Disclosure: This product was sent to me free of charge by breastvest to be reviewed. However, as per my PR info disclaimer, this review is my unbiased honest opinion of the product.
Product: breastvest
Price: £15 (check below for hints to a special #KBBF2013 discount code!)
Age Range: n/a
Manufacturer’s Description: breastvest is a unique piece of breastfeeding underwear, designed to be used in addition to your nursing bra, to provide a comfortable layer of support and coverage for your postnatal tummy.
Available in black and white and a steady stream of limited edition colours, breastvest comes in XS, S, M, L and XL sizes and makes any top a breastfeeding top.
Rating: 
(5/5 stars)
Review: I was sent a breastvest a while ago, before Lydia was born, and have been using it ever since she arrived. It’s no secret that I am a “larger lady” so I asked for a size xl which was a very comfortable (and flattering!) fit.
The basic idea of the breastvest is that it turns any top into a nursing top by adding a second layer underneath. You wear the Breastvest under your top, and it covers you up to the bottom of your nursing bra. This is great as it stops you needing to bare your belly to the elements or to the gaze of others.
I know a lot of people are fond of the “wear two normal tops” strategy for nursing, wherein you wear a regular vest top under your clothes and yank that down below your boob whilst pulling your top layer up to feed… now let me tell you something about this method. If, like me, you are generously endowed in the chest area (and I’m talking bra shopping restricted to bravissimo big), this is really not comfortable to do. Things dig in. With the breastvest, this is not a problem as it sits beneath your chest to begin with.
I found that the fabric was thin enough to stop me from feeling too warm when I was wearing it beneath my clothes, whilst still thick & protective enough to keep me from feeling a chilly draft when I was feeding, as can often happen when I just wear a t-shirt and pull that up. The straps allow for a fantastic range of adjustment to fit all shapes and sizes, and sit comfortably along side your bra.
Please excuse the dreadful photo of me that lurks in the gallery below – my husband cannot seem to take a photo of me looking normal, especially when I am feeling self conscious cos you can see my bra! I think I am being very brave to post it at all… I did consider chopping off my own head…
In my opinion, the breastvest is really at its best when you are going out somewhere in public & plan to breastfeed whilst you’re out; sitting on a chair in the middle of a cafe or something is the time that I would normally feel most uncomfortable pulling my top up to feed, with nothing covering up my back & side, and this vest really helps to stifle that paranoia that someone is staring at my exposed (goosepimply and rather unattractive) flesh!
We all know that post-birth is when you can end up feeling the most uncomfortable in your own skin – with a wobbly jelly belly where your baby used to live and the challenge of learning to breastfeed, the breastvest lets you feel that little bit more confident when feeding in public.
I really try to encourage mums to feel like they don’t need to hide away to feed their babies, and welcome any product that can help a Mum face that challenge. I found that the breastvest was comfortable and did exactly what it promised to do – 5 stars!
As part of the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt 2013, breastvest are posting a discount code each day – check their facebook page to find the latest code! I am also giving my readers the chance to WIN a breastvest here on my blog so make sure you check that out.
This post is part of the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt 2013. Check out more posts by some other bloggers taking part in the hunt:
In addition to breastvest, I am working with Theraline this week. Theraline make pillows for pregnancy and breastfeeding, and I am hosting a giveaway for two of their Wynnie pillows, to which I gave a 5 star review recently.
If you want to take part in the scavenger hunt, head over to the Keep Britain Breastfeeding blog to sign up, and find out more! Don’t forget to comment & fill out the rafflecopter to earn some points!
The post Review: breastvest appeared first on Mama Geek.