This Mamma feels good.

I thought I had carefully chosen an outfit to wear to the North West British Mummy Blogger's meet up on Sunday, but on Saturday afternoon HID pointed out that a high-neckline dress-style top with leggings, while fine for breastfeeding at home, does not cut in in a public place. I'd rather not be showing off my post-2nd-baby figure by lifting up my top to feed and exposing my legging-clad thighs and bottom, not to mention the tummy! So after a quick check on the Mothercare website that they had nursing tops, we piled the family into the car for a trip to our local store. I think it's one of the few (only, in our area) shops on the highstreet that sell nursing wear.

I was assisted by a very helpful and complementary member of staff who insisted I couldn't possibly be a size 16, obviously I was closer to a 12 (she was right, bless her soul, woo-hoo!), who bundled most of the vast range of nursing wear into my arms and sent me off to the changing room, where disappointment ensued, as is always the way with desperate, last minute shopping.

I tried on the first top, really funky design, bright colours,not at all boring or frumpy as I'd feared. Mistake number one: the carefully crafted hole at the side of the double layer through which I'm supposed to feed was not big enough to fit my boob through. I'm currently only a DD, mothercare make bras up to E cup. The top would be ideal for women with breasts growing out of the side of their ribcage, under their arms. Or, with exceptionally small, not full of milk breasts. This was the same for all the feeding tops I tried (around 10 different tops) and also a sleep nursing bra, size 16.

Mistake number two: the top layer of the feeding top was stitched to the bottom "cover-up" layer in such a ridiculous fashion, that each time I attempted to lift it as though to feed, the whole thing came up and exposed the bottom corner of my post-baby tummy, you know, the bit with all the wobbly bits and stretchmarks, exactly the stuff a nursing top is supposed to leave to the imagination? Yes, that bit. Great. This was, again, the same for all the styles and sizes of tops I tried on.

In conclusion, mothercare have a completely obsolete range of nursing wear, not one item was actually suitable to feed in. I will instead direct you to mamma feels good , where I bought my beloved, and actually functional, nursing t-shirt. Not only are they unusual, stylish and funky, but the double layer works fantastically, and the holes are big enough for big boobs :-)
As soon as mine comes out of the wash, I put it straight back on, and despair every time it gets covered in banana/babysick/wee/poo (delete as appropriate). I can't wait for the new designs to come out, I need at least two more for my wardrobe!! What's more, even though it's an independent company, Mamma Feels Good t-shirts are the same price as mothercare ones. And it's always nice to wear something no-one else has!

P.S. please see this post, and do your good deed for today by voting for Faye & Liam. Thanks so much!