Breastfeeding Fashion

But make it modest.

Why oh why are nursing-friendly clothes also marketed for maternity wear? Which designer assumed that pregnant women breastfeed, or breastfeeding women are [visibly] pregnant? This is most definitely not a 2-in-1 situation!

Welcome to the labyrinth of modest breastfeeding fashion. If you breastfeed (this term includes pumping), you’ll quickly realize that breast access at any time of day and night is necessary. If you choose modest fashion, you’ll also realize most modest brands will close the neckline all the way up. Now we’re between a rock and a hard place, and the only way out is my least favorite activity in the world: shopping for clothes.

I see you crying at your closet where nothing fits, and the things that fit aren’t breastfeeding friendly. After we become adults, we rarely need to update our wardrobes as much as we do now. I hope my experiences can save you some hair-pulling time as we head into the biggest sales of the year this weekend.

So let’s start.

I will begin with general advice inshallah:

• Any zipper or button down tunic/dress/shirt-dress can work, provided the fit and length suit your needs. You can also use the claw clip method on any top, where you roll up and clip the fabric onto your collar with a claw clip. In public, that method will need a nursing friendly undershirt and nursing cover.

• You can alter garments you already own, either yourself (kudos to that talent) or at a tailor. My favorite trick is to open the buttoned Moroccan-style kaftan or galabiyya/thawb and insert hooks or a zipper underneath the buttons or along the decorative vertical seam.

Tailored examples from my wardrobe

Moving on to specific ready-to-wear items:

Linking items does not age well - prices and inventory change, brands can come out as unethical, and links eventually break. But for the sake of this weekend’s sales, I’ll share a select few in this article.¹

My overall principle is quality over quantity. I would rather purchase a few high quality items, usually pricier, that I can wear repeatedly. Hence, my list will be short.

You have 4 layers to consider: the brassiere², the undershirt (optional), the actual garment, and the breastfeeding cover. I will go over the last 3 and hyperlink examples.

• The undershirt: you’ll want either a stretchy fabric with a wide neck that you can pull down, such as sizing up in these, or nursing friendly specific tops like camis, t-shirts, or long-sleeve.

• The garment:

  • Abayas: most will work so long as there are buttons! But my favorite are zippers.

  • Tops: I lived in this postpartum and returning to it now as temperatures cool.

  • Dresses: A lot of modest brands tend to have dresses that would only look modest on thinner bodies and usually not breastfeeding friendly, but I recently found Enrobe’s dresses to fit the bill!

  • Nursing covers: the 3 styles are apron, poncho, and multipurpose³, or what I jokingly call “straitjacket”. The first two are great for a newborn who has yet to discover their powerful fists that grab the fabric and expose you. The straitjacket needs getting used to, but is the most reliable.

Breastfeeding on a flight using the straitjacket cover

That’s all I have for now! Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments, we’re all in this struggle bus together! May Allah help us nourish our children comfortably and modestly.

1. Please note that I do my best to follow ethical guidelines. I use the Disoccupied app to boycott for Palestine and I avoid fast fashion brands like H&M and SHEIN due to their mistreatment of laborers, especially Uyghurs. There’s always room for improvement.

2. Pro-tip: Don’t purchase too many before delivery as bra size can fluctuate during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

3. Safety tip: Avoid covering carseats and strollers with any kind of material to prevent dangerous overheating and reduced air flow for baby.