I always knew there were nursing bras. Just never knew there were so many options. One thing is for sure though, nursing bras are not all made equal. Here's my 2 cents, on the ones that I've already tried.
If you have the $$ to spend on nursing bras, I'd splurge and get some really good pieces. If you're not sure if you want to make that plunge, ask yourself these questions:
1) how long are you planning to nurse? If you're planning to nurse for more than a month, I think the investment is worth it. It make life that much easier to have a nursing bra that you can just click on and off to feed baby, versus dealing with hooking and unhooking your bras multiple times a day. Plus, your boobs are probably also crazy-sized. I doubt that many of you want to spend money on "real" bras when they won't actually fit you anymore post-nursing,
2) if/when you return to work, are you planning to pump? this will determine whether or not you'll want to purchase a pumping bra (a bra with holes specifically for pumping)
3) how important is comfort/ease vs. money? obviously, determines where and what brands you can consider.
That should help you figure some things out. Here's my reviews on the ones I've tried.
General tips:
- Sizes generally come in S-M-L-XL etc to be "flexible" with your growing boobs - they can be HUGE when engorged, thus the extra room needed
- skip the wired bras. Sure they may hold your boobies up better, but they also dig into your boobs which probably already hurt anyway, and can caused plugged ducts
- Some type of padding is probably good - your nips stay pretty erect while you're feeding
- If given a choice between A Pea In the Pod vs. Motherhood, I'd definitely go for the high end brand (APITP) if cost isn't a major concern. With my experience anyway, the quality really does show when you spend the extra $$. Plus, these are items you're wearing daily. I find it fairly easy to justify the cost - you're saving lots of money by breastfeeding vs. formula feeding anyway. Shouldn't you be investing that money saved into keeping your boobs comfy and healthy?
Everyday use
A pea in the pod - seamless clip down nursing bra *****
Hands down my favorite nursing bra. It's soft and very stretch but still provides pretty damn good support. Plus, it has pads so no embarrassing nipping. It's VERY easy to use and low maintenance for cleaning. Plus, its SOFT. And flattering also. It's pretty good at hiding back fat, if you're into that kind of thing. At 45 bucks a pop, it's expensive and will have you tempted to buy the lower-end version at Motherhood, but I promise, the quality is worth it (I don't think the Motherhood version provides as good of support). I have 4 of these bad boys.
A Pea in the Pod - racerback nursing bra ***
It's very comfortable to wear and is very stretchy to allow for all of your engorgement needs. They don't come with pads, which can be uhhh sometimes embarrassing. And at 45 dollars a pop, I don't think that's reasonable.
A pea in the pod - full coverage memory foam nursing bra **
I get the idea of this bra. It wants to help your boobs stay in shape. To be fair, it's a REALLY well constructed bra, with some of the best straps I've ever seen on a bra (memory foam, seriously genius). Problem is, it's not a wire-free bra. So it HURTS. When? All the time, really, but it hurts the most when you're nursing because the wire prevents you from being able to pin it down without unclipping BOTH cups. That said, it served its purpose for me when I was pregnant.
Boob maternity fast food bra ***
Not a horrible bra, just not worth 49 dollars. It's has those little holes for your nipples and it has some lace on the sides. Some may give this bra credit for making you feel sexy or whatever. Uhhh yeah, lace makes me ITCH like a bitch, not sexy. Or maybe its not good quality lace, I dunno. either way, it doesn't work. Plus, it's too low cut so on your engorged days, you make boob muffin tops with this bra. Ick. I also don't like those "hole" for nipple type of bras...they make things ITCH. Also, just anything that can potentially get in the way of a very sore nip...bad idea, IMO. Lots of people rave about this bra, but I just don't see it. Sorry, not a fan.
Motherhood maternity - Sport clip down nursing bra **
This shouldn't be allowed to be called a "sports" bra. Overall, just a poorly constructed bra. Yes, it's got the clippy things, it gets the job done, but other than that, it kind of sucks. It's got a horribly thick seam right down the middle of the cup (ummm, nips? hello?). It's built in a way where you have to unclip both sides to effectively feed your baby. The sizing is off compared to their other bras (too small, but perhaps this is because it's intended for "sports"), and all over, the material just feels cheap. I want to scratch my shoulders all day because the straps are inexplicably itchy. The only real "good" thing about this bra is that it's thickly padded, so no embarassing nipping, why I bothered giving it 2 stars. It's also only 20 bucks though, so you get what you pay for.
Sleep bras (very light coverage)
A pea in the pod - unlined nursing sleep bra *****
Stupid amazing bra. I have 3 of these that I rotate through. They are made of very very soft cotton, so very breathable. They feel like wearing just a tank top. I love them and have nothing bad to say about them, except maybe the cost. 34.50 a piece. That's a lot for a sleep bra. But so worth it, if you wanna sleep and not feel like you're wearing a bra.
Medela - sleep bra ****
A pretty decent product for the price ($20). It's a heck of a lot cheaper than the APITP sleep bra. But the construction is obviously not as good. It takes a little more effort to whip the boobs out in this thing. Plus, the elastic is a little bit tighter, which may or may not bug you when you sleep. Overall, an excellent product.
Pumping
Simple Wishes - Hands Free Pumping Bra *****
Awesome product for the price (35ish dollars). I bring this to work with me every day to pump. I usually just unclip both of the cups of my nursing bra and throw this on and then pump away. It's VERY easy to use and it's got a HUGE "universal" size range (which allows for engorgement!). I wear a XS-M which fits anywhere from completely flat chested all the way up to 40 DD (for example). The holes where the flanges go are very well designed so that it really doesn't get in the way of the pumping. Every working mom should get one of these, me thinks. Plus, it's easy to wash. I just throw it in the laundry with everything else.
Dairy fairy Arden bra****
Overall, this is a really cool idea. It's a all-in-one pumping and nursing bra. You can nurse baby while wearing it (unclipping the cups like all other nursing bras), but you can also swing the cups outwards (think like how a wrap top works) to reveal a pumping bra underlayer. This bra is the coolest for someone who simultaneously pumps and nurses. I don't do that, but I do appreciate that I can wear this to work and pump without having to pump on an extra bustier when i want to pump. I'd say it's not quite as effective as the Simple Wishes bustier for pumping though (related to how tight the suction can get, because of the material having more "give" than the Simple Wishes bustier. Another major complaint is cost. At 68 dollars a piece, this is definitely a "luxury" item. That said, this a beautifully designed bra (has "fake" lace made of cotton(?) sewn on the top of the bra which makes it pretty without the usual itchiness complaints), and I can understand the price tag.
Maybe I'll post another review soon of the nursing camis I've tried :)
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