hey pretty mama/nursing style: shift dress

Shift dresses are one of the most common requests I've gotten since starting the nursing style series.  It is admittedly VERY hard to work around a shift while nursing.  It takes very specific styling to make it work.  Even more frustrating is the fact that shift dresses are among the most flattering styles to post baby bodies!  I have two solutions to this problem.  

1) Buy a shift that zips down the front.  Easier said than done, I know - this is the Lilly Pulitzer Alexa shift, and although you can't tell in the photos at all, it has an invisible zipper in the front detail.  It goes realllllly low and really high! Totally adjustable, totally ideal for nursing.  This dress has a much higher price point that clothes I usually recommend, but I actually found it half off at my local Lilly signature store (The Pink Magnolia!) and maybe you could do the same?  It came in three colors, and there are also a few sellers on eBay that have it new with tags for much less than retail.  Word to the wise - size up, it runs small! It's certainly an investment, but in my opinion the sixties silhouette will never really be out of style. 

2) Bring a sling with you!  I have a habit of wearing shifts more and more lately, because to Claire what is out of sight is out of mind.  Now that she's almost one, I'm trying to cut down on her nursing a bit to introduce more solid food, and take some of the pressure off of me.  We aren't weaning!  Just making a transition to a little bit more freedom for mom and baby.  Shift dresses have been a big help with that.  Of course, she still has to eat eventually.  What I'll do when we're out and about to avoid having to run to the car is throw the sling on like a sash, unzip the dress from the back, and shimmy one arm out, the side that is covered by the sling.  I just do that on both sides and usually no one is the wiser.  It's especially easy and discreet if you happen to be seated in a corner booth! 

hey pretty mama:nursing style/a romper!

romper, shoes, and necklace all forever 21.  sunglasses - ray ban

On the list of things I was searching for in a nursing wardrobe, an easy one piece was definitely on my list.  It sounds impossible - they aren't EASY to wear, nursing friendly or not - but hear me out!  

 Rompers have the benefit of being very "play on the floor" friendly.  There's no risk of overexposure.  Because they have to be pulled on over the hips, they tend to be cut bloused in the top half, making them easy to pull down a little bit for nursing.  This one hides all baby snot (I'm a human Kleenex in Claire's mind) or other stains of the day; as proof, just know that I wore this from 7 am and we took these pictures at around 6 pm.  This one went out of stock after I linked to it on Facebook last week, but they still have the listing up which leads me to believe it will be restocked!  Fingers crossed, because I wouldn't mind having it in that dusty rose as well.  

The one downside to the romper as a mom-iform?  Uh, the bathroom situation.  Claire tends to fall asleep while I'm wearing her, and while normally that's no problem, I really had no good way to pee when she did.  It wasn't the end of the world - she normally naps for about an hour and obviously I didn't need to go the entire time but hey - just thought I'd share in case anyone else also didn't think of that and found themselves in a similar conundrum!! TMI?  Oh, well.  

And just as a "proof that it works!"  

Boom!  Nursing baby, and I'm still fully clothed.  

world breastfeeding week: nursing mama style

Ever since Claire's been born, I've been surprised by how many things I'm still limited by that were issues during pregnancy.  For example - you obviously can't drink while pregnant, but guess what?  You can't really drink if you're breastfeeding either.  Sure, there's the option to give a bottle, pump & dump, etc, but it's all so cumbersome & inconvenient that having more than a drink or two isn't really even fun anymore.  

Then during pregnancy, there's the challenge of dressing around the bump, and although it seems impossible at the time it's actually a piece of cake compared to the post-pregnancy challenge of dressing for nursing.  I'm not the kind of person who wants to seclude myself in the car every time Claire eats, #powertotheboobies, #normalizenursing, etc!, so finding outfits I can wear that provide easy & discreet access when she gets hungry has been a challenge I've tried to take on.  My uniform has been mostly jeans & a loose fitting top, with a baby wrapped on top of it all.  That way I can show as little as possible (like in the photo below.)  Not that it would matter if I didn't want to be discreet, because I think you should be able to feed your babies whenever, however you want to.

Fortunately these challenges don't feel like a struggle in the way that so many things during pregnancy do.  During pregnancy, you're just annoying with how limited your life is getting and oh-so-ready for that baby to arrive by the end.  Now, you have your babe's face to keep you going even when it seems really annoying that you're digging through your closet for a cocktail dress that works for networking and nursing (to which I say, get yourself a Sonnet James dress!)  

Then, you've got Pinterest to provide you with all the inspiration you could ever need for some great outfits that don't feel like a compromise at all. 

In conclusion, the magic equation for looking chic while nursing is: 

Drapey top + jeans + baby wrap + hat/sunglasses with: 

either birks, saltwater sandals, clogs, or ankle booties = 

The most perfect (and coolest) mom-ing outfit of all time.  

*ps - I'm going to do my best to bring back my own style posts (post baby body and all) for this purpose next week, so stay tuned!  

For more style inspiration (for mamas, or anyone!) you can follow me on Pinterest here.