I love my fabulous nursing tops! They really do help to make breastfeeding more convenient in private as well as in public. With enthusiasm, I often tell people about my nursing tops, but unfortunately, the most common response is "Nursing Top? What is a nursing top exactly?” If you're breastfeeding and you don't have a nursing top, you don't know what you're missing!

First, what exactly is a nursing top? Good question! A nursing top is just a regular top with "secret" concealed openings in the shirt so that you can pop out a breast and feed you're baby without having to expose your entire belly or breast. If you buy a good nursing top, it should be comfortable, fashionable, and best of all, no one should even be able to tell that it's a nursing top.

There are many different ways that a nursing top can hide its openings so that they are concealed until you need to use them. Check out BumbleWee Nursing Wear's Nursing Top Styles Guide for an overview of the different types of nursing tops and nursing openings you can find.

Next, why do I want a nursing top? There are many reasons why a woman would want a nursing top. Here are eight benefits of nursing tops:
1. Nursing tops are convenient - You don't have to lift up your entire shirt to expose your breast for nursing.

2. You don't have to sacrifice fashion in order to get a top that is easy to nurse in.

3. You don't have to expose your entire belly to get to your breast. (I don't know about you, but exposing my belly was the last thing I wanted to do after my son was born).

4. You don't have to expose your entire breast to breastfeed. Many nursing tops have an under-layer to only expose the part of the breast necessary for breastfeeding.

5. You don't have to hide - With a nursing top you're exposing less skin which will help those moms who feel a bit nervous about breastfeeding in public.

6. Nursing tops help to make those around you feel more comfortable and accepting of you nursing your child. Although it's not right, many people still feel uncomfortable with nursing in public. By minimizing skin exposure we can help bridge the gap with these people and hopefully teach them to be more accepting of breastfeeding.

7. More enjoyable nursing experience - with a specialized nursing top, it easier to breastfeed your baby. Also, fashionable nursing tops will make you feel more like your old self and not a tired lactating mom. Having an enjoyable breastfeeding experience is crucial to successful breastfeeding for both the mom and baby.

8. Many nursing tops are also sized to be used during pregnancy as well as post-baby. Be sure to look into this option since it will really cut down on the number of clothes you have to buy!

Also, keep in mind that in addition to a nursing top, there are many other types of clothes that really help the nursing experience. There are items such as nursing bras (which are essential if you’re using a nursing top), nursing pajamas, and even fashionable nursing dresses! You can also get nursing covers if you still want some extra privacy beyond what the nursing top provides. For an idea of the types of clothing you might want to start off with take a look at BumbleWee Nursing Wear's article on Nursing Clothing Essentials.