Starter BFing Wardrobe?

[PearlsMom]

So I'm hoping to BF our baby due in June and I want to start stocking up on nursing clothing now. I know that predicting post-partum size can be tricky, but I live abroad and there are virtually no BF clothing options here (and definitely no sales) so I can't wait until my milk comes in and then pop out to a store and expect any kind of selection.

I figure nursing bras and tanks are the basics. I know Target is a popular source for tanks and Diapers.com seems to have a pretty good selection, including some nicer brands. Anywhere else? Tips for fitting/guessing BF bra size? I'm already up 1 cup and 1 band size at 5.5 mos preggo but started out at only a 34B.

And what about *other* nursing clothes -- tops, dresses, PJs, etc.? Are they just luxuries and you can make do with tanks and layers, or do I need a whole BFing wardrobe? Where would I get such things? Back in the day, my mom used to get tons of BFing outfits from Motherwear, but their style is so not me.

Thanks for all your BTDT advice!

[BeachBum]

I've BF all of my kids and never had any special BF clothes. I can't even imagine why a person would need them. So don't stress about it! :)
I do think a good bra is essential, and I really like nursing PJs. I like "majamas" brand for PJs. I've always been too busty for a nursing tank to fit, but those would do just as well as PJs I would guess. I just think it's best not to fiddle with any extra fabric when you are 1/2 asleep. :)
As for bras, I would start with a Bravado or similar type that is more of a S,M,L type. It will give you some flexibility those first weeks until you can really determine your size.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Nursing bras and nursing camis were all the nursing things I needed.

Beth

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i agree, i don't think you really need special BF'ing clothes really. i've been EBF'ing for 2 months, and i do have a couple nursing tops but they're not what i use the most...what i do use heavily is nursing tanks. i think i have like 7 of the kind from Target (Gilligan & O'Malley) and 3 of the Bravado ones, in various colors.

i would suggest getting bra-fitted sometime in last trimester and they will usually give u advice on size etc. i started out as B cup pre-preggo but by my last trimester was D cup, so i bought mostly D/DD sizes in nursing bras/tanks and that seems to have worked well for me.

and yeah the Target tanks are a size S, M, L type which makes them very flexible..Bravado tanks are in cup sizes but they cover two cup sizes (e.g. B/C, and D/DD).

i did get one nursing bra (not a tank) and i use it occasionally when i don't want the extra layer underneath.

for the bravado stuff i got them at breakoutbras.com..i think they're the cheapest.

[MamaSnoo]

With a nursing tank, you get tummy coverage so any top will work just like a "nursing" top. I do not think that you need a nursing top per se. I did have one Japanese weekend top that I :heartbeat: loved:heartbeat:! I was black, sleeveless and had a criss cross design. Looked great, and not nurse-ey.....

[alirebco]

I only had nursing bras and nursing tanks. With the nursing bra, I would also wear a cami or thin tank top underneath my regular shirt - pull my regular shirt up and pull top of tank down so no tummy exposure. I never had pjs or anything.

[wellyes]

I used nursing bras, tank tops and button-up tops that I kept unbuttoned just for modesty when BF. I didn't buy any specific nursing clothes.

The bras are great though. Now that I'm pregnant with #2 my old nursing bras are the only ones that fit!

[Dr C]

I really like the Target nursing tanks. I have about 5 of them and pretty much wear them all the time instead of a nursing bra. They are surprisingly supportive, and I like the coverage they give over my oh-so-lovely postpartum flabby belly. They're comfy and wash well. And the price is right. I also like sleep bras--I have a couple from Motherhood that do the job just fine (need something not too tight to keep the nursing pads in place). But beyond that, I don't have any special nursing clothes. Just wear tops I can either unbutton or pull up. Ditto for pajamas--either a button front top or a tee shirt with shorts or pajama pants. I have never owned a dedicated nursing top and never missed it.
I would not invest a lot of money in nursing clothes until you know what works for you.

[jgenie]

I really like the Target nursing tanks. I have about 5 of them and pretty much wear them all the time instead of a nursing bra. They are surprisingly supportive, and I like the coverage they give over my oh-so-lovely postpartum flabby belly. They're comfy and wash well. And the price is right. I also like sleep bras--I have a couple from Motherhood that do the job just fine (need something not too tight to keep the nursing pads in place). But beyond that, I don't have any special nursing clothes. Just wear tops I can either unbutton or pull up. Ditto for pajamas--either a button front top or a tee shirt with shorts or pajama pants. I have never owned a dedicated nursing top and never missed it.
I would not invest a lot of money in nursing clothes until you know what works for you.

:yeahthat: to all of this!!

[newg]

I nursed for 13 months and didn't have any "nursing" clothing......I found that nursing tanks with a cardigan of some kind or a button up shirt were all I needed. At night I wore a sleep nursing bra and a deep v-neck top (DD was born in Feb, so I needed long sleeve stuff)..........this time around I'll prob. sleep in a nursing tank.

I also had a nursing cover, so if I felt over-exposed in public I could put that on.

[MamaMolly]

I did not feel comfortable having my belly hanging out while wearing a regular shirt so I loved nursing tops for the coverage, though I didn't actually love the tops themselves IYKWIM. I found the ones from Motherhood shrank terribly in the wash and had the *worst* itchy tags sewn into the side seam. I did like the sleeping bras. Very comfy and good for keeping nursing pads in place.

DD was a Fall baby so I could dress in layers. I tended to layer regular tanks under my regular shirts. I cut the armpits of the regular tanks wider so I could scooch them over my boob to nurse, but they still covered my belly. This time around we are having a Spring baby, plus we are also living overseas (on a nearby island :) so similar hot weather) and I've already bought some of the Old Navy tanks. They run pretty big IMO. I usually wear an XL in ON shirts and the XL nursing tanks are pretty big *now* with my big old belly. I read some reviews that said they ran small so I also ordered the XXL and they are swimming on me. The V-neck shirt runs really big in the chest. I'm usually a D anyway, so for it to be big on me says something...

I never bothered with a nursing cover because DD didn't like them.

I'm not sure I understand from your post if you are here in the US and want to stock up or if you are planning to do internet shopping from the Bahamas. If you are here I'd suggest going to Nordstroms and get fitted for a nursing bra. I loved, loved, loved the Elle McPhearson ones I bought there. Normally I wear underwire and found that most nursing bras didn't give me the support or shape I wanted. In the EMs I didn't have that ugly mono-boob look, it was much more attractive than that.

[MoJo]

I used nursing bras, tank tops and button-up tops that I kept unbuttoned just for modesty when BF. I didn't buy any specific nursing clothes.
:yeahthat: What Wellyes said.

[Mommy2Abby]

Like most of the PPs, the only nursing clothes that I had were nursing bras for during the day and then nursing sleep bras and nursing pjs for night. And, I really loved my bebe au lait nursing cover.

I got a couple of nursing pjs at Gap Maternity online (their Gap Body line is really soft and stretchy), and they held up great. For nursing sleep bras, I had a couple of the Medela stretchy white ones to wear under the pjs - these come in S,M,L (and maybe XL?) and are pretty stretchy, but I would buy big since you want to be comfortable when you sleep. I think you can buy those at Gap online, too.

And, then like some of the pps said, get yourself measured for a couple of good nursing bras for during the day.

Good luck!

[boltfam]

I had one nursing shirt and I hardly ever wore it. I just wore nursing bras during the day with a shirt I could unbutton or lift up. Definately get a sleep bra, and I don't think you'll *need* any nursing pajamas either. Though I covet a pair of majamas pajamas.

[citymama]

Nursing bras and nursing camis were all the nursing things I needed.

Beth

:yeahthat: I agree. I thought I needed to buy nursing clothes and bought a couple of tops - only to find that a) they were so not my usual style and b) with the right nursing cami or bra on underneath, anything could be a nursing top. Dresses were the only exception, but I guess I didn't wear a lot of dresses when nursing. I loved loved loved the Glamormom tanks and pretty much lived in them, but I think they work best for smaller-chested moms.

[hellokitty]

ITA with everyoe else. The only other thing I found helpful was having a couple prs of a belly hugger, since I don't mind NIP, but hate it when my back and belly are exposed when I wear a regular nursing bra instead of a tank.

[longtallsally05]

Sometimes you really do need and want the coverage that a nursing top offers, especially when you find yourself nursing in public situations where privacy is impossible (airplanes/airports/trains/train stations, church, restaurants, parks, museums etc). I've done a LOT of travelling with my BFing babies, and nursing shirts have made it much easier. My nursing cover I've only ever really used on airplanes, but the only person it makes more comfortable is the person in the seat next to us! Blankets over baby's head are a no-go for me (WAY too hot).

I love my nursing tops from Expressiva.com. I have found that the styles, construction and underlayers/nursing openings are better with Expressiva than Motherwear. For sleeping, I must say your size will determine what you need. If you need major scaffolding, like I do, then you might want to consider the Bravado! Nursing Tank because it has a real bra inside it, not just a wimpy shelf bra. I wear a Bravado! Nursing Tank every night, underneath some VS satin pjs that button down the front. I wore my Bravado tank during pregnancy, the first days post partum right thru the 1 year mark, and we're still nursing!

Good luck!

[iggy_saurus]

For overnight I like the Target tanks. At first I used a sleep bra and pajama top that buttoned. That worked fine but once I figured out how to nurse while lying down I didn't want to deal with buttons. I usually bring a baby into bed, lay down and pull the blanket up to my waist. I switched to tanks to keep me covered and warmer.

I have tried Bravado tanks, Glamourmom, and Gilligan and O'Malley (Target). Bravado provide the most support, but I can't close the clasp one-handed, and it took a bit of practice to learn to open it one-handed. The Glamourmom Nursing Bra Top (which looks like a tank) has an easy one-handed clasp, but their Nursing Bra Tank has a clasp that requires two hands. The Glamourmom is designed to be more bra-like so each breast has fabric around it and an opening for the nipple. This would be great if the nipple would stay centered, but it doesn't for me. So I would need to move the fabric aside for the baby. The Gilligan and O'Malley have the one-handed clasp and when you pull down the flap the entire breast is exposed. Yes, this is why you get a uniboob look, but I don't care about that in the middle of the night.

I also tried going topless at night, but those first few months I was leaking all the time and my breasts were so full that rolling over in my sleep would hurt and wake me up, so I found that I needed a soft layer over me at night.

During the day I do an assortment of things. 1) nursing tank + tunic or t-shirt. I find that the nursing tanks exposes quite a bit so I always wear a top that covers the cleavage. 2) Bravado body silk bra without the foam inserts + fitted shirt that I can pull down + whatever top I want. I undo the bra, pull the fitted shirt down to expose the breast, and pull the top layer up. 3) Bravado body silk bra without the foam inserts + nursing top.

I have a few nursing tops. For nursing tops I would look at Expressiva.com, motherwear.com, and euphoriamaternity.com. I mostly used nursing tops in the first two months as I got used to nip. There are different styles of nursing tops, and some of them I found to be very discreet but others (like the ones with a top layer to lift up) discreet only once you got yourself arranged. But the arranging was not discreet at all!

[kijip]

I'll be the voice of dissent. I know they are not necessary and many are more than fine without them BUT I have a few different nursing tops and I love them. I have found it easier to NIP with them than without them. Nursing tanks do not cover the top of my chest when I am nursing F and I find it hard to use an outer layer for coverage. He will not abide by things over his head at all. My regular button down tops did not close around my breasts. And button down tops large enough to close around my breasts were huge on my arms and around my waist. When I am home, I am ok without the nusing things- around family and friends I really don't mind people seeing cleavage. But out in public I like being covered up completely without a cover. Motherwear has some regular looking, inexpensive choices and Epressiva is nice.

[jacksmomtobe]

I nursed both kids ...one for almost 2 yrs & the other for over 3 and all I really needed was bravado nursing bras...I had a lot because when you first start out and tend to leak milk it's nice to have a clean bra to change into without constantly having to do laundry. I had one majama night gown but didn't really wear it much. It was comfy but a bit too low cut for cool New England weather. I stuck to 2 piece outfits. Tops that were loose and could be discretely lifted or unbuttoned. I would suggest a few inexpensive items to start to see what works for you then just order online more of what you like stylewise. In general though I don't think you need specific nursing wear but wear whatever you feel will make you comfortable.

Good Luck!