Adventures in Shopping

Okay, I have a few things to get off my chest...

How come no one makes a good nursing bra that you can try on IN A STORE? I know that there are a couple of good bras online, but seriously, who has time to order multiple sizes of a bra and then traipse back to the post office and return all the ones that didn't fit? I'm too busy washing out onesies that have become victims of the latest Ava blowout. I don't have time for the post office. Hell, some days, I don't even have time for breakfast.

Maybe I'm just too picky, but I don't really like any of the nursing bras I have. I won't wear underwire, and they need to be beige, and they need to be lightly lined, because I frickin hate breast pads. That doesn't sound hard to find, does it? OH BUT IT IS. Most nursing bras are white and lacy (two things that I'm not fond of in a bra, nursing or otherwise) and unlined. I did find some at Motherhood Maternity, but I'm not convinced they fit well. First of all, it's a D cup. Anyone who knows me in real life knows how laughable that is. And, although it's a D cup, my left boob still keeps falling out of it. Just the left, because, you know, Ava's developed a preference and so I am now distinctively lopsided. But then I try on C cups from other makers, and they are all poochy in the, uh, nipular area. Hence the "lightly lined" part of my requirement. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

Another thing...I'm really glad that I am breastfeeding Ava and all, but it's kind of interfering with the tops I can wear. I'm not a fan of the "lift up the shirt" method of nursing, and tops that unbutton = tops that need to be ironed, so I mostly look for tops that have a bit of stretch and criss cross over my boobs. This really limits the kind of shirts that I can buy when I am shopping. I constantly see adorable tops when I am out shopping, but they hardly ever pass the nursing test. And forget the so-called "nursing tops" that some stores carry. Most of them have the double layer thing with the side slits for easy boob access. First of all, you can always see the side slits under the top layer of those tops, which just screams "I'm nursing. Wait for me to leak!" and second of all, double layers in 100 degree Texas heat? I'm not a total masochist.

While I was in Austin staying with Triad #1, we went shopping. We went into the Ann Taylor outlet, which is always big fun. And it still was, except that it was a little depressing because they have the greatest work attire out right now. And I have no need to buy any of it. Entire sections of the store were just pointless for me to even browse through. I can't justify buying gorgeous new work clothes when, even if I do go back to work, it will probably be from home. For some reason, that bummed me out. Hopefully, it's just because the opportunity to buy gorgeous new work clothes was lost, not because there's some deeper meaning there. The same thing happened in Macy's. They had the sassiest shoes ever, shoes that I will not have a need for unless peep toe pumps become the must have fall shoe at Gymboree. They had amazing work dresses in Macy's as well, so for grins I tried one on. It zipped up fine until we got to my MASSIVE ribcage. I've always been broad shouldered with a wide ribcage, and pregnancy has made it expand to a 40 band size. That's not that big unless you see my freakishly small wrists. My body doesn't even make sense anymore. So I made myself feel better by buying huge amounts of sale clothes for Ava to put away for next year.