Nursing bra???

[MamaMichelle]

Hi there,

DD is arriving this April and I'm looking for some recommendations on nursing bras. Tips, suggestions, brands, where to buy, how many, what to look for, etc. Any and all advice are welcomed. Thanks.

[DebbieJ]

www.breakoutbras.com

[mezzona]

first time around, i got 2 bravado nursing bras. i bought them a little too early, too big. if i were to do it again, i would have bought the nursing bras at around 2 or 3 months pp. second time around, i got nursing tanks from target (gilligan & o'malley). cheaper and more comfortable. very easy access. and when i'm lazy, i just throw a jacket over it if i have to leave the house. i have 2, but i am doing laundry all the time. if i had to choose tanks over bras, i would get the tank. in black. they dont show the breastmilk leakage/drips as easily.

[jbbhb]

I have absolutely lived in the bravado nursing tanks (http://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=67281) for the last 7 1/2 months. I always wear one under whatever shirt I have on, then I pull up the top shirt and unclip the nursing tank. The entire bra cup folds down, rather than leaving just a little circle for your nipple. That circle on the other brands would leave a mark on my skin no matter how big of a size I got and I found it really uncomfortable. I also really like that my tummy is covered when nursing. I have four and I wear one literally every day. They are a tad pricey compared to the Target (etc) brand, but they have held up really really well consider how I much I abuse them. I wash them probably 1-2/week and hang to dry. They still look pretty new.

As far as if you are looking for a "real" bra when you want more shape or don't care for the tank top feel. I also love the Bravado bodysilk seamless bra (http://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=14248). I have two and I wear them to work or if we are going somewhere that I need to dress a little nicer. They also have the full fold down cup, not the holes.

The actual bras are on sale at diapers.com right now with code SFBRAVADO. They rarely go on sale so it might be worth ordering one just to try it. What I did was order quite a few so I could try them on and see what fit me best, then I sent the ones I didn't like back (diapers has free return shipping).

Size wise it's sort of a guess since you don't really know what your boobs will do once your milk comes in. I bought two tanks and a bra before the baby was born (probably about as far as you are along now) and they did fit me once my milk came in. The tanks are pretty forgiving as far as size flexibility (the same tank fit me through my milk coming in, to now). I would suggest maybe taking one or two tanks/bras at the most to the hospital, then see what you fit once you get home and make the decision to keep/send back then.

Also, for what its worth, I did initially buy the Bravado Original nursing bra and REALLY didn't like it. Its like a sports bra but I found the material really itchy/uncomfortable.

Good luck!

ETA- I suppose I should mention that I did try several of the "cheaper" options from Motherhood Maternity and Target, etc, but they were so uncomfortable so I decided to stop wasting money on the cheaper ones and just buy a few good ones.

[fedoragirl]

I HATE the tanks from Target and I bought four. They leave a mark around my boobs and are so uncomfortable. I bought one tank from bravado and 3 nursing bras from them as PP wrote.
I will either get another tank or another bra for this baby. I think 4 bras/tanks should suffice for around the day use.
I wouldn't bother spending money on anything else other than Bravado. I never sleep in bras but when I was nursing these were the only bras I could wear 24/7. Oh, and I used them till DD was 12 months and I had stopped nursing. That's how comfy they are.

[indigo99]

They do recommend avoiding underwires as it can cause problems when nursing. I loved the Target tanks as well (although my Target quit carrying them in store). I also did not like the "original" bravado that I had. The material was thick and coarse, and the elastic was too wide and uncomfortable for me.

ETA: What works for you is going to depend entirely on your body. I don't think there is one nursing bra that will work for everyone.

[marymoo86]

It will really depend on your sizing as to what will be best/most comfortable. I didn't get very big even though I somehow pump tons of milk. I went up 2 cup sizes after the "settling in" period. Was able to get by with the Leading lady brand wireless that JCP sells online and instore. 4 suffice for work and then I have 4 Target nursing tanks. They do the job but I don't love them.

[AnnieW625]

I don't care for shelf bras so I never found a nursing tank that I really liked. With DD1 I had one Medela, one Bravado, and one Liz Lange from Target (now I think it's Gilligan and O Malley). The Liz Lange one was by far my favorite. With DD2 I wore the same three bras, and added 4 of the Wacoal bralettes. I still really liked the Liz Lange for support when I was out of the house, but overall I loved the bralettes a lot and still wear those for yoga, and lounging around the house.

I was a 38C while nursing and am a 38B normally.

[wendibird22]

I'm a petite gal with a big bust when nursing. I love love love Anita bras. They are very supportive (even w/out an underwire...although I did underwire the 2nd time around with no problems). Expensive, but very worth it. I got most of mine from breakoutbras or birthandbaby.com. I like birthandbaby because they have a great description of each item and whether you need to size up or down in the band or cup. So even if I didn't buy from them I always consulted their site for fit information.

[luckytwenty]

I love the Bravado Body Silk and hated most other bras I tried. I wore them when I was pregnant and huge (like a 38F) and still can wear them as sleep bras on the absolute tightest settings (probably a 34DD or D right now).

[lowrioh]

What works best is completely depended on your size. I'm wearing a 38 G at the moment and nursing tanks just don't give me enough support. If you need a larger size Anita and Elomi are brands I can recommend.

[Lupe]

I second the bravado bra recomendations
I also like the medela sleep bra and the glamourmom tanks
I got the full figure tanks I think they are better because instead of a shelf bra they have an adjustable band bra inside, and the tummy area is very supportive

[lizzywednesday]

What I found for myself is, if the bra was sold by letter-size, it wouldn't fit my breasts correctly. The Bravado Bodysilk are sold by letter-size, so they didn't work very well for me. However, the Bravado Bliss are sold by cup/band size, so they worked a lot better.

I really loved the no-show effect that the Bravado Bodysilk seamless bras gave me, but they were not practical for my 38E's with the seamless pads in ... I was prone to milk blisters and backup with the pads in and ended up with mastitis when my DD was 8 months old.

Next kid, I'm not going to get the Bravado Bodysilks.

I loved my Bravado Bliss bra, but got the wrong band size. (It's a 36; even after losing all the baby weight, I need the 38.)

By far, my favorite nursing bra is Anita. The regular one I have is a band size too big while the underwire one I bought to attend a wedding when my DD was 4 months old fits perfectly.

Next kid, I am going to get more of the Anitas.

I bought Glamourmom tanks and wanted to love them, but the opening was awkwardly tiny for me. Seriously. They also compressed my boobs and caused milk blisters. They've been relegated to the "get lost" heap, which is a shame because I paid full price for them.

I ended up getting one Gilligan & O'Malley from Target ... and have since bought 4 more, plus 3 for my SIL when my nephew arrived last September. They do run small, and they shrink in the dryer, so I sized up 2 sizes (I'd usually pick a "L" but bought 2X.)

[ExcitedMamma]

I really think it depends on tour bust size. I'm big busted normally so now that I'm nursing finding bras has been a huge issue. If you are big busted the Bravado tanks won't work but the Glamourmom full bust will. I hate that they don't drop down fully in the cup but I wear them most every day. For actual bras for bigger bust Elomi is the only one that works for me. I have their nursing bra, sports bra, and just got their new soft cup nursing bra which is so comfortable.

I love breakout bras.com. Great prices and always an additional ten percent off and great descriptions. I really like the Bravado original nursing bra but I hate that Bravado only sells the larger cups sizes in large band sizes but at breakout bras I was able to order a small band size with a large cup size for a special order Bravado original. Again if you are larger in the bust stay away from all other Bravados. I've tried them all and they dont work unfortunately.

[mikala]

I have absolutely lived in the bravado nursing tanks (http://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=67281) for the last 7 1/2 months. I always wear one under whatever shirt I have on, then I pull up the top shirt and unclip the nursing tank. The entire bra cup folds down, rather than leaving just a little circle for your nipple. That circle on the other brands would leave a mark on my skin no matter how big of a size I got and I found it really uncomfortable. I also really like that my tummy is covered when nursing. I have four and I wear one literally every day. They are a tad pricey compared to the Target (etc) brand, but they have held up really really well consider how I much I abuse them. I wash them probably 1-2/week and hang to dry. They still look pretty new.

As far as if you are looking for a "real" bra when you want more shape or don't care for the tank top feel. I also love the Bravado bodysilk seamless bra (http://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=14248). I have two and I wear them to work or if we are going somewhere that I need to dress a little nicer. They also have the full fold down cup, not the holes.


A huge :yeahthat:, had the same experience but she said it better than I could have. I started wearing the bodysilk in the second trimester when the underwires on my regular bras started to dig in and continued to wear it and the tanks until DC weaned.

[logan's mom]

I would buy one nursing bra to get you home from the hospital and one tank to wear around the house the first couple of days. Then once you milk supply has leveled out, then shop for bras.
I really disliked the tank and didn't feel like it gave me enough support so I only wore it in my home or slept in it. I was lucky enough to have a nursing boutique near where I lived and was able to go in and try on bras and get fitted. Of all the bras I tried, my favorite were the Nummies Style Bras. (http://nummies.com/style_bra.php) They were supportive and comfy. The cups were thick enough to hide nursing pads but not so thick that the bra was hot. They are, however, hard to find :hopmad:

I will be ordering them from where I bought them originally even though we have since moved. http://anurturingmoment.com/

[soon2b4]

I'm a petite gal with a big bust when nursing. I love love love Anita bras. They are very supportive (even w/out an underwire...although I did underwire the 2nd time around with no problems). Expensive, but very worth it. I got most of mine from breakoutbras or birthandbaby.com. I like birthandbaby because they have a great description of each item and whether you need to size up or down in the band or cup. So even if I didn't buy from them I always consulted their site for fit information.

Thanks for the birthandbaby.com info. I just ordered from them, as they have everything 25% off for March, and what looks like a good return policy.
:thumbsup:

[carolinamama]

I found with both of my past pregnancies that I loved to start out with the Bravado bras and a few nursing tanks. They were comfortable enough but sizing doesn't have to be exact as you are changing at first. Then at about 2 mo pp I have gone to a local lactation store in a hospital birthing center and gotten a few more supportive bras after being measured and trying on as many as I could to decide what worked the best for me.

[BabbyO]

I was a Gillian O'Malley (from Target) girl all the way. I love both the tanks and nursing bras and the price was unbeatable. But I also tend to be pretty small...34C when nursing.

[Tondi G]

I really liked my Medela nursing bra. I got my 1st one when DS1 was born and a bought a couple more when DS2 was born. Mine looked like these but without the super thick straps

http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/medseamnurso.html

[newg]

I am wearing the Target nursing tanks http://www.target.com/Gilligan-OMalley-Side-Sling-Nursing/dp/B003LXYN7E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=nursing%20tanks&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-4&qid=1300586493&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Gilligan%20OMalley%20Side%20Sling%20Nursing&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=90&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_ primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0 I only have the side-sling kind. I'm a 36 D/DD while nursing and I'm wearing a M/L........L is probably the better fit.
I also have an anita bra that I got while pregnant and I'm too big for it now, but will go back to it when I wean DD2.
My favorite daily bras are the Bravados. and I have three of the sleep bras by Madela.

[ahrimie]

I have absolutely lived in the bravado nursing tanks (http://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=67281) for the last 7 1/2 months. I always wear one under whatever shirt I have on, then I pull up the top shirt and unclip the nursing tank. The entire bra cup folds down, rather than leaving just a little circle for your nipple. That circle on the other brands would leave a mark on my skin no matter how big of a size I got and I found it really uncomfortable. I also really like that my tummy is covered when nursing. I have four and I wear one literally every day. They are a tad pricey compared to the Target (etc) brand, but they have held up really really well consider how I much I abuse them. I wash them probably 1-2/week and hang to dry. They still look pretty new.

As far as if you are looking for a "real" bra when you want more shape or don't care for the tank top feel. I also love the Bravado bodysilk seamless bra (http://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=14248). I have two and I wear them to work or if we are going somewhere that I need to dress a little nicer. They also have the full fold down cup, not the holes.

The actual bras are on sale at diapers.com right now with code SFBRAVADO. They rarely go on sale so it might be worth ordering one just to try it. What I did was order quite a few so I could try them on and see what fit me best, then I sent the ones I didn't like back (diapers has free return shipping).

Size wise it's sort of a guess since you don't really know what your boobs will do once your milk comes in. I bought two tanks and a bra before the baby was born (probably about as far as you are along now) and they did fit me once my milk came in. The tanks are pretty forgiving as far as size flexibility (the same tank fit me through my milk coming in, to now). I would suggest maybe taking one or two tanks/bras at the most to the hospital, then see what you fit once you get home and make the decision to keep/send back then.

Also, for what its worth, I did initially buy the Bravado Original nursing bra and REALLY didn't like it. Its like a sports bra but I found the material really itchy/uncomfortable.



This is sooo me too! LOVED Bravado. I tried Glamourmom tanks on after I started nursing but thought the nipple cutout was really weird. Your nipple has to fit in there perfectly. Plus, I'd imagine it would get milk on it here and there and start to yellow later... ick.

I loved the tanks. I only had 2 and wore them all the time until I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight/shape/size. I liked the Bodysilk one too (I think it had thin cups in it that I took out for my regular tanks later). After, I used a regular JCrew cami with shelf bra and inserted the thin cups from my nursing bra with the nursing pads. I'm not big to begin with and was only a small-moderate B cup with milk, so this worked for me quite well.

[yournamehere]

I love the medela sleep bras. I have worn out quite a few so they may not be considered the best quality but they are so comfortable.

[BayGirl2]

I got some Bravado tanks and really hated them. They were the right size for me, but the material was so thick and tight they felt like they were "slimmer" type undergarments which is NOT a good feeling post-partum. I prefer my tanks to be a little looser around the stomach. I got some Target tanks and liked them a lot, and they were much cheaper. I wish I had tried both on before buying, even though I did get a deal on the Bravados.

I wore both the Target and Medela bras. Ended up liking the Targets better, although the Medelas easily hooked on to my pump (Freestyle) without an adapter. I have some Medela sleep bras and still wear them regularly.

As others said, it will depend on your body type and preference. You are close enough that you could go try some on now to get an idea. You will want to have at least one or two ready for the birth, then can buy more online later.

[ashleybama24]

I really liked the Glamourmom nursing tanks. They now come in actual bra sizes so for people like me that are petite but well endowed they worked well. They also came in long so it helped cover the extra post baby belly. I also loved the Anitas but they are made in Europe so their cup sizes were a little smaller than other brands. But it was the only underwire bra I could find in bigger sizes. I see Zulily always has beautiful nursing bras in larger sizes but I've never ordered any!

[Pinky]

I ended up just wearing sports bras and found them extremely comfortable!

[essnce629]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Bravado Body Silk bras! DS2 will be two next month and I've been wearing them non-stop since he was about a month old! I loved them when I was a 34F and still love them at a 32C.

I always start out with just sleep nursing bras though and don't buy any regular nursing bras till after my milk is in and my size has stablized. I can definately see the Bravado Body Silk being a good choice at the end of your pregnancy though since it is quite stretchy and can accommodate several sizes. I also loved the Bravado nursing tanks. They're great for wearing under your regular shirt instead of a bra when you'll be nursing in public (keeps your back and belly covered).