An Essential Guide to Nursing Clothes

As a new mum there is very little time that you can dedicate to making yourself look and feel great. Trying to find something stylish that is also functional when it comes to nursing clothes can prove difficult and takes time so here’s a quick guide to creating a stylish nursing wardrobe.

Everyday Breastfeeding Essentials

Getting your everyday basic breastfeeding essentials right is key.

- Nursing Bras

Invest in supportive, comfortable nursing bras (without hard underwires to help reduce the likelihood of blocked ducts) that look and feel great under a variety of clothing. It’s advisable to have your size checked by someone trained to do so as your size normally changes when you start to breastfeed.

We love...

Doulara Maternity Lingerie - New British Brand with an innovative gel underwire

Six Studio – Scottish Designed.

Feminine, practical designs

Marks and Spencers - They have great specialists that will check your size

Figleaves - Great quality. We love the multiway nursing bra for wearing under occasion dresses

  

Above left: Six Studio - Josephine Nursing Bra        

Above right: Figleaves - Forever Yours Multiway Nursing Bra   

- Nursing Camisoles

A soft and stretchy camisole is super handy in maximising your wardrobe whilst breastfeeding. If you wear a nursing camisole under a top you can pull up your top to feed whilst your stomach area remains covered. Mama Rules camisoles have no extra clips to undo. They are smooth, soft, stretchy and easy to use as you can just pull down the camisole under your nursing bra to feed.

https://mamarules.co.uk/collections/tops/products/camisole-black

Easy To Care For

The last thing you’ll need as a new mum are any clothes that take time to clean such as hand wash only or dry clean only clothes.

Always look for machine washable clothing that you can quickly wash along with the piles of washing from the rest of your family.

Key Wardrobe Pieces

You will find that there are key staple items that you will want to wear on repeat as they are comfortable, practical and flattering.

If you are pregnant for the first time and are reading this then you may be looking forward to ditching your maternity jeans and leggings. I’m sorry to break the news to you now but it is likely that you’ll be wearing them for at least one or two months after the baby is born mainly because you want something comfortable to wear during the postpartum period. So select your maternity jeans and leggings wisely so that they are good quality and as close as possible to a style that you would normally wear and invest in some great quality flattering tops that work well with them.

Mama Rules Effie and Mia tops are both stylish key pieces

Effie Nursing Top 

Understated chic combined with total practically is what makes the Effie top so appealing for mums and mums to be.

Created using lightweight, floaty and fully breathable material in a range of on-trend shades, the Effie is as flattering as it is functional thanks to its longer length which helps to cover small bumps in the early stages of pregnancy and elasticated waistbands. There’s also the option to add one of our super stretchy camisoles to wear underneath, so your stomach stays covered during feeds.

An ideal investment piece that can be dressed up or down. It can easily be styled with leggings or jeans and even looks great with shorts in the Summer. Add jewellery and heels for special occasions or a longline cardigan for cooler days. This is one top that you’ll want to wear even after you’ve finished nursing your baby.

https://mamarules.co.uk/collections/tops/products/effie-top-1

Mia - Maternity & Nursing Top

Featuring trendy rose gold or gun mental zips for a contrasting pop of colour and interest, no one would ever guess that these zip details are actually designed to give you easy breastfeeding access while keeping your tummy covered thanks to a matching super soft and stretchy camisole worn underneath the Mia nursing top. We find that many women prefer tops that unzip from the bottom upwards rather than from the top down as they feel less exposed.

The Mia is comfortable and cool, making it perfect for spring days where a jacket isn’t needed and is a go to staple for Autumn/Winter. Available in black or white and with contrasting pockets and poppers for a hint of style, it’s a perfect versatile wardrobe piece for any occasion that can be worn as a maternity top, nursing top or a cool oversized top thereafter.

https://mamarules.co.uk/collections/tops/products/mia-top-2

Mama Accessories - Changing Bags & Stylish Muslins 

A fashion-conscious changing bag can also help compliment your wardrobe too, so check out Kerikit and Tiba and Marl for practical and contemporary look bags. both are British brands run by hardworking, stylish and experienced Mums who understand the needs of a new mum.

Above left: Kerikit Thor Nude Leather Backpack

Above right: Tiba and Marl Miller Backpack Tonal Snakeprint

Adding a much-needed pop of colour to your outfit is a must, so adding a functional and practical muslin in a wide range of trending prints helps you give your look a lift as well as providing you with a chic nursing cover.

Sticking with fashionable prints that aren’t limited to pale pink or baby blue, Mama Rules large multi-use muslins are so versatile that not only can you  use them as a baby swaddle or pram cover for your baby but also as a spring scarf or sarong for you - meaning that you’ll have plenty of room left in your handbag for other essentials.

https://mamarules.co.uk/collections/baby-muslin-blankets