The Low Down on Nursing Bras ( o )( o )

During my pregnancy I went shopping for bras. The women told me that I should go ahead and buy nursing bras because my boobs shouldn't get much bigger than they currently were. All I can say to that is, "HA!"..."Lies! All lies." Following delivery, none of my bras fit and still don't. I was generally free-boobin' until I was ready to leave the house several weeks in. At that point I decided that I wanted "the girls" where they are supposed to be...up...as opposed to down. This is a difficult task when you have, let's go with, large boobies and are nursing. Options are limited!

Let me tell you about a few I bought and how I feel about them. Disclaimer: These photos are not of me! I know we're all disappointed. ;)

Motherhood Full Coverage Underwire Nursing Bra (Note: I have heard that underwire bras while nursing can negatively impact milk production.)

Pros: I wore this bra throughout my pregnancy. It was pretty comfortable and
work appropriate. The fabric and construction are good quality. It is the only comfortable
underwire nursing bra I have found.

Cons: The underwire does make it difficult to actually nurse, since I feel it
gets in the way of accessing the whole boob. Because of the post-baby growth, I
never got to use it for nursing.

Motherhood Wireless Nursing Bra

Pros: This bra comes in a nude and pink stripe fabric. While neither are super sexy,
the pink is kind of cute. It's the one I bought. It is lined in the cups so that you can't
see your nipples. Much better than an unlined bra, as far as I'm concerned.

Cons: This one is not very comfortable. It has plastic stays along the band that
collapse and dig in on my sides. I cut them out to prevent this from being a problem. This
improved the bra. Also, being wireless, it does not provide enough support. My boobs had a
sort of smashed look. I'm big on bras providing support and feel that it looks bad seeing
boobies flopping around when people don't have good bras. Since I know that I feel this way,
I can't walk around looking all floppy.

Loving Moments by Leading Lady Maternity Wirefree Softcup Nursing Bra with Full Sling, 2-Pack from Walmart

Pros: This pack comes with a plain white bra and a white with pink polka-dots. Two
bras for around $13 is great. These work great for sleep or around-the-house bras. One thing
that I really like about these bras is that it has what they call a full sling. Instead of
just having a connection along the outside of the boob, this bra has a band that goes around
the top. It's very comfy for nursing and holds the boob in place. I also wash and dry this
bra without problems.

Cons: The cups are not lined, so you can see my nipples or nursing pads through my
shirts. The band under the boobs digs in if you wear it for a long period of time. While it
holds my boobs in place, it doesn't provide support for going out.

A Pea In The Pod Wireless Nursing Bra

Pros: This bra has good quality fabric and construction. I haven't had it long but
it appears to be holding up well. Again, the cups are lined preventing my nips from showing
through my clothes. The straps are a little wider and padded for comfort.

Cons: I don't know if I have a bad fit, though I was fitted when the bra was purchased.
The problem with this bra is that it collapses under my boobs. It fits the model nicely,
sitting flat between and under the boobs. It doesn't do this on me. I do wear my bras several
times before washing, so this may be a contributing factor. I usually hand wash this bra and
hang dry. I don't really like bras hanging all over my house (and I don't think hubs does either).
This bra is more pricey at around $50.

A Pea In The Pod Seamless Nursing Bra (Note: There is, apparently, a similar bra in the Motherhood line that is about half the price, but I haven't tried it. A Pea In The Pod seems to be made of better, more resilient fabrics.)

Pros: I really like this bra. It's the best that I've purchased. It's a cross between
a sports bra and normal bra. It has normal bra straps and a lower neckline which makes it
wearable with tank tops. The way the "cups" are sewn make shows that I have 2 boobs, unlike
most sports bras.

Cons: It's not very attractive. When the salesperson brought it to me, I was doubtful.
It stretches out some if you wear it too many times. I don't know what too many is. Let's just
say I wear my bras more than once between washings. This bra is more pricey at around $50.

My least favorite is an underwire nursing bra. I purchased it at Walmart. It is another Loving Moments nursing bra. I don't have anything good to say about it. It is super uncomfortable and my boobs don't fit all the way into the cup (because of the full sling design). Ugh! Looking at the website right now, it doesn't look like they sell it anymore. If they do, don't buy it!

The seamless Pea in the Pod bra is by far my favorite. I would recommend spending a little extra to get a good bra. I did and I now have two that are comfortable and able to be worn when I'll be seen by people. Well, people besides my wild thing and hubs. Hope this helps anyone looking for a nursing bra. There isn't a lot of information out there and the reviews are often misleading. Make sure to try bras on before buying. Online purchases didn't work out very well for me. I'd be happy to answer any additional questions. :)