View Full Version : Bra Fit Question - Hands-Free Pumping Bra/Nursing Bra
lizzywednesday
03-02-2010, 08:07 PM
OK, so my LO will be in the PCICU after "his" arrival next week (and, yeah, Baby will really be delivered next week; the medical team would prefer the most controlled environment for delivery that they can get) and I will be pumping exclusively to develop my supply until Baby is cleared to start nursing.
I've purchased one nursing bra already so I have something to start with, but my LC recommended that I get a hands-free pumping bra. She knew La Leche League sold one, but I don't think I will get it in time.
(1) What other options/brands do I have?
(2) Should I look for a fit similar to the nursing bra I purchased?
(3) What B&M stores would be most likely to carry an item like this?
TIA!
Momof3Labs
03-02-2010, 08:47 PM
I found one at Pea in the Pod. I'm not very crazy about it as it messes up the position of the horns (which means SORE nipples), so I've EP'd for my twins for 7 months without one. You don't NEED one.
WatchingThemGrow
03-02-2010, 08:53 PM
Ooh...I couldn't have lived without mine. I used the Easy Expressions Hands-Free Bustier. PRICELESS! I saw it Buy Buy Baby (http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=113287&RN=7096) last month.
Hope all goes well with your new little one! Keep us updated!
kristac
03-02-2010, 08:58 PM
Depending on the size of your breasts you might be able to use the rubberband trick described here:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/hands-free-pumping.html
I am a C/D cup and was able to use this trick to EP for DS1 for 15 months. I did try a hands free device (not a bra) and found it uncomfortable and awkward so I just used the rubberbands. Also the Medela Freestyle has a built in system I believe.
I never used one.............but might this time around...........I think madela makes one....and I know BRU carries madela stuff, but I'm not sure if they would have the bra............
Diapers.com delivers fast and so does Amazon if you pick the right shipping option.
Oh, after my milk came in I went up a size........so if you pick a place with a good return policy you might want to get the size you are in now and maybe the next size up.
sidmand
03-02-2010, 09:49 PM
Ooh...I couldn't have lived without mine. I used the Easy Expressions Hands-Free Bustier. PRICELESS! I saw it Buy Buy Baby (http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=113287&RN=7096) last month.
Hope all goes well with your new little one! Keep us updated!
I loved the Easy Expressions hands-free bustier. Loved loved loved and couldn't have EP'ed as long as I did without it. You can also order it online and it would come pretty quickly depending on where. Sizing is more S, M, L, XL and fairly flexible because it just goes over your bra, not in place of it.
Amazon carries it and it would come pretty quickly depending on shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Expression-Bustier-Breast-Medium/dp/B000MFZEI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1267580940&sr=1-1
Good luck with everything next week.
sansdieu
03-02-2010, 10:27 PM
I also pumped w/o one; I found that it was not a big deal to just hold the breastshields (the "horns"), one with each hand; the real trick is not to spill the finished product. To that end, I always did have two tall latte mugs ready, into which I deposited the bag/ bottle with the breastshield still attached, then quickly disconnected the tubing (if you just place the bottle on a flat service, with the tube and breastshield still attached, it will likely tip over.
I also had my ear piece on so I could talk on the phone while I pumped ;)
Andi98989
03-02-2010, 10:42 PM
I've EP'd since DS was born and HATE it when I have to pump without my handsfree. I started with an Easy Expressions and it worked pretty well. Then when I was at my local LC store, I found the Simple Wishes. I hemmed and hawed about buying it and DH wouldn't let me leave the store without it. It's awesome!!! So super adjustable - there's a panel in the front that is removable so you can move the openings closer together or further apart; there is a big adjustable velcro panel in the back to adjust the overall tightness of it.
http://www.simplewishes.com/
Yes, you can pump without a handsfree. But if you're going to EP, I find it really helpful. It lets me type and do other stuff while I pump. I'm hooked up to this thing enough that I need to be able to multi-task. :)
Momof3Labs
03-02-2010, 10:47 PM
I checked, and I have the Easy Expression (that I hate). I have no problem holding both horns with one hand and typing with the other while pumping - beats sore nipples. If you get one that works well and doesn't make your nipples sore, it probably is worthwhile.
lizzywednesday
03-03-2010, 10:35 AM
I loved the Easy Expressions hands-free bustier. Loved loved loved and couldn't have EP'ed as long as I did without it. You can also order it online and it would come pretty quickly depending on where. Sizing is more S, M, L, XL and fairly flexible because it just goes over your bra, not in place of it.
Amazon carries it and it would come pretty quickly depending on shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Expression-Bustier-Breast-Medium/dp/B000MFZEI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1267580940&sr=1-1
Good luck with everything next week.
Thanks!
The sizing was my biggest question, and I am "near" a B&M store that carries it, so I would be able to get one if my mom decides to take me out when she visits this Thursday. I saw the hands-free trick on KellyMom, so I hope to use that in a pinch, but would prefer not to have to hold the horns because I get "tennis elbow" cramps far too easily. I don't want to discourage myself from pumping because of stupid cramps! (I've bought gel nipple covers and Lansinoh nipple cream to have with me at the hospital to treat soreness ... and I have the LC's phone number for quick reference!)
I have an Anita nursing bra that I bought at a specialty shop (the same shop where I purchased the long-line bustier for my wedding, incidentally) and I measured at a 42F ... which would be like a L/XL for the Easy Expression?
Also, I just saw the Gilligan O'Malley nursing tanks at Target ... they seem to have "cutouts" that might work with the horns. Has anybody tried using them for this purpose?
Andi98989
03-03-2010, 12:56 PM
Thanks!
I have an Anita nursing bra that I bought at a specialty shop (the same shop where I purchased the long-line bustier for my wedding, incidentally) and I measured at a 42F ... which would be like a L/XL for the Easy Expression?
Also, I just saw the Gilligan O'Malley nursing tanks at Target ... they seem to have "cutouts" that might work with the horns. Has anybody tried using them for this purpose?
I am a 34J and go the XL and it worked pretty good for me; I think that it should be a good option for you. It was a little big around, but for the $7 I paid for it, I couldn't complain. :)
I never found a nursing tank that fit me right, but in great part that's because of my small band/large cup size. Something that I have heard of people doing is taking an old sports bra and cutting an opening in the front of it and using that. It's basically a DIY easy expressions at that point. I don't have one that fits any more otherwise I would have tried that.
lizzywednesday
03-03-2010, 01:18 PM
I am a 34J and go the XL and it worked pretty good for me; I think that it should be a good option for you. It was a little big around, but for the $7 I paid for it, I couldn't complain. :)
I never found a nursing tank that fit me right, but in great part that's because of my small band/large cup size. Something that I have heard of people doing is taking an old sports bra and cutting an opening in the front of it and using that. It's basically a DIY easy expressions at that point. I don't have one that fits any more otherwise I would have tried that.
Thanks again. =)
I really appreciate the fit comments ... I am a bit obsessive about bras in general, so I can get a bit soapboxy when I start running down. But, never having had a baby before, I am at a loss when it comes to nursing attire, etc.
latully
03-03-2010, 01:22 PM
Hands free are a life saver! The rubberband trick did not work for me. I got the bandeau style with a zipper in the middle. Very helpful.
WatchingThemGrow
03-03-2010, 04:15 PM
Hands free are a life saver! The rubberband trick did not work for me. I got the bandeau style with a zipper in the middle. Very helpful.
That's the Easy Expressions one.
Also, OP, this time around, I found these Pumpin' Pals (http://www.pumpinpal.com/), which made things so much more comfortable. When you pump, you have to sit up straight and lean forward or hunch just a little bit. These angled extenders let you lay back a little bit, which for me, was just SO much nicer. With #1 and #2, my back hurt from having to hunch while pumping (to prevent spills), but it felt so much better after using these. They have a hands-free item also, but I already had the EE bustier by then.
The nursing bras you mentioned with a cutout didn't really work for me, as a nursing bra option. They gave me this weird "bottle boob" as someone on here once called it. The Bravado tanks exposed everything in a much more comfortable manner.
michellerw
03-04-2010, 01:23 AM
I found the Gilligan & O Malley Tanks to be a bit tight in the band and cup in the XXL. I'm measuring at a 42-44G right now. YMMV.
lizzywednesday
03-04-2010, 05:52 PM
I've EP'd since DS was born and HATE it when I have to pump without my handsfree. I started with an Easy Expressions and it worked pretty well. Then when I was at my local LC store, I found the Simple Wishes. I hemmed and hawed about buying it and DH wouldn't let me leave the store without it. It's awesome!!! So super adjustable - there's a panel in the front that is removable so you can move the openings closer together or further apart; there is a big adjustable velcro panel in the back to adjust the overall tightness of it.
http://www.simplewishes.com/
Yes, you can pump without a handsfree. But if you're going to EP, I find it really helpful. It lets me type and do other stuff while I pump. I'm hooked up to this thing enough that I need to be able to multi-task. :)
I spent the day with my mother and found this in the store that carried the Easy Expressions as well ... THANK YOU for the recommendation! It was a huge surprise to see it in a store in NJ because the site didn't list NJ as a place where you could buy it. The saleswoman said they'd only just started carrying this item.
(As a bonus, Mom paid for it.)
alexsmommy
03-04-2010, 06:51 PM
I'm pretty large when nursing and I HATED my handsfree for the same reasons as Lori. I also had a NICU baby and I was fine w/o it. I'd probably wait to see what size I was after my milk came in and make sure positioning worked (leave tags on). You'll learn pretty quickly how to brace one horn with your arm and hold the other with the same hand giving you one had free. Good luck!
lizzywednesday
03-05-2010, 12:44 PM
I'm pretty large when nursing and I HATED my handsfree for the same reasons as Lori. I also had a NICU baby and I was fine w/o it. I'd probably wait to see what size I was after my milk came in and make sure positioning worked (leave tags on). You'll learn pretty quickly how to brace one horn with your arm and hold the other with the same hand giving you one had free. Good luck!
Thanks.
I appreciate the extra input, but I do get the "tennis elbow" too frequently in other things to consider holding anything. I figure that I'll get sore nipples no matter what I do, so I'll try the hands free first and see what happens. (I hope it works.)
The advantages with the bras I've purchased is they both have room for me to "grow." I think I will be fine and if I am not, I can always call the LC and ask for names of shops near the hospital that can help me get something else.
Andi98989
03-05-2010, 01:21 PM
That's what I loved about the Simple Wishes one - with the removable front insert, you can change where the openings are. I be shocked if you can't get them to end up in the right place. The velcro adjustability on the back is great for getting a secure fit depending on how full you are, too. It gives you 10" of movement, so it should fit one way or another! :ROTFLMAO:
FWIW, after the first week or so I never really had sore nipples.
Momof3Labs
03-05-2010, 04:02 PM
I figure that I'll get sore nipples no matter what I do, so I'll try the hands free first and see what happens. (I hope it works.)
You don't want sore nipples from poor positioning of the pump horns. It hurts like crazy, and doesn't get better if you don't improve your horn positioning. Plus, poorly positioned horns will not drain your breasts properly, which could lead to plugged ducts and/or mastitis. Some nipple tenderness isn't unusual as you get used to having something (baby or pump) tugging on your nipples 10 times a day but it's not something that you should treat as a given and not attempt to remedy.
lizzywednesday
03-05-2010, 06:15 PM
You don't want sore nipples from poor positioning of the pump horns. It hurts like crazy, and doesn't get better if you don't improve your horn positioning. Plus, poorly positioned horns will not drain your breasts properly, which could lead to plugged ducts and/or mastitis. Some nipple tenderness isn't unusual as you get used to having something (baby or pump) tugging on your nipples 10 times a day but it's not something that you should treat as a given and not attempt to remedy.
Good to know; thanks!
happyturtles
03-06-2010, 04:39 AM
I made my own "hands-free" nursing bra. I took an old sports bra and cut two holes in it where the nipples are. So it was horns then the bra over the stems, then the connectors. the horns stayed in place, both hands were free
lizzywednesday
03-06-2010, 11:53 AM
I made my own "hands-free" nursing bra. I took an old sports bra and cut two holes in it where the nipples are. So it was horns then the bra over the stems, then the connectors. the horns stayed in place, both hands were free
Thanks; this was suggested up-thread, but it's not really an option for me ... none of my sports bras fit properly as I've gained not only cup sizes but also band sizes with my pregnancy.
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