Nursing tops and bras

Oh wow, I am a 36B so no help for super supportive bras.

But nestmom.com has a very good selection of bravados. I had them w dd1 and now I have them again. They come in several different styles now, Made in Canada, and hold up real well. They are a bit pricey but if you factor in the cost of formula vs the nursing bra, the bra wins.

Nursing tops- Motherwear used to be excellent when the WAHM who started it was there but they sold it and now its all Made in China and less than excellent as they were before. Their stuff used to be made in the USA.

I recently ordered from glamourmom, expressiva, breastfeedingmoms, and their stuff is the best. I really like the Majamas tops I just ordered. They are again a bit pricey, but well worth it and fit properly. Also they have an excellent resale value if you take care of them. I have bought a few off ebay and the tp here.

Well, I don't go for expensive nursing tops b/c I've never found that price was worth it IME. The ones I like the best were usually the relatively cheap ones I got at Motherhood. The other thing is that I prefer the two full layers to the kind that have a half top as the top layer, kwim? Also, some of the more costly tops I did try had weird openings, I like the simple vertical slits one on each side as opposed to one opening in the middle or other odd variations out there. I also liked the CO Nursingwear tops that had only one layer, but zippered openings - those were especially nice in summer when I didn't want to wear layers.

I do like nursing tops vs regular tops b/c I like the fact that my belly is covered (esp. in the winter b/c it's cold but even in summer b/c my white, fish-belly, stretch-marked flab is not appealing and I guess that's my last bastian of vanity...keeping it covered! LOL) I found this site: www.coverageclothing.com and they sell "layering bands" which are like a tube top that doesn't go over your breasts. I'm using these now b/c they stretch down over the belly band on my jeans so I can wear regular tops for maternity but I plan on using them post-pg as nursingwear under regular tees w/a good nursing bra. Right now - they are on sale for $6.50/each so you can't beat that!

As for bras, I just bought a Bravado, it's alright, but obviously I'm not using it to nurse right now. Again, I've been just as happy with the nursing bras I've found at Kohls or Motherhood as any more expensive brand I've tried. That one you showed was an underwire and that is one type of bra (no matter the brand) that I wouldn't recommend - don't get an underwire for nursing - I'm pretty sure it's been linked to bf difficulties (like a propensity to mastitis, etc).

As for camis, you said you're a "bit large on top" - I don't know exactly what that means, but I'm a size XL 14/16 normally and though I wear a 38C I've never been fitted so I wouldn't be surprised to find out I was actually a 40DD (or more even). That info given, I have tried the glamourmom, Target and Motherhood nursing tanks/camis. My complaint about all of them is that there is absolutely NO coverage by the time you get the girls into even the biggest size so I would never wear the tanks alone - I'm too modest to have that kind of clevage going on in public. They do work relatively well under another shirt, though they are all too short lengthwise IME, they ride up from the bottom and I don't like that, that's why I think I'll like the layering band better b/c they will stay tucked in or pulled down over my jeans.

IMO Glamourmoms run WAY small so even an XL is skin-tight on me. Motherhood and Target are about the same, though I always liked the straps on the Motherhood better, Target's were more spaghetti straps and Motherhood's more like a tank as I think of it. And since I ended up wearing them under another shirt, I liked my maternity tank from Motherhood just as much b/c it stretched down further and I could just pull a nursing boob out from the top of the tank-bra part to nurse.

The best site to search online for all kinds of nursing tops is:
http://www.kjsl.com/~beanmom/nursing.html

I've hated almost all the nursing shirts I got at Motherhood. They all SHRANK. Even washed on cold and hung to dry. : Personally I think all the clothes from there are junk because they've always shrunk and their return policy is horrible.

My favorite shirts are the Lansinoh crop-top t-shirt that they use to sell. Sometimes you can still find them on eBay BN. Sooooo soft and comfy. I probably have at least a dozen of them. I liked that they were all white so I could use a bleach pen on any "spots" that seem to always happen across my chest from my kids. I also love my Motherwear shirts that I've gotten over the years.

Bras I like are both pull over but that doesn't bother me too much anymore, the Blue Canoe Janes bras and the YES! Sport bra. The YES! bra is *like* a Bravado but soooo much better and MUCH cheaper. The band doesn't twist and the hooks work soooo much better than the snaps. The loop part of the clasp is on the cup part of the bra and the hook is on the strap, makes it sooo much easier to refasten under a shirt without seeing. She really wants to get one that fits you correctly so she'll make sure from several measurements that you get the right size.

You can buy the [email protected] bra from her website for $20 or you can get them off eBay for about $14.

Quote:
I'm not far behind you!

At home, I wear little stretchy cami-bras (and I get to be a full D, so I'm not in the "small" department) or sports nursing bras (I think I got at Target), and then a shirt that I can pull down from the top underneath my boob (I have 5 or so stretchy "maternity" tops with a V neck that have enough stretch to pull down under the boob). Orrr, what I'll probably do this summer is stick with my stretchy cami-tanks with the built in shelf bra liner, and just yank those down as needed. I don't like the nursing bras with the big old hole in the middle that just exposes your nipple - that feels creepy to me. The cami bras and cami tanks just pull down, and the sports bra type ones flap down with no thingy in between your boobs, KWIM?

I also hate those 2 layer tops with the slits. The only official "nursing tops" that I can tolerate is the faux-wrap ones that you pull down under the boob. that way, belly stays covered, and you just yank it back up. I got a couple of those at Motherhood, and use them if I'm out and about and my other 'pull down' tops aren't clean.

I have one regular underwire nursing bra that I bought for DS's baptism, and I wore it to a couple other functions we went to while he was still nursing.

BUT, when I'm at home or just running around shopping or the park, I'd much rather let it all hang out!!!

I wore sports bras after I had my first son. I'm a B minus when I'm not pregnant, and I'm guessing I *might* go up to a D cup when I'm nursing, so I don't need the degree of support most of y'all seem to. Actually, it's a lot of fun for me to have bodacious ta-tas. Right now it's just frustrating having the mondo belly make them fade into insignificance.
Since #1 arrived in the winter, I wasn't so much worried about "nursing tops" per se, as I was going to be wearing stuff over them anyway. This time I have to plan on a summer of breastfeeding, and I can only wear so many t-shirts. I'm also planning on getting AND STAYING in shape (go me). I bought a couple of the Motherhood nursing tanks, and am waiting on two Glamourmom tanks. The Motherhood tanks aren't bad at all. I wore them over the weekend while I was doing yardwork and bumping around the house. They actually do stretch to cover my belly (although they ride up), so I assume they'll do all right covering my postpartum parts. I loooooove the cleavage. So does my husband