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Bellawear Nursing Apparel

Innovative Fashions for the Breastfeeding Mom

By Gwen Morrison

Bellawear's discreet designs not only are practical, functional and fashionable, they often are made from all-natural fabrics. Pontillo prefers to use linens and cottons for most of her products when possible.

"We are dedicated to providing functional, stylish and safe nursing clothing," she says. "To that end, we have used, whenever possible, plastic injected molded snaps in our garments. This means that the snap is actually molded through the plastic binding, making it highly unlikely that it would ever fall off or break."

One of the favored items among the new moms thus far is the Easy-Going Dress. Available in a blue or a mint green color, the soft, linen dress can be worn by moms at home or at work. Fashioned with hidden nursing slits that provid easy access for breastfeeding, when the flaps are down, the dress allows privacy when using a breast pump. "The dress is so easy to wear, you'll forget it's a nursing dress," she says.

Although the dress is currently the company's best seller, Pontillo is confident that its newest release, a nightgown, will also quickly become one of her best sellers. "The nightgown is unlike any other nursing nightgown available," she says. "Our patented hidden snap openings prevent the risk of accidental exposure, while when opened, provides generous openings for nursing."

The wonderful thing about the fabric of the nightgowns is that they get softer and softer after each washing. They will be available in a button-down style or with a button-less yoke.

"Our company is striving to be economically conscious as well as environmentally conscious," says Pontillo. "We manufacture in the U.S. to support U.S. businesses, and we try to utilize packaging materials that can either be re-used or recycled."

Pontillo's strong belief in breastfeeding as the healthiest choice for babies has prompted her to design the Bellawear line with comfort in mind. "I would like to see Bellawear recognized as a serious manufacturer of clothing for breastfeeding," she says. "We have a lot of unique designs currently in production and testing. Our swimsuits will be a one-of-a-kind type suit for the market."

The nursing swimsuit, similar to the tank top shirt design that is currently available, will have concealed nursing openings so the front of the item looks essentially normal.

Want to see more?

• Breastfeeding in Public: The Right Way
• The Social Myths of Breastfeeding
• Expressiva Nursingwear: Fashionable Clothes for Nursing Moms
• Talk about it!