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Nursing/Postpartum Tuesday: The Work Shirt in White

Machine-Washable Work Clothes· Nursing· Recent Recs

A woman wearing The Work Stripe Nursing Shirt from the MADRI COLLECTION This top from Madri Collection is a little bit on the pricier side, but if you’ve committed to pumping at work, I can see this design being worth investing in. I think this shirt does a good job at hiding the zippers so it does not seem like an obvious nursing top. With a button-down shirt you can just unbutton the top few buttons, but this may be helpful if you’re trying to avoid being exposed from the waist up during your pumping sessions. I think this shirt can even be worn after you’re done pumping or nursing, because it looks like a great cut regardless of its hidden function. This top comes in white and two  prints, is machine washable, and is available for $148 at MadriCollection.com in XS–L. The Work Shirt in White This maternity/nursing-friendly top from Storq goes up to 3XL and is $98.

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Sales of Note…

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • J.Crew – 25-40% off kids’ styles; extra 50% off select sale
  • Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
  • Hanna Andersson – 30% off all kids’ & baby clothing; PJs on sale from $25; up to 75% off clearance
  • Carter’s – Rule the School Sale: Up to 50% off; up to 40% off baby essentials
  • Old Navy – 50% off back-to-school styles; 30% off your order, even clearance
  • Target – Backpacks from $7.99; toddler & kids’ uniforms on sale from $5
  • Pottery Barn Baby – Summer sale: up to 50% off
  • Nordstrom – Limited time sales on brands like Maxi-Cosi and Bugaboo.
  • Strolleria – Free infant seat car adapter with any Thule stroller; 30% off all Peg-Perego gear in our exclusive Incanto Collection

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About April

April is a working mom, a longtime reader of CorporetteMoms, and wrote our morning fashion advice for working moms from April 2018 to October 2020. She has one child (born 2/17!) and she’s a public interest lawyer in NYC.

Comments

  1. lawsuited says

    I started using an okay to wake clock with my 18 month old this weekend based on comments here. I always thought they were intended for toddlers but after reading from one commenter that she used it for her 9 month old, I figured I’d give it a try. LO is waking up at 6:15-6:30am instead of 5:15-5:30am! It feels like magic! So grateful for this community – I learn a lot here.

    • AwayEmily says

      I feel like the OK to Wake clock off-label baby use is a major Secret Parenting Trick (hashtag parenthack?). I learned it from a (real-world) friend of mine almost two years ago — we started using the clock with my first when she was 5 months, and we just started introducing it to my 9-month-old last weekend when his wakeups started creeping earlier. It truly is life-changing.

      Another related trick: on days when you think they might actually sleep in and don’t want the clock to wake them up, you can keep it in your room and then just bring it in with you when you go get them. That way they still associate the green light with you coming in.

    • Delta Dawn says

      How did you introduce it!? Tell me everything!! I have a 12 month old who needs early wakeup intervention, and a toddler who needs stay-in-your-bed intervention… I’m about to buy two!

      • lawsuited says

        We’re only using it for night time sleep (naps are not an issue). I set the light to turn on at 5:30 seeing as he is naturally waking up at 5:15/5:30 right now. When I turned it on during our bedtime routine the “sun face” lit up and I explained to him that when he wakes up and sees the sun face he can call mummy and daddy to get him, and if he doesn’t see the sun face then it’s still sleep time and he must go back to sleep. He woke up at 5:00 and I left him until 5:30 when I knew the sun face would be on. When I went in I made a big old deal of the sun face and how that meant it was time for him to wake up. After 2 nights, I set the light to turn on at 5:45, and now it’s set to turn on at 6am. I reiterate the instruction about the sun face every night when I turn it on, and make a big deal of the sun face when I get him up. I really think he gets it, because when he woke up this morning (at 6:30!) he called through the baby monitor “Mummy! Clock!” and wanted to go over and say good morning to the sun face when I got him out of his crib and go and get daddy to show him the sun face.

      • AwayEmily says

        The quick version: set it for the time the kid normally wakes up. Make a big deal of the clock being green, YAY, when you go in to get them. Slowly set it to turn green later and later (~5 minute intervals).

    • anon says

      Just jumping in to say if you are using this clock with an early rising preschooler, if at first you don’t succeed, keep working at it. The first time we introduced the clock, she did not get it at all. We are going thru another super early wake up thing. We started setting the clock at 5:15 am, so it would turn green when she was actually waking up and then advancing it in 3-5 minute increments. She is totally into it now and are getting close to 6 a.m.! My oldest caught on to the clock right away and has loved it ever since.

      • octagon says

        Yes to sticking with it – it took my 2.5 yo several tries (around 20 months) before it really stuck. Now when he plays pretend with his dolls he says “dolly, time to get up, your clock is on!”

  2. FVNC says

    Similar to lawsuited’s comment — I have been meaning to thank whoever recommended Dr Jart’s color correcting face cream, which is sort of a combination sun screen and tinted moisturizer, but with a little more coverage than tinted moisturizer. I work from home, and it’s perfect for helping me feel a little more put together in the morning for school drop off, running errands, etc. Thanks, C-mom community!

    • tell me more says

      I’m looking for this exact thing as my mornings have become super hectic and I just need something I can apply quickly to even me out in lieu of my usual make up routine.
      Where can I buy online? Any tips for getting the shade right?

      • FVNC says

        I bought it from Amazon — DR. JART+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 0.5 oz/ 15 mL (travel size) . It’s greenish in the jar, and then adjusts to your skin tone when you apply. For reference, I’m very pale with a lot of pink and red areas. It evens out my skin tone nicely.

    • Anon says

      Oh yes – THANK YOU for this. Birchbox has a trial kit with all the Tiger Grass products in it and if you like the Color Correcting Treatment Sephora has a gift set that basically makes a whole bunch of bonuses free when you buy the full size jar.

  3. AwayEmily says

    Does anyone have one of those little toddler trampolines with the handlebars? I saw one on a list of “best toddler toys” that someone here posted and am intrigued…it is VERY snowy where I live and my 2.5-year-old could definitely use some indoor toys to get her energy out this winter. But it also takes up valuable floor real estate and I worry about buying something that won’t ever be used.

    • Cb says

      We have one and I am not convinced it is worth the real estate. I think I’d get some sort of cushion climbing toy. The Candokiddo Instagram has one that looks awesome.

      • Cate says

        We have soft blocks they can pile up and climb over and such and have loved them. Got a lot of use in the young toddler stage but still get used now.

    • Em says

      My parents have one at their house and my son and his cousins enjoy using it while they are there. However, I would not get one for my own house, because he quickly tires of toys and, as you stated, it is a lot of real estate. It is something of a novelty at my parents’ house because he is only over there once a week, at the most.

    • Betty says

      We have a small trampoline for my son on the spectrum; it is one designed for exercise. We have taught him that it is a great way to exercise and get those grumpy, frustrated feelings out in a constructive way. It gets used at least 4-5 times per week. When he is not using it, we set it on its side out of the way.

    • Spirograph says

      We don’t have one of these, and at a friend’s house, my kid flipped over the bar and smashed his face because he was leaning on it to get extra jump height, so I can’t recommend it. ha. If you’re going to commit to the space, I’d go with one of the ones with netting around it instead of a bar; we saw one of these at a different friend’s house, and the kids liked jumping with a ball or balloon in the netting that they could bounce off the sides.

      Do you have any tunnels or tents? They fold up nearly flat for storage the kids love crawling through them and build bigger forts around the ends. This makes a huge mess of blankets and cushions, but keeps them well entertained!

    • Anonymous says

      I have no experience with a trampoline – although definitely considered one – but I do recommend the Little Tykes First Slide. It folds flat for storage. We had one in our NYC apartment and used it from age 1 to 5. (Well we still have it at age 6 but should not still be using it – son is really too big now). And it is under $35. Good for sliding but also as a ramp for cars, etc.

      • Anonymous says

        Seconded. We get so much use out of our slide for our almost 2-year-olds, both by climbing up and sliding themselves but also by sending down toys and cars over and over and over again.

    • EB0220 says

      We have one. My kids have used it for a couple of years and they love it. However, it does take up real estate. We don’t mind because our house has the space but for a smaller space I’m not sure.

    • lawsuited says

      I have one of those knitted pouffe footstool things that my 18 month old uses as a trampoline. When he’s not piling up all the throw pillows from the couch and jumping on them. Or kicking my decorative cork balls around the kitchen island. I vote against buying a kid-specific toy when they’d rather be playing on the furniture (and you have the furniture already).

      • Anonymous says

        ha, so true. My kids decided that the sofabed in our family room was a trampoline last night, after they pulled all the back and seat cushions off to make a fort and exposed the folding bed underneath. When the cushions are in place,they also enjoy standing on the couch armrests and bouncing dive-rolling across the seat. (I don’t encourage this behavior, but I usually am slow to stop it)

        If you have a reasonably kid-proof space, a hook-over-the-door or suction cup basketball hoop and a mini hockey/soccer net are also huge hits in our house. My 2 year old almost never gets the ball in the hoop, but he still thinks it’s fun to throw it in that general direction and then chase the rebound around the room. Word to the wise: choose the balls carefully.

    • AwayEmily says

      Thanks, all. Sounds like the consensus is “probably not worth it.” I’ll just encourage her to climb all over the sectional when she is feeling antsy.

    • Anonymous says

      Late to reply but with a highly energetic kid, the best $15 I ever spent was on an inflatable bouncy rubber horse, basically a Rody knockoff. Got it starting at 1.5 years old and she still uses it at almost 5. It can be stored anywhere and if you really need more space, it can be deflated and folded up.

  4. Playroom Table and Chairs says

    I’m ready to get kiddo (just turned 3) a table and chairs for the playroom. I really prefer the look of the PB Kids ones, but I want to make sure they’re worth it. Typically this is the type of thing I’d turn to Ikea for, but I really don’t like the look of what they have right now. Is this worth paying for? Other brands I should consider?

    Thanks so much in advance!

    • Anonymous says

      I’d check for second hand first. These usually last pretty well, may just need a quick coat of paint if they’re scribbled on and you care about that. We got ours at a garage sale and it’s perfectly serviceable after 3 years in our house and who knows how long with the previous owner(s).

    • Anonymous says

      I think Melissa and Doug has a simple wood one. No personal experience with it.

    • Cb says

      We’ve got a mutable one that has different surfaces for lego, Duplo, chalk. It was pricey but it is very cool and the legs get longer so it can be used until they are 7 or 8.

    • Anonymous says

      We have a PB Kids play table and chairs made of some type of hard wood that have held up amazingly well for a decade. I have scrubbed paint, markers, etc. off the top of the table with a Magic Eraser many times. As long as the set is made of hard wood and not something soft like pine, I’d go for it.

    • anon says

      I’ll offer my 2 cents. We have the ikea latt set. We were also given some used chairs from pb. The pb ones are definitely much better quality. I think ours went through at least 3 other kids (one family) before they came to us, and, although they visibly show wear and tear, they’ve held up well. I don’t feel like the ikea ones can hold my weight. The pb ones definitely do. However, the ikea one is $30 and works fine for our purposes. I would not have spent the money on the pb ones. The other thing I don’t love about the latt, is that the table is not flush all the way across, which makes cleaning it kind of a pain.

    • Anonymous says

      I mean no they aren’t worth it but if you have plenty of spare money why not?

    • lawsuited says

      This is definitely something I’d try to find second-hand. In my area there is a very robust resale market for baby/kid gear on Facebook marketplace and Kijiji, but YMMV.

    • Anonymous says

      We have the more expensive Ikea one with the under table storage and adore that feature.

    • Anonymous says

      OP here. Thanks, everyone. I’ll check out these other options. But I’m leaning towards the PB Carolina. I really love it and rarely splurge on this kind of stuff. I’m hoping it will have many years of use.

  5. Baby Boy Clothes says

    Favorite places to buy trendy/unique baby boy clothes? Currently shopping at Carter’s, Hanna, Monica & Andy, Zara, Gymboree, Gap, and Old Navy, but looking to branch out a little.

    • DLC says

      In addition to the brands you listed, I like Uniqlo. They don’t have a huge selection, but I like the aesthetic of everything they have. It’s fun, but sophisticated too, and not too busy or loud. And their plain basics are great too. The only thing is the baby stuff is not in all stores, so you have to order it online.
      I also like H&M, but find the quality is not always great.

      • FVNC says

        If money were no object, I would buy my kids’ entire wardrobes from Boden! We have a bunch of Boden hand me downs and the quality is excellent.

  6. New Mom says

    I’m struggling. My baby is almost 3 weeks old and it’s our first day completely alone. I had a rough labor (4 hours of pushing!) and she was in the NICU for a week. BFing was going well but over the past few days it’s been painful and she’s so fussy. At the pediatrician yesterday, her weight wasn’t great so I got my lactation consultant back in. I’m having a hard time actually doing the things she showed me yesterday, and am basically just sitting here with sore nips and a screaming baby. She is just constantly wanting to feed.

    On top of all of this, my second degree tear hasn’t healed well. I finally got it looked at yesterday and it turns out my stitches have fallen out! Likely due to all of the back-and-forth to the NICU. It’s TBD whether I need to be re-stitched or if I’ll heal on my own. But I basically am back to square one of healing and am not supposed to do any activity but keep my legs glued shut. I’m scared things will never be normal down there.

    Basically just feeling totally overwhelmed. Outsourcing what I can and not worrying about anything but feeding the baby and trying to sleep. It will get better, right? It has to…

    • Anonymous says

      Hugs, it will definitely get better! Don’t be afraid to give the baby a bit of formula here and there. Lactation consultants are so fear-mongery and act like if baby has one drop of formula it will be the end of breastfeeding, but that’s not true at all. I know a million moms, including myself, who supplemented with formula early and ended up breastfeeding past one year or much longer. I breastfed until my daughter was almost 2.5 and I definitely would have quit in week 1 if not for formula!! Giving even one formula feed a day can be sanity-saving, because your partner or hired help can take a nighttime feed and it will give your nipples a break. Nipple shields can also be life-savers if she’s not latching well. I used one at every feed until my baby was well over a year old and it didn’t interfere with her weight gain at all (she was actually a huge chunk as an older infant). LCs are super judgy about those too, but they’ve worked really well for a lot of people I know.

      • AnonAtty says

        +1 Don’t let the judgy LCs (or the “breast is best” community in general) make your life harder than it already is! Take care of yourself and feed that baby with some (magic) formula. I bet you can even get it delivered by a grocery delivery service (along with some nipple shields IF you want to keep trying).

    • Anonymous says

      Are there any breastfeeding support groups in your area? I know travel might be hard, but they’re a great resource and place to seek support through the hard times. In my area, they’re offered through the hospital and hospital staff LCs run it. You’re amazing. This is the hardest time (IMHO), and you will be okay. If you need emotional support, ask for it (your doctors, relatives, friends, partner, etc.) You’re an amazing mom.

    • Mama Llama says

      This sounds like a lot to deal with! My advice is to keep trying different things with bf-ing. I posted here under the title “Help, my n1pples!” when my baby was, I think, 6 days old. If I can find the thread, I’ll post a link because there was lots of good advice. I had to switch LCs to get relief – the first one just wasn’t much help, but the second one was a lifesaver. If your LC isn’t helping, don’t be afraid to try a different one.

    • ElisaR says

      Congratulations, you just made a human! It will absolutely get better. I found 6 weeks to be the magic time where everything changed (sorry that means you may be in for a bit more of what you’re going through). Hang in there, you are focusing on the right stuff. The only way my bf journey happened was because of the nipple shield with my first son. I used it for 3 months straight. I also went to a bf support group at my hospital. Formula is fine too. Lots of options. Hang in there, you’re doing great! It WILL get better.

    • Anonymous says

      It will get better. I promise. My LC was really supportive of combo-feeding (she used to tell me it’s the presence of breastmilk, not the absence of formula and even a small amount of breastmillk can provide the immunity benefits). So if you need to combo-feed, do it. I was at my breaking point around 3 weeks. It got better shortly thereafter.
      And yes, your body will heal. My tear was really slow to heal and they had to treat with silver nitrate around 6 weeks (ouch!!!). Day to day was fine shortly thereafter. That spot/scar was a little tender during intimacy for about 10-12 months postpartum which wasn’t awesome, but it did eventually stop bothering me.

    • Anon for this says

      In the interest of making you feel better, I will anonymously share my horror story that 2 people in this world know. After getting super sick and having a ton of pain in my stitches, I ended up in the ER one week after giving birth, where they told me my stitches were infected and gave me an antibiotic. I went to my OB-gyn the next Monday because they still weren’t getting better, and she diagnosed me with a severe first genital herpes outbreak…..on top of the 12 stitches I had from tearing (oh, and I also pulled my groin while pushing). It came back as HSV-1, which is the strain usually associated with cold sores (which my husband has). We hadn’t gardened at all in my last trimester, so based on the length of the incubation period, I most likely contracted it because he wiped his mouth on my towel (yes, I am an urban legend!). The pain was so bad, though, that I basically could not walk for several days. Despite all that, I am all healed down there, so have faith that you will be too!

      • AwayEmily says

        OMG that is AWFUL. So glad you got better; that must have been so painful.

    • lawsuited says

      Everything you are feeling is so normal so don’t read anything into the fact that you’re struggling. You’re a great mom and you and your LO will be thriving soon. It was so hard for me to trust in the early days that it would ever get easier, but it really does!

      Clusterfeeding is so hard. During those times it helped for me to mentally accept that baby and I were not leaving the couch for 7 hours, gather some snacks next to me, cue up some Netflix, and give in to the endless feeding/burping. I had a colicky baby, and we used Cocyntal (a snake oil placebo, I’m sure) which stopped the crying for a little while when I was really desperate. I also introduced a soother early on (I decided the risk of nipple confusion was well worth it but it never became a problem) and used gripe water. I didn’t have to supplement with formula, but I definitely echo others’ recommendations to supplement if it helps you. Basically, you’re in survival mode right now and it’s okay to use whatever tools will help you through it, without shame or guilt.

      And your tear will heal (but I’m so glad you had it checked out and encourage you to continue to take care of your own body) and you’ll be surprised how back-to-normal that region gets. I definitely was!

    • Anonymous says

      It gets better! I promise! You are in the middle of the very hardest part!

    • Anon says

      It does get better. Can’t speak to the tearing because I had a C-section (which mostly healed fine – some surface separation but it wasn’t painful), but then at 6 weeks I had emergency gallbladder removal with 4 new incisions, so it’s always something. 3 weeks is the point at which I stopped swearing every time I nursed, and that’s because that’s when my LO had her lip and tongue tie corrected. 6 weeks is the magic point I started to feel better (you know, prior to getting cut open again). 4 months is when my LO started doing better, but she had colic and should not be an considered anything remotely close to the “average” baby (lord grant me the patience to deal with my “high-spirited” “intense” “very active” “very smart” “very stubborn” now-toddler), and believe me, I counted every day until the magic 3 months when colic was “supposed” to resolve and then cried almost every day the additional month and a half it took to finally resolve. Agree with above that you are in survival mode. Cluster feeding sucks and you just have to accept that it sucks and cue up the TV and slather on the lanolin (and maybe take some ibuprofen or tylenol – I was taking it for my c-section and gallbladder incisions, but it also helped with the nursing soreness before we finally got the latch right). My child napped exclusively in the swing her first few months because that was the only way she would sleep without being held. Grocery delivery of frozen prepared food (thank you Stouffers) is the only reason we ate anything resembling a cooked meal. But it does get better and you will survive, even if it’s hard to see how right now.

    • Elle says

      You are right in the thick of it. It will get better. 3-4 weeks is prime cluster feeding time. Totally normal! I will second reaching out to the LC again (or to a different one) and/or finding a BF/new mom group. In my area the hospital offered them, LLL, as well as other places.

    • cbg says

      at about 2 weeks my doctor told me about side-lying to bf and it changed my world. I would put a pillow behind my back and between my knees to get the right angle and was so much more comfortable. Also, the Medela Soft Shells are amazing, basically a shield to keep anything from touching your nipples in between feedings so they can heal a bit. I also wished I could have had someone film the LC latching the baby on for me, because I could never do it quite the same once I got home either. they make it seem so simple!

    • Anon says

      I had a similar start with BFing- it hurt incredibly and DS was slow to gain weight. At the encouragement of the pediatrician and the LC, I started to pump almost exclusively around 3 weeks. It helped so much because I was able to actually see how much I was producing and feeding DS, and how much I needed to supplement. I still nurse, but having the pumped milk gives me peace of mind that he gets enough to eat. My LO never had nip confusion and takes a bottle beautifully- which was a huge help when he started daycare. In our case, combo feeding is awesome because DS still gets the benefit of milk, but we have the flexibility of formula and DH can help out more. Also, have you had LO checked for tongue tie? DS had one and having it clipped was a game changer in terms of pain from his latch. Hugs to you. I know how hard the struggle is. Give yourself as much grace as you can muster. You are doing amazing!

  7. Just wondering says

    Question. Are these “pumping friendly” tops worth it? Am I the only one who takes off her whole shirt and bra, puts on a pumping bra and zip up hoodie sweatshirt (bc my office is always cold), and pumps that way? Because this shirt looks really nice but does it actually make things easier?

    • Spirograph says

      My pumping days are over (yay!), but I always removed my whole shirt.

      • anon says

        Same. I’m not sure how you could do it with the hands free bra any other way. I did wear nursing friendly shirts outside of work because I wasn’t comfortable pulling up regular shirts and exposing my post partum belly.

    • Mama Llama says

      I take off my whole shirt. I am sure that if I tried a pumping friendly shirt I would drip milk on it.

    • ElisaR says

      I found that b-feeding tops were more helpful for b-feeding than pumping. For pumping it was just “don’t wear a dress” and otherwise if you have a private office you can just get to it. For b-feeding in public though, those tops were a better option than regular tops.

      • Anon says

        +1 to this. In my private office I wore a wrap dress, shirt dress or just a top I could easily lift up with a nursing bra (I was still nursing mornings and nights). I would lift up the top (or loosen the dress), unclip the nursing bra, zip on the simple wishes pumping bra, hook up, and then go back to typing. But I loved having a few nursing tops and, even more critical, nursing dresses for nursing while out and about or with company over.

    • Anonymous says

      I pull my shirt up over my b**bs but don’t take it completely off… not quite as chilly that way. This has always been the easiest approach for me.

    • Anonymous says

      I always took off my whole shirt for pumping and lifted up my shirt for nursing. I tried the nursing shirts and found them more complicated.

    • EB0220 says

      Meh. I wore a nursing cami and dress most days. Then just unzip the dress, pull the top down, unsnap the cami, put on the strapless pumping bra and go. It was fine.

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