Nursing tops/blouses

How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I won't
be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby (EDD sept).
So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on sweatpants or jeans.
I never bought these before.

Do they sell these in regular clothing store in maternity section? If
yes, could you please give me names of the US chains (Foley's,
Dillard's, Kohl's etc)? Or do I have to go to maternity stores only?
I'd like to buy these in brick and mortar stores, not online.

Thanks.

I personally never liked any nursing top I tried, but much preferred a
knit top with a button front shirt over it or a lightweight cardigan.
You could check www.motherwear.com to compare prices, but they are only
online. It seems to me most of their tops run easily $35-45.

-Karen, mom to Henry 3 3/4 and someone due 4/24/04-

"ted" wrote in message
om...
How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I won't
be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby (EDD sept).
So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on sweatpants or jeans.
I never bought these before.

Do they sell these in regular clothing store in maternity section? If
yes, could you please give me names of the US chains (Foley's,
Dillard's, Kohl's etc)? Or do I have to go to maternity stores only?
I'd like to buy these in brick and mortar stores, not online.

Thanks.

I dont own any. A button down shirt that you unbotton from the bottom and
then cover with a blanket/shawl should be ok.
Ot a tank top under a button down or zip downshirt works well.

How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I won't
be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby (EDD sept).
So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on sweatpants or jeans.
I never bought these before.


Nursing shirts run about $30 and up, retail. You can, of course, find better
prices by buying used ones, on eBay or in consignment stores that have
maternity clothes.

Do they sell these in regular clothing store in maternity section? If
yes, could you please give me names of the US chains (Foley's,
Dillard's, Kohl's etc)? Or do I have to go to maternity stores only?
I'd like to buy these in brick and mortar stores, not online.

Thanks.

You won't find nursing tops in department stores, although both JC Penney and
Sears sell them online. Motherhood maternity stores (in malls) have a small
selection, usually, but that brand has a reputation for poor quality. (The
shirts do cost less than similar items elsewhere, though.) And some small
baby/maternity boutique stores or "birth center" businesses sell them.

Most nursing wear is sold only online. www.motherwear.com is a good place to
start, and I believe they have a very good returns policy.

I think it's a really good idea to have a couple of nursing shirts on hand, but
of course you don't *need* them and many moms are perfectly happy without. But
IME most people who have tried them end up liking them for at least some
occasions, and I suspect "on a plane" would qualify! It's also worth trying a
few different *types* of nursing top, because there are a lot of different
styles of access, and one may work for you even if another does not. I found
that the styles that worked best when DS was a toddler were different than the
ones that worked when he was a newborn, too!

Again, motherwear.com is a good place to get an idea of all the different
styles that are available. Most other companies that make nursing wear offer
pretty much the same variations, or a subset of the same variations.

The non-nursing top solution that seems to work best for most people is the
two-layers concept. You wear a tee shirt or tank that is easy to pull up, with
an open cardigan or button-front shirt over it. The outer layer covers up your
side and back when you pull the under layer up to nurse. (Or the underlayer
can have really deep armholes, which you push toward the middle of your chest.)

A variation of this concept is to take a thin undershirt and cut slits in the
front of it. Wear it under a regular looser-fitting tee or sweater; the
undershirt keeps your midriff covered when you lift the outer shirt.

And you can look for regular clothes that lend themselves to nursing-slit
modifications. Dresses and tops with sewn-on vest fronts, for example, or twin
sets. Cut slits in the underlayer and hem to prevent fraying. This type of
clothing you can shop for in any B&M store, of course, but you do have to have
the requisite time and skill to make the modifications.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I won't
be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby (EDD sept).
So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on sweatpants or jeans.
I never bought these before.

I never wore nursing tops. Any relatively loose-fitting top (pullover or
blouse) can simply be lifted from the waist and you can easily NIP without
anyone seeing anything. (The shirt covers the top of your breasts and the baby
covers the bottom of the breasts and your abdomen.) If you are especially
modest, and your baby allows it (some won't), you could toss a light blanket
over the works, but even that usually isn't necessary, and just makes it more
obvious to onlookers that you are nursing.

I did own a couple of nursing tops, but they didn't work for me. The slits
weren't in the right place, and I still had to fumble under my shirt to undo
the nursing bra anyway, so the discretion factor was pretty much out the window
when all was said and done.


Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

Naomi Pardue wrote, in part:

How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I won't
be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby (EDD sept).
So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on sweatpants or jeans.
I never bought these before.

I never wore nursing tops.

Same here. Consider saving your money. I'm on the modest side, but I
NIP all the time in regular t-shirts without feeling that I'm on
display.

--
Sara, accompanied by the baby barnacle

ted" wrote
How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I won't
be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby (EDD sept).
So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on sweatpants or jeans.
I never bought these before.

I never wore nursing tops, just t-shirts and other pullovers. I looked at
the nursing tops and they looked like they would be just one more thing that
would be rearranged after she was done nursing, so I just didn't bother.
Since regular t-shirts and the like are a lot cheaper, I'd highly recommend
trying NIP without special tops to start and, if you find you'd like a
nursing top, then find them.

According to my friends who bought them, Motherwear has great clothing
that's really easy to nurse in.
--
Melissa (in Los Angeles)
Mum to Elizabeth 4/13/03

Sara was all, like:
Naomi Pardue wrote, in part:

How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I
won't be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby
(EDD sept). So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on
sweatpants or jeans. I never bought these before.

I never wore nursing tops.

Same here. Consider saving your money. I'm on the modest side, but I
NIP all the time in regular t-shirts without feeling that I'm on
display.

Same here. Cardigan/button shirt/zippered fleece jacket offer some extra
coverage, but not necessary, IMO. I NIP all the time now without a second
thought, and I'm pretty modest.

"Sara" wrote in message
...
Naomi Pardue wrote, in part:

How much should I expect to pay for nursing tops? (not bras). I won't
be NIP a lot. I do plan to fly long distance with my baby (EDD sept).
So I will buy just two blouses that I can wear on sweatpants or jeans.
I never bought these before.

I never wore nursing tops.

Same here. Consider saving your money. I'm on the modest side, but I
NIP all the time in regular t-shirts without feeling that I'm on
display.

I'm going to jump in here and sing the praises of nursing tops. I loved
them. While it's very possible to nurse in public in a regular top, it is
obvious that one is nursing, which is, to me, the real benefit of nursing
clothing. Well, that and the fact that I didn't like exposing my tummy any
more than my breasts, to nurse. Also, when I was at work, I felt more
comfortable pumping while in nursing wear - I never wanted to have my top up
at work.

Anyway, I found that a handful of nursing tops was plenty. I only wore them
when I was working, or going out with the baby - at home I didn't bother.
FWIW, motherwear.com was where I got the nicest nursing wear that I found.
I think their site is www.motherwear.com. The less expensive tops at Target
and Motherhood were fine for casual wear, but nothing I would use for a
business or dressy occasion.

HTH,

Donna

"Donna" wrote:

I'm going to jump in here and sing the praises of nursing tops. I loved
them. While it's very possible to nurse in public in a regular top, it is
obvious that one is nursing, which is, to me, the real benefit of nursing
clothing. Well, that and the fact that I didn't like exposing my tummy
any
more than my breasts, to nurse.

Seconded completely I think if I had a perfect figure (hah!) I wouldn't
mind exposing my belly, but as it is, I'm all stretchmarks and dough. Fine
when I'm sitting down, but when we're out I tend to nurse walking around,
and can't do that (and retain my dignity!) without a nursing top.

Anyway, I found that a handful of nursing tops was plenty. I only wore
them
when I was working, or going out with the baby - at home I didn't bother.

Quite. Although if you can sew a straight stitch, you can make your own --
there are a number of directions on the web, but here's mine:

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/shirt.html

Jan
--
Mum to Stephen, 22 May 2000
and Sophia, 2 October 2003
My personal page: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/
Baby-related crafts: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/crafts.html