Over my years of breastfeeding, nursing apparels have come in very handy especially when I was on the move with baby where nursing in public was frequent. My eldest child E was breastfed for 1.5 years. Having witnessed the tremendous benefits of breastfeeding in him, I aspire to breastfeed Xan for at least two years.
I struggled but survived breastfeeding E without a nursing poncho, making do with only several pieces of nursing wear which over the time have shown signs of wear and tear. A search for stylish, practical and affordable nursing wear in the local Malaysian market proved futile – they were either too overpriced, too Aunty-like in design or lack of quality in material.
Here are some local brands I have previously considered or bought from:
► Pros: I own 3 pieces of the nursing tank in different colours. It’s very easy to wear – you can wear it on its own as a camisole or pair it with a cardigan. It also makes nursing very convenient – all I had to do was unclip either side of the top and nurse.
► Cons: Before it started gaining popularity, I used to pay RM40 to RM50+ max for the nursing tank but the price has soared to RM80+ now. Quite steep for a simple tank top like this. Because the paddings are rather thin and wear out easily, nipples tend to show and can be quite obscene/thought-provoking. You may want to replace the paddings with thicker ones.
► Pros: Good and comfortable material with longer lasting quality. Some are relatively more stylish, though most are simple looking.
► Cons: Ka-ching…expensive! I bought this top when it was on 30% off at RM80+. Frankly, I wouldn’t have bought it without the discount; the original price was just not justifiable.
► Pros: Affordable! Each design comes in choices of colour (although boring ones!) and the price ranges from RM29.90 onwards. The variety of designs is relatively more than other brands too.
► Cons: Design is rather Ah Soh-like. As if having productive, frequently engorged boobs isn’t enough to make us feel Auntyish, there they go and make our clothes looking frumpy too! The quality of material is poor too. I own 2 pieces of Autumnz nursing wear and both went out of shape after one wash. Sigh~
► Pros: This brand is probably the only one in Malaysia that offers both affordable yet quality nursing wear. I must say that their maternity range is wider and more appealing compared to their nursing collection. I bought quite a number of my pregnancy clothes there and have been very pleased with the quality. Relatively reasonable price range – not too expensive, not too cheap to the extent of compromising the quality and design.
► Cons: I do not own any nursing wear from 9 months, simply because I couldn’t find anything I like despite repeated visits to the boutique. Most of the nursing clothes there double up as maternity clothes, where the cutting and style are more skewed towards accommodating pregnant figures – making them less flattering for nursing moms.
► Pros: Another affordable range with almost similar concept like Autumnz.
► Cons: This brand is probably the one that offers the most Ah Soh design of all. I really intended to buy a piece or two to try but after browsing through its website again and again, nothing appealed to me. No point buying something I wouldn’t wear at all right? I’ve heard that the nursing bras are comfortable and reasonably priced though.
Stay tuned for part #2 where I’ll be sharing a brand which offers stylish, quality and affordable nursing range.
Disclaimer: The above review is based on my personal observation and preference, and hence may differ from your views and choices. I paid for all of the above items and did not receive any commission, gifts or rewards in exchange for this review.
Li-Kim
February 4, 2013
Haha, I like your comments on the Ah Soh wear! Looking forward to your part 2
joeyllhow
February 4, 2013
Coming up tomorrow!