I am breastfeeding, and while it has been a lot harder to master than I expected, we've been able to overcome the various challenges so far (thanks a lot to the babycenter.com breastfeeding board and La Leche League). I consider breastfeeding to be a very important part of being an eco-mom because, not only am I giving my baby the healthiest, most natural food on earth, but I'm saving money, packaging, and transportation waste also! It's completely worth sticking through the tough moments.
To aid in making breastfeeding more comfortable in public, I decided to create my own nursing cover. I could have bought one for around $32, but the covers are so simple and making one allows me to choose the fabric, design, and saves me a ton of money.
Instructions
I used these instructions from blisstree.com for my own cover, making a few adjustments just for me. I spent $9 for all of the supplies and about two hours to finish the cover (if you are an experienced seamstress, this should take you less than an hour - I spent a lot of time ripping out seams when I screwed up).
Adjustments I Made
For fabric, I would have liked to buy organic, but the only store within an hour of me that sells fabric doesn't carry any. I ended up with a lightweight cotton, which I hear from other moms is important as the baby can get pretty toasty under the cover.
Neckline with straps fastened
I made the long strap only 24" long and that was plenty (possibly still a bit too long). I also decided to use velcro as the fastener instead of the D-rings. Since I am creating this cover just for me, it was easy to figure out just where I wanted to fasten the strap, then sew in the velcro right there. I just figured I wouldn't want to be messing with the D-ring, behind my head, with a crying baby, in public. The velcro should be much easier.
Velcro - Note the thread gets all bunched up while sewing this on. I'm sure there's a better way to do this, or possibly you may just want to sew these on by hand or get the stick-on fabric kind.
Finished Product
Here it is! My first major sewing project in probably 15 years!!
