Nursing bras are essential for moms who are planning to nurse. There’s so many to choose from – from $15 styles at Target and Motherhood Maternity, up to $110 leopard print nursing bras from Agent Provocateur (as seen on Gwen Stefani!) In the last couple of years nursing bras suddenly became pretty and are now available in many styles and colors, with lace and attractive details definitely an option.

What about nursing wear? What shirts and tops do you wear over the bra to make nursing as easy as possible? And do you really need special nursing clothes at all?

Nursing tank tops, and nursing t-shirts in plain colors are easy to come by, and work nicely at home, or to layer with other tops.

Maternity stores are starting to carry more fashionable nursing clothes, like this shirt that would be perfect for summer, and this pretty purple dress.

But on the whole, stylish nursing clothes lag far behind nursing bras. And as the average breastfeeding mom nurses for 6 months or more, we can’t be expected to make do with a couple of shirts.

Most moms wear nursing clothes at first, when access needs to be as easy as possible, and style is usually the last thing on a mom’s mind when you have a tiny newborn.

Once breastfeeding is going well, most moms can wear many of their pre-baby clothes to nurse.

Any shirt that can be pulled up, or down, or unbuttoned, can be a nursing shirt.

In the early days, a low-necked shirt that can be pulled down is usually easier to manage, avoiding a big bulge of fabric over baby’s head which will prevent you seeing what baby is doing and whether they are latched on correctly. Do this with old shirts because it will stretch out the neckline.

Then, once you and baby are experts at nursing, pulling a shirt up, or unbuttoning, to nurse is more discrete. It won’t stretch out your shirt’s neckline either.

So, it is possible to combine breastfeeding and style. Here’s to fashionable nursing!