I will admit as a stay-at-home-mom, my wardrobe is pretty basic: yoga pants and old t-shirts from college parties. Shameful really! (I promise I’m working on it). Still, as a nursing mom I do have a few go-to items for those days when I have occasion to put my best foot forward:


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1) 2 everyday bras. I love this Bravado Seamless Nursing bra. It offers enough support that I don’t feel naked wearing it, and it also leaves me accessible to nurse pretty much everywhere. It doesn’t offer tons of support so I would wear it only to run errands.

2) 2 underwire bras. I know La Leche says not to wear underwire bras while nursing. And it is true, underwires are very uncomfortable and sometimes make it difficult to nurse. But I feel awkward going wire-free at work and social functions, and at family gatherings. Wearing an underwire bra makes me feel like my pre-pregnancy self. I don’t wear it every day, but I do when I want to look put-together. This bra isn’t the best for nursing in public since it is very structured and is difficult to pull down, so I only wear it when I think I’ll have somewhere private to nurse so I can get comfy.

3) 3 pull-down shirts – These lightweight shirts are perfect. I prefer the pull-down function to shirts that un-snap; pull-down shirts allow you to get ready to nurse in one fluid motion. These shirts have extra volume in the stomach to accommodate postpartum tummy bulk, but are fitted enough in the bust that they still look trim if you wear them after you’ve lost some of the pregnancy weight. They are ideal for layering under cardigans, which gives you an extra layer of privacy.

4) 2 oxford shirts: Pick these up at a thrift store; I prefer oversized so I can layer or belt them. Plus my chest seems to expand and contract during the day depending on when I’ve last nursed, so a little extra room is good!

5) 3 sleep bras.  I hate wearing a bra to sleep so I mostly go bra-less now, but in the early (leaky!) days I wore one of these most nights. These don’t offer much support at all so they are really only good for providing a barrier between yourself and an outer layer of clothing.

6) A black skirt: This may seem like an odd thing to put on a nursing wardrobe list, but hear me out. If you have to dress up regularly, you’ll want something basic to pair with tops. I have lost enough weight that I can fit into my pre-pregnancy dresses (ok, some of them!) but have no use for them because I would have to take them completely off in order to nurse!

7) 2 oversized cardigan sweaters. This is my absolute must-have item. Scribble hates nursing covers so I use these as an alternative. I happen to have two that I purchased before becoming pregnant that have large cowl-shaped collars. I can pull the collar over Scribble and nurse discreetly without having a giant wall of fabric between him and myself.

What are some of your essentials in your nursing wardrobe?