Maternity AND Nursing Bra?

[kriswrite]

Do I really need to buy both maternity bras AND nursing bras? Is it possible just to buy nursing bras early and wear them before the baby is born? I hate to be wasteful.

Kristina

[angusmom]

Hello! I'm no expert because I only just ordered my first maternity/nursing bra so I havent even got it yet and am still three months from delivery so I havent nursed yet. So, there's my credentials and now here's my two cents. . .

I feel the same as you. I havent had the money to buy a lot of maternity items that I'll get hardly any wear out of. So after reading these boards, I ended up ordering a YES! maternity/nursing bra from an eBay seller in Canada who specializes in that brand. She was very helpful and recommended a size that I should be able to wear the rest of maternity and then into nursing.

What I learned when looking into bras is that most of the manufacturers use a sizing method that allows you to accommodate both maternity and nursing. In other words, one bra covers a range of band and cup sizes so the bra should be comfortable now and fit your cups when they "runneth over" with milk. If you look into the YES or into Bravado, it is true of both those brands.

If you search past threads on YES and Bravado you should be able to find their web sites. If not, just post a reply to this message and I'm happy to look them up for you. :-)

[sidmand]

Most people said maternity bras were a complete waste of time and money and just another way to make us part with ours!

That being said, I've been wearing nursing bras for awhile, but I think it will be/has been tricky to figure out what size I may need for nursing.

Depending where you are in pregnancy, like if it's early on, I might just buy a cheap, but decent bra that's a bigger size and hold off on the nursing bra until a bit later. Like the pp said though, some of the bras are designed to grow with you and fit a range of sizes. Although those usually aren't the most supportive ones. So it depends what you need.

But I'd say the maternity bras are a waste of time and money--either go with a slightly bigger regular bra or go with a nursing bra and hope for the best!

Good luck.

Debbie
http://lilypie.com/days/050619/0/8/1/-5/.png (http://lilypie.com)

It's a boy! Now we just need to come up with a name! Narrowed down to Sawyer, Zachary, or Joshua...

[s7714]

I never bought maternity bras because I didn't see the point. I just bought a couple of bras in larger sizes when needed. Most of the maternity bras I saw were more money and of poorer quality than *normal* bras on the market. I did buy nursing bras towards the end of my first PG, but didn't start wearing them until after DD was born.

Jennifer
Mommy to
Annalia 3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif
#2 It's a girl! EDD: 6/05
http://lilypie.com/days/050627/0/24/1/-8/.png

[kriswrite]

Thanks for your advice, ladies.

I will check out the YES bras, to be sure.

The only benefit I can see to buying a maternity bra as opposed to a larger, regular bra, is that they usually have wider straps and more adjustability. This should make them more comfy! I may also look into buying a less expensive maternity bra. I just don't want to spent $25-30 on a bra I will only wear a few months :)

Kristina

[MarisaSF]

One thing you'll find, depending on your pre-pregnancy vs pregnancy bra size is that the larger "regular" bras (starting at D cups maybe?) have extra padding in the shoulder straps.

I wouldn't have worn nursing bras while pregnant. For practical purposes, they're expensive. For fashion purposes, they're often kinda "lumpy" under clothes.

I got a couple good bras to wear during pregnancy at a Marshall's for like $4.99. Don't stock up on one size, BTW. I had to go back every couple weeks to get a new one. I now have everywhere between a 34C and a 40E!