I'm 36 weeeks pregnant and I plan on breastfeeding, does anyone have any advice on what nursing bras are the best? Also is it true that nursing bras can not have the underwire?
I have never heard that nursing bras shouldn't have an underwire. In the beginning, I needed a nursing bra, even at night, so I used that non underwire type at bedtime. But during the day I used one with an underwire. I bought bras from Target. They held up fine and I thought they were quite comfortable. I believe the brand in Gillian and O'Malley. Good luck.
I loved the nursing tank/camisoles from Target. A friend of mine that breastfed her 5 kids told me that they were her favorite, better than a bra. I'm sure they sell them elsewhere, but I found a couple at Target and loved them too. They are similar to the popular strappy tank but each side unsnaps for quick access. I wore them around the house in the summertime and it was just like a tank, in fact I still wear mine as exercise sports bras.
I've heard they aren't supposed to have underwire to help prevent mastitis (infection of breast tissue). I had 3 (different brands) nursing bras for my son and hated all of them . I ended up using my regular comfy VS bras and just pulled the cups under my breasts. This time (26 wks prego) I bought 2 no wire bras from Jockey and they are super comfortable so I will probably try to use them. Personally, I wouldn't bother paying a higher price just because it's a "nursing bra." I would just wear some comfy bras that you can pull the cup down (or up). Hope this helps! P.S. When my breasts were HUGE right after his birth, the underwires dug into my flesh under my arms.
I always had issues with finding the perfect nursing bra. I'd find one that worked for a little while and then something would change (not sure what) but it wouldn't feel right anymore and I'd search again. I used to wear an underwire, but I couldn't even imagine now. That was through my first 2. Oh, and with them I used the motherhood sleep bras. I hated having to wear a bra to sleep! So, this time I splurged and gave the sticky "LilyPadz" a try - primarily for sleep. I LOVE THEM!! I definitely recommend them if only for sleeping. It seems goofy that the sticky rubery thing would work, but it does (unless the baby sleeps way through a feeding, but usually you are pretty uncomfortable by then anyways). Sleeping without a bra makes me a much happier person! With my third I discovered the Target nursing cami's and LOVE them. I'm 8.5 months in now and still wear them daily. I think I've had to get dressed up 1 or 2 times when I had to wear a "normal" bra. Otherwise the cami's are perfect. It's great because the cups drop open from the top so your tummy stays covered and your shirt comes down over the top so your regular shirt becomes like a nursing top and you stay covered easily. They are soft and comfy. I had my daughter in May so I wore them under a light shirt all summer and it was just fine - not too hot as they are cotton and light. When I got to our Mommy and Me yoga class, I just wear my black or grey one by itself as my yoga top and am ready to nurse easily if necessary.
I nursed both of my girls and found that all nursing bras are not created equal. I fell in love with a Playtex Expectant Moments bra #4147 that has an alternate underwire (whatever that means!). It had wider straps and a snap closure so you didn't have to unhook anything...just pop open the snaps. They held up awesome although after 5+ years some were a little thread bare on the sides but still very wearable. Of course they quit making it so I tried a few different ones and could never find one I liked. I was able to find more on eBay when I needed a new size.
I think it is really a personal prefernce. The best way to find one you like is to go try on a lot of different styles to see what is comfortable and what you think will be easy to maneuver with a hungry baby waiting.
I love the nursing bras from Wal-Mart, I wear them 24-7. They're cheap (around 8 bucks), so you can get several and they're all cotton and very comfortable. They come in a great range of sizes and several styles. Also the nursing tanks from Target are great, much nicer looking than the ones from Motherhood. I've heard the underwire line, but there are lots of underwire nursing bras on the market, so I don't think they can be that terrible or nobody would make them or buy them. I started out wearing underwire nursing bras but just found them less convenient. I didn't have any problems with them in terms of the infections or reducing milk supply that people claim, though.
I started off w/ the WalMart ones too. They did the job just fine. You want to avoid underwires at least in the beginning to prevent clogged ducts and mastitis.
After my breasts settled back down to normal size (MANY months later) I found Target's nursing bras - lacy, black...something you can't find most other places! I also LOVE Target's nursing tanks - very comfy, great price, and they hold up MUCH better than the ones at Motherhood Maternity.
Medela makes the most comfortable nursing bras. They also are the easiest to open and close with only one hand. You would have to search for a "dealer" on the website to find one near you. I got mine from a Lactation Consultant in the Hershey/Hummelstown area. She helped me a lot with getting the proper fit and gave me a lot of tips on breastfeeding while I was there. These bras are also great because they come in larger cup sizes (even if you need a smaller band). When I went to buy mine from her, I even wore it home!!
Oh, most recommend to wait until after baby is born to buy the bras. Your breasts will continue to change even after the baby is born and nursing is established.
I had a nursing ba that had kind of like a button on the top of the cup and an elastic hoop that hooked around it. It DID have an underwire (I HAVE to have it). I purchased it from Walmart and it was not very expensive and was very comfortable. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it wasn't easy to unlatch with one hand. I ended up getting those undershirts/pajama tops that have the built in bra. Then I would just pull the shirt down from the top. I would wear a shirt over it. That way, my stomach wouldn't show when I needed to breast feed. It worked out really nicely.
I hope that helps!
-Monica
YES! Nursing bras cannot have underwear...although many on the market do. The underwear reduces your milk supply as its added pressure to your milk ducts. Other than that, just find the bra the most comforting to you and buy several. These will be it for awhile. I haven't had the best of luck with nursing bras and expecting my fourth. Let me know if you find some! I didn't have much luck at Motherhood Maternity, but maybe the selection is different now. Maybe a higher scale maternity store would have some nice ones and it would be worth it. Good Luck!!
If you are looking for nursing bras, try Kohls or walmart. Sometimes cheaper stores is better.
I have to agree with some of the other moms... The tank/cami's are the best. and most comfortable. I got mine at a baby depot. loved it and wore it all the time...
What I found the easiest were thoses cotton bras (not nursing bras) that you just pull over your head, no clasps or anything. They are similar to sports bras, but they make some cotton ones, that are not tight like a sports bra. I got mine at Walmart. I liked those because you can easily lift them up to latch the baby on. The nursing bras are good, but you have to reach in and unsnap and so for ease and discretion, especially in public I found it easy to just lift up the sprots type bra. Good luck!
Hi Theresa,
Congrats on your upcoming arrival!! :)
I actually found nice nursing bras at jcpennys. they are in the bra section in the boxes. Very easy to open one handed, comfy/soft/breatheable, and have a "soft" underwire. I got mine back in Oct. but they were on sale for $8!! [orig. $26-30]
I would recommend getting them asap, i loved these bras at the end stage of pregnancy and early in breast feeding when your really engorged.
I'm going to look @ Target for their "sexy" versions that another mom recommended now that my milk production has leveled out... imagine- feeling sexy while nursing! lol, probably still leak, but my husband will appreciate the effort! Good Luck!!!
Leslie
Hi Teresa,
Congratulations and good for you to plan on breastfeeding. I breastfed all three of my children for a year each. I loved the Bravado brand (no underwire) bras. They are a little more expensive, but the quality is worth it. You can also get them on ebay at a discount. Another great thing to get is a nursing cover for when you are out in public. Mine was called hooter hiders. http://www.bebeaulait.com/
I loved that thing! Good luck to you. Tamara
Hi Teresa,
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I have written a few articles on breastfeeding and pumping which may be helpful for you. Here are links:
Breastfeeding Tips for new mothers: http://www.mothersboutique.com/brtifornewmo.html
Pumping Tips: http://www.mothersboutique.com/woandbrtifor.html
For nursing bras, it really is personal preference which ones are best. Most lactation consultants will tell you not to wear an underwire for the first 6 weeks because of risk of mastitis. I always wore an underwire - while I was pregnant and as soon as my baby was born. So it really just depends on what you want to do. Most nursing bras with underwires are made with nursing in mind, so they are designed to be comfortable and safe for nursing. What bra will work best for you will depend on what size you are. I have outlined some of my favorite below. I am located in Wexford and would be happy to do a fitting for you to help you locate the best bra.
1) A good sleep bra is usually a good idea. Many mothers leak when their milk first comes in and so sleeping in a comfortable bra will give you support and allow you to keep nursing pads in place. This is my favorite sleep bra: http://www.mothersboutique.com/conubra.html
2) My favorite non underwire bra is this one: http://www.mothersboutique.com/bosisenubra.html - it gives great support and lift and has removable padding. There are many others that are good too - but this is my personal favorite.
3) My favorite underwire bra is this one: http://www.mothersboutique.com/teunnubra.html - it gives great support and has the most comfortable underwire that I have ever worn! It is so comfy that my mother actually bought this bra and she isn't nursing! But it was more comfortable than anything else she had worn. This is the one that I personally wear. It is also nice for when the baby first comes because it has 3 nursing clips. In the beginning your breasts will change size quite a bit depending on how "full" they - so this allows you to adjust the size of the cup to fit how full your breasts happen to be.
4) If you are looking for the ultimate in Luxury - these bras from Condessa are the most luxurious that I have ever found: http://www.mothersboutique.com/condessa.html But they only work for D cups and smaller - so if you have large breasts they probably wont' work for you.
5) If you are looking for something sexy, these bras from passion spice are the ultimate in sensuality and making you feel special. http://www.mothersboutique.com/passionspice.html
You may also want to look into pajamas - many of the nursing pajamas have enough support that you can wear nursing pads without needing a sleep bra. http://www.mothersboutique.com/nupalo.html
Judy
A Mother's Boutique
Breastfeeding clothing, nursing bras, breastpumps, slings and accessories
MamaSource Members will receive 10% off of their first order - just mention promo code "MamaSource"
http://www.mothersboutique.com
Just make sure that when you try them on they aren't too tight around the sides of your breasts (where most plugged ducts occur). I had trouble with plugged ducts in the beginning b/c my bras were too tight. Remember that you'll also likely be putting nursing pads in them so keep that in mind when you're judging the size. I also found the Target brand bras to work well. But, I'm thinking that I would have liked to try one of the more expensive brands too just to see if they would be even better. The Target ones do the job, though.
Actually nursing bras can have underwires, but if you can do without them, it is usually recommended. I am a very, very busty women and small everywhere else and they do not make nursing bras without underwires in my size that actually hold my breast up.
I have used ones with underwires for nursing both of my sons (one I nursed for 8 months, the other is almost three months and I am nursing him now) and have never had any problems. I feel a lot more comfortable with those bras because the only ones I found without underwire had me hanging very low and would have caused more strain to my back. It is a personal decision and you should do what is best for you.
The only bras that come in my size (usually a 32H or 34H when nursing) are sold at Nordstrom's so they are more expensive, but a good bra truly is worth the money.
no that's not true. i had a nursing bra w/ underwire although it does kind of get in the way when you are trying to pull down the cup to nurse. the wire makes it want to ride up into your baby's face. It may depend on breast size and preference but I LIVED in the nursing tank tops instead of bras. they were extremely comfortable and convenient. you just incorporate them into your wardrobe....a sweatsuit w/ nursing tank was my staple! the ones i stocked up on were from target....in their bra department they have a small section of nursing bras...they are in plastic boxes.
I nursed both my babies for over a year each so if you want to pick my brain w/ any questions/concerns, please do. best of luck w/ your labor/delivery and nursing! enjoy!!!!!
-christine