Jalie 3132- Nursing tops
Everyone’s all gung-ho about nursing for the first year- but you start to get mixed responses after age 1. With Princess nearing her second birthday (sob!), I’m still in no hurry to let go of those precious nursing moments, and I hope she continues to nurse for as long as it works for both of us- which means I need to up my game in terms of nursing-wear. I think the ready-to-wear nursing tops are a total racket- I’ve seen them for as much as $98! I know I saved money on formula, but still! I can make my own for much less- and I’ve discovered a new pattern to do just that!
The TAMI hoodie (New Horizons) with nursing hack was my go-to last year, and is back in rotation again, but I thought I would explore another option- the Jalie 3132 “Nursing and Regular Tees and Tunics”. More recently, Jalie has started giving their patterns actual names, but this is an older pattern, and the description in the title is pretty accurate. 3132 offers options for t-shirt and tunic length nursing shirts, with options for V or hooded top, and a few sleeve lengths. The nursing access comes via a pull up panel with a modesty section underneath- so you have minimal exposure while nursing. This appeals to me, not because I’m afraid to flash everyone else at a play date, but because I HATE the cold.
The great part about this pattern is that it also has a standard view- so if you don’t need the nursing access right now, it’s still a good investment. It would be pretty easy to hack into a maternity shirt as well, if you’re so inclined (But this baby factory is closed)!
I chose the hooded option, with the long sleeves, and added cuffs and bands.
This pattern is pretty fitted- I’ve sewn the non-nursing version in a low-stretch two way jersey blend, and regretted it. This time I picked out a double brushed poly floral from Pretty Posh Prints, and I greatly prefer it in this fabric. It fits like a t-shirt- so if you’re looking for a more outerwear-type hoodie, you’ll want to size up one or two sizes. I would recommend trying your top on before serging the side seams and making sure that the pull up panel hits you in the right spot- mine is a little low, possibly due to my height (though I have a long torso and don’t usually adjust for my 5’2″ stature).
Similar to when you buy new workout wear to get excited about exercising again, making a new nursing shirt makes me look forward to nursing for the umpteenth time that day-while Princess practices her yoga moves (as far I’ve seen, toddlers NEVER sit still-even while nursing.) Nurse on mamas!
Note: This top originally appeared on Pattern Revolution, but I wanted to bring it to my blog as well. If you want to check out hte full PR feature, you can see it here.
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