With the right nursing top, you almost can feel as if you are leading a typical, clothed life.

I recently revisited the topic of nursing bras with a friend (who is deep in the throes of nursing for the second time) for a soon-to-be mama pal on the North Shore. Nursing tanks/camisoles are a fabulous, versatile solution. They are great for day (e.g., under cute cardigan or button down to feign appearance of put together new mama), night (i.e., because you’re too tired to change into jammies), and nursing in public (i.e., your sides aren’t exposed as they would be if you had to lift your shirt to get to a nursing bra).

Go with a tank/camisole where the front fabric piece unsnaps and folds down similar to a typical nursing bra (vs. the tanks where you essentially just pull down the top and are completely exposed across the upper chest). The nursing tanks at Target are a steal for around $13.

If you are willing to splurge, Bravado has a new nursing tank with super cute styling (shown above). The Bravado Essential Nursing Bra Tank ($47 at BabyCenter) has said snap/hooks in front, shirring at the chest, and flare at the waist to avoid feeling constrained. It’s available in white, sky blue, and black (I prefer black to hide leaks and stains).