Over the years, we have reviewed a number of nursing garments. Typically, each review has coincided with the arrival of a new baby and we were able to speak about the importance of a good nursing shirt during the young baby stage. For those of us who nurse beyond the first year, investing in quality nursing clothes is that much more important, as the value for dollar will extend just that much longer.
Recently, Nicole, Dana and Jessica were all given the opportunity to review some beautiful nursing wear items from Au Fait Mama. Au Fait Mama is a fabulous Canadian company based out of Vancouver, whose goal is to create a line of breastfeeding tops that allow mothers to breastfeed without sacrificing style and comfort.
Au Fait Mama garments are all made from a Bamboo Jersey material, which is a sustainable resource that results in clothing that is hypoallergenic, antibacterial and breathable.
Nicole’s Review
I tested the Tank Maxi Dress made by Au Fait Mama. When trying on the dress for the first time, I was blown away by how beautifully it fit my postpartum body. I was a bit nervous ordering the extra-small size (I generally fit a size 6 in regular clothes), but the dress fit perfectly. The fabric is comfortable and my dress still looks new after a number of runs through the washer and dryer (be sure to follow the washing instructions). For the most part, I absolutely love this dress; however, I do have two minor criticisms:
1. The neckline pulls down very easily to allow nursing -a good thing! But, I’ve also had a few instances where I’ve glanced down while carrying my toddler only to discover that he has pulled my shirt almost entirely down without me noticing.
2. At 159 cm (5’2″), I find that I am tripping over the bottom of my dress a bit (although it doesn’t quite reach the ground when I stand). This is not great safety-wise considering I’m often carrying at least one toddler or preschooler (3 of my 4 kids are still quite young), or big baskets of laundry.
Jessica’s Review:
For review, I received The Nature Tank. My last born is now 14 months and still nursing frequently throughout the day, and I intend on continuing this until I return to work when he is 18 months, so I liked the idea of a nursing top that could also serve as a regular top.
What I like about this tank top is the long length and the way the bottom is tight to the body while the rest of the tank is loose, so it is quite comfortable. The overall design is flattering and trendy. According to the size chart I should be a small and all clothing I wear is small, but this tank top fits large – I wish I knew this prior to ordering the size. Due to the nature of the design, the pull down style neckline allows give so it can be pulled down under the breast.
When I wear the shirt and stand still it appears as though the shirt fits, but as soon as I put baby on the hip or bend over it is apparent that the neckline is much too loose. It shifts and pulls down and reveals my bra and down my shirt. Another con I find is that although I am quite comfortable nursing in public I find the pull down feature makes me feel ‘naked’ on my chest while my baby is nursing unless I am wearing a scarf. I really want to love this tank top but because it fits too big I am not able to wear it comfortably – had I ordered an extra small I am assuming this would be a non issue.
Dana’s Review:
I received the Nurture T-Shirt in white as well as the Foster Breastfeeding scarf in coral. While A is now 18 months old, he still nurses on demand which means we still have about 4-5 nursing sessions each day and even more if he is feeling extra cuddly! As a result of the still frequent nursing, I still wear nursing bras and nursing shirts on a daily basis.
What I immediately loved about both the Nurture t-shirt and the scarf was how soft they both were. I found that the t-shirt fits my body perfectly and I love that it is longer as I prefer to have my shirts sit lower on my hips. The x-small shirt fits me perfect and I don’t have any issues with the neckline that Nicole and Jessica experienced.
I have never much cared if people watched me nurse, my opinion has always been, if you don’t want to see it, then don’t look. However, I did feel pretty exposed pulling down the top. That was solved nicely for me with the addition of the Foster Breastfeeding scarf. This beautiful and completely functional and practical (and stylish) scarf is the perfect accompaniment for this style of nursing shirt. I have also worn this out on occasions where I didn’t even have the baby with me as it is so lovely as just a regular wrap scarf!
Disclosure: This review was sponsored by Au Fait Mama.
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