Considering not breastfeeding because 38G nursing bras are £27+. What should I do?

[mumblesmummy]

Just a quick note as I'm going out the door, but I'll be back on to check responses tomorrow.

All nursing bras in size 38G are around £30 or more. I just can't afford it so I'm considering giving in before I've started and just bottle feeding. I've fought off everyone who's said bottle feed but now I'm at my wits end.

If I can't get a bra then I can't do it. My boobs are terrible as it is.

Does anyone know where I can get cheap bras?

Can anyone remind me why i wanted to breastfeed in the first place

The mothercare bras are awful, however the nct www.nctsales.co.uk has comfort bras and royce bras in that size for about £24 each. Also if you are in a surestart area have you checked as you may well be eligble for a cheap/free nursing bra - i know of lots of areas that do this.

Hi everyone.

I was getting really het up over the cost of bras situation. Nothing annoys me more in general.

I do really want to breastfeed but I'm panicking about a million different things. And I can't find a bf feeding councellor now that our surestart is closing down.

I'm VERY VERY funny about my boobs as it's something I've been very self conscious of since I was about 8. So I'm freaked out anyway. But I'm worried the bras won't hold well and people will see what a state they are.

The cost thing is just a bit of a secondary thing and I've bought some now anyway. I'm worried about if I can swap between expressing and bfing and how it will work and how I'll cope, and if I'll have any idea of what to do. Plus I duno people who have done it before.

Thanks for all your post.

mumbles, you don't need a surestart breastfeeding counsellor. There are 100s elsewhere! You can call any of the helplines and speak to someone.

Feeling a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable about the whole idea of breastfeeding is normal.

Talk to someone. It would be a shame if you missed out, and your baby missed out, 'cos of embarassment and 'cos of bra-related anxiety

BTW, nursing bras are a wonder of engineering. They hold everything in just great....

Lots of good stuff advice here

www.kellymom.com

and there is also MN 24 hours a day

It does seem weird before you start, but you will be surprised at how normal it feels in quite a short time. Just give yourself (and your baby) time to sort it out

you could get a normal bra and do a Gunter von Hagens style operation on it with a couple of hooks and a bit of velcro.

Hi mumbles

You shouldn't get fitted for nursing bras until a couple of weeks before your due date - so 37/8 weeks.

I'm usually a J cup when nursing. I'll be going back to Bravissimo where the nursing bras are lovely and start from £24.

So £48 for 2 bras compared to £500 plus for formula feeding. - I know which one I'm going for!

No-one will see your boobs when you feed - use a muslin cloth or a baby shawl, but baby will hide almost all of you.

Here's the Bravissimo site Bravissimo nursing bras

Don't get measured in M&S - they're notoriously rubbish and will usually come up very wrong. John Lewis are hit and miss and Mothercare will get you measured by the same girl who sells the pushchairs.

Seriously go to Bravissimo if you've got one anywhere near you or a specialist lingerie shop. It's not worth the pain from guesswork - a properly fitting, comfy bra will reduce the chances of you getting mastitis etc.

All the best

I'm a 36J while breastfeeding and I've also always had boob issues due to their size/shape/veinyness! BUT... I found breastfeeding very healing. Like I had finally found a good use for them! I was worried about public feeding, especially as I've never been as discreet as some others, but I've had no problems at all.

And I've used the same, scabby old and greying, 3 nursing bras for both my children... and pregnancy in between them. They were all £25 or so but that's 2.5 years out of them so far . Bought a posh underwired supportive normal bra for a wedding and feel really weird waring it now!

Mumbles, while it is really good that you're thinking ahead, don't let your worries make obatacles where there may not be any. As Tiktok says, there are loads of breastfeeding counsellers about. More to the point, you may not need one as some women and babies do just take to it no problem - even if they thought they would be shy about it all. So please don't fret.

If you're talking about a support issue then I have no advice as my boobs are beyond help, but when I was bf I had an absolute HORROR of anyone seeing my spaniels, and the issue is more of tops than it is of bras. You need loose fitting tops, loose cardigans, and a muslin or baby blanket.

Tie the corner of a muslin to your bra strap, it provides lots of coverage while you get them latched on. Whip up your top, stuff baby under, fish out a boob et voila. Accompany it with a no nonsense "time for a feed" and no normal person will stare, or even look probably. (They look when they don't know what you're doing)

I did buy a couple of feeding bras, I also made my own using the clips you can buy off ebay. However I found them a bit of a faff and in the end I just yanked up a normal unwired bra on advice from a bf counsellor, so in my case they weren't necessary at all. hth

Oh, and if you actually watch breastfeeding clips off the web for tips etc, you'll see that those women do not have pneaumatic perky teenage style boobs, they're usually saggy and blue-veiny, and faintly knackered looking too.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this already - sorry, only read the OP - but I am a 32J and also find the price of bras ridiculous...

... so have used this with my regular bras. An absolute godsend. Each kit contains two converters and they're only a fiver each.

Ooooh, wish I'd known about those converters 2.5 yrs ago! I'm not feeding in the day now so I was thinking in buying 'normal' bras. Might just convert a couple of normal ones for nursing just incase.

I've got a maternity (not nursing) one you can have if you want it. it's easy to drop boob out bottom of bra to feed, bf is amazing when you get going, for both of you x