When to choose a nursing bra
Nursing bras - a valuable time saver
Whilst it may be tempting to leave buying a nursing bra till after your baby is born and your size has settled down, you will need at least a couple for when your baby is born. A good nursing bra will help you establish breastfeeding by making access to the breast much easier. And with a new baby around, anything that makes life easier is a bonus!
Features of our nursing bras
Nursing bras are similar to a maternity bra and can be worn throughout pregnancy (although you may need a different size for nursing). Their main feature however are the drop cups. The cups of a nursing bra are generally attached only at the band and the sides and have a clip or fastener at the front of the shoulder. These clips can, with a little practise, be opened with one hand (baby in the other) allowing for easy access to the breast for a hungry baby. You will also notice a strap attaching the shoulder strap to the inside of the band. This keeps the shoulder strap in place allowing you to close it one handed, with a hopefully now sleeping baby in the other. An 'A' frame nursing bra has more fabric inside the cup that supports the breast whilst feeding.
Drop Cup
A Frame Cup
When to buy your nursing bras
In theory the best time to buy a nursing bra would be the day before the baby is born – however this just isn't practical as most babies don't come exactly as planned!
In practice, the ideal time to buy a nursing bra is around 2-3 weeks before the baby is due. By this stage the breasts are fully developed and the baby is starting to settle into the pelvis (your midwife may talk about the baby becoming engaged). This eases the pressure on your ribs and you may also your breathing and any indigestion ease.
When buying a nursing bra at this stage you need to allow for two things.
Fit on the loosest hooks
Firstly, you now need to fit the bra on the loosest hooks at the back to allow for your decreasing ribcage and also for loosing weight after the baby is born (breastfeeding can be a good way of loosing the pregnancy pounds but don't rush it, you still need to eat a good diet to look after your body whilst it is providing for two!).
Allow room for further bust growth
Secondly, although your breast development will be almost complete by then, you need to allow extra room in the cup for when your milk 'comes in', normally around 3-6 days post birth (until this stage your breasts are producing colostrum, which is highly nutritious and contains everything your new born baby needs). As during pregnancy, different women will experience different increases at this stage , but in general this is normally around a cup size (larger busts tend to increase slightly more). Again, as long as the bra is not too big to support you, but is big enough that you can comfortably fit your hand inside the cup, then this is a good guide.
How many bras?
My personal recommendation would be a couple of bras for daytime, and at least one for night, such as the Bravado Original Nursing Bra or their Essential Nursing Tank. The tank has a built in nursing bra and can also be used in the day under other tops to keep your post baby belly undercover during feeds. The HOTmilk camisoles and sleepwear also have built in breast supports and drop cups for easy nighttime feeds.
Baby already here?
Breastfeeding
If you baby has already been born it is still best to buy a bra that fits on the loosest hooks as you may continue to loose weight and as all bras will stretch over time this allows it to fit for longer. Depending on your baby's age you may or may not need to allow for growth in the cups. If your baby is only a few days old, and your milk hasn't yet come in, you will probably need to allow for growth but if breastfeeding is well established then just go with what fits now!