Mum Reviews...

The Ongoing Criminalization of Breastfeeding (Guest Post)

Breastfeeding in public can be intimidating, but fortunately there are many products on the market that make it much easier for mothers. For those times when it's just not possible to breastfeed behind closed doors, a few items can make discreet nursing much more convenient and comfortable.

Nursing Covers

There are a wide variety of nursing cover styles and patterns available for breastfeeding moms. Some nursing covers have an adjustable neckline with boning, which allows you to see your baby and also provides ventilation. If you don't want to fiddle around with a strap, you can also use a large lightweight blanket or fashionable scarf to provide privacy. Choose a nursing cover that will last if you plan to nurse your baby for the long term. If you're going for full coverage, the wrap should cover your entire chest and extend far enough on the sides to provide plenty of cover.

Nursing Sash

Nursing sashes are ideal for moms who are less nervous about letting people know they are nursing in public. When you use a nursing sash, your breast is completely exposed but your baby isn't under a cover. Nursing sashes have two layers of fabric that separate to allow access to the breast. To use a nursing sash, you will need to be wearing a shirt that allows you to easily nurse by pulling down your shirt from the top, rather than lifting it up from the bottom. For example, if you're wearing a turtleneck sweater a nursing sash is out of the question. Most nursing sashes also have a detachable burp cloth that you can use when your baby finishes nursing.

Horizontal Stripes Proved to Flatter

Horizontal Stripes are Flattering After All

Wallingford – April 2010 Everyone who has been pregnant knows that as much as you can love your bump, it can make you feel large and frumpy at times. Dressing to make yourself feel like the gorgeous, blossoming woman you are is not always easy. Knowing whether to wear patterns, stripes, or blocks of colour to flatter your new figure can be a bit of a minefield and many of us revert back to wearing black, black, black.

The accepted wisdom from fashion gurus is that an outfit with vertical stripes appears to elongate your figure by drawing the eye up and down. But recent research has proved that in fact, the opposite is true and horizontal stripes are the most flattering for anyone with a less than perfect physique.

Dr Peter Thompson, a psychologist and expert in visual perception at the University of York, studied this phenomenon and concluded that “horizontal stripes don’t make you look fatter”.

Cool Maternity and Breastfeeding Nightdress and Cardigan

I'm loving this fabulous maternity and breastfeeding nightdress and cardigan set which I've just come across on Amazon.

The nightdress has a double yoke and seams at the cross-over neckline, specially designed for easy breastfeeding whilst the short cardigan tie fastens.

Guest Post: Breastfeeding with large breasts

If you'd like to submit a guest post to Breastfeeding Mums Blog please email me your post.

Today's guest post comes courtesy of Marie at Sweet Nursing:

Many women with large breasts (including me) struggle with breastfeeding in the early days, especially if you are trying to establish breastfeeding for the first time. The problem can stem from not being able to see what you are doing. I remember being told to roll up a rag and shove it under my boob to prop it up a bit. This actually really upset me, I felt like since I had given birth my whole body had gone southwards and there was something wrong with me. None of the other Mums at my breastfeeding group had been given this advice!!!  I ended up just holding my breast most of the time in the early days. Not that it matters at all when I look back now, but I thought breastfeeding would be a completely intuitive process, not that I would need to stick a rag under my boob so I could feed my baby properly.

Sweet Nursing: Pregnancy/ Breastfeeding Poncho

A few weeks back I mentioned I would be reviewing a Hide 'n' See Nursing/Pregnancy Poncho from Sweet Nursing.

Well, I'm finally getting around to it after the very busy Christmas and New Year period during which I was dying from the lovely flu doing the rounds at the moment.

Sweet Nursing design and supply a unique range of breastfeeding, nursery and baby products and the ponchos are pretty new to the range but oh boy, are they good! I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of them and I can tell you now that even though I am neither pregnant nor breastfeeding it is fashionable enough that any woman of any age would be thrilled to have one in her wardrobe!!

Made from premium soft organic cotton, the poncho is extremely warm in the present cold weather we're getting here in Ireland at the moment. And, since one of the qualities of cotton is that it is cool in the summer months it would also make a great summer time accessory too.