I made a titty tent! I mean, a nursing cover.

I got a sewing machine for my birthday back in April and haven't used it a whole lot since getting it.  I'm definitely a beginner and have been trying to think of things to start out making.  I've made 2 aprons and thought I could make a nursing cover pretty easily. I had a lot of fun making it and will show you pictures of the process in just a minute...

A word about nursing covers- I do not think of a nursing cover to be totally necessary for a breastfeeding mother.  I think they are great for women who would be uncomfortable to nurse in public otherwise.  I always pictured myself as one of the women who would proudly nurse without a cover wherever I was.  However, when I had to start supplementing Oliver with the SNS, nursing in public became a whole new ballgame.  A nursing cover allows me to use the SNS in public since it is harder to stay covered while using it.  A friend of mine recently posted a link to a blog post that discussed the topic of nursing covers and I was blown away by the post.  It made me reconsider using a cover.  She ends her post with this, which totally blew me away,
    
              "Please, no more calls to "cover up". Anyone who cries for a cover over the beautiful sight       of a nursing mother and child is unwittingly and devastatingly calling for the destruction of womanly knowledge, and the handicap of the next generation of breastfeeders." 

Now back to my reason for this post, my sewing project!  

My supplies.

My old nursing cover I used as my pattern

Pinning

Reading about decorative stitches on my machine- with the help of little hands! 

Sewing the decorative stitch

Trying out our new cover.
And no, I normally do not use a cover at home! 

And just because he's so darn cute.

After some contemplation about what the blogger suggested I am still using a nursing cover.  I can only hope that my future babies will be better nursers, my milk will be more abundant, and I will not have to use the SNS.  Those will be the days of cover free nursing!  But for now, I'll stay covered up.

Would you nurse him in a car?

Lately I've been hearing Dr. Seuss in my head every time I nurse Oliver in a different place.  Before going further though to explain what I mean, I should fill you in on our breastfeeding journey.  The quick version is that Oliver was born a little early.  I knew I was going to breastfeed him, I've been exposed to nursing my whole life and breastfed all my babydolls.  My milk came in and everything seemed great and he was gaining for the first 2 weeks really well.  It turns out he wasn't transferring much milk and my supply really diminished because of it.  We did everything under the sun to get my supply increased and nothing has really worked.  At 7 weeks we started supplementing Oliver with formula using the Medela Supplemental Nursing System.  We had done our research and knew that was what we wanted to use when our pediatrician suggested supplementing with a bottle.  Breastfeeding is so important to me and I had big hopes the SNS would increase my supply.  It really hasn't increased my supply but it has kept my supply steady.  I am able to nurse Oliver by using the SNS.  He gets breast milk from me as well as his formula.  At first I was embarassed by the SNS.  It is not used very commonly and a lot of people do not know what it is.  I stayed in with Oliver nursing him to gain weight for a few months while he got stronger and I gained confidence in my mothering and the way I was feeding him.  Now, I feel like it is something people should know about.  It allows me to nurse my baby anywhere, (with a little planning).  I have been so grateful for the SNS because I am not sure my milk would still be here if I had given him a bottle at 7 weeks.

Now that you are filled in on what we're doing...let me explain the mention of Dr. Seuss.  Because I have worked so hard to keep the small supply that I have I am not comfortable giving Oliver a bottle, even in public, unless I really need to for some reason.  He's a bottle only a handful of times.  We use the SNS everywhere.
Would you nurse him...
in the car?
at the pool?
at your in-laws?

Nursing w/ the SNS at Cafe 4 after Graduation

at church
on the patio?
at a restaurant?
at friends houses?
at JoAnn fabrics?
That's all I can think of right now, but I am proud to say that I've nursed my baby in all those places with the help of the SNS.  It has been good for my heart with all the burden of supply issues.  I love the connection of breastfeeding and the sweet looks of thanks I receive from my sweet boy.  It makes it all totally worth it.