Nursing Bra

Usually in maternity stores the staff can advise which size to buy. I loved Bravado bras, they are the most comfortable ever!

There is a great store on Grand Ave that I went to when I was pregnant with my first one (ahh he is going to be 9). They were wonderful. The bras were a bit expensive but I am a bit bigger in the bust but they are worth it!!

First, check with your hospital. They may have a little store where they sell and fit nursing bras. I bought a couple of medela bras at United after I had my first child (and liked them, btw).

Some other thoughts: in my experience (3 kids in the last 4 years), the only time I've needed a bra in the hospital is when I was getting dressed to leave. Otherwise, I just wore the hospital gown. Not that nursing bras are all that difficult, but it is one more thing to worry about when you're trying to figure out how to breastfeed and really not necessary. I would, however, bring a boppy pillow. Very helpful with a newborn.

If you do want to get something before you go, I would suggest something that fits your current bandsize but still has some stretch for when your milk comes in. I have found the bravado sports bra style bras to be very good in this department. They are really quite accomodating to changing breast sizes (also supportive, comfortable, and long lasting--even if I really don't like the sports bra style). You could also get a glamourmom nursing bra tank. I have a couple and really like them (I also have tried some of the cheaper knockoffs and have found the glamourmom to be far superior in the long run). If you are on the border size wise, definitely get the bigger one.

Every woman is different, but I have found that I generally go up about 2 full cup sizes total...about one cup size during pregnancy and another after I have the baby (check yourself out that second morning in the hospital, it's like a second visit from the boob fairy!).

Longer term, some nursing bras I really like are the bravado lifestyle and the t-shirt bra by Melinda G. They both look nice under fitted t-shirts, which is basically all I wear these days. I have absolutely hated all bras from Motherhood, with one exception: the sleeping bra. It's perfectly fine since it doesn't have to be very supportive. The others all were useless after a couple of washes, even with a lingerie bag and not putting them in the dryer. I have had mixed experiences with the mimi brand. The bras are definitely better than the ones from motherhood, and I like how they have a little lining so they look really nice under thin clothing, but I've found that they don't last nearly as long as either bravado or medela in spite of costing about the same. In general, try to stay away from underwires, as they can lead to plugged ducts (I'm speaking from experience here, unfortunately).

Sadly, there's not a lot of places to try on nursing bras locally, but here's some places I know about:
Peapods in St Paul has Bravado bras and you can try them on in store.
United Hosp in St Paul sells Medela and Bravado (and maybe some others) in its little store, but I think you might have to make an appointment. They will do a proper fitting, though, which is really helpful.
If you go to the glamourmom website, you can find local stores that carry their brand.
Bloomingdales at MOA carries Mimi brand nursing bras.
The Brestchester is an online store that carries lots of nursing bras (including the Melinda G and just about everything else I've listed) and they ship them for free.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your delivery!

C.

I know you've had a ton of responses but I had to chime in too :)

I would buy a nursing tank or a nightime bra to wear at the hospital and on the way home. I just wore my nightime bra the whole time I was there. I was much more comfortable wearing something (I don't like to go without a bra... ah - I remember the days when I did though - that was a while ago!) Plus, I spent a lot of time wearing my hospital gown, but would lower it off completely when first trying to learn to nurse, so it made me more comfortable to have something on so I wasn't completely naked on the top in front of strangers.

I would then wait until your milk is really in, and have someone come with you to help you shop (hold the baby) about a week after you deliver. I too would spend a little more on a quality bra. I bought one at Motherhood and even washing it in a "delicates" bag it was never the same after 1 wash. I liked Medela, Bravado but am currently wearing Mimi Maternity. I know that you are supposed to avoid underwire's but I have found that after the first few months that I like the fit of an underwire better. Feels more like a regular bra than a nursing bra. So, I have a few super supportive bra's for the first month or 3 and just went out and bought new Mimi underwire bra's yesterday. They are spendy but you wear them EVERY day so I figure they are worth it.

Good luck to you and congrat's!

J.
SAHM to 2 yr old Charlie and 7 month old Joey

don't mess around - spend the money on a nice one.
go to Macy's they have bra fitters and they should be able to tell you what size you should buy.
Yes, Target ones are cheap, they also itch and sometimes don't fit properly; but the nice one I bought was soooo much nicer and more comfortable. These are your girls - take care of them!
The brand that I had was Mimi Maternity.

honestly, I kept my same bra i had when i was pregnant. I did get a bit larger but not a whole cup size or anything. So try on what fits now and bring it with you. Oh and if you get it at motherhood...( which is where i got my 2 favorite) than remember it is a FINAL sale.I love the soft cup with an underwire. It has nice thick straps for support ( Since I'm a d cup now). Its only 16.00... go to www.motherhood.com. I also have a few nursing shirts and pjs too. I wear the shirt mostly if i'm going to be in public for the day or if my father in law is in town...so he doesn't get imbaressed. Good luck!

Once your milk comes in, you will probably go up another cup size. I would probably just buy one or two until you see where you will land. Don't forget to take nursing pads with you to the hospital too. Good luck!

United Hospital's Birth Center has a great nursing store that has many styles at comparable prices. You can call and make an appointment with a lactation consultant to measure you so you get just the right size. Its definitely worth it. Plus, you can ask questions at the same time. The number for the Birth Center is ###-###-#### and they can get you in touch with someone to schedule an appointment. Congratulations!

For all 3 of my pregnancies, I have had a lot of luck with the "sports" bra style at Target... at least in the beginning. My size also went up a little bit, but eventually went back down. The sports bra gives a little more stretch to keep you comfortable in the beginning. I also like to wear them during the night. Once you get your nursing routine established, you can move to whatever bra you like. There are many choices out there! Good luck.

I would get one size larger due to the fact that when your milk comes in your breasts will grow larger.

I agree about waiting until a week or so after the baby is born to buy more than 1 or 2 nursing bras. Target bras didn't work for me but I have a few friends who loved the tank top bra there. I bought most of mine at Motherhood Maternity - they have quite a few styles. I also bought one Mimi Maternity nursing bra from Macy's - really nice but expensive. I brought one to the hospital with me - the same size I wore throughout pregnancy and it fit - until a few days after the baby was born then I needed a couple sizes bigger! I have nursing bras in 3 different sizes. Good luck!

I tried many different nursing bras (Mimi maternity, Motherhood, some Target ones) while I was nursing my first son, but the one I liked the best, by far, was Bravado. It costs a little more (around $40) but the 2 I bought (after trying all the others) were the only ones I wore for the duration of nursing my son and it was worth the money.

I had to get the style that is like a sports bra (with snap-off straps for easy nursing) b/c my breasts got so big once my milk finally came in. I bought mine in the store in the lobby of the hospital where my son was born, so you may be able to get one at your hospital too. I've also seen them at Peapods in St. Paul. And online at various sites, but it might be best to wait until your milk does come in b/c just when you think your breasts can't get any bigger they do.

It was also very comfortable to sleep in since I never went without a bra while nursing b/c you never know when you might leak! Especially once your baby starts sleeping more and your milk supply is not used for 5-8 hours. (So heavenly when baby does start to sleep for longer than 2-3 hours at a time!)

Good luck! Nursing your baby is a wonderful gift for both of you!

K.

I would say get one of the size you are in and one of the bigger size and ask about the return policy then if allowed return the one that you don't need. good luck

I would get one bra now (bravado, sold at Hot mama or united hospital) and then after a week after baby I would buy five more. The bravado bras are a bit like sports bras and allow for fluctuation in size.I got one bravado to sleep in and I liked it so much that it is all I wear now. I bought a few Mimi that just fell apart and some medila ones that were ok but only for dressing up. If you find that you leak a lot try Gerber Ultra Thin nursing pads. I thought that reusable ones would work better but they don't.
Best of luck!
A.

Hi,

I didn't buy my nursing bras until about 1 month before I had my baby. I went to a shop called Pea Pods in St. Paul (on corner of Snelling and St. Clair). I knew what my current maternity bra size was and the advice was to go up 2 cups in size (if I remember correctly). They have a fitting room that I could try the bras on in for proper fit. The staff was very helpful with the correct size to go with.

I would try out any maternity store and the staff should be able to help you with proper sizing. The bra will seem big right now but when your milk comes in, you'll appreciate the comfort.

I just finished a year of nursing and am looking for smaller bras to fit now!

I waited till the week before I was due and went to Macy's and asked for a professional fitting. Obviously in the Maternity department. They directed me to what sizes I should look into being as they would get bigger after delivery. It was steeper than what I normally pay for a bra but well worth it being as I've lived in them litteraly for the last 8 months morning, noon, and night.

I would highly recommend the "cotton sleep bra" that they sell at Motherhood - here's a link to a picture: http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?ViewSource=browse&a...

Here's another link to an online dealer : http://www.motherwear.com/prod.cfm/cid/50/sid/6141

The reason I recommend it is because there's no underwire, no clips (easy access - you have enough to worry about), it's stretchy and the sizing is just S-M-L - you don't have to worry about cup size or anything. A few of my new mom friends have purchased this bra for the hospital (and thereafter) and just love it. This bra is comfy and will fit regardless of how much you grow - I'd maybe get a size bigger than you think just to be safe. I wish I had had it at the very beginning! Good luck!!

I would wait until a week after you have delivered and all your milk has come in. I went up a few sizes in cup. I was so embarassed and had to go to a speciality store because I was so huge regular stores didn't go that big. I had no idea I was going to be so big. We went to store after store and finally found a speciality store with my huge size. I don't think that's something you buy or plan ahead of time. I was big chested to begin with but after my milk came in I was enormous ridiculously enormous I would have never imagined that and noone warned me on that.

The nurse that taught our parenting class recommended buying a couple tank top nursing bra's from target. I love the tank top and for me it was a bonus since my milk never came in, I wear them under a lot of my clothes for the summer.

Every one is different. I am quite large in the chest area during pre-pregnancy so with my first child I ordered some bras online that were a size or 2 larger. For the first few months they were even the one 2 sizes bigger were a bit small. If you aren't really big now you might not get much bigger, but generally when your milk comes in you will get at least 1 cup size larger for a while. They sell nursing bras with multiple hooks. I would suggest finding at least one bra that can work the first 1-2 months that has 2-3 hooks on the cup. Get it so it fits around your waist but has a little room to grow in the cup on the biggest hook, but maybe fits well on the hook in the middle. With the hooks, you can adjust the cup size quite a bit and keep it on the last hook when you are the biggest. That way it will grow with you and can size down too. Once you are nursing and have a good schedule then you might even go get a new nursing bra that you can use for the rest of the year cause you will start to go back to your normal size even when nursing. It just takes awhile. Good luck. Whatever happens all will be fine because you will be home and you can be in a bra that's a little bg or a little small for the first week or no bra at all if you want and then go out to the store when you feel well and get another. I have found that having bras in multiple sizes has come in handy because for your next pregnancy you can wear them again. I am about 6 months pregnant with my second, and also had 3 miscarriages last year and so in the last 2 years I have used alot of my different bras. So it's ok to spend some money and have a few different sizes. God's blessings on you and your coming baby! Nursing is great!

I got bigger about 2 days after I left the hospital when my milk came in, so I wouldn't worry about a size change while you are still in the hospital. They will change when the milk comes in though. Buy one that is flexible so you can use it for the first few days then also once your milk comes in. Motherhood Maternity has an excellent selection of them for around $18!

Congrats S.,
I hope everything goes well with your delivery!! I too delivered at United, and the Lactation Nurses are the BEST!! I would wait until I got to the hospital if you can & if the hospital you deliver at has a little store because really the Lactation RNs are the best ones to fit you with a nursing bra. I breastfed my daughter for 2 years (she just turned 4) and had bra fittings many places but the Lactation RNs were the best overall.

Good Luck!!
A.

I just had a baby 6 weeks ago and I would recommend the tank top nursing shirts like the ones with the built in bra because you can wear them as a tank top or under a shirt and they are very comfortable. I found that my bra size changed a couple of times and you don't want to have to spend a lot of money on them. The one I like best I found at Target.