Breastfeeding Covers – Keep Moving, Nothing to See Here!

Why would you need breastfeeding covers, anyway?

Some mamas are totally fine with breastfeeding in public, with no coverage needed – and that’s awesome! You’re not being obscene by feeding your child, and if it doesn’t bother you, go for it!

But…I also know that’s not the case for most moms, especially first timers. It’s easy to feel like everyone’s staring at you, so sometimes a little coverage helps to make you feel more comfortable and stick with breastfeeding, even as you venture out past the privacy of your home.

And with so many breastfeeding covers to choose from, it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed!

Apron-style or poncho?

Rigid neckline or not?

Is this a good price to pay?

Um, do I even need one of these things?

Easy, mama. I have a couple of suggestions that I hope will make it a little easier to find one that works best for you and your baby.

First, you need a breakdown of all the different styles out there, and the options for covering yourself up during feeding time. You’ve probably seen most of these in your local stores or used by your friends, but some might have escaped your attention.

-Apron-style: These tend to be the most common style available; they feature a strap that goes around your neck, so that you can be hands-free. These provide a pretty solid level of coverage of the main action. Some of these feature a rigid neckline, which is a flexible piece of plastic at the neckline that keeps the fabric away from your chest, so you can see the baby nursing but still keep your hands free.

-Poncho-style: These look just like – you guessed it – a poncho, with one solid piece of fabric that goes over your head and usually extends over the shoulders and arms. These provide the maximum amount of coverage – good for if you’re really freaked out about showing off anything you don’t want seen, or possibly even if you’re tandem nursing twins.

-Wrap: This is kind of like an oversized blanket, with a weight in one corner to help keep it on your shoulder. Easy and simple to use.

Next, it helps to figure out when and how you’re planning on using the cover.

Most of the time, you’ll probably use a nursing cover when you’re out and about in public, to try to keep yourself covered up and give your baby a little privacy while she’s eating. So, it might help to ask yourself – how often will that be? Are you out often with your baby, or do you see that happening just occasionally?

If it’s the latter of the two, a nursing wrap would probably suffice – or you can go the old-school route and just throw a blanket over your baby and your shoulder when you want to cover up. No sense in spending a ton of money on something you won’t use that often, right? (Of course, this might change as you grow more comfortable with taking your baby out and feeding her in public, or if you have other children and need your hands!)

Some moms use a breastfeeding cover every time they nurse – even at home – just because they feel more comfortable having a little extra coverage, or because their baby is easily distracted while breastfeeding and needs to have a little separation between you and the rest of the world to drown out distractions. In this case, you could really go with whatever makes you comfortable – just make sure it’s something that actually looks comfortable and easy to use, since you’ll be using it so often!

Another use for breastfeeding covers that you might not have thought of is while you’re pumping at work – this can be ideal if you’re pumping in a public place, like a bathroom or conference room (or even your car), so that you’re not caught in a compromising position should anyone walk in when you least expect it. If this is your scenario, I would really recommend an apron-style cover, since it’s light, easy to get on and off and covers up only the areas you really need covered (without wrinkling the rest of your work clothes).

Personally, I have two apron-style breastfeeding covers – one with a rigid neckline, and one without. I ended up buying two because the non-rigid neckline ones tend to be a bit cheaper, but then I found a name-brand one on sale a few months later and snapped it up.

The non-rigid neckline one works great – I’m still able to see my daughter nursing just by arranging the fabric a little bit, and I can just crumple it into a ball and toss it into my diaper bag when she’s finished. It’s nice and simple and easy to use – definite a plus for this frazzled mama!

On the flipside, I also really like the rigid neckline of my other nursing cover; it’s kind of a nice luxury to have, and it’s very well made and pretty. For me, it’s more of an aesthetic preference than a practical one, as the other one works great (and the price was right, too!).

I hope this has helped you figure out what’s best for your situation! Have you seen any other cool breastfeeding covers out there? Have any other thoughts on these styles? Drop me a line!

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