all three boutiques, so be sure to check all three places before giving up on your perfect item.

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Decadent Monday: High-Fashion Nursingwear

November 7, 2011

Is there such a thing as high-fashion nursingwear? Hmmm…not really. One of the most common questions I am asked by nursing women is where they might buy a nice nursing dress for a black-tie wedding or a special occasion. And I am always stumped. I usually suggest buying a flattering dress with some semblance of reasonable access to your breasts (buttons, zippers, etc.) and just accepting the fact that you’ll be disrobing and camping out topless on a toilet seat with your new baby for portions of the festivites.

Drape Dress

New British nursing line Peaks of London combines high fashion with nursing accessibility and does so with a certain kind of European flair that renders their pieces especially desirable. Do these pieces look like nursingwear? Absolutely not and that’s why I love them. The collection’s highlight pieces, notably the Drape Dress and Wrap Top, cleverly incorporate elasticized sashes that wrap around the body to both camouflage the nursing access and act as flattering, post-baby waist cinchers. These pieces are among the dressier in the collection, but there are cleverly cut casual pieces as well. Both the demure blue denim Apron Dress and the sporty, drawstring-waisted Tokyo Dress make great everyday pieces that are not only adorable dresses on their own, but also cover you well above the bra line, thereby promising to preserve your remaining integrity while you’re out and about during those postpartum weeks.

Peaks of London uses 100% cotton satin or 100% cotton for most of its pieces–no scratchy polyester or rayon blends here. Hence, the prices are worthy of a Decadent Monday posting, as the tops are priced at more than USD $225 and the dresses retail for just over USD $300. I am adding a Peaks of London piece to my Christmas wish list. Having one of these pieces to look forward to while I am re-navigating the breastfeeding routine will cheer me up immensely.
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Peek-a-boo’s Luxurious Nursing Tops Arrive Stateside

October 11, 2011

I managed to avoid adopting most local fashion habits during my three years living in Jerusalem, but left Israel with one one very justified fashion addiction–Peek-a-boo Nursing Tops. Designed and manufactured in Tel Aviv, these nursing tops are cut from incredibly light, forgiving jersey that resembles a designer T-shirt much more than it resembles an awkward nursing top. Noa Klein, Peek-a-boo’s founder and designer, has cleverly managed to merge fashion and practicality together with her young nursing line and most importantly, has also now managed to find a buyer here in the United States with an online presence. I was thrilled to discover that Figure 8 Maternity is now carrying a wide selection of the Peek-A-Boo line for this season. Figure 8′s Peek-a-boo Nursing collection includes several basic pieces from the line, most notably the Peek-a-boo Sleeveless Nursing Tank, which is my favorite. This is an ideal layering piece and the material is so thin, you can easily wear it underneath fitted blouses and blazers for one extra layer between your nursing bra and the wider public. These tops are also cut extra long and are ruched along the sides, so I’ve been wearing mine as a maternity tee underneath sweaters and leather jackets. If you’re missing your fitted, sexy designer T-shirts these days, Peek-a-boo offers an ideal replacement. Peek-a-boo’s Nursing Nightgowns are also a great gift idea for baby showers and now that I think about it, with the holidays fast approaching, perhaps you might even like to send your partner this posting. I myself would not mind seeing the flirty Peek-a-boo Black French Nursing Dress under my tree come December 25th.

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Fill Up That Lingerie Drawer Today With 25% Off At BareNecessities

June 16, 2011

OK ladies, it’s time to clean out that lingerie drawer and replenish those unmentionables. You’re pregnant or nursing and those bras you wore in college don’t fit anymore. Women who refuse to buy new bras for pregnancy are one of my pet fashion peeves. There is nothing worse than a glowing, radiant, newly pregnant woman whose breasts are spilling out of her too-tight bra.

BareNecessities.com launched its Friends & Family sale today and the discount is a very sizeable 25%. Maternity bras, nursing bras, nursing gowns and pajamas, maternity-friendly panties–all of it is on sale today through Monday with promo code “FRIEND.” Sale items are also included in the F&F promotion, so there are some serious bargains to be had. The site’s maternity boutique also carries Ingrid & Isabel, so you can use the promotion to stock up on high-end maternity basics like the must-have Ingrid & Isabel Maternity Ruched Tank Top With the discount, snag this tank in both white and black, it is an ideal layering piece for early pregnancy and for the third trimester.

SPANX is one of the few designers excluded from the promotion. But take a look at the Spanx at Bare Necessities selection anyway, as many of the line’s offerings are already on sale. The sale even includes a few of those new SPANX swimsuits. If you are past the pregnancy phase, past the nursing phase, and on to what I call the “shapewear” phase of motherhood, the SPANX Bra-llelujah! Soft Chain One-Piece Swimsuit Swimwear is reduced to $141. I know, it seems so ridiculous to spend that much on a basic black bathing suit, but I suggest you try on one of the Spanx suits on and take a look at yourself in the mirror before you say no. These bathing suits are no joke, they work hard for their money.