Nursing Bras

I LOVE Bravado nursing bras!!! However, my less pricey and newer favorite are the nursing bras from WalMart w/the wider padded straps. They are much cooler for the coming summer months, and are around $12 - so you can get half a dozen for what you'd pay for a Bravado!

Hi E.,

I'm with you, I needed support, too! I recommend Leading Lady nursing bras. They are around $25, so not too bad considering you'll be living in them 24/7. Don't go with Brava, they offer no support and are extremely hard to closed with one hand (a must when nursing).

I highly recommend going to Transitions to Parenting in Naperville (on Washington Street near Edward Hospital), they will fit you to the bra that works best for you, and they have several options, so you can find a great one. Do keep in mind that you will need one that closes with one hand, so don't be afraid to give the open/close thing a try while you're trying bras on.

Best of luck!

Hi E.,

My name is Jill and I am on my third child and have many nursing bras but I finally found one I love and I got it at Walmart of all places. I believe it was around 8 or 9 dollars and that's better then spending $20 at motherhood and not liking what you got. The brand is announcments it is white, mostly cotton and a little lacy on the sides, has an underwire also. There is a style number W2183 on the tag. I am also a 36D and it really supports and is comfortable . Hope this helps good luck

I like the Bravado! bras too. Super comfy and they work great. You can get them online the cheapest at www.breakoutbras.com.

I got one from Firm Foundations, which is in a little strip mall "behind" Yorktown mall. They specialize in specialty bras (for unusual sizes and breast cancer patients) -- she only had a few nursing bras to choose from, but the one I got actually is supportive! And the price was very reasonable.

With my second child, I saw a lactation consultant at Transitions in Parenting, in Naperville in 2004. They had nursing bras by Medela. It was a little pricey, but with the bras I wore with my first, it was totally worth the money! They measured me for the bra it was so comfortable and I also bought one to wear at night. The lactation consultant who was a nurse advised against underwires because they can cause blocked milk ducts. So if you do buy a new one, don't get underwires because a blocked duct can cause swelling and also infection. Good luck! Sorry, looks like someone already said this. I tried to respond when I received the newsletter e-mail and got kicked out and didn't read anyone elses response. Highly recommend Medela

http://www.bravadodesigns.com/

I love these bras. They are SOOO comfortable. I have nursed 3, and currently am pregnant with my 4th, and still have a couple that lasted for 5 years since my first was born. I am 34DD+, and the double plus style is what I have been using, but now they have lots of different styles to choose from. I highly recommend looking at their site, but so you know, if you search, you can find them cheaper on other sites.

i would stop at a tina's closet or somewhere to get a fitting and find a bra that will last the whole nursing time buy one you love then buy the rest online

J.

I'm a 36D and doing exclusive breastfeeding. I've gotten a couple very comfortable, supportive bras from Target, for about $15-18. I'm completely enamored of the "Gilligan & O'Malley" brand. They're soft cotton bras that have a lot of support, even without the underwires. My mom even loves them - and she's been a certified bra-fitter for years.

I do agree with whoever it was that recommended getting a bra fitting first, though, to be sure of your size. A lot of women wind up wearing the wrong size bra (for years, some of them!) because they don't do this. Also, never, ever put your bras in the dryer - it wrecks the elastic and ruins the support.

I love my leopard Bravado nurisng bra. I'm still BFing and it's held up nicely after 6 months of wear and tear. You can't get it anywhere in the city. Be By Baby has some, but UGLY colors...
I ordered it online...it think it was Abby's Lane, but my mamabrain fails me!

I tried an expensive one from Motherhood and it was ok but my favorite one is from Walmart and I think was around $8. I am a 36D and found the bras that are more molded or lined are the best for support. It also has a deeper plunge and doesn't show under v neck shirts or tank tops.

I fyou are larger, it is so hard to find supportive, but normal looking nursing bras. One of my friends told me about this bra that they sell at Nordstrom called Anita. It was expensive ($56) but awesome. It didn't look like a nursing bra at all and came in a few colors and two different styles. It was supportive, but didn't look like a nursing bra. I finally felt like my chest looked "normal" instead of like I was still pregnant. I saved my Leading Lady bras for the days I was home, and wore my Anita bras when I was going out. You can also buy them online for slightly cheaper. However, I would go get a fitting at Nordstrom. No matter what nursing bra you go home with, it will look great because you'll be wearing the proper size.

I recently has my 2nd as well and finally went out and got more bras from Motherhood as my other ones were not padded and working full time I needed more support as well. They were only about $16 and I LOVE them! They do have underwire which I know they don't really recommend but I have not had any problems with my supply. I got a padded one last time and the cups were very stiff which made it difficult to nurse. These flip right down, very comfortable and no problems!!

I agree Gilligan & O'Malley bras are really nice from Target. I am a 38D and I still love my G&O bra I bought a year ago. I didn't know they had nursing bras but I will be in the market soon for those and will absolutely check those out. I am also going to look at Walmart which sell Bestform. I have only tried their sportsbras which I wear all the time so maybe the nursing bras will be just as good. Let us know what you find!

Unfortunately, the best one I found was from Nordstrom. They fit you for them there, and I got the cheapest one they had, but it was still pricey. I LOVE it though. It fits better than any of the ones I bought at the maternity stores. Good luck with your search!

I am currently nursing and have been using Anita brand (an underwire)and a Goddess brand of nursing bras. Unfortunately they were both around the $50 range but they have been worth every penny. I got mine at a local store in Champaign IL but you can also order them online at breakoutbras.

E., I am a 36d to dd and I invested $50 a bra in my nursing bras! I think it is worth it for us big chested gals to have as much support as possible. I am going to be nursing my 4th child next month, and I will do the same. There is a little store in Naperville off Washington that has different nursing items and they size and fit you for the best bra. It IS pricey, but, worth it if it saves you from getting mastitis or a blocked duct. Support is important. Good Luck. ?Tra in Plainfield

I would go to Tina's closet. I've gotten 7 bras from there over the course of the last 18 mths. She will fit you right and give you a bra that works. I had to keep getting new bras b/c I was losing so much weight my size kept changing. They did cost me about $60 each. Two of them were cheaper as they were for night with minimal support. You might find something cheaper if you are really a 34D. My size forces me to go to a boutique. If you have any questions, contact me.

H.

I don't know yet, but I am about to be shopping for myself again soon, so interested in reading all the responses you get. I know I did love sleeping in the comfy, plain cotton Hanes jog type bras at night. They weren't too tight, yet they gave a little support, and were easy to get into for night time feedings. Inexpensive too... sold in two packs at most discount stores.

I just got a couple at Target. I'm pretty impressed, so far. Only been wearing them a week or so, so I'm not sure how they do in the long run. For the life of me, I can't think of the name, but it's Something & Something. Really, think it was about the only ones I saw.
Good luck!

yes, I bought mine at Macy's. Its a "Mimi" something bra. The clasps were easy to do and undo with one hand. It was a little padded for leakage, not for volume, and it was so comfortable! I wore it when I was still pregnant in those last weeks because it held me up so well. I think I got it on sale for about $35 - $40. It was worth it.

I do know that, I hate the line Babies R Us carries. The underwire sticks right in your skin. I actually removed the underwire out of my bras from there & I still don't like them. Motherhood @ Macys is a nice line, pretty pricey, about $36 a bra. Bravado is great.

I have 38 D boobs, so i know what a pain it can be to find a good nursing bra.

Babies R Us has an AMAZING one...its comfortable and holds you in when you aren't nursing.
Here is the link:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2320110

If you cant find it, then just go online and search for Medela Comfort Line Bras...they are amazing.

Hope that helps!

I was a 34F while nursing. I tried everything and finally fell in love with the Zipper Bra. It is very comfortable and actually gave great support despite looking like it wouldn't. I could wear it all day and night with no problems. I had to buy it online, but just do a search for Zipper Bra and you will easily find it! Good Luck!

I loved my Madela (not sure if I'm spelling that right) bras. I went from a 36B to a 36D while breast feeding and tried lots of different bras. They make a lot of different varieties, but I really liked the underwire ones, they gave the most support. They did cost more, but in my opinion it was definitely worth it! I bought them the same place I bought my breast pump.

I just hate Bravado...so many people recommended them to me with my first one and after a couple months of nursing they had no support left to them whatsoever and the elastic under my boobs kept riding up...soooo annoying.

I eventually found some at Walmart that were all cotton, no underwire (softcup is reccommended so you don't get plugged ducts or mastitis) with wide padded straps. Not quite as supportive as a reg bra, but easy to work, comfy.

This time I've ordered several bras from Breakout Bras online. They have a good section to walk you through measuring yourself and their customer service is top notch. I paid between 30-45 for each one but they are so worth it so far. I am a 38 D or DD so I need a little more support than very small chested women.

http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/latfisisonub.html
http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/senusobyfafr.html
http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/bosisenubrab.html
http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/czosonubraby.html
http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/gosusunuso5s.html

I need a bra with support too. I am nursing my third child and have tried a few different bras to include the ones that you are fitted for . After all of this, my favorite bra is one I bought at an "emergency" trip to Walmart for $8 when I forgot to pack extra while traveling!

I LOVE the Medela Comfort nursing bra. It's even comfortable while sleeping. I tried so many and this was the first that i actually loved and fit right! In fact a friend of mine just got her first one and loves it too. You can get it at Motherhood and motherhood.com. Good luck!

I got 2 nursing bras @ Motherhood that I liked initially. They were $18 a piece, had just a little padding so they didn't look like nursing bras.... they were smooth. You can't see them under your shirt. Problem... because they have that shape, even when you unhook them to nurse, they don't just hang or fold, they get in the way. I have a Medela bra also, that can easily be moved out of the way & is comfortable, but cost $36. It also shows a bit under your shirt because it's not as smooth. I'll be happy to see whatever other suggestions you get!

My sister is also large chested and she was happy with the bras she found at Motherhood Maternity. Hope this helps!

I am due anyday now with my second and wanted to let everyone know that Transitions Into Parenting NO LONGER exists in Naperville. They were great when I had my first - Very helpful with the fitting and gave me many options to choose from. They have closed their retail store, however, and now only work with Corporate Lactation clients. They referred me to Tina's Closet, which I saw a few other people recommend. I had a HORRIBLE experience with this place and with Tina. Very snotty, seemed too busy to work with just me (had 3-4 other fittings going on at the same time) gave me 3 completely different bra sizes, even though she had just measured me. One bra she gave me wasn't even for nursing, and that was what I was there for!

My next choice is going to be Nordstrom's or Motherhood, but I am waiting until after the baby is born so I can get an accurate size once my ribcage is where it belongs. I agree, I have a couple from my first baby that are okay, just looking for something better as well.
Good luck!

I had a horrible time finding a good nursing bra with my first-born, but then I got smart with the second. I used the Medela nursing bras and they were terrific. I also wear a larger size and these bras fit really well. I actually went to Northwest Community Hosp. in Arlington Heights where the lactation consultant fit me for the correct size - it was worth every penny.

E.-
I love the Medela bras (any of them!). They carry them at Gap Maternity stores so you can actually try them on. You can also order them online!
Hope you like them
J.

I bought mine at Motherhood Maternity store. They were the same price as any other bra would be but they were comfortable and supportive as well.