How do I Choose the Best Breastfeeding Dress?

The best kind of breastfeeding dress is versatile, resilient, provides comfortable access for the baby to nurse and is easy to clean. There are several varieties of nursing dresses available that have these qualities without sacrificing style. With the right neckline, fabric, and overall style, a breastfeeding dress can be a convenient, attractive, and comfortable item of clothing.

Many of the best breastfeeding dresses are made of stretchy material, such as cotton jersey. This makes it easier to move the fabric out of the way so that baby has access to nurse. When buying a dress with this kind of material, it is best to purchase one with a resilient, high quality fabric that will stand up to frequent handling and stretching.

Style is another important factor to consider when choosing a breastfeeding dress. Dresses that cross in the front are both stylish and offer easy access for nursing. They are one of the few styles that can work well in just about any fabric as the design can be easily moved to the side even if it is not made of stretchy material. Wrap dresses can be a convenient and flexible cross-front style as they allow for a wide range of adjustment.

Scoop necks can also be convenient, though it is particularly important to choose a resilient fabric when purchasing this style, as the neckline will be under more stress than with a cross-front style. Some other styles of breastfeeding dresses have a panel, usually reaching down to the waist or the bottom of the bust, which opens at the bottom so that the breast does not have to be accessed via the neckline of the garment. Overall, a style with some give either in the fabric or construction of the garment will make it easier to give baby access to nurse.

Fabric pattern and color are two other key elements to consider when shopping for a breastfeeding dress. Milk leaks are common, particularly in the early days of motherhood. Dresses in darker colors or with patterns hide dark spots from milk leaks more effectively. It is also less likely that a potential stain will ruin a dress as it will not be easy to detect on a dark or patterned dress.

Breastfeeding dresses should also be easy to clean, partly because of potential leaks, but also because this is an item that a new mother will possibly wear much more frequently than a standard item of clothing. While a woman may have a dry clean-only dress for special occasions, it is best to buy dresses that are machine washable for every day use. Dresses that do not require ironing can be especially convenient for busy new mothers.