Breastfeeding

[Florence888]

Dear all of you experienced mothers! Help needed!
I am looking for a breastfeeding bra, what are the things I should watch out for? and what should I look for?

I got mine from M&S, they fitted me in the run up with something that would be suitable for once baby was here and milk had come in.
They did some really nice stylish ones that didn't look like plain ugly nursing bras, they just looked normal and had some nice designs but with the clips to pull down for feeding.

Definitely worth getting fitted properly as one thing you don't want is to be uncomfortable in those first few weeks while getting feeding established.

Oh and I preferred the t-shirt style, with that little bit of padding that stopped nips being on show and no outline of the breast pads.
Would also give that little extra material in case of leaks before it reached clothing.

Something with the wider back and straps felt more secure when boobs were heavy and less likely to dig into the skin.

Generally non underwired, actually I've never gone back to wired and I stopped feeding almost 3 yrs ago, it felt uncomfortable when at first I went back to wired.

Thank you so much! this is so helpful, M&S here I come:)

Also, do you know of any maternity lingerie companies that or sustainable or just have good values?

Molke night for your good values bit, or I buy second hand hot milk bras.

But if you’re still pregnant right now I would buy two seam free nursing bras (the type made by Emma Jane or Jo Jo Maman Bebe but can buy second hand or loads of other brands make copies) as they are supportive but flexible while waiting to see what size you end up being once your supply settles down.

I didn't breastfeed for long so never bought any fancy ones, I just used Emma Jane. I think theyre are good starting point though because they are cheap and cover a range of sizes so you can be confident they will still fit when your milk comes in etc. I didn't buy them until a couple of weeks before my baby was born as I didn't know about them earlier. I regret this because they would have likely done me most of the way through my pregnancy due to their flexibility and would have saved me a ton of money in expensive maternity bras and saved me all the discomfort when I was struggling to find maternity bras that fit me well earlier on in my pregnancy etc.

I'll definitely have a look at Molke! Thank you!
Out of interest, do you think it's worthwhile spending a little extra on brands that have sustainable values? especially in nursing bras and baby's clothing, as it gets all yucky very quickly......I'm torn

Yes definitely Emma Jane or the M&S stretchy equivalent in a two pack. They have fold down clips and are super comfy.

I spent a lot on others but have come back to these the most for ease of use and comfort.

Re sustainable brands I think it’s personal preference. I think H&M conscious have some nursing bras. The ones I wore the most were just the comfiest - not to do with price or what they looked like

Has anyone tried Beija or Project Me bras? Iv heard good things??

Oh if you’re interested in eco/sustainable baby clothes look at the organic brands:

Frugi
Little Green Radicals
Scandi brands including Duns, Maxomorra, Raspberry Republic.

The above are all available from Babipur. They have a Facebook group called Babipur Hangout and an associated buying and selling group.

I buy 90% of my son’s clothes from those brands and I’d say about 50% are second hand. I can then sell them again afterwards making them much more eco friendly.

Use the code tulip for 10% off most stuff at Babipur.

If you’re interested in eco stuff have you considered cloth nappies? Much easier than they sound! We love ours

I bought a crush candy one on a whim from bravissimo and it is unbelievably comfy. Would highly recommend.

I got one white one and one black one both from new look. All I needed for over 16 months of breastfeeding.

I doubt new look is very sustainable but I did my bit by using reusable breast pads and making use of my existing clothes rather than going mad with special nursing tops etc. If you wear a vest then any top you already own can be breastfeeding friendly (top comes up and vest comes down).

Good luck, I loved breastfeeding

Oh and I got 2 night breastfeeding bras from mother care!

I just got 3 from Hot Milk, they are amazing!!

I bf-d dc1 for 18mo and never in that time found a comfy nursing bra (despite spending a small fortune). Now bf dc2 and live in bralets - not nursing specific but easily pull down to feed and are comfy and pretty. I like the m and s ones, £9.50 and they do a DD+ specific range which is perfect for me.

I got 2 from the nursing bra shop www.nursingbra-shop.co.uk/ . One was amazing (the Royce Blossom nursing bra) but 1 had top go back. Choice seems the biggest I have seen especially for larger cup sizes. can also recommend Bravissimmo