medieval kit, pregnancy and breast feeding

I recently started a group on facebook called re-enactment babies:
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/417762901587073/418526614844035/?notif_t=group_activity
 It's for friends who have kids and other members of the re-enactment crowd

We've got quite a few new Mums in the group asking about breastfeeding. I breast fed Bella but finding contemporary evidence was hard. I'm not massively well endowed and was able to lift mine over the neck line of my shift to feed Bella. However some of the new Mums are extremely buxom and it's proving challenging.

Not the most flattering picture of me but you can
see that my kirtle isn't massively low cut;
my shift comes just below the neckline of my kirtle.

You can see on this also not flattering picture how high my shift
comes as it's the white just above the burgundy on the neckline

This has inspired me. I've come up with some thoughts for expecting Mums and breastfeeding Mums. One friend said she'd got contemporary evidence for shifts with splits in, so I've asked for the evidence. But I thought why not make plastrons to fit inside the opening of a front fastening kirtle with extra long laces. That's what I had to do while pregnant and it meant little alteration to kit. A side fastening over kirtle I have evidence for, and the lacing on that could be loosened off  as the bump expands.

I'm front row right in orange, less than two months off having Bella. Although my kirtle fit on my chest my bump was massive, so I made a white wool plasteron to cover the gap. Looking at this picture, maybe I should have used a better colour, or even some spare fabric left over from the kirtle (though I didn't have any for this particular one)

When it comes to shifts I thought what about making them with splits in, but also with pockets so you can put breast pads in. I had a dreadful time with leaking when feeding Bella and ended up with white circles over the breasts of my kirtle, where, despite a linen pad and breast pads, i still leaked through. I think giving it some extra support would help too, though I need to do some research on fitting for this.

I've not seen anyone supplying pregnant Mums and I think it would be an interesting addition to my business. Almost a medieval mothercare!


Did I mention I've come up with a name, with help from friends. We've decided on "Kit and Caboodle" as this will cover almost anything!