There are many choices of bras with little hooking flaps. How does a rookie mom decide? Allow me to help. With my 30+ months of breastfeeding experience and access to a dozen different kinds of bras, I have a few strong opinions for you.
At a bare minimum, you need three nursing bras. One to sleep in, one for daytime, and one that can do either in a pinch. Here are my personal guidelines on your nursing bra wardrobe:
- The sleeping bra. The main job is to keep your breast pads in place. I like the Bravado basic thingie (top) and this bamboo one from bellabumbum (lower). The Bravado has more support but the bellabumbum is barely there and was perfect for the hospital.
- The daytime bra. I like this one from Anita but wish that I didn’t buy white because it feels so culinary-school issue. It is comfortable and supportive. There’s also the DIY option nursing bra made from your favorite regular bra.
- The specialty bra. Do you need a nursing bra for jogging or swimming? Maybe so. I got a Moving Comfort Fiona sports bra with velcro straps for use during and after my exercise class. Let’s just say that a regular sports bra is very inconvenient for breastfeeding. Picture it.
- The sexy one. Whether you want to feel extra pretty during the day or on a date or if you still need to keep pads in place during business time, a sexy bra is a worthwhile purchase. I love this one from Cake. Also, our friend the mominatrix shared her favorites here.
- The nursing tank. Ladies, I’m up in the air about tanks and shirts with such a singular focus to the extent that I wrote a nursing top smackdown about just them. In this context, let’s call them optional and move on.
Other hard-earned tips I have for you:
- Buy a soft-banded sleep bra before the baby comes around week 37 or so. But wait until about 4-5 weeks afterward to purchase the others. Get fit by a professional if possible. Here is a handy buying guide from consumerreports.org.
- Buying a bra online is tricky but possible. Many of the better websites will help you through the process and accept returns.
- White is boring and depressing. Nude is also boring and depressing but will show less under white tops. I prefer black and fun colors.
- Make sure to jump in your sports bra before purchase. After your six week appointment, of course.
- And, anything that can’t be opened and closed with just one hand is bullshit. Try the one-hand closure with each hand.
I’d love to hear what you think, either here or in our Facebook discussion.
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Disclosure: I received some Bravado bras as a gift but bought the rest. All opinions are mine. All pictured boobs are not mine.
After four kids one set of twins and four plus total years of nursing, I could not agree with you more. But I wish there was one (maybe I just have not found it yet) that really keeps them where they belong.
I have a different view, particularly about nursing tanks. I wore mine almost exclusively instead of nursing bras. I have a small chest, and I found them to be comfy at bedtime and in the day with cardigans on top or under a suit at work. I only wore nursing bras when I needed an undergarment that would give the illusion of actual womanly curves ; )
I have a love-hate relationship with nursing bras. I think the soft, cheap ones I bought at Target are my favorite so far, but I am using them with nursing pads and a plain tank top under a loose top. Not sure what I’m going to do when summer rolls around in Texas…
I agree with so much of your post, Heather! Especially the part about buying a soft sleep-style bra (or three, if they’re cheap) before baby comes. Wearing a bra in the hospital can help you feel like a real person again. The nursing tanks are handy for that, too. (ANYTHING that covers up the post-partum belly is a winner in my book.) Waiting until week 6 or 8 is a great tip for buying a real bra, if you need one, as well. I bought the Anita Seamless Microfiber Jacquard Underwire Bra #5035 from breakoutbras dot com and have LOVED it. Like, it raised the bar for my non-nursing bra purchases. Don’t be dissuaded by the creepy early-90s model in the picture… Also, do pumping bras qualify for this post? Because I also have to recommend the Simple Wishes pumping bra. Worth every dime.
I actually used the nursing tank in place of a sleep bra. It was much more comfy for me than any bra I tried. And if you will be working and pumping, I would say a hands-free pumping bra is a MUST!!! I think mine was a La Leche League brand, and I can’t imagine pumping without it! As a SAHM now, I don’t pump much, but still keep a hands free bra in my pumping bag to change into for pumping sessions.
(Also, the hyperlink for the sports bra didn’t work for me. I definitely need one, but am quite large chested and have had a hard time finding one that is supportive enough. Do you know how it rates for the well endowed mama?)
i LOVED that sports bra. i’m small waisted but large chested and it passed the jump test with 5 stars!
i would just like to put out there though that there are not enough choices in nursing bras for some one my size. while trying to find an underwire bra i had 3 to choose from and all of them were nude.
I teach pre & postnatal fitness and I LOVE the nursing sports bra – I tell my clients about the Moving Comfort bras all the time (the Juno and Maya are also great nursing-friendly models for women with larger breasts). I’ve had one client call the Maya ‘life-changing’! I also agree about the Bravado bra – my first bra, loved the industrial snaps!!
The one that I have found with the best support (nice lift, really holds pads in place, and a bit snug – like a sports bra without squishing) is the Medela Comfortline. It’s a racer back and SUPER comfortable for both day and night. It’s a little high in the chest, so also acts as a cami if you are wearing a low scoop or v-neck.
hmm, have to check out that sports bra! I am a very busty girl (32 GG normally) so it’s pretty tricky to find decent bras. I did a post for busty girls a bit ago http://hannaslifeiscool.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-which-i-discuss-nursing-bras.html
I have VERY strong opinions about these, too. I have bought a dozen varieties thinking they’d be great, and then they failed. The only ones I have consistently liked through feeding 2 kids are by Bravado (not the basic ones from Target): Body Silk Seamless Microfiber. With my first baby, I wore the camisole ones with yoga pants around the house, since it was August. BUT if not fitted properly, the “sling” thing can cut in at the sides. And worst of all, with the cami ones, a “wardrobe malfunction” can be disastrous (the place where the fabric is sewn onto the clip has come unsewed several times for me, once while I was ON STAGE singing in front of a large group of people–so scary!).
Ladies, I love the feedback. I fixed the sports bra link, sorry!
I was reading your comments –while pumping– using that hands-free pumping bra (now made by Medela) but I never think of that as a nursing bra per se. Then again, I wouldn’t wear it if I weren’t.
Okay, so I’m confused. I have been Breastfeeding for nearly a year and I practically live in regular sports bras! I especially love the cheap soft ones for sleeping in. What are we doing different?
There is a nice new hands free nursing tank or pumping tank by Rumina… I saw it on a site called True Baby Love
http://www.truebabylove.com Hope this helps!
Thank you! I’m expecting my 1st in June and it’s nice to have more info about nursing bras!!
Okay, I would never have thought CR would review nursing bras. Who knew…
At 30G I was a hard fit before I got pregnant. Now its just ridiculous (34K in US sizes 34HH in UK, obviously I buy UK whenever possible). I actually can only order my bras online because I don’t live anywhere near a brick and mortar store for either Bravissimo (UK) or Break Out Bras (NC). Luckily both have EXCELLENT online fitting help. Just email them with what you were wearing before, what your measurements are now, and how your bra doesn’t fit any more and they will send you suggestions.
For us well-endowed ladies I only wish I had known about the wonders of sleep bras prior to pregnancy so that I could walk down stairs or run after the cat without holding on to them.
I LOVED my Bravado. Super, super comfy and it accommodated everything from the engorged new days to the more normal later days. I was hesitant about it because it was so expensive, but it was worth every penny and I ended up wearing it just about every day. I even kept wearing it for a while after I stopped nursing! For sleep (and even sometimes during the day), I had Majamas. Finally I did have 2 nursing tanks. I loved them because I could wear a button down shirt or cardigan over it. That’s pretty much my style when not nursing, too.
Thank you so much for your insight! I’m 37 weeks pregnant with my first and I’ve been putting off the bra buying experience because it seems so overwhelming. Thanks for narrowing down the choices, it’s greatly appreciated by this new mom-to-be!
I found this great site that will make any bra into a nursing bra. I have done it and am very happy with them. The fit of the bra does not change from the alteration.They charge a minimal fee for this service. If anybody is interested the name of the site is LingeriExperts.com