What Actually Makes a Dress Nursing Friendly

Plenty of dresses get described as nursing friendly on the strength of being loose. Loose is not an opening. Here is what actually works when you are holding a baby in a room full of people.

A button front

The most reliable of the four, because you control exactly how much opens and you can do it one handed. The Cora Midi buttons the whole way down for this reason. The trade off is that a full placket takes a few seconds longer to close again than a neckline you simply pull up.

A smocked bodice

Shirring stretches down and springs back without stretching out, so the neckline pulls below the bust and returns to shape afterwards. The Linden Midi and the Cordelia Midi are both built this way. Smocking also happens to fit through most of a pregnancy, which is why these two get bought twice.

A true wrap

A wrap that actually wraps, tied at the waist with an interior fastening, opens on one side without undoing the whole dress. The Clover Midi, the Junia Maxi and the Winifred Midi all work like this. Be careful here: a dress described as a wrap look is sewn shut and does not open at all. The Clementine Midi is one of those, and we say so plainly in its details.

A wide scoop

The least obvious of the four. A scoop neck with wide straps pulls down far enough to feed and covers a normal bra the rest of the time. The Maeve Midi is cut this way in double gauze, which also happens to be the fastest fabric we sell to dry.

The one that does not work

A back zip. It does not matter how soft the fabric is or how loose the fit. If the only way in is a zip between your shoulder blades, you are getting undressed rather than feeding. Several beautiful dresses in our range close this way and none of them are on this list.

Every style that is genuinely built for it says "Maternity and nursing friendly" or "Nursing friendly" in its details. If it does not say it, assume it was not designed for it.