The first article about breastfeeding cothes I ever wrote |
Article by Tracey Campbell |
This is the first article on breastfeeding clothes I ever wrote. It was titled “My search for Comfort” and was published early in 2004. It describes how I stumbled upon breastfeeding clothes, which were almost non-existent in Australia at that stage, and how that lead to me starting Nursingwear.
My journey started a few months before Michael was born, with the breastfeeding class I attended while still pregnant. The class was informative and covered the basics of positioning your baby, etc. “Easy as pie!” I thought… It was a good thing I attended the class, because without it I would have been totally lost. Yet, the basic information left me totally unprepared for what it would be like to actually breastfeed. The reasons were mainly twofold. Firstly, it took a few weeks to truly establish breastfeeding. Somehow I had thought this would happen immediately. Secondly, it took a while for me to get used to the newly-acquired public persona of my breasts. Baring them had become a necessity, albeit an acceptable necessity.
Although I became more confident with time, I never could feel totally at ease exposing my tummy and breasts in front of perfect strangers. Sometimes doing so in front of strangers was, unexpectedly, more comfortable than doing so in front of acquaintances. So, I ended up always wearing layers of baggy clothes that would allow me to keep myself covered to some extent while I breastfed. When I did wear more styled clothes, I used a baby blanket to cover myself.
Depending on where I was, these methods worked, but on some chairs, for instance in some restaurants, I found it difficult to get into a comfortable position for breastfeeding, let alone still balancing all my “props”. After months of being pregnant I also felt that I would like to wear pretty, even flirty outfits, not only my baggy clothes.
When Michael was about three months old, I stumbled upon an overseas website for nursingwear (breastfeeding clothes). I had never heard of such clothes and was surprised to see how contemporary they were in their design. I was delighted at the prospect of gaining the freedom that specialised breastfeeding clothes would give me. For some time I had longed to be able to go to our local public pool without having to do feel worried that Michael would cry from thirst or hunger and that I would have to rush indoors, dry myself off and breastfeed. I longed to be able to sit down to enjoy a piece of cake and hot chocolate without having to jump up and search for cover when Michael woke up and needed to be fed.
At first I tried to time my outings carefully, but I found that it was not always possible to only be out and about when Michael would not need to be fed. For me, it also represented a business opportunity. Importing a basic selection of contemporary breastfeeding clothes would provide solutions, not just for me, but for many other mothers experiencing the same frustration.
The range of garments I decided to import have cleverly concealed breastfeeding openings that allow you to access your breasts discreetly without having to expose your back or tummy. They are fashionable and contemporary, proving that style does not have to be sacrificed for practicality and comfort.
Armed with a selection of basic tops and a swimsuit, I started feeling totally comfortable feeding my baby. I could finally relax and enjoy the experience, and look great at the same time – fantastic!
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