Photo by Maira Kouvara

Nursing Clothes Pattern Retailers

Blessed Designs – click on “Nursing Patterns” in the sidebar and you can find patterns for nursing lingerie (nursing sleep bra, nightgown, camisole and tummy cover), a hoodie sweatshirt and jacket, and nursing shirts.

Elizabeth Lee Designs – offers an entire Nursing Classics line with several patterns for nursing tops, nightgowns, swimsuits and coverups, dresses, slips, and jumpers.

Sew Baby – offers a collection of nursing patterns including ones from Blessed Designs, Elizabeth Lee Designs, Kwik Sew, and SewFast Nursing Designs.

Jalie – highlights a few shirt patterns that function as discreet nursing tops.

Kwik Sew – features a pattern for a maternity nursing gown. I have linked directly to the pattern but if you are outside the United States, you might wish to visit the main page to select your country.

Baker Lane Dressmaking and Design — “Catherine’s Choice” is a particularly modest dress that serves as a maternity dress followed by a nursing dress.

Common Sense Patterns – offers another modest women’s shirtwaist nursing dress that includes an option for a shawl to use as an extra nursing cover. (Note that this company is currently up for sale so check availability).

For Help with Your Nursing Pattern Sewing Projects

There is a Nursing Mothers’ Sewing List for e-mail support. Its pattern sources page also lists out-of-print nursing patterns like Butterick #6553 and McCall’s #8254 which sometimes can be found on eBay and the like.

Your Projects

Do you have a nursing pattern you particularly like? Do you have any tips for sewing nursing clothing? Please leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Dealing with Vomiting and Diarrhea in the Baby and/or Mother

My tip on how to make your own Pedialyte-type oral rehydration solution comes from my recent experience with rotavirus (if you don’t know what rotavirus is and how to treat it, then you probably don’t have a preschooler)! (Note that if you are breastfeeding and your nursling has vomiting and/or diarrhea, then the best thing to do is to continue breastfeeding! Of course watch your baby for signs of dehydration and consult your pediatrician for medical advice).

If you or your child (who is not nursing) is losing fluids and could benefit from an electrolyte solution, one cost-effective option is to make your own Pedialyte-type fluid replacer. A one-quart bottle of Pedialyte costs approximately $6, whereas you can make your own at home for much less. (And a bonus for breastfeeding advocates: Pedialyte is made by a formula manufacturer, so by making your own you are choosing not to support any form of breast milk substitutes.)

Homemade Electrolyte Solution Recipe

2 quarts water
1 teaspoon baking soda
7 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh-squeezed or bottled orange juice

Options:

Add a squeeze of lemon juice or more orange juice to each serving if desired for flavor (but just enough for flavor because juice has a lot of sugar and can make diarrhea worse).

Instead of the cup of orange juice (which provides some potassium for the electrolyte solution) and regular salt, you can instead add 1 (1/4 ounce) packet unsweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix and 1/2 teaspoon salt substitute (read the warning label on salt substitutes and consult your doctor).

Directions:

Stir all the ingredients in the water until they are completely dissolved. The solution can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, or for a treat to tempt a child it can be made into popsicles (an ice cube tray and toothpicks work well if you don’t have a popsicle mold).

Other Money-Saving Tips (stay tuned as more entries are added throughout the day):

Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog: Home remedies for breastfeeding problems
Blacktating: Do It Yourself: nursing cover, hands-free bra substitute, and hand-expression
BreastfeedingMums: Alternative money-saving uses for breast milk
Mamas Worldwide: How to make a regular bra into a nursing bra
Hobo Mama: Money-saving breastfeeding ideas
Milk Act: How breastfeeding taught me to be more frugal
ZenMommy: Musings on nursing and saving money

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

After several bouts with mastitis aggravated (I believe) by the ubiquitous underwire nursing bra, I sought out a less binding, and less expensive option – one that I could throw in the wash without fear of the “hand-wash” only label. I found the JC Penney Fancy Me Sleep/Leisure Bra to be perfect. Comfortable, easy to use, and the price is right – only $12-14 online at jcpenney.com. It may not be free, but the price is excellent and the value superb.

FYI: I work full-time and just finished nursing baby #2 for 16 months. I’m not well-endowed so this bra may not work as well for full-figured gals, but for me, this bra was a lifesaver.

I too am a fan of sleep bras even for every day wear, like the Medela Sleep Nursing Bra I reviewed. I took at look at the JCPenney sleep/leisure bra and it looks great too. I like that it’s 100% cotton and that it has a pretty lace trim.

Thanks so much for the cost-saving tip, Maureen!

Do you have a breastfeeding product you would like to review?

Email me with your breastfeeding product review!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Submit your money-saving tips! Email me your submission by February 9, 2009, for consideration for the carnival on February 16, 2009. As a reminder, here are the guidelines that will increase the chances a post will be selected for inclusion in the carnival:

– A well-written, grammatically correct post
– Thoughtful commentary directly on point for the carnival subject
– Overall quality of the rest of your blog and whether the general subject matter is something of interest to our readers (breastfeeding, parenting)

If your post is selected for inclusion, you will be asked on the day of the carnival to edit your post to link back to each of the other participants in the carnival.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

5 Alternatives to Regular Nursing Clothing

While it’s great if you can afford nursing clothing (see Where to Find Nursing Clothes) and can find styles that you like, there are other options.

1. Layer a button-down blouse over a tank top. When you lift up (or pull down) the tank top to nurse, the sides of the open blouse will offer coverage.

2. Layer a regular shirt over a loose-necked tank top. To nurse, lift the shirt up, pull the neck of the tank top down to expose the breast, and your belly will remain covered by the tank top. Or instead of pulling down the tank top, you could cut slits in the tank top to provide openings for nursing. These methods are especially helpful in cold weather!

3. Use a sling or nursing cover! I have free patterns for sewing a ring sling and “Hooter Hider” type nursing cover.

4. Repurpose a pregnancy belly band under your shirt to keep your belly covered, or buy a special nursing belly band. Here’s a great free video showing how to breastfeed in public with a pregnancy belly band!

5. Sew your own nursing clothing. If you are really handy, you can even knit your own nursing tank top!

Your Experience

Do you have something that helps you feel more comfortable nursing in public? Leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3