BRAVADO! I am a larger breasted woman and I can not say enough good things about my bravado bras. They give me lots of support and are well made. They are expensive but worth every penny. They also make designs for smaller breasted women. As for the underwire, I have heard that as well. The bravado bras have support w/out the wire. Check out their website and good luck.
Lisa
All my nursing bras had underwire.......can't live without it! I had no problems. I got mine at Motherhood, and they were very reaslonable! Good luck!
Hello! I bought my nursing bras at K-Mart. I think they were around $9.00 each. The cotton was very soft and comfortable. They had the underwire, but I didn't have any problems. I did hear that if the bras are too tight the underwire could block your milk flow and if this happens frquently it can become very painful. It happened to me with my first daughter, but only because I was very poor and couldn't afford actual nursing bras. I would say to make sure to get the right size and the underwire is actually under your breasts and you shouldn't have any problems if you would prefer underwire. Hope this helps!
I had heard about the "no underwire" as well, but I bought a 4 different types/styles including 1 w/ underwire. I have to say my favorite and longest lasting were ones without the underwire that I got at Kohls. (http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/womens/womensbrands/ohbaby/intimates/PRD~150144/Oh+Baby+by+Motherhood+Seamless+Nursing+Bra++Nude.jsp) I also got 2 different style cotton ones from Walmart and they were comfortable, but showed the wear more than the ones from Kohls. My absolute least favorite were the ones with the underwire. The underwire wanted to flip and was just uncomfortable. I went back and bought more from kohls as I am 27 weeks pregnant w/ #2 and figured I'd just go back to my favorites. Hope this helps.
At night for support and comfort I like to wear the ones by Bravado that do not have underwire and are like a sports bra. During the day I wear the ones with the underwire because they definitely give you a much more flattering shape.
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Here's what you need to know-I'm nursing my second child who is one month old! You CAN'T predict or buy ahead. You have to wait until your milk comes in to try on your first nursing bra. And bring nursing pads to the dressing room-because you may leak! You can't know your size, shape, or how much support you'll need until the moment comes. Then, you may need to go try on a smaller one in a few weeks as your boobs calm down and adjust and you shed some weight etc. Once again, you can't predict ahead of time. I was able to wear underwires without a problem, but everyone is different. The most important thing is your comfort and support. After several months, I was able to go back to normal bras even though I was nursing, and I just pulled the strap down, because no nursing bras were fitting well, and leaking wasn't an issue anymore. Just don't buy too many bras that are all the same, because sometimes the fit is wrong after just a couple of weeks, and you'll waste money! I needed like five sizes of bras for the first year after my first baby. Good luck!
ps at night I wear sports bras for wire free support and to hold pads in place.
a m y
You don't have to avoid underwire- it's a personal preference just as with regular bras. You just have to be sure the wire is not putting pressure on the breasts, because that could lead to block ducts and mastitis. Also, you can sleep in a nursing bra that does not have underwire in it, which I did for the first 2 months because of leakage. I loved the Bravado bras. They are like a sports bra, and they give excellent support, but are comfortable and you can put pads in them to stop leakage. They are also easy to open/close, which is important once you have to hold the baby and try to get your bra together again, especially in a public place. Their website is : bravadodesigns.com or check out this website: http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/nursing_bras/basics.html It has great info on nursing bras and breastfeeding in general. Just find one that's comfortable for you- that is most important.
Theresa first of all good for you to nurse your baby! the health benefits are tremendous. As far as nursing bras yes stay away from the underwire, it tends to inhibit the flow of your lymph and your milk which could increase your chances of getting a breast infection. Find one that is comfortable, supportive, and easy for you to open to nurse, especially while in public. Some nursing bras are difficult to open and or close. So go and try a few styles to see what works for you. LISA
Some people say it can supress some milk ducts if you were underwired bra. I'm a 38D on a size 10/12 frame and theres no way I'm not wearing underwire! I got some nice supportive bras from target as I need wide backs and thick straps. They are made by gilligan and o'malley. I couldnt afford anything to expensive but these have worked for me.
I found my best nursing bras at Boscov's honestly, and they weren't that expensive either. I think like 7 or 8 bucks, and they've held up now for almost three years. I will have to get new ones now that I'm pregnant again, but they were my primary bras from the time I started leaking while I was pregnant with my first until about 6 months ago. It was just because they were so comfortable. Anyways, about your underwire question, I have seen them with underwires, but I wouldn't suggest wearing them. I remember when I got my milk in my breasts became so engorged that just undoing the clip to pump was enough to cause a minor fountain. I can only imagine that an underwire added to that amount of pressure would simply cause issues (blocked ducts, bruises, etc.) Is this your first baby??
Motherhood Maternity has a great line of nursing bras and tops, I am wearing one (that has underwires) right now. They also have plus sizes which I know I need!
Hi Teresa! Beautiful name.. thats my moms name :) Ok so the bra thing. I have bras from walmart, without underwire and I cringe each time i have to wear a bra that has an underwire now (ya know if i am washing all the bras - i have to have a back up) They are good. But i would invest in a really good bra because it can really hurt your back without good support.
Molly
My nursing bras have underwire and I nursed for 15 months with no problem. I even work full time and never gave my daughter a drop of formula. Motherhood has some really nice and cheap nursing bras.
It has been many years (time flies)since I did that,but I'll advise you on what I can remember. Don't know what brands or styles are out there anymore, but do get something supportive (I'm pretty big myself, so I should know), I used underwire, as nothing else seems to stay put (you know, riding up), and also, just as important, one that unsnaps or unhooks conveniently. If you can do it with one hand, that's a good sign. But go for something that you are comfortable with and feels like it would be convenient, or you likely won't wear it. One other important thought--get one that is loose enough that you can wear thick nursing pads--you never know! Remember these 4-5 words when shopping: supportive, roomy cup, comfortable, convenient.
The first one I had bought was a huge mistake. I'm small chested, so I bought one that was similar to the ones I was used to wearing - smooth cups with some padding. I don't even know how they could call it a nursing bra. It was impossible to open and nurse a baby while wearing. I should have asked for some opinions first. The day after I came home from the hospital we ended up leaving my son with my in-laws and my husband took me to the mall to buy new ones (at JC Penney's). This time I bought ones that had no padding. They had three positions for the clips which was good for fluctuations in size. Which reminds me of another thing I never knew prior to breastfeeding, the first couple days hurt like heck from all the milk coming in. It got better thankfully. My breasts didn't get any bigger until I had the baby, so I didn't know which cup size to buy. I ended up getting the next two sizes up.
I'd suggest getting one or two now and see how they work out and then go get more once you have the baby. Good luck and congrats!
I bought my nursing bras at both JC Penny's and a Hanes outlet in Nags Head NC while on vacation. Both had flaps with three hooks for varying changes in size throughout the day and no padding or under-wire. I also bought a Hanes "Barely There" sports bra for at night that was much more comfortable to sleep in and I could just push it up to nurse and not deal with hooks in the dark.
I had to purchase smaller ones after 6 months because my kids were such productive nursers my breasts didn't get as full all the time.
Also a must have are the disposable bra pads. The best deal I found were at Toys R Us and Babies R Us - the box of 100 Avent pads were around $10. I also tried the washable ones but they grossed me out, they never got as clean as I wanted.
I breastfed my son until he was 11 months old so I wore nursing bras for a decent amount of time. I bought nursing bras from all over including the maternity stores and other high end places. Honestly, the ones I liked the best were the ones I bought from WalMart. None of my nursing bras had underwires. I was concerned they would not be supportive enough at first as I am rather large breasted but it was fine. Hope this helps.
I love my Bravado bra. You can get them from babycenter.com or from the Amazing Newborn store in Skippack
Teresa,
The best nursing bras provide you with support. You can wear one with an underwire (I did for both kids) and liked them the best. Medela and Bravado make good soft bras. I found nursing camisoles the best for nightime. If you have a larger chest, you can find lots of options on line, try biggerbras.com. Make sure you get fitted at a maternity store a few weeks after the baby is born s you kow your size.