Shopping for Baby Stuff
Parents normally shop for a lot of obvious things like the stroller, baby milk bottles, baby clothes, baby bathtubs, baby toys, etc. But the one thing that is most easily forgotten is a baby nursing cover. Try as much as you can, but this product usually falls out of the list as it’s not an obvious item to purchase.
What is a Nursing Cover?
When it comes to the baby, hunger can strike anytime, anyplace. They do not follow a schedule. And you may be outdoors running some errands or at a family get-together when this happens. Since they are tiny newborn tots, the only way they know to express themselves is by wailing or crying the pain out.
Unfortunately for us, there are no regular spots for nursing babies or clean nursing centers where you can take care of it. You will just have to pick the right spot or corner and breastfeed the baby, irrespective of how many people are around. This is where nursing covers come in handy.
Nursing covers are not really necessary, and laws would be different from state to state. But still, mothers can breastfeed babies in public.
Benefits of a Nursing Cover
There are some benefits to having a nursing cover that we have overlooked in the process. Let us check them out.
Protection
When the baby is breastfeeding, he is beside the mother but also exposed directly to the sky, which can be bright, and during the night, there may be blinding lights around. They will not affect adults, but to the tiny sensitive eyes of a baby, they can be harsh and damaging. If you are out in the sun, it’s even worse. There has to be a way to protect the baby from this. Also, they have to be isolated from the sun, wind, dust that may blow on them, and little things like bird droppings or leaves that can fall on them while nursing.
Distraction
Try having some food in a crowded, public place, and you would know that we all desire a quiet little place to sit down and grab a bite. Even babies generally get easily distracted, but what’s happening around them. Like, e.g., cars, people, birds, and noises can be distracting to a breastfeeding child. If the baby cannot concentrate on breastfeeding, the baby will not have enough nourishment and will be hungry again in a few minutes. The baby must be kept isolated in their small zone, away from all distractions, so they can have their full dose of nourishment.
As you can understand by now that the nursing cover has a practical application not just limited to covering up a breastfeeding mother.
Types of Nursing Covers
Let’s check out the types of nursing covers on the marekt.
Nursing Apron
As official as it sounds, it’s a properly stitched piece of cloth that is tied across the mother’s neck and drapes over the baby while nursing. These are not your regular pieces of wear, but just that they are well designed to hide the baby, provide adequate ventilation, and lets the mother and the baby have a cute little watch over each other while nursing.
Nursing Poncho
This is a big piece of fabric that is supposed to drape the back, side, and front of the mother while nursing. This single piece of cloth slips over the mother’s head to slide into the right place.
Nursing Shawl
Like any other shawl, it is used to drape over the body, usually the shoulders, and cover the baby while nursing. Again a single large piece of fabric, it’s easy to carry, manage, and style.
Nursing Scarf
A scarf is usually a smaller piece of cloth as compared to the shawl and is easy to carry even in the handbag. Scarfs are usually styled, and so every woman usually has a few in their closet. It can be used to cover the baby during nursing and again draped around the mother’s neck once done.
How to Choose a Nursing Cover?
Based on your needs and circumstances, you may need one or more than one to meet the requirements. You might have an apron-style one for official engagements and a shawl-type one for the pre-winter outdoors. The look and feel is also important as it may help you use it in a variety of ways and make more value out of the investment. It should be light and easy to tuck away in the smallest of places for easy storage while on the move. The cover should be soft and comfortable for the baby. Finally, it should not be too dark or too light to avoid passing too much light or block off too much light that can disturb the baby.
Best Nursing Cover: Reviews
Since we have understood the basics, it is time to go check out some nursing covers available in the market.
NuRoo Nursing Scarf – Best Versatile Nursing Cover
This is an exceptional product. If you style it well, as shown in their videos, there is no way anyone can make out it’s a nursing cover. Even the women around will be amazed and will ask you about it. This multifunctional product is a versatile accessory that’s a must in your closet. It’s very well thought through and perfectly designed to easily transition between a nursing cover and a scarf. Also, you can wear it in multiple ways because of the customizable straps.
Made from 90% Polyester and 10% Spandex, it’s extremely lightweight that’s allows you to snap it on either end for wrapping when breastfeeding. You can also wrapp it around the neck or over the shoulders. This fabric is 100% machine washable and dryer safe. The product dimensions are 9.61 x 7.2 x 1.18 inches, and it is available for around $30. We love this product as it offers good value for money.
Copper Pearl Multi-Use Nursing Cover – Best Multitasking Nursing Cover
This is advertised as a multi-function 5-in-1 cover. It can be styled and used in many different ways. It is styled in a loop design, and so you can drape it across your neck when not used by the baby. At other times you can wrap it across the car seat or yourself.
However, for some, the fabric of the nursing cover can feel a bit warm. The fabric is soft and is made from 69% polyester, 28% rayon, and 3% spandex, and so is slightly stretchable, which makes it a snug fit anyway it is draped. At other times, it can be used as a high chair cover, shopping cart cover, etc. Options are endless if you have imagination. The product dimensions are 26.5 L x 27.5 W inches and are available for around $25. There are almost 22 different color and design options which in itself is amazing.
Bebe Au Lait Muslin Nursing Cover – Best Nursing Covers
The Bebe Au Lait Muslin Nursing Cover is premium 100% cotton and has an open neckline and adjustable neck strap. The way it is designed lets the mom and the baby have each other in sight easily, unlike other products. The neckline is adjustable through 2 D-rings. There are internal pockets on the inside, and they are perfect for storing toys, breast pads, or pacifiers and can also be used as a handy quick cleaning cloth.
It acts like a perfect cocoon where the baby can focus on nursing and also allowing enough airflow inside. This product is super lightweight, comfortable, soft, and breathable. Just because it is styled in a particular way, it will not be as versatile as other products that we have seen earlier. This is a typical summer season cover, where the weather needs something lightweight. The breathable muslin cotton feels wonderful. This nursing product wrap is available in different colors and prints. The covers are durable and easy to wash and maintain. The nursing cover dimensions: 30 x 0.1 x 36 inches and available for $24.
Itzy Ritzy Athleisure Nursing Wrap – Best Shirt-Like Nursing Cover
Nursing covers can be multifunctional, but it does not mean that they have to be long cloth all the time. Unique and creative design variations are possible, and here we present to you the Itzy Ritzy Athleisure Nursing Wrap. This cover has a shirt-like appearance, and therefore it offers even more benefits to a mother. This modern design cover comes with two pockets and another styling to make it versatile.
It uses a jersey knit material and is available in one size fits all. Side pockets are useful for storing essentials. While the clean, stylish yet functional product makes it an ideal wear for home, office, or casual outdoors irrespective of whether you are nursing or not. It’s long and wide enough to easily accommodate the baby. The front of the cover easily snaps close, and so it’s easy to keep covered when nursing. But also, there is plenty of room on the sides to hold or reposition the baby. Its dimensions are 37.75 x 0.1 x 30 inches and are available at around $36. Though it’s a good product, not everyone may love its oversized look.
Simple and Versatile Choices
We presented you with some of the nursing cover product designs in this article. The basic principle is the same and very simple. Just cover the baby to avoid all interferences and distractions to natural breastfeeding, which should be done in a calm and relaxed manner.
The products are simple yet versatile in many ways. Also, there cannot be a lot of product variations. Whatever more exists in the market is just a little different from what we have covered. It’s possible that the mother may use more than one just to have some variety around, and there is always the extra one lying around when the other one is being washed. So, in the end, it’s an individual choice to select the style and color as per their needs and preferences.
