The 4 Most Popular Nursing Covers of 2018

If you want to breastfeed discretely, here’s the rundown on nursing covers. There are many breastfeeding cover options out there and one is sure to fit you, your baby, and your budget the best. In this post, you’ll discover some of the best infinity nursing scarves, shawl nursing covers, apron nursing covers, poncho nursing cover-ups, and even a DIY Nursing Cover you can make yourself.

Before my first child came along, I would have to say one of my main worries was, “How am I going to breastfeed this kid?”

My doctor recommended a breastfeeding class at the hospital that was super informative and eye-opening. My husband and I both walked away feeling like, “We got this! This is going to be easy!”

Then, reality hit.

Breastfeeding with my first was a lot trickier than that hospital class made it seem. Like many first-time moms, I couldn’t get her to latch at first, I wasn’t sure how much she was getting, and I worried constantly about the next time I had to feed her. Luckily, after a few days we figured the whole nursing thing out and I felt like a pro.

Until we stepped outside.

I like to get out of the house a lot, and trying to switch to nursing in public after nursing exclusively at home was a bigger transition than I expected. I was grateful I had been gifted a couple apron nursing covers, and they got the job done.

With each month my daughter grew, I felt more and more confident nursing in public, and simply made sure my breastfeeding cover was packed safely into my diaper bag along with all the other extra stuff moms carry around.

Now that I have three kids, I am so much more comfortable nursing whenever, wherever, and however I can. I’ve nursed a baby at a college basketball game, in a crowded airport, and at a booth in a restaurant. I’ve used a cover sometimes, but not all the time (which is when I’m thankful for affordable nursing clothes).

When it comes to breastfeeding, everyone has to find their own individual comfort level.

Even though federal law states “Mothers can legally breastfeed in public in every state,” it doesn’t always mean everyone wants to bare it all. So a nursing cover-up is a great option for those of us wanting to preserve a little modesty.

I have a lot of friends who choose to breastfeed their baby, and some are okay with nursing in public with no breastfeeding cover, and others like the extra security a breastfeeding cover-up delivers.

Some people like the apron-style nursing covers, others like the infinity nursing scarves, and there are those who like the poncho or shawl look. I want to highlight the different nursing cover options available to us currently in 2018.

Best Nursing Covers

Infinity Nursing Scarves

An infinity nursing scarf breastfeeding cover is basically an infinity scarf that transitions into a nursing cover because the material is so stretchy and wide.

A lot of women like these because they can be used as a car seat cover or shopping cart cover. I like these covers because they’re multi-functional and they can fold up into small spaces (aka in your diaper bag).

Here’s a highly rated infinity nursing scarf on Amazon:

On Amazon it says that “This is the industry’s first four-in-one nursing cover. This stretchy and comfortable multi-use breastfeeding cover can also be used as a car seat cover, shopping cart cover, or infinity scarf. This nursing cover up allows your baby to breastfeed freely. There aren’t any straps, rings, or cords to mess with. Not to mention, each cover takes just seconds to put on and take off.”

If you don’t want to spend over $30 for a nursing cover, this one looks almost identical, has great reviews, and is under $20!

If you don’t want to wait for Amazon to ship a nursing cover to you or would rather pick one up in store, Target has a similar infinity nursing scarf that is $17.89 and does everything the other scarves do.

Walmart has this multi-use infinity nursing scarf that is also available on Amazon for the same price. I really like the floral pattern on this one, but if you have a baby boy, it’s hard to say it’s gender neutral!

Shawl Nursing Covers

If you’re not really a scarf gal, then a nursing shawl might appeal to you more. This $25.99 Bamboobies Chic Nursing Shawl comes in two different colors. There’s black:

or “blackberry” which looks more like a cranberry color to me. Here’s the blackberry one:

This shawl says it’s “Clinically tested to provide UPF 50+ sun protection, the Bamboobies Chic Nursing Shawl offers natural sun protection for you and baby while nursing or when using it as a car seat cover.”

I have to say that is a huge plus for me. When my babies are little and I am carting them everywhere in their car seat carrier, it’s nice to know they aren’t going to get sunburned!

This nursing shawl on Amazon comes from the Kiddo Care Nursing Cover line:

It’s an Amazon’s Choice product, which usually means it’s pretty great! A plus to having a shawl as your breastfeeding cover is that you don’t have to mess with straps or buckles, and it’s stretchy and can double as a car seat cover like the infinity nursing scarf.

The Apron Nursing Cover

Like I mentioned before, this is the type of cover I was given when I was pregnant with my first.

This is a tried-and-true nursing cover style that a lot of women prefer. It covers you up when you’re nursing, it’s easy to get on and off and switch from one side to the other, and it provides a lot of airflow for you and the baby, which is important if you live in warm climates like Texas, where I live.

You can get a super cute nursing cover for FREE with this Uddercovers offer! Uddercovers has a lot of really cute patterns for their apron breastfeeding cover-ups, like these “Andy” and “Charlotte” patterns.

You can get one of their free patterned breastfeeding covers (a $34.95 value) with the promo code “ENBABY” at checkout. This promo code will take off 100% of the nursing cover purchase and all you are required to pay are the shipping and processing fees.

But Amazon also has several great apron-style nursing covers too, like this cute floral one:

Poncho Nursing Cover-Ups

My new favorite nursing cover is the one that Milky Chic sent me! It’s both the apron style with the open rigid neckline so you can still easily see baby, but then poncho-like with its 360-degree coverage! It even has a handy strap for keep your shirt clipped up! It’s pretty genius!

There’s not a huge difference between a nursing infinity scarf, a nursing shawl, and a nursing poncho. They all are multi-functional and made to be worn in ways other than just as a breastfeeding cover-up. If you’re specifically looking for a poncho, Cover Me Ponchos has a great selection like this one here:

And here’s an equally cute nursing poncho from Amazon:

I love me some polka dots, and you gotta love that baby all swaddled up in this cover!

DIY Nursing Cover

At this point, you might be thinking, “All those covers for breastfeeding are really cute, but couldn’t I just make one myself and save the $15-$30?” Well, yes, for those of you that are crafty and sewing-inclined, it’s a fun and easy project that doesn’t take much time at all!

Here’s a tutorial for making a shawl nursing cover-up that will cost you around $5, and it only requires a little cutting and one stitch. Plus, you get to pick whatever fabric you want! So, if a sewing machine intimidates you, then this is a simple and easy solution:

If you’re a mom with a few kids and maybe a couple more on the way, I’d recommend buying two nursing covers so if your baby has a huge spit up or major diaper incident, you can have a spare while you’re washing the other. Or so you can keep one at home and keep one in the diaper bag or car.

The important thing is that you and baby are fully covered wherever you feel inclined to be covered.

Which nursing cover do you use and why do you like it?

Be sure to read these other great breastfeeding posts!

The 4 Most Popular Nursing Covers of 2018