7 Ideas for DIY Green Breastfeeding Coverups

Modest moms don’t need expensive new breastfeeding covers, with all the green choices available.

While it’s not difficult to breastfeed modestly in public, many women in the Middle East prefer to wear a breastfeeding cover. And a range of companies will be happy to sell you a new one. But there is a greener way: buy second-hand, borrow from a friend, or make one yourself with fabric you already have on hand. Choose a light-weight all-cotton fabric, so stains won’t show. You can cut up an abaya that you no longer wear, or get something at the second-hand store or gemach (a type of lending library for items with limited use).

There are a range of ideas for do-it-yourself breastfeeding covers. Here are the best ones I found:

1. If you can sew on a button, Victoria from ehow.com explains how to make a cover using only an old apron and a baby blanket.
2. Here is a more sophisticated cover from Jaime at Prudent Baby (pictured above in the works). It requires supplies from the sewing store, but you may have enough fabric on hand. It can make a great baby gift too, if you know the mom uses a cover. This tutorial by Angela at Blisstree is similar.
3. If you like bows, try this version of a breastfeeding cover from SewStitchClub.
4. You can try this cute reversible cover from Shannon Makes Stuff.
5. Or just use any kind of poncho that fits over your head.
6. If a cover is not your thing, here are great tips for breastfeeding discreetly with ordinary clothes.
7. A sling is great for discreet nursing, keeps your hands free, works great on public transit and is “greener” than a stroller.

However you cover up (or not) when you’re breastfeeding, you’re helping your baby get a great start in life and contributing to a greener planet.

Read more green breastfeeding posts by Hannah Katsman:
Breastfeed Your Baby in a Hijab: Public Breastfeeding in the Middle East
Book Review: A Fading Art: Understanding Breastfeeding in the Middle East
Breastfeeding and Cosmetic Breast Surgery in Israel
Ten Ways to Buy Less When You Breastfeed Your Baby

Author: Hannah Katsman

Hannah learned environmentalism from her mother, a conservationist before it was in style. Once a burglar tried to enter their home in Cincinnati after noticing the darkened windows (covered with blankets for insulation) and the snow-covered car in the driveway. Mom always set the thermostat for 62 degrees Fahrenheit (17 Celsius) — 3 degrees lower than recommended by President Nixon — because “the thermostat is in the dining room, but the stove’s pilot light keeps the kitchen warmer.” Her mother would still have preferred today’s gas-saving pilotless stoves. Hannah studied English in college and education in graduate school, and arrived in Petach Tikva in 1990 with her husband and oldest child. Her mother died suddenly six weeks after Hannah arrived and six weeks before the first Gulf War, and Hannah stayed anyway. She has taught English but her passion is parental education and support, especially breastfeeding. She recently began a new blog about energy- and time-efficient meal preparation called CookingManager.Com. You can find her thoughts on parenting, breastfeeding, Israeli living and women in Judaism at A Mother in Israel. Hannah can be reached at hannahk (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

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