are nursing specific clothes/bras worth the investment? - Page 2

[canuckgirl1975]

Originally Posted by iamleabee

thanks for the helpful hints for those that bought nursing bras, did you buy before or after the baby was born? will you want a nursing bra right away?

I am large chested and need a lot of support so the nursing bras are completely worth it. I went for a professional bra fitting a month before DS arrived. It was amazing and worth it. I bought one semi-expensive bra and then, once I knew my size, a bunch more cheaper bras at a different store.

As for nursing clothes...I find them really awkward. Instead I just use wrap and faux wrap tops. I just pull one side over and unclip my bra and DS nurses to his heart's content. I bought my tops at a store called Jacob Connections for $15 each.

[avivaelona]

Nursing Bras totally worth it, nursing clothing? They didn't work for me. A regular tank top or t-shirt under an open button down shirt worked really well for me though I've considered trying those nursing tanks now that they have some more supportive options.

In addition to nursing bras I found those cotton bras that are like a wrap top really useful for sleep. (Blue Canoe "Jane" bra as an example) They aren't strictly nursing bras but worked well at night when I didn't wnat to be fumbling with latches and wasn't worried about modesty but needed quick access. I had to wear a bra at night for a while to keep from leaking everywhere while I slept.

[Arwyn]

I didn't own any nursing-specific clothes until Naked Baby was over a year. Although I did buy a soft supportive bra in pregnancy (I was braless prekid - and before you assume anything, I'm probably a 44Gish), and a couple shelf tanks when he was a couple months old, which I could just pull down to nurse in (and pull down or up my shirt). Now I own one Bravado nursing tank (and wish I had four more! ), which I love, and was absolutely worth the money, and wish I'd had from the beginning.

Really, I think it depends on what you're used to pre-baby, and what you're like with a baby. Wear a supportive bra all the time? You definitely want a couple nursing bras. Have incredible letdown? You need a bra or shelf tank or something to hold the breast pads. Small breasted and don't leak (hahahahaha!)? You might not need anything. Wear a lot of dresses? You might want to get some wrap-top ones or invest in some nursing clothes.

[merry-mary]

I haven't read all the replies, but I'll echo those who say it depends. It depends on you, your body, your situation, your preferences! I think it's kind of trial and error, and you'll figure out what works for you.

My situation: I'm petite and have a 36C bust size when nursing. I work outside the home 4 days a week, so I pump at work. I definitely find nursing bras and the nursing tanks to be useful. I wear them every day. I also like the "sports bra" style of nursing bra for nighttime and weekend use - just shove the bra aside and nurse. I didn't like nursing tops - if I'm going to be nursing in public, I just wear a nursing tank b/c it covers my belly and pull up my regular tshirt. At bedtime, I wear the sportsbra style bra and a large tshirt. When it's time to nurse, I yank up my tshirt and pull the bra over, nurse, and then pull things back into place when done.

If I had to choose one thing over the others, I'd go with the nursing tanks. I really love them, but I've heard they don't work as well for larger busted women. I like both Glamourmom and the ones from Target.

[brightonwoman]

I had a couple of (mostly worn out) nursing bras from my mom. They didn't fit well at all but they did get me through the first couple of weeks until I was past engorgement and able to get a good idea of *my* size and order proper bras. I'd say it's not a bad idea to get a couple of cheap (or even used) nursing bras for that purpose. I would not have wanted to get $40 bras that only fit for two weeks, you know?
That said, I am larger busted, and having some top quality nursing bras is VITAL. If you are small, you may be able to get away with tanks. I can use tanks now, but I couldn't for about the first 10 months. I didn't pay for nursing tanks, i just got the ones with a shelf bra and pulled them down...of course, I didn't wear them alone either--I wore them under my regular shirt. That way they covered my belly--tee up + tank down = modest nursing.
I had to wear a bra night and day for the first 10 months because i leaked so much even at night and I needed the bra to hold the pads in place. Seriously, the right bras make a world of difference. :
I have had a couple of nursing tops and honestly they drive me crazy. I have gotten rid of all but one because the layers and slits are just a hassle. Wear plain shirts that are a little loose or a little stretchy, and just pull them up. (In other words, wear your normal clothes!) I had a couple of tops that were not nursing friendly, but most of them adapted just fine.

BTW, I got my nursing bras at www.birthandbaby.com and I was REALLY happy with them. They are super helpful if you call the number and they can help you find what you need. I thought I knew what I wanted, but also got the bra they recommended to me--turns out I like their recommendation better than the one I picked out myself! Go figure!

[QuestionGal]

Originally Posted by iamleabee

thanks for the helpful hints for those that bought nursing bras, did you buy before or after the baby was born? will you want a nursing bra right away?

I bought two sleep nursing bras from motherhood...easy to get in/out, comfortable and no hooks/snaps to mess with. When DS was a couple weeks old I went out and bought a couple of good nursing bras. I still use my sleeping bras but I'll have to get new nursing bras soon (as my cup size has decreased a bit)....DS is almost 11mo.

Just make sure you have someone who knows that they're doing measure you and help you try on several different styles so you find the right one.

[Breeder]

I've found that I don't even use nursing bras the right way when I do wear them. It's a PITA in my opinion to unclasp them when you can just as easily slide them up over the boob.

As for needing them due to leaking, I am a major league leaker (STILL 2 mo later) and Lilypadz has worked well for me (no bra required<- to hold them in place).

As for special clothes, nah. If you're worried about descretion and accessibility wearing a tank under another shirt (or another tank) will give you tummy and cleavage coverage. I just pull down the under tank and pull the over shirt up. Ta-da! No special equipment needed.

[Turkish Kate]

I'm medium-busted and don't leak. Never did, not with either kidling, beyond the first few engorgement days (and was wishing to leak then!). Over the last almost-two-years, I've managed to collect six nursing bras, two nursing tanks, and three nursing tops, plus two "shelf bras" that I use for nursing. I love most of them, but absolutely adore my Mimi Maternity Snap-Front nursing bras; they are so much easier for me than the drop cups. I have two tanks from Target, one top from Motherhood, and two from Expressiva. If you're a tightly-budgeted mama and looking at nursingwear as an investment, then I'd say they're probably not worth it. Except for a couple of well-fitted nursing bras, all the rest is just for fun.

[chi_mama]

I think nursing bras are essential. I wore a soft sports-bra like one or a nursing tank for about the first month b/c I had a lot of fluctuation in size throughout the day. Later I switched to Medela. There used to be a nursing bra listed at title 9 that had adjustable cups that I always thought looked really clever.

Nursing shirts are IMO harder to use than a regular shirt. I have one dress that I like

[slgt]

I got a few nursing tops that came in super-handy when DD was up to 3 months old. She was born in winter so the warmth of staying covered was nice, plus nursing CONSTANTLY. I almost never wear them now, only if I'm going to be out & about all day and it's somewhat cool out.

Nursing tanks are great, but be aware that they don't provide any coverage if you don't have anything on over top - when you unhook the side, you are all boob!

Nursing bras, I find indispensable.

[lorelei]

I'm fairly big-chested anyhow, so those nursing tanks are useless for me, unless I'm also wearing a nursing bra. Just no support.

I think it's good to have one or two nursing dresses or tops for if you want to be covered while out and NIP. But mostly, I think they're just a good way to justify buying yourself a new wardrobe. lol

This is my 3rd dd, and I nursed the first two for over a year each, I never really had 'nursing' clothes, because they were expensive, didn't fit well, and were too preppy or frumpy for my tastes. Good, well-fitting nursing bras are essential, imho. Unless you can get away with being bra-less, something I've not been able to pull off since I was a pre-teen. :

Good luck, mama.

[azdesertrn]

In public I usually like to nurse with baby in the sling, so I find having a top I don't have to pull all the way up to get access is helpful. So I like wrap style tops or one with an empire nursing opening. I also have a non nursing top I love because the v-neck is low enough I can pull it down and pull a same color sports style bra up and have quick access. A friend eating lunch with me couldn't even tell I was nursing since she thought the red sports bra was part of the top.

I prefer to be able to pull a bra up from the bottom rather than trying to reach the top of the cup for the clasp. I have a bra from japanese weekend that opens this way and it is my new favorite- but I also use sports bras or anything with a stretchy band in the same way. I'm a C cup and it works great- might not work for someone more generously endowed.

I don't bother with nursing tops at home. I do always wear some kind of bra in the daytime because I need to hold pads in place.

To sleep I prefer button front pj's and just leave the top unbuttoned rather than messing with openings. I hate to sleep in a bra so I usually just keep a small towel nearby to cover one side while I feed from the other.

[LianneM]

bras/tanks - YES

clothes - no, not for me

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by iamleabee

thanks for the helpful hints for those that bought nursing bras, did you buy before or after the baby was born? will you want a nursing bra right away?

You'll need SOMETHING to hold nursing pads in place.

While pg with DD1, I purchased nursing bras, but they didn't fit once she was born. I ended up using some cotton undershirts (that had fit properly before but now were incredibly snug and weren't much longer than my boobs) to hold nursing pads in place until I had a chance to do some bra shopping.

While pg with DD2 (and still nursing DD1) I got a bunch of Bravados (custom made as I'm an unusual size) and those got me through all the pre and postpartum bra-size shifting (band size geting bigger before birth, engorgement 4 days later, etc) and then purchased more structured bras when she was about 2 weeks old and my bra size was somewhat stable.

When pg with DS I ordered bras in "fits me right now" (with bra extenders for the rib cage expansion in my 8th and 9th months) and a cup size up for after the birth. Those larger bras fit for about a week and then I was back into the ones i'd worn while pg.

I recomend getting something loose fitting and stretchy for late pg and early postpartum, then plan on getting some "real bras" 2-3 weeks after birth.

[mama2be11]

NAK

I have nursing tanks which I like because I can wear with any regular shirt and just pull my shirt up without having my stomach show. I think nursing specific clothes are not really necessary, IMO but maybe some find them worth it. Besides I think a lot of nursing clothes are overpriced.

[jeca]

The support of a nursing bra is unbeatable IMO. A few shirts for NIP isn't bad either.

[SwanMom]

I haven't worn a nursing bra for months. Once I became less engorged and stopped leaking, it was just easier to wear a soft bra and pull it down.

Never had nursing clothes, but they would have been handy at first when I was getting the hang of NIP. The nursing tanks were good for that, but I found them a tad uncomfortable and mine wasn't the right size, so it led to plugged ducts once.

When I DID wear nursing bras, I bought a couple at Target.

[christianmomof3]

As was stated, it all depends. If you can afford or find a few of each to start out with, that might be nice. I had to have nursing bras and I also had a couple of the night time ones as well and that was nice. I had the tanks too, and wore the bras with them. I liked the nursing tanks because in the winter time I could lift a regular shirt and then slide open the tank and bra and still have my tummy covered.
I also had a variety of nursing shirts and a nursing dress from Motherhood which I loved and passed on to a couple of other women from my church and they loved them too. I found some of the nursing tops at resale shops and some online for sale - if you do a search on nursing clothing or breastfeeding clothing along with the word sale or clearance you can find the ones that are on sale.
If you can't afford that, then at least get a nursing bra to start with. I got one before I had my baby and others after.
I have a friend who is smaller busted to begin with and she never used nursing bras - just used sports bras and pulled them up or down. So, it really does depend on what works for you.

[Bella Catalina]

For me, nursing bras are a necessity. Nursing clothes... well, like many others have said, they often just don't sit right and who has time to look in a mirror after nursing the baby?

I prefer to layer using stretchy lycra or microfiber tanks - I have some with stretchy straps so I can just pull them down, and I wear them under another tank or t-shirt. For me the issue was always hiding the postpartum belly more than my breasts.

This time I plan to buy some more nursing bras and trying a few of the Bravado tanks. I buy my bras around 36 weeks and buy a couple, then buy more around 4 weeks PP once engorgement has gone. The first place I lose weight is around my rib cage, so I need a smaller band size then.

[GooeyRN]

I am smaller chested. (36 B while lactating) I wear a bra occasionally. I need one if I wear a thin shirt b/c my nips show too much without one. I really don't like bra's. But yeah, you will probably need one unless you are really tiny chested. I prefer the type without any padding. The ones with padding are too stiff to fold under and feed discreetly.

I don't find nursing tops discreet at all. I find myself having to pull my whole boob out through the hole. With a regular shirt I don't really show any boob.

My favorite thing which works in cooler months, is a Cami under a regular shirt. Boob goes over top of Cami, shirt comes up. Nothing shows. A cami gives me a bit of support, but wont work for a very large chested mama. I love this, as no belly or boob or anything shows. Add on a light sweater or jacket, and no one can even tell what you are doing.

For home, I just wear a t-shirt or whatever and no bra. I only put the other things on for going in public.

I do like a nursing nightgown. That would be worth buying IMO. Your arms and belly and back and everything get to stay nice and warm and you can leave your boob out the entire night if you want. Nothing else gets cold.