Nursing bras

Georgia

Hi! I am new to the YLF forum. I am a nursing mother and I am looking for suggestions for a good, supportive nursing bra. I haven't been fitted since I had my son, but I am assuming I am at least a D if not a DD (I was a 36D pre-pregnancy). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

17 years ago

Dressing

9 replies

Latest reply was from carissa

me2me2

Active Member

I tried several different brands of nursing bras (I nursed two babies for 3 years straight!). I spent a lot of dough, and I bought some cheapies to get by. I really enjoyed the Gillian O'Malley brand of nursing bras found at Target. They were cheap enough that you could get more than one (in case one was covered in spit-up or something nasty), and they were still supportive. They even have some with lace that actually look PRETTY! (A very important part of trying to feel remotely human, let alone SEXY while nursing and caring for a newborn!)

Also, I highly recommend getting a more comfortable "sleep bra" for night, and/or around the house. Then nicer more structured bras for putting yourself together!

Here is an example of one of the prettier bras at Target:
http://www.target.com/Gilligan.....038;page=1

17 years ago

carissa

(website)

Active Member

Hi Georgia,

Check out this link: http://bratiquehelene.blogspot.....s-101.html for full bust nursing bra recommendations.

I'm glad you are nursing, I know sometimes women who are well-endowed find it too difficult to nurse as the breasts become so voluminous, heavy and sometimes hard to manage.

17 years ago

shana

Veteran

I think a bra fitting is really helpful for nursing bras -especially when you have larger breasts. I wore some really poor-fitting, non-supportive bras first time around and I don't know if this is the only cause but I did end up with some disattached breast tissue in one breast. Second time around, I read lots of reviews online and was all set to order one of the Bravado bras which seemed to be universally recommended. But I decided to go ahead and do a fitting with a nursing bra specialist and boy was I glad that I did. I realized that I had no idea what a good fit was and would have probably ordered something online that was awful without even realizing it. After trying on a bunch of different ones - Bravado, La Leche League, Anita etc., I ended up with a Medela seamless underwire bra - the soft cup ones just did not provide enough support. The Medelas were a perfect fit though I really did not like the release mechanism (hard to do one handed) and they were a bit pricey (I think I paid $60+ for each). My recommendation would be to get a fitting with a bra specialist or at least go to a store that has a variety of styles for you to try on. I had to make several phone calls to find a nursing bra specialty shop - it turned out that the large hospital in my state had a nursing shop with a person who did fittings.

17 years ago

me2me2

Active Member

I did have a bra fitting while I was still pregnant with the first baby. Check with your hospital lactation consultant, she will probably know where you could get a bra fitting. Or check with your local La Leche League group.

I did have a Medela and a Bravado, and I even sprung for a Glamourmom tank top. This was all before Target and even Walmart started carrying more nursing attire.

I remember the Medela being one of the most comfortable--- nothing rubbing or pinching, but it was hard to open. The Bravado and the ones from JCPenney were not comfy or convenient at all.

The Glamourmom tank was cool, but now I think you can get the same type of thing for a lot cheaper!

17 years ago

Georgia

Active Member

Thank you everyone for your help! Your reccomendations are really appreciated.

Carissa-it can be hard nursing my son sometimes. I think the reasons you mentioned were part of the reason why I had problems I had nursing my older son. This time around I feel much more confident.

17 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Georgia, I have no personal experience so can't give suggestions myself, but just saw this topic & product reviews discussed on Allie's Wardrobe Oxygen: http://www.wardrobeoxygen.com/.....eyond.html

17 years ago

Active Member

me2 mentioned she didn't like Bravado, and I didn't either when I first tried them eight years ago. I bought a couple Bravado bras two months ago and they are comfy. I like them. I also bought a Bravado tank. It is the most comfortable nursing tank I have. It's more comfortable than my Glamourmom and Target tank. Bravado specializes in larger sizes as well.

That said I do love the Target bras and tanks. They are very affordable and the quality is pretty good for price.

17 years ago

Patience

Veteran

I do not have a super large bust-- my peak was 34D for nursing. But I will say that Bravado and Anita were both highly uncomfortable for me no matter what style and usually didn't fit well. I usually ended up with the Medela soft cup. Once I got past the first year I switched to Bella Materna which has an underwire. I also used Condessa Cassandra but these definitely wouldn't give enough support for a larger bust and they wear out quickly. I have never really been pleased with the options for nursing bras but I consider no underwire and comfort to be critical-- your health depends on it.

Carissa, thanks for your tips. I will file those away for future reference-- I have never heard of those brands. Even I had a breast larger than my baby's head for a short while. (I thought it was kind of cool).

Am I wrong in saying that nursing bras wear out more quickly than regular bras?

17 years ago

carissa

(website)

Active Member

Nursing bras are usually constructed of lesser quality fabrics than normal bras, and that is why they are usually cheaper than regular bras as well. Also they tend to be worn around the clock, deal with lots of bodily fluids (sweat, milk, spit-up, etc.) and the bigger the breasts the bigger the job is for the nursing bra.

Thats what contributes to nursing bras wearing out quicker. My nursing bras last for years, yes years. Not the cheaper ones though (Bravado, Target, Fancee free, Leading lady, etc.).

17 years ago

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