The 10 Best Nursing Covers
Special Honors
Rosie Pope Nursing Cover Up This comfortable poncho-style nursing cover is sold in three sizes and offers a comfortable cowl neck design. It’s spun from a soft, stretchy blend of modal and spandex, and helps you nurse discreetly no matter where you are. Made with a design that slips over your head and has open sides, it’s both easy to put on and to reposition your baby while you’re wearing it. This low-maintenance choice can be machine washed and tumble dried. nordstrom.com
Seraphine Cable Knit Nursing & Maternity Shawl This versatile garment features a blend of ultra-soft wool, cotton, and cashmere, and when you’re not nursing, it can also be worn as a stylish shawl or scarf. It can even be used as a soothing swaddling blanket for your baby. It’s got snaps for securing at your shoulder to keep it in place. It can provide years of use, and makes for a great shower gift. seraphine.com
Editor's Notes
June 30, 2020:
Today we added in the Copper Pearl Multi-Use, which not only comes in soothing colors with trendy prints, but is also highly regarded for its lightweight, soft, and stretchy build. When you’re not nursing or pumping, this soft rayon-blend choice can double as a cover for a car seat, a shopping cart, or a high chair. You can also wear it as a stylish infinity scarf. For a selection made of lightweight jersey knit fabric, we added in the Bozeman Infinity, which comes in intriguing patterns featuring nautical, animal, arrow, and chevron themes. Should you decide to go with something else, this one conveniently carries a 30-day hassle-free return policy. The Kids ‘N Such Apron offers a design similar to the Bebe Au Lait, but this one also incorporates a sewn-in burp cloth, making the entire feeding process a seamless, comfortable one. For another apron design with its own unique twist, look to the Boppy Boho Gray, which features a handy ring that can be slide along the top to one side or the other, so you’ll always know which side you last fed from. This one folds up into a small pouch with a handle that can either be carried by itself or tucked neatly into your diaper bag.
The Genovega Bamboo also joins the list, and what sets it apart from the crowd is it has holes for your arms, so you won’t need to struggle every time your child needs to be repositioned. It’s sold in solid black, gray, and pink, as well as patterns, so you’re sure to find just the right one. Its soft bamboo material is naturally hypoallergenic and safe against sensitive skin. The newly added models replace the Line Lemon Multi-Use, which some users say features too low of a neckline and the Kiddo Care Infinity, which doesn’t provide enough stretch for many wearers. The Tykes & Tails and the EN Babies also make their departure, to make room for selections that are a bit more comfortable and easier to use.
Times You'll Want A Nursing Cover
Another useful element of nursing covers that busy moms can appreciate is that they eliminate the need to get undressed in order to nurse.
When you know the many benefits of breastfeeding for both you and your baby, you want to do things the natural way rather than just turn to the bottle. Of course, any new mom knows that life is far from predictable with a little one. While your baby will develop a somewhat regular feeding schedule, you can't guarantee that you'll always be in a comfortable, private place when she gets hungry.
Clothing stores might let you use their changing rooms and restaurants may offer you a peaceful corner table, but you may not get to these before the deafening and forceful screams begin. While infant crying is a curious and impactful thing, any mother knows this: the screams of a hungry baby can make everyone in a mall shudder and must be stopped. You want your little one to get food before this happens. A nursing cover gives you an instant private place to nurse away from the eyes of strangers, wherever you are. Since these accessories create a shrouded environment, they also keep your munchkin from getting distracted while feeding, which can cause them to unlatch.
Another useful element of nursing covers that busy moms can appreciate is that they eliminate the need to get undressed in order to nurse. Even if you're in the comfort of your own home when your cutie starts to smack her lips and reach for your chest, if you're wearing ordinary clothes, then you have to disrobe to give your baby access. Maybe you have friends over or simply don't like a cold draft on your body while your infant eats. With a nursing cover, all you have to do is slide your bra aside beneath the item. You stay warm, you don't need to bare it all to your guests, and your baby gets to eat. Nursing covers alleviate many of the inconveniences new moms experience while simply trying to give their infants sustenance.
What Makes A Great Nursing Cover
There are a few features that will make you really love your cover. Paired with a quality nursing bra, you'll be so comfortable and free that you may never want to return to regular clothes again. Luckily, many nursing covers look like ordinary clothes, so you don't feel like you have to choose between one and the other. If you're always out and about, you'll want one that looks like an ordinary shawl. Some even bunch up around your neck like a cowl and when you're ready to feed, you simply expand them and pull them over your body. They're available in fashionable prints and flowy fabrics — onlookers won't even realize you're wearing any sort of maternity garment.
It's important that your cover is stretchy, making it easy for you to peek beneath the neck-hole and check on your little one.
It's important that your cover is stretchy, making it easy for you to peek beneath the neck-hole and check on your little one. Some can even stretch over a stroller. If you're taking your colicky or finicky baby for walks because you've heard fresh air is one way to calm him, you might still not want to expose him to the germs of strangers. Putting a cover over his stroller lets him take in the stimulating sounds of the outdoors, without leaving him unprotected.
Your cover should be made of fabric that breathes well for your baby's safety and for your comfort on warm days. Some boast pockets for you to keep a few helpful nursing items nearby, like tissues for spit-ups or a soothing toy. You'll appreciate one that's machine washable since it's bound to get messy from time to time, as well as a model that packs down small to fit into an already-stuffed diaper bag. Another option is to choose one that comes with its own storage pouch. Make sure the one you pick is large enough to provide both you and your little one plenty of coverage. You don't want to feel insecure or find yourself constantly adjusting the cover while your cutie is trying to eat. With the perfect nursing cover, a day on the town with your baby won't come with the anxiety-riddled question of, "What do I do when he gets hungry?"
Important Tips For New Nursing Mothers
If this is your first child or you just haven't nursed in years and could use some refresher information on the subject, these tips can help you provide the best nutrients and experience for your munchkin. First, don't panic if you don't produce milk the moment your baby arrives. Your body will first make something called colostrum, which is a nutrient-dense syrupy substance carrying the vital vitamins and minerals your tiny newborn needs. It's perfectly normal to only see this for the first few days after delivery or even up to five days after giving birth. Should your body take longer to produce milk, then you can call a lactation specialist or see a doctor.
Another beautiful mechanism your body is capable of is responding to supply and demand. Depending on how much your baby wants to nurse, your breasts will learn to produce the corresponding amount of milk. If you're still concerned that your cutie isn't eating enough, here's an insider's piece of information: so long as your baby is producing five or six full diapers a day, she's consuming plenty. Just be sure to drink plenty of fluids and your body should do the rest. On that note, keep a good filtered water bottle on hand. Put it on your baby shower registry if you haven't yet had that party.
Your nipples are bound to be tender from breastfeeding. This is, after all, a rather new task to them. Soothe the area by applying warm compresses. You can also rub lanolin on them, which has a wonderfully calming effect. Mother nature also has your back here, since your own breast milk can be one of the most effective balms when it comes to treating chafed or chapped nipple skin.