What Nursing Bra to Wear?
If you're planning on breastfeeding your child you'll need to think about purchasing some nursing bras. Gone are the days when maternity bras were cumbersome and unflattering. You can now buy comfortable, easy to use and elegent nursing bras from companies such as, Bravado, Medela, Playtex, Elle Macpherson, Goddess and others. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the best nursing bra to make breastfeeding your baby as enjoyable as possible.
There are five main types of nursing bra you can buy. Which one you choose will be down to personal preference. The maternity bras listed below all have different ways of allowing a mother to breastfeed her child. So before you buy take a read and decide which type would be more convenient for you.
Like some conventional bras, one type of breastfeeding bra fastens between the cups at the front. This type is easy to open but perhaps a little to indiscreet for some mother.
Another type of nursing bra consists of zips, which sit under each cup. The advantage with this bra is that it quite discreet and easy to open and close. The zip-line can show through if the mother is wearing a tight fitting top.
The third type has a fastening (or small button) on the shoulder strap just above the cup, which can easily be unfastened to allow the cup down. Ensure you buy one that exposes the whole of the breast and not just the nipple, because the bra fabric left pressing on the breast may cause the blocked milk ducts. Again, the primary advantage of this maternity bra is ease of use.
You can buy breastfeeding bras made from a stretchy material. This is simple to use; you just pull the cup over the breast.
Finally, nighttime nursing bras are usually lighter in weight so as to make sleeping more comfortable. Instead of the usual ways of opening for feeding, this type of maternity bra might have a crossover front design so you can just slip your breast out.
Don't purchase your maternity bra too early in your pregnancy. Buy during the last month, as your breasts will be nearing their full size prior to breastfeeding your baby.
Buy as many nursing bras as you can afford and also the best quality you can afford. You don't necessarily need one for each day of the week but remember that you will be producing a lot of milk and will suffer from leaky breasts, so you will need to wash your maternity bras frequently.
It is important to buy the best quality you can afford. The main things to look out for are: cotton bras, as they will help keep you nipple cool and dry; good, wide straps that are going to give you lots of support, your breasts are going to enlarge and get a lot heaver so support is vital; test the fastening of the nursing bra making sure that it unfastens and refastens easily; the fastenings should not dig into you; Above all, make sure the bra is a good fit. Not only does a bad fitting maternity bra feel uncomfortable and not provide support, it may even interfere with milk production.
What follows is a quick review of nursing bras from popular brands. All the nursing bras reviewed are popular and rate higly in many consumer reviews.
Bravado nursing bras are extremely popular. Bravado maternity bras come in one of 3 ranges: the Bravado Original Nursing Bra, the Bravado Supreme Nursing Bra, and the Bravado Lifestyle Nursing Bra. The Original Nursing bra comes in 3 styles: Basic, Plus Style and Double Plus Style. Choosing which one suits you depends on whether you're expecting, have just given birth or have been breastfeeding for a while. If you're a new mother, then the Bravado Original Nursing Bra is the one for you. All bras are made from a super-soft cotton/spandex blend fabric, for maximum support and changing body shape. The Bravado Supreme Nursing Bra is for the fuller-breasted woman. Unlike other fuller-breasted bras the Supreme isn't under-wired but still holds its shape all day long. The bra also has a delicately embossed fabric, which is strong yet silky to the touch - clothing glides over it making breastfeeding very easy. The Bravado Lifestyle Nursing Bra is a very chic - dare I say sexy - bra with a low neckline, molded cups that give an incredibly smooth, seamless shape that is very flattering under tops and dresses. The neckline and strap have a very feminine lace edge and the nursing flaps open for full access for breastfeeding.
Medela nursing bras come in many types - too many to give an in-depth review. However, here are the ranges with some comments. The Medela Comfort Bra is probably going to suit most nursing mothers. It is for both day and night time wear, and Medela says it is the only “soft” bra available with convenient one-hand drop cup release for easy nursing - although other manufacturers might disagree. The Medela Comfort Bra is an excellent maternity bra, though not the prettiest you can buy. The Medela Seamlees Bra Line is a superb nursing bra and it's hard to find a better nursing bra. The Seamless range all come with low neckline with a delicate lacy pattern woven right into the fabric. Medela also claim that the two-piece cup has a unique one-hand outer cup release that allows easy opening for breastfeeding - again other would disagree. The bra affords a smooth, natural line under whatever top you wear. The Seamless line comes in several types, so there's bound to be one to suit every nursing mother. The different types available are; Softcup, Full Fit and Underwire. Medela have just recently release the Sleep Bra. It is made from very soft, stretchy fabric that allows easy drawback of the cup for breastfeeding - no fiddling with buttons, clasps or zips in the middle of the night. The Medela Classic Bra is very feminine and stylish. Again, the neckline is low and the lace 'softcup' is constructed of soft and cool cotton-Lycra. The cup size also adjusts to 3 positions to allow for the changing shape of the breast throughout the day. You can also buy the Medela Extended Size Classic Bra for the fuller-breasted woman - incidentally, the bra is designed to work with the Medela Pumping Free Attachment Kit.
The Playtex Expectant Moments Nursing Bra is a very stylish maternity bra. The neckline is very low and the cups are soft inside with a pointelle fabric outside. The fabric used is polyester, cotton, nylon and spandex. The combination of fabric provides support, comfort, coolness and easy adjustment. The bra fastens by means of a double hook at the back and there are pull-down front flaps, which have a plastic clasp at the top of the cup. The Playtex Expectant Moments bra is a very stylish but very affordable nursing bra.
Goddess nursing bras are made by the same company that also manufactures Rigby & Peller, Fantasie of England, and Freya, so you can be assured of their quality. Goddess make 2 types of nursing bras, the 1001 and 511. The 1001 Goddess nursing bra is unusual as it features bold printed shapes in red, black and white, printed above the nursing cups - the idea being to visually stimulate babies while nursing. The bra is made from 100% pure cotton. The neckline is quite low and the bra has broad straps to provide maximum comfort. The 511 is the more feminine design. The 511 Goddess nursing bra is made from a cotton/polyester fabric, embossed with a lace design. It has dual shoulder strap clasps for easy breastfeeding.
As you might expect the Elle Macpherson Nursing Bra is feminine, sexy and pricey. The Elle Macpherson La Mere nursing bra is very lacey, on both straps and the stretchy lace cups. The cups are lined with 100% cotton for comfort. The Elle Macpherson Maternelle Nursing Bra is also a very beautiful nursing bra. The bra is seamless, comes with wide straps and easy clips that allow the cup to be opened with one hand. Elle Macpherson nursing bras are very feminine and sexy but they do come at a price; not a bra you might wear every day but certainly the one to wear for that special occasion.Please be aware that the information given in these articles should in no way be taken as a substitute for professional advice and does not necessarily reflect the views of Breast Feeding Information. If you have questions or concerns regarding your family's or your child's physical or mental health, please seek other professional assistance. We cannot be held responsible for any damages that result from the use of the information provided on this website. Any statements and opinions expressed within this site are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of the site.