Sometimes no matter how prepared you are, you’ll be faced with an unexpected 
breastmilk leak which can quickly become a large embarrassing stain on your clothes. When your home, well it’s not a problem. When you are out at a function, at work, having a coffee with friends or at the mall, the last thing you want is to feel uncomfortable and self conscious.
Here are 12 tips on what materials you should not wear when breastfeeding (and those highly recommended).
What to avoid:
Pale fabrics and fabrics that stain/ watermark easily: There’s always a chance of a leak or spill no matter how careful you are, so make sure the fabric you choose will hide stains. This goes for your bottom half as well as your top.
- Shimmering materials will allow wet areas to shine in all the wrong places
- Black may not show the wet at easily, but when the wet milkpatches dry you may be left with little rings of white on your black top.
- Clothes with a polyester base fabric – while polyester is one of the most commonly used manmade fabrics, it is water resistant, which means zero absorption of perspiration, wetness and milk spots.
- Rayon is a great flowing fabric to wear to keep you cool however because it is made out of synthetic fibers, just like polyester, it too repels rather than absorbs moisture.
- Silk, although a natural fiber, also tends to repel water rather than absorbing it. Avoid wearing silk tops or dresses when breastfeeding as the stains will be very noticeable.
- Pale color fabrics are also to be avoided. Light colors are bad news for those who sweat a lot as well as unexpected milk leaks. Light blues, pale greens, any shade of grey, and lighter hues of any color will show moisture right when it hits the sun.
What material to wear when breastfeeding:
- Wear cotton whenever possible: A good quality, lightweight cotton is one of the most breathable fabrics around so it will allow a little airflow for drying out the dampness. Cotton also absorbs moisture, rather than repelling it.
- Wear linen as an alternative: Like cotton, linen is created from natural fibers so it is super absorbent with a fast drying time
- Dark-colored fabrics make moisture much less visible
- Bright white is actually equally effective at hiding stains
- Wear something multicoloured/textured so that any wet patches weren’t as noticable
- Mesh is also a clever clothing material to wear – a tank top or camisole underneath a mesh top – the mesh allows air to circulate and any wet areas are able to dry fast.
TIP: Back up – carry a light weight shirt or blouse so that if you do end up with a stain, you could put the shirt/blouse over the top to cover it.
When you were breastfeeding, what material did you find showed up stains more than others?
