I Need Nursing Bras, Now What?

If you’re planning on breastfeeding, this is one of the things you’re going to rely on day in and day out after coming home from the hospital. You want to make sure you have a nursing bra that makes breastfeeding as seamless as possible, that fits well, and that feels good. Here’s what you need to know before buying your nursing bras:

Buy Them Before You Think You Need Them

You want to buy at least a couple of nursing bras around the seven- to eight-month mark for two reasons. You don’t want to have to buy them after baby comes (you’ll have plenty of other things to do!), and by the time you get to this stage of your pregnancy, your breasts are pretty much the size they are going to be after the baby comes and while you’re nursing. It’s a common misconception that cup size increases when your milk comes in. Your breasts certainly feel different, but the size remains the same. It’s when you feed that your breast size changes a bit. You want a bra that will accommodate for that.

When to shop: towards the end of pregnancy (after 6 months). You’ll get more use out of it and be more comfortable at the end of your pregnancy.

Speaking of Size: Target the Moving Target

During pregnancy, women gain 30lbs on average and the rib cage expands. The weight will start coming off after baby arrives, and the rib cage will move back into its original position or at least close to, in time. This fluctuation in size can make it seem difficult to find nursing bras that can accommodate these changes. The truth is, a really great nursing bra should allow for these changes in size.

When sizing a bra, consider circumference first. You want to fit yours to the loosest setting or close to the loosest if you think you have gained most of the weight you are going to gain, so that, as you lose weight and your rib cage contracts, you can tighten the setting. Rosie designed our nursing bras with 4 hook and eyes (most bras only come with two or three) in order to accommodate this change.

As for cup size, like we mentioned above, this should be easy to determine at the end of your pregnancy.

How Many You’ll Need

Before you begin your nursing journey, get three nursing bras: two for daytime and for for nighttime (some also like to add a more sporty version). You’ve likely grown out of your regular bras by the end of your pregnancy, so the seven- to eight-month window is the perfect time to transition. You’ll want to see how nursing goes once you’re home from the hospital, and these three bras can get you through those first couple of days.

If you continue with nursing, add a couple more. You’ll know your size, so it’ll be easy (and convenient) to order online and you might want to get some more exciting colors, with lace, or even something more sporty. You should also have a sense of your milk supply at this time. If it turns out you have a big milk supply and leak a lot, you may want more so that you can change your bra during the day. Our bras are designed with quick dry because there is nothing worse than sitting in a wet bra. Our bras also come with washable cookies. Again, depending on your supply, you may want to get disposable or washable pads. You can buy organic inserts if you want nipples to have a barrier with 100 % Organic cotton.

If you’re wondering about the difference between daytime and nighttime bras, it’s based on comfort and convenience. Bras made for sleeping hours come with stretch and without snaps. All you have to do is pull the front down to feed baby and not mess with snaps in the middle of the night. I know sleeping in a bra may be foreign to many, but when you’re breastfedding (and often towards the end of your pregnancy) it just feels better to have more support.

Let’s Get Down to Looks

When it comes to design, function was the most important thing to Rosie after her four pregnancies, and the next important thing was style. There is a lot of talk about Sexy Nursing Bras and while that works for some, Rosie felt for many sex was probably the last thing on the mind (at first any way) and while beautiful, stylish, feminine, modern were all words she associated with her nursing bra designs, she didn’t really have a huge desire for an uber sexy, touch me now kind of bra! Rosie says:

“Honestly, having been through it myself four times and helping many others, I knew feeling beautiful and comfortable in my own style and with my changing body and feeling happy were all important – more important than saucy-wear-it on-your-honeymoon type lingerie! My goal was to design a nursing collection that made mom’s happy through comfort, innovation, style and value, rather than make them feel like they need to be sexy at the same time.”

We get this question a lot: should you go with underwire or opt for a bra without underwire? In case you’re concerned about it, you should know that underwire does not effect supply. In the early days after birth, you probably won’t want an underwire bra, because your breasts will be sensitive. Plus, the girls are already quite voluptuous, rock hard and seemingly heading up not down! Lift isn’t really necessary (at first anyway).

Caring for Your Nursing Bras

We recommend hand washing, but if you use a washing machine, place your bras in a mesh laundry bag to keep them together and the hooks on the back from snagging other clothes. Skip the dryer and line dry to preserve elasticity. Like Rosie’s Nursing Bras, make sure they are made of quick dry fabrics so this process doesn’t take forever. Nursing Bras are going to need washing more than regular bras and yet you may have fewer of them and so it is important to be able to wash and wear with out waiting too long for them to dry.

Nursing is a beautiful thing but its not always easy, so make sure your nursing bras are!

Tags: breast feeding, breast feeding apparel, breast feeding essentials, nursing apparel, nursing bra, nursing bras