I spent a couple days earlier this week with my friend Anna. She has five children, two of whom she nurses. It’s quite a relief to visit with a friend who also breastfeeds, as there’s usually no reason to have to cover up or go to the next room to nurse my son. (Not that I mind doing so when it’s necessary, it’s just nice not to have to do so.)

I’m definitely an advocate for nursing in public, but I like my privacy and would rather cover up if I’m not in my home or a (nursing-friendly) friend’s home. Babies (mine, anyway) don’t understand “please wait” and want to nurse now and who’s to argue with a screaming-in-public baby? Not me. So? Nursing covers are handy.

I did not know about these nursing cover things with my first two babies (I used receiving blankets tucked into my bra strap), but used one with my third and loved it.

Here are a few that come highly recommended by me, as well as a few of my Facebook/Twitter friends.

1. Udder Covers (US$35, uddercovers.com)
This is the one that I used (in the Porter design). The thing I loved most about it was the rigid neckline that allowed me to see my son. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to nurse your baby blindly. Udder Covers are light and fold up small to fit easily into a diaper bag or purse.

2. Hooter Hiders (US$35, available from bebeaulait.com and these Canadian retailers)
The Hooter Hiders line is similar to Udder Covers (I’d like to meet the person who named these things), but steps it up a notch with the fancy factor. Hooter Hiders boasts two designs—the Pocket Nursing Cover and the Ruffle Nursing Cover. Both come in twelve beautiful prints.

3. CoverBoo Nursing Scarf ($34-$40, available from coverboocouture.com)
Now, these are really neat. As much as the previous two covers are small and portable and easy to put on, the CoverBoo Nursing Scarf doesn’t even have to come off! It wraps around your neck like a fashionable scarf, and is easily accessible when needed. Want to see how it works? They have a video for that. It comes in 17 different patterns.

How do you feel about nursing your baby in public? Are you comfortable doing it without a cover or do you like to cover up? If the latter, what was your favourite cover?

Jen Wilson is a married mother of three super-awesome children—two girls and a boy—who range in age from 1-11. She enjoys photography, organizing, reading, TV, and sarcasm. She drinks her coffee black and dreams of one day owning a dishwasher. You can also find her on her blog, Hey Mrs. Wilson, where she has been writing about life in Saskatchewan since 2004. Follow Jen on Twitter @heymrswilson