Q&A: Nursing bras

Mimi writes:

"I'm expecting my first child very soon and am feeling very calm about nearly everything birthing and parenting related.  My anxiety is completely centered around picking the right nursing bra.  Sizes, styles, stores... I'm stymied!  Please opine at length."

"At length"? Ah, you know me too well.

Now, lingerie is such a personal thing. So what I'm going to recommend (with the exception of buying one or two Bravados ahead of time, which seems to be universally recommended) is just my opinion, based on the limited number of different nursing bras I've tried. My advice is coming from a woman who started out a C-cup before pregnancy, went up to a DD (and up one band size) by the end of pregnancy, was an E for a few days when my milk came in, and then was a DD for the first 9 months of nursing. I went down to a D (and back to my original band size) by 9 months post-partum and then back down to my original C by 18 months or so of nursing. I sincerely hope that others comment with their opinions so we can get some more data points from women with different sized breasts.

I would buy one or two Bravado bras right now to have when you deliver. Bravados are kind of a stretchy sports-bra style that fits a range of sizes, so you can order the size you are in your 8th month and know it'll fit you when you deliver. I liked my Bravados because they were extremely comfy and gave me enough support for everyday activities. However, I did not find that I could open and close them with one hand--the band was too stretchy for that. What that meant was that I wore them a lot at home, but not out when I'd need to open and close smoothly in public or in front of my FIL. I wore them so much I ended up throwing one of them away last month after 40 or so months of use (with two different kids), when it finally gave up the ghost. Bravado's not the perfect bra, but it's a good one to have on hand to carry you through the first few weeks until your size settles down and you can think about ordering or buying another few.

An aside: I never could have managed with 2 bras. They tell you you should have one on and one in the wash, but come on. Who's washing bras when you've got garments full of spit-up to wash first? I think 4 is probably a reasonable minimum number of bras for someone who nurses for more than 6 weeks.

I also have a few Playtex Expectant Moments bras, which win hands-down in the dumbest name category. They are very easy to open and close with one hand. I have the older style with woven cotton cups so they don't stretch much. I got them on sale, so I'm fine with them, but they're not the first bras I reach for. Maybe the stretch cup style is better, but this style was just kind of eh. I'd wear them when I knew I'd need to open and close smoothly with one hand, though.

My favorite nursing bras for every day are actually the cheap bras I bought at Target (I'm positive I used to be able to find them on the website, but I can find them now). They range in price from $12 to $17, and I've liked most of the styles I've tried. They don't last forever, and if you wash them in the machine you risk losing an underwire, but I don't think you can beat them for the intersection of price, comfort, and style.

I have two nursing tanks from Target, which are OK, but they're way too short and run extremely small. I'll probably buy a nursing tank or two from Motherwear to see if they run a little longer (the ones from Target ride up like crazy). Wearing a tank under another shirt turns that shrt into a nursing shirt, because you've got the tank layer covering your tummy. This is key for those of us who live in cold climates.

That's all I've got. Anyone else? Smaller-breasted women? Other larger-breasted women? I'm due for some new bras myself and could use recommendations. Sign in with your size, favorites, and least favorites.

(Oh, and has anyone tried the new uber-sexy nursing bra?)

Comments

[Carla Hinkle]

I had 5 or 6 nursing bras (only 1 kid so far), and by far liked the sports-bra types. Smooth lines, easy access (I liked hook and eye myself),no uncomfortable underwires, and they wore like steel. I had some cheapies from Target and Motherhood (no more than $15 each).

I recently came across these nursing tanks which are supposedly the bomb (tho v. pricey):

www.glamourmom.com

Who on earth could get by with only 2 nursing bras?

[KatS]

I cannot stress enough the importance of getting a bra fitting after about three to six weeks post partum. While you are at home, the slouchy, comfy nursing bra may be fine, but you will be much more comfortable as you recover and resume normal activities if you get a professional bra fitting and wear the correct size.

I think I've worn the wrong size bra my whole life! Post babies I thought I was a 38 or 40 C, but I was really a 36 DD! Now I'm in a 34 D and I think it's time for a refit. I can't tell you how much getting professionally fit has changed my life! Once you know your true size, you can buy whatever bra you want and it will not ride up, your breasts will be lifted and separated. It's amazing. So, that's my two cents.

[Lala]

$60 bucks for that!! Holy Marconi!

[Bobbi]

I was one of the few who managed with just 2 bras...I too went up a cup and a band size - from B to C and from 36 to 38. To manage with 2 (I'm cheap, what can I say) I just washed them with all the spitty uppy baby stuff. You know you're doing AT LEAST one load of that every day. As for style, I went with the underwire, slightly padded version from motherhood. Not for any particular reason other than it's the style I'm used to normally. I could navigate them with one hand, after a bit of practice.

[Linda]

I am a buxom woman of Swedish decent. I think I could be less buxom, but then I'd have to lose 20 lbs and that's not happening right now. I was much less buxom until I went to college. Anyhoo.

Normally, I'm a 36C and then during pregnancy I got so uncomfortable that I just lived in these bras:

http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=14141071&category_Name=Bras&Category_Id=1071&MasterCategory_Id=6

They're awesome in that they don't dig in to the skin above your belly and under your boobs. I used them as nursing bras, too. You can just pull down the side or pull it up over your boob. They're so stretchy and comfy.

One thing they're not is flattering and my boobs didn't go back to looking perky until I fit back into my lovely V-Secret bras. But despite the dire warnings of a fellow mom of twins, I DID fit back just fine in my bras.

I tried various bras from various stores and never found one that I was willing to buy. Plus, I am cheap.

I would love to get an official bra fitting, but after reading Melissa's most recent account, I am now even more terrified.
http://www.suburbanbliss.net/suburbanbliss/2006/01/yo_sunny_d.html

[Brooke]

I'm curious if anyone knows a good place to find the narrow band size/larger cup size combo. It's kind of hard.

Emilin was a 32D before she got pregnant, grew into a 34E, and now, at 8 months is growing out of that, but only in the cups. She has got one Bravado in S++ which she is wearing now. So, unless her band size goes up to at least 38 when her milk comes in (which seems unlikely), Mimi/Motherhood and Target are totally out.

I guess we'll probably go back to the bra store and she'll get fitted a few weeks postpartum, but trying to get by with one nursing bra and one nursing tank seems hard.

[Jo]

Since I am in the process of ordering one of everything from Birthandbaby.com (highly recommended, by the way), I can only sit and listen. Oh, and recommend the Bravado as an excellent stopgap.

I have one Bravado that is the right size (M++), one crappy overstretched generic affair that is at least bra-shaped even if it's unsupportive and not the right size and is black, and a Medela comfort bra whose straps hug my neck. Also I have one Blue Canoe Jill's Bra. Those are my going-out bras. Weep with me.

For night I have the Blue Canoe Jane's Bra, and several hand-me-down Bravados with too-big bands and too-small cups.

I am really hard to fit because I have a broad back, which screws up the fitting -- I measure like a 38D or 40C, but a 36DD fits best. I wish there were somewhere I could go IRL to just try stuff on. I love birthandbaby.com, and they have every funky size imaginable, but I'm so friggin' tired of mail order.

[Jen (yup, another one)]

Thanks for explaining the tank thing. I am ordinarily not a tank top person at all, so my eyes slide right over them every time I look at the Motherwear catalog. Now I can see that they might be of use even for tank-hating me (especially if my mom keeps giving me clothes "to wear after you have the baby" that DON'T HAVE NURSING OPENINGS! I think it's a sneak attack...).

[Sarah]

I have to make this quick since my quiet time is quickly running out, but I wanted to say that as a larger breasted woman (38 I) I had an impossible time finding a nursing bra. I finally found one at breakoutbras.com (how's that for a poor choice of name for a bra store?). They carry Fancee Free bras (again with the poor choice of names) in larger cup sizes.

That's all for now!

[beaver girl]

If you are extra leaky like me, you'll need way more than two. i have 5 of the Medela Soft Cup Full Fit Seamless. It gives lots of support - no seams. this is the one i wear under clothes when i leave the house.

For sleeping or just hanging around - heh - i have 4 Leading Lady Crossover Leisure bras - not really for nursing but easy to yank the stretchy fabric aside and nurse. very comfy.

Neither are especially attractive looking. Oo - i'm drooling over that one moxie linked to. lace!

I have some bravados but don't love the thick sports bra type band.

[lisa]

All my friends swear by the glamourmom. I have the cheap Target ones, and yup, I'm a size L- at maybe a B cup on a good day.

I live in shelf tanks. These days it's easier than anything else, and more comfortable too. But I have the advantage (the first so far in my life it seems!) of being nearly flat-chested, and also living in the tropics.

[Linda]

I've always had a lot of trouble with bras. They never ever fit right, the cups are always poochy, the straps slip off my shoulders, the back of the band rides up. Then, when I started breastfeeding, I found that my nipples were so tender from being coddled for years that I had some painful adjusting to do. Then I found that I am extremely susceptible to plugged ducts and infections, and so pressure and more than half a minute's contact with stale milk is a very, very bad thing.

So at home I don't wear bras at all. I wouldn't when going out either (I know some brave mamas who don't and I so admire them) but my breasts are extremely mismatched and I just look like a freak. So, not an option I'm comfortable with.

A good compromise for me has been the Jane bra from Blue Canoe. I love, love, love it. Basically it's a loose-fitting sports-type bra, except that it separates the breasts rather than giving you the uniboob. When nursing, I just lift up the band up over my breast. It's comfortable and stays put.

They don't make a lot of sizes, though. I'm a 42C and their XL fits me well. I think they go up to a XL plus cup.

[Heidi]

Bear in mind that a fair number of women just don't end up being able to breastfeed (I was almost one of them); it makes sense to see if it'll work for you and your baby before making a major investment in breastfeeding gear. Buy two or three cheap and comfortable bras to start out with--mine were cotton ones from Motherhood Maternity--based on what fits in the last few weeks of your pregnancy. I wore these for the first six weeks or so, until my breast size stabilized and I could get fitted for more durable nursing bras (I've been nursing for 11 months now, and I still continue to wear the cheapies at night but bought Medela bras in white, beige, and black for day wear). Plus, if you end up needing to use lanolin on your nipples early on in the nursing process, you don't want to get nasty stains on nice bras. And finally, waiting will allow you to have a better idea of how many bras you really need. As it turned out, I wasn't much of a leaker, though I always keep pads in my bra just in case. But if I HAD been, I might have wanted more bras since I'd be changing and washing them more often.

I can't stress enough the importance of waiting for a fitting, though I realize everyone's situation and anatomy differ. I was a 34C before pregnancy and a 34DD a month after delivering. But what felt comfortable toward the end of pregnancy varied wildly, depending on the position of the baby. My boy was LONG, and his little butt was wedged under my ribs about as high as it could be without coming out my throat. I kept buying larger and larger bras to (unsuccessfully) alleviate the pain I'd feel when he got active. Once I hit a 38D and still felt at times as though an Ace bandage was being pulled tightly around my ribs, I stopped wearing a bra except at work. So at least in my case, it would have been fruitless to be fitted before the baby's birth.

[Mimi]

Thank you Moxie, and all my friends inside the computer. I knew you would not disappoint! I got 2 of the Playtexes on sale before Ali came. They're comfier now that they've been washed a few times. BF is going great, so I'll probably get a couple more of them and also try the Bravados. Best tip? The nursing tank. Who knew? I never go near tanktops normally, but they will be just the thing to keep my middle section draft-free here in the chilly Northeast.

[Chris]

I don't normally comment, but had to add that the glamourmom tanks were my primary nursing "bra" for the 17 months I breastfed my son. Yes, they were very pricey. But I bought one and almost wore it non stop. It was great solo when it was warm, or layered when it was cold. I tried the target version, and it was bad in comparison. So, I got two more glamour mom tanks and with 3 total, that is practically all I wore. In retrospect, it was the better money I spent on baby type stuff because of the use I got out of them. Just my 2 cents.

[Melanie]

I, too, need to recommend the Glamourmom-- I have a cheaper version (Fancee Free?) but it's not as good. I love having all but the relevant bits covered-- I feel weird with my stomach hanging out so they've made me much more comfortable nursing in public than I was with my first. Plus they're long enough to tuck in nicely and don't ride up (unless you wear them in the pool and the chlorine eats the elastic). After wearing them for 8 mos, I got a Bravado and I felt less uniboob-ish, but also felt really exposed when nursing.

[Rayne of Terror]

38 DD here, was a 36 large B or small C prior to pregnancy. I have had 2 styles of Playtex nursing bras. The first style, which I got at JC Penny's, has lots and stretch and lace. V comfortable, but not durable because the lace is under the clasp. I got a different style from a playtex catalogue w/any lace which is more solid, but not as comfortable.

I only had 2 nursing bras in the early leaky months. So what I did was wear one all day and all night with or without pads, then when I got in the shower in the morning I wore the bra into the shower and rinsed it. I hung it up to dry on the towel rack and put on the dry one from the day before. I washed them in the laundry once a week. It worked out okay.

Over the summer I got a nursing tank from Motherhood and it was so chintzy. I think I wore it 6 times before the straps broke and I had to resew it. There were always loose threads around the cup I had to find and get out of the way of the baby's mouth which interfered with discreet nursing.

[Amy P.]

I knew I couldn't be the only one who needed more than two bras!

A friend gave me good advice that I also saw above - don't invest in a bunch of bras all at once in case the bra you've chosen doesn't quite fit. Sample some, find a good one, and then buy more. At first, I had a hard time spending the money on a good bra, but in light of the formula money alone that BFing was saving me, I decided it was worth it. And it was.

One last bit of advice from a non-leaker: seamless bras are truly a must. I had one great bra that had a seam in the cup and I couldn't wear it without nursing pads. My otherwise-fine nipples were just too tender, and if you can avoid nursing pads, why look for a reason to need them?

[BeBe]

The best (in fact, the only) nursing bra that was small enough around, but large enough in the cups, was a sports-type nursing bra from Title Nine. Look on the internets. Is it beautiful? No. Does it fit a 32C-D? YES!!!

[Helen, sport bra user]

I wear that sport style bra and I feel so comfortable in it! It gives great support.

[Helen, sport bra user]

I wear that sport style bra and I feel so comfortable in it! It gives great support.

[Sally B]

I found this nursing bra site helpful when I was choosing my first bras. It has some good information. Hope it helps.

[Tresa]

hi there..
imvery smallbreasted..does anyone know where i can get a nursing bra for a 32 A size..i bought a softcup 32B size and it seems too big..im real frustrated and have used underwired molded ones all my life..id prefer padded nursing bras atleast .. underwired moulded cup nursing bras make me feel more confident.. please help