Spoiler alert: technically, no.
What you need for breastfeeding
For breastfeeding, you only *technically* need:
1. A baby
2. Boobs
You may have heard of skin-to-skin contact and its myriad benefits for you and baby. So while you’re home, we recommend this bonding and regulation practice. I can recall my closest family members and friends no longer asking what color my shirt was, because, well, I didn’t have one on. This was during the pandemic, though, so all my visitors were “regulars”.
What if you’re going out? (Aka. breastfeeding in public)
We’ll write a dedicated post rant about how "breastfeeding in public” shouldn’t be a sentence but for now, we'll keep it simple and call it that. Independent from where you live, and how you live your days, you’re probably going to be nursing that lovebug on demand. We want you to find something you feel comfortable doing, something that speaks to your beliefs, feelings and preferred level of practicality.
And please do go out – the sunlight, other people, and some walking are all beneficial to keep your humanity in check, even if it requires some effort.
"Do I need a cover? Do I need a nursing top? Do I even care?"
If these thoughts are floating somewhere in the background of your life, you're in the right place! We all seem to be getting very different ideas, depending on who we ask. But some things are just personal, not one-size-fits-all matters, and in the subject of “breastfeeding in public”, you just have to go with what you are comfortable.
It’s about finding your personal hows. In terms of legality, as outraged as we are at Milky Season, that it was once illegal, all 50 states have come to reason and allow you to nurse your baby anywhere. That did leave its mark in our psyches, and for some people, it's a matter of "decency" (the laws actually did talk like this!). I like to think about it as a spectrum; look at the image above and put your finger where you think you are. Do you lean towards the left side (boobs), and are comfortable breastfeeding when your baby is hungry, or do you lean towards the far right and find it cozier to cover? All points along the spectrum are valid and supported. Finding what works for you will help you make your breastfeeding practice sustainable :)
So, What’s clothes got to do with it? (Can't stop humming Tina Turner’s song). Well, because we live in modern times where people are required to wear clothes to go places, they are quite relevant to the subject.
Options
Nursing covers – pros: baby can have a little bubble of space, and mom only needs to flap the thing a couple times until she finds her way with it and it becomes second nature.
Nursing tops – your body stays warm with the fabric on you, while the little peek a boo(b) window opens, and the babe can breastfeed through it. It's simple, there's still a bit of a learning curve, and the tops can be a “mom uniform” of sorts if you decide to stock on them (as I did). Or you can use one every once in a while for an occasion where you’ll go somewhere public or meet some friends, and prefer not to leave the group for the feeding. Real life examples include a Target run, going to the park, running errands, grabbing coffee with mom friends, a park concert, you name it. I met a mom who bought one for the airplane, because while she didn't mind using regular clothes on an everyday basis, going to New Zealand from the US with a 3-month old, was quite the airplane ride.
Na’ing - you’re still clothed, 100% comfy with lifting or pulling down your regular shirt, and have the confidence that people can look the other way should they be offended. In this case, I've heard it's nice to have 1 o 2 nursing tops lying around just in case.
We want to meet you where you are: if you’re comfortable with just using your regular shirts and meeting your baby's needs as they arise, wherever you are, this is the world that we dream of! If you prefer a cozy nursing top, we have many cute options, and if you think "maaaybe in your next life you'll be able to not cover up entirely", tell us, and we’ll add nursing covers to our shop 😊
We want to help you make one decision today
As moms, we have floating subjects in our heads. They're there, in the background, showing up here and there, undecided, taking out hefty headspace. If you relieve some space in your brain after reading this, we at Milky Season will feel accomplished for the day; this helps your day feel a tiny more bearable, and that’s what we’re going for, after all.
Think about what YOU want.
We also want that little lovebug of yours getting his/her liquid gold when they’re hungry or need some closeness to you, without having you worry about a piece of fabric or a time sheet.
Be open - Things might change
I used to admire the peeps that could just lift or pull down whatever shirt they had on that day, and breastfeed their baby as the most natural thing in life, because, well... it is. I’ve slowly become one of them, unapologetically lifting my shirt to nurse, and thinking close to zero things about it. And of course, nobody is just “lifting the shirt" or "pulling it down"; as we gain more experience and our babies grow, we learn how to move things around making the minimal viable fuss - as if we’re ninjas. We know you know how to open and close doors, walk on floors, and brush your teeth without making noise. Aren’t you amazing?
So, do you really need nursing tops? Only you can answer that question for yourself. If you’d like to see some options, click on the link below. If you decided it’s not for you, leave us a heart in the comments and we'll know you were here.
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Looking for something to make breastfeeding in public a little easier?
Our cozy nursing tops are made for comfort, ease, and real-life motherhood.