Ayumi Umeno is a mother of three who uploads videos on her Youtube channel, where she talks about her thoughts and advice for other mothers in Japan.

In one of her latest videos, she talks about how some moms might feel like they don’t have a chance to wear kimonos anymore, or specifically in cases like hers where there’s a newborn baby in the picture, breastfeeding moms might abandon wearing kimonos entirely.

However, Umeno encourages moms to keep wearing them because she’s found that kimonos are easier to use when breastfeeding compared to regular clothing. This is due to the kimono having a small side opening called a miyatsukuchi (身八つ口), which can be used as a tool for breastfeeding.

The miyatsukuchi is an opening located above the obi (帯) or kimono sash, right by where the armpits are. They are only found in women’s and children’s kimonos, and are said to be an intentional design to allow for freedom in arm movements since women’s obis are placed higher and are generally wider than men’s.

You can watch the video of Ayumi Umeno talking about kimonos in Japanese below.