The Perfect Ugly Christmas Sweaters for Breastfeeding Moms
Back in 2015, a silly but sexy Christmas sweater found on the Etsy shop YourSassyGrandma made the viral rounds. It showcased all that an ugly holiday sweater should: sparkle, kitsch, appliqué-like designs and, of course, good ol’ Rudolph—played by your bare breast. That’s right, this sweater featured a tinsel-edged, peek-a-boo cut-out to pop your boob through. While Rudolph’s antlers were sewn onto the sweater, you had to stick the provided red-nose pastie and deer googly eyes onto your naked breast to complete the festive look. Voilà—the sexiest holiday sweater, ever.
This year, the Rudolph-boob sweater ($56) is once again getting shared widely. It’s been liked, shared, retweeted and bought en masse by nursing moms who took one look at this sweater and thought, “Um, that’s the perfect ugly Christmas sweater for breastfeeding!” Our best guess? Breastfeeding mothers everywhere are getting pretty darn tired of all the public shaming, and this silly, sexy, tit-centric sweater is the perfect way to thumb your (red) nose at haters. Plus, moms are practical, and having easy access to baby’s food supply is a no-brainer.
Breastfeeding wasn’t actually top-of-mind when Sheri and Tyler Wiseman created this sweater (silliness was), but they adore its fan base all the same. “We love that so many people are embracing it as a breastfeeding sweater,” Sheri says. But because Sheri is a mom of three and veteran breastfeeder herself, she’s also compelled to keep your baby safe, noting that Rudolph’s googly eyes could be a choking hazard. “You’ll need to make sure your baby doesn’t pop one into his or her mouth while feeding,” she says. Also, the pastie only adheres once, so if you plan on breastfeeding during that ugly Christmas sweater party, stow some backup fashion or toupee tape in your purse.
Despite all the attention her sweater is garnering, Sheri actually wouldn’t have worn it while she was breastfeeding. “You can only nurse on one side!” she says. Instead, Sheri prefers one of the sweaters in the shop that offer easier pathway to both breasts via a double-wide tinsel-y cut out dead center. Here, moms can sport pasties (included), a tank or a nursing bra underneath and still easily feed baby on both sides.
“None of our sweaters were made specifically for nursing,” Sheri laughs. “But now I’m starting to think that we should make some specifically for breastfeeding.” We agree!
In the meantime, here are some of Sheri’s breast-friendly options for women.
Fa la la la la, la la la lactation! It’s the gift of breast milk, you see?
Buy it: $43, Etsy.com
It’s a sweater! It’s a holiday mobile! It’s an amazing sparkle masterpiece!
Buy it: $46, Etsy.com
Can’t be bothered with the whole sweater part of an ugly sweater party? This one has you (barely) covered. Of course, this also means baby won’t leave you be for one hot minute.
Buy it: $25, Etsy.com
Published December 2017
