The freedom to slurp in public

I only breastfed for six weeks, but I distinctly remember plenty of times when I had to choose between hiding in a separate room during a family event or throwing modesty to the wind and baring my breasts for the world to see.

Now don't get me wrong: I fully support public breastfeeding, but I also think that it's a pretty big personal decision on how much to show and when. For me, the only people who were ever getting tickets to my free show were Buttercup herself, my husband, and my sisters. So if I had been aware of the Slurp & Burp at the time, you can bet your lactating boobies that I would have been using it!

As with so many of the best products for mom on the market today, this little baby was, of course, invented by one. The Slurp & Burp allows for discreet breastfeeding sessions that cover your body without covering the baby. And because of the unique sash-like design, you also end up with less attention since it just looks like you are cuddling your child! The new design comes with a detachable burp cloth and its own carrying case.

Now, I'm not breastfeeding now, but I did take the Slurp & Burp out of the packaging and tried it on to get a true sense of how it would work. I read the directions, put it on as directed, and grabbed one of Buttercup's baby dolls to finish out my evaluation.

The Slurp & Burp product claims include:

* covering mom and not her baby
* promoting the mother/baby bond
* loved ones can still interact with the baby while the child is eating
* washable
* Made in the USA
* All in one product for nursing and burping

There are more, but all of these are both good points that I agree with. My only "I don't know" moment is connected to the claim that says this product will help mom avoid the cost of a new nursing wardrobe. And this may just be a point of preference, but I myself would still invest in a few essential nursing tops even with a Slurp & Burp. The only way I could have breastfed with the T-shirt I had on while trying this product out would have been to expose my belly to the public or to stretch the neck of my shirt to the point that I would not have been wearing it again.

But that's really just a minor issue when you consider the fact that you can walk through a crowded mall while breastfeeding your child with no one the wiser. For those who like wearing button-up blouses, I'm sure this claim would ring true for them.

The bottom line, though, is that I really wish I had one of these when I was breastfeeding, and am sure you'll like it, too.

So who wants to win the Slurp & Burp that I reviewed? It's new, and was only taken out of its packaging for a few moments before getting packed back up until one lucky winner gets her hands on it! I have a size S/M in the Garden pattern (pictured) with detachable burp cloth up for grabs. To enter, visit the site and leave me a berrie (read: comment) telling me what pattern is your favorite. Contest ends at midnight, EST, on October 31 and is open to US and Canada only. The Winner will have four days from the announcement date to contact me or a new winner will be selected.

As always, extra entries will be available for those who:

* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* And as an added bonus through the end of the month, get one extra entry per $1 donated FOR THIS CONTEST ONLY to my DonorsChoose.org Blogger Challenge! Just click on the widget at the right hand top of the page and leave me a comment telling me how much you've donated.

Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

And that's it! Good luck to everyone who enters.