Desperate Need of a Good Nursing Bra

Hi K.,
Look on the net for Bravado...they are very good. Slightly expensive, but worth the money. I am a doula from Seattle, relocated here, and ALL of my clients wore this bra. There is also....Blue Canoe. Best of luck.

I'm breastfeeding my 4th, so I have tried many bras! www.Belabumbum.com, pretty for once!, and comfy.
www.breastchester.com, haven't ordered from here, but looks good.
The no wire bra at motherhood is nice.
If I can think of the other brand I like I'll write again!
gretchen

You are in luck!! I used to do bra fittings as a job and know of quite a few good brands. I'm assuming that you are willing to spend a little more than the $15 you can spend for cheap ones at Target? I just want to start by saying 8/10 women wear the wrong size and that Victoria's Secret very rarely fits you correctly. Also, many women would rather thing they are "bigger around" (i.e. fatter) than think they have larger boobs and need a bigger cup.
So, first of all, I want to make sure you are in the right size. Can you tell me how your bras usually fit? Do they ride up in back? This is a sign the band is too big. Do your boobs sag to your elbows (or past)? To your boobs hang out the bottom of the cups? Do your boobs push out the top or sides of the cups so that it looks as though you have a second set of boobs on top? These are all signs that the cups are too small.
Do you have a tape measurer? This will be a little graphic:) Take off your bra and lift your boobs up and measure around your chest way up under right where your hanging flesh meets your rib cage. Add 2-3 inches to come up with an even number. This is your band size. Now, put your bra back on and measure the largest part around. The difference between this number and the previous is the cup size, one inch per cup. You want a bra to be snug fitting without digging at your back. A good bra will stay up without the shoulder straps and the straps just add lift, not the basic support.
Now, depending on size I can recommend different bras that are better for you. I love this site: www.breakoutbras.com
For the first 6 months, you shouldn't wear under wires because they can causes blocked ducts and lead to different problems.
Fancee Free is a great brand and their all-cotton bras are quite comfortable. This nice thing about this site is that there is free shipping and if you want to return or exchange for a different size or design, it's easy and they don't hassle you about it.

Please feel free to PM me for more information. Anyone else reading this is welcome to do so as well :)

I was having problems finding a comfortable supportive nursing bra too a friend sent me to the maternity ward at Hinsdale Hospital, what a great find!

Mimi Maternity at Macy's has been my best bet

I just bought one not too long ago that I LOVE from breakoutbras.com. I love this site because the woman who runs it actually reviews most of the bras so you get her opinion on it. I haven't used it to nurse yet as I am expecting in March, but this bra is SOOOOO comfy!! And good support too
http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/senusobyfafr.html

There are also some similar to this in kind of a sport bra-ish type style that I got at Walmart of all places when I was nursing my son, but I checked last time and didn't see them anymore. It was a shame cause of all the ones I tried then it was the only one I liked. I never liked those Bravados. I had two of them and the elastic underneath was always uncomfortable and rolled up on me, and the snaps were hard to fasten one handed.

My size, when I first started nursing was 32G, I almost fainted after Tina (at Tina's Closet in Lisle) measured me, but I gotta say what a significant difference! Especially on your back! Unfortunately her nursing bras run high - around $65, but they last pretty long time & in great shape, unlike some of the less expensive ones. Good luck!

I was a big fan of the wireless nursing bras from Motherhood. They weren't terribly expensive and were very comfortable. Get fitted to make sure you're getting the correct size and correct bra for you -- which should eliminate the pinching and twisting straps.

Majamas in Oak Park is great. The owner, Germaine is really nice and helpful. Her bras are about $40 I think and she will accurately measure you. They aren't the prettiest things but they've served me well for the last 2 years almost. I also like GAP body's bras too. I don't remember the cost, but think it was like $30 or $40.

I'm in your boat too. I wear a 38D right now while nursing and found a great nursing bra with wonderful support. It is by Leading Lady (style 410). I ordered it online..just type in the name. It is my favorite by far.

I loved the kind from Target that resemble a "sports-bra look" Not glamourous - but what is about nursing! :) Anyhow, they were excellent coverage and support - easy to snap and unsnap too. Good luck!

I loved the one I got from Kohls, it is like a silky kind of material. I think they had two different ones there. I didn't like my one from Sears much at all. I have also heard Motherhood maternity ones are very good but more expensive. Kohls has sales all the time, I think it was about $18.

I'm not sure where you are located, but check out www.transitionsinc.com. I went to the Transitions store in downtown naperville, and that is there website. They measured and fitted me, and let me try on a variety of nursing bras. The bras will probably run anywhere from $35-$50, but are well worth it for fabulous nursing bras. I would recommend going there or looking for a similar place near you, because getting measured and fitted was key. I ended up w/a much larger size than i ever expected, but the bras fit great and were priceless for a nursing mom. The few, flimsy bras i found at target and babies r us were absolutely terrible.
If you are not near naperville, call the lactation cosultant at your local hospital for similar types of places to go, or try la leche league. They should have several resources. Hope this helps!

K.,

I am larger busted than you so this might help you and is very cheap.

I like the nursing bras from Wal-mart. I only paid like 10-12 dollars for mine and I am a 42 DD so your size might be a lil' cheaper.

These are very easy to open and close with only ONE hand!! They also give me a lot of support! I don't feel like I am hanging to my knees.

They carry both with the underwire and with out the underwire. I like both and I still to this day will choose to wear only the nursing bras they are so much more confortable. The shoulder straps are wider and more padded.

Hello! I went to Von Maur and the woman that fitted me was great! When you do the every day measure of my chest it always comes to a 38 D but when I try bras on they never fit right. Well, I was in shock when we went through many bras and came up with a 38F! They have a line from Anita which is also around the $60.00 mark. I have three and I would spend the money all over again. The support is incredible! I used to buy the target bras referred below and I never will again after having the amount of support and the way the bra flatters my chest and waist. I think the website is www.anita.com. They are also still pretty which helps still feeling like a woman. Good Luck!

i'm nursing my third too and live in target's nursing tanks (i also like their bras) but the tanks make for discreat nursing on the go!

I love the nursing bras I bought at Target. The brand is Gilligan & O'Malley Ultimate. They are supportive, attractive and the flap is easy to latch back after nursing.

Nordstroms!! For less than $40, they have the perfect bras in sizes you won't find anywhere else. I can't remember the maker of my bras, but they are wonderful and fit so well. I would suggest a trip to Nordstoms to get fitted and they will help you with the rest. I can still wear anything, you would never know I was wearing a nursing bra.

I love LOVE the Bravado! nursing bras. You can go to Belly Dance Maternity in Bucktown to try them on (there may be other places if you're not right in the city), or you can just order online (Breakout bras has them for the cheapest). I *lived* in mine for over a year. These are sports-bra type nursing bras that snap open and closed - so comfy you can very easily sleep in them (which I did for a long time).

I like the nursing bras from Kohls. I bought several for aroudn $11.00 a bra.