The cover-up

Hello everyone! Where you comfortable breastfeeding in public?

Even though I breastfed my son, I had a lot of health problems after he was born, so the issue never came up -- I was either at home or, unfortunately, at the hospital, and I had to start pumping just after a couple of months.

This time, however, things are going pretty well with breastfeeding, and I would like to continue for as long as possible. Being able to breastfeed on the go has thus become imperative. You should not be surprised that my first stop on my first outing with the baby was the closest maternity store in order to purchase a nursing cover. Thyme Maternity's nursing shawl from the new Luxe Mama collection seemed to fit the bill perfectly, especially because of its relatively low price (less than 50 CAD including taxes). Yet I was disappointed about the cheap and rough fabric, and the fact that it is quite long, perhaps too much, so that it keeps getting stuck into everything. (My best friend in Montreal, who has breastfed her first two kids for quite a long time, swears that the extra fabric will come in handy in a few months, to prevent the baby from getting distracted while feeding him).

Further research online did not lead me to any better place (although if you are a fan of bright patterns, Pirose's Fashion Nursing Scarf seems like a great choice). I realized, however, that a lightweight poncho such as this Missoni one could be perfect for the job, and would be a long-term investment piece if poncho-appropriate weather would last more than a few days around here. A fancier option along the same lines would be a Brunello Cucinelli's sparkly sleeveless sweater such as this one, which I have been considering purchasing since I came across it in spite of the steep price tag. Obviously, not just because I am sucker for the brand (remember this post?), but because next week we will be attending the baptism of my best friend's youngest son, and I would like to look good in spite of the extra 10 kilos of baby weight I still have to shed...

In the end the price tag had the best of me, and I ended up ordering Seraphine's nursing cover (pictured above), as I have become a big fan of the brand after discovering it at Mama Mia Maternity before Christmas. I received it after only two days, and it exceeded my expectations. The fabric is super-soft, and it can be stylishly worn as a poncho or scarf. The only downside is that, because it is a light color, it may get stained easily. I will thus keep it my Thyme Maternity shawl for everyday use, and save Seraphine's cover for special occasions.


P.S. Searching for nursing covers has made me realize how much nursing "etiquette" varies across countries. In Montreal, last summer a woman I met at the nail salon juggled her three-months old son latched to her uncovered breast while she was nonchalantly talking on her cell phone and getting a manicure. In Italy, women would never breastfeed in public, no matter how covered (my mom cringed when I mentioned that I got a nursing cover). What is your experience? I'd love to hear!