How necessary is a nursing bra?

[CoalCraft]

Hi all, I'm 32 weeks with first baby currently, planning to exclusively breastfeed if all goes according to plan.

I'm just wondering about the logistics of breastfeeding and clothing when out and about and looking to hear experiences there. I've read that the best bet is to have two tops, one that you pull up, the other down, but what about the bra? From practicing now it seems easy enough to pop the bra down under the breast, but I'm aware that what's easy now won't necessarily be easy while juggling a baby!

I've seen nursing bras online that essentially have a little window, but they're quite expensive and honestly I've had all my daily bras for do long that I'm not sure I'd get the right size and everything online. I don't want to fork out for something I'll find uncomfy and won't use.

So yeah, after all that waffle the question is simply... if you breastfed or are breastfeeding, were you able to do with a normal bra or was a nursing bra required? Any other tricks for discreet breastfeeding while out and about (I'm not embarrassed to be seen breastfeeding, but don't want to flash too much of my boobs to innocent strangers in the process).

I needed them, couldn't have pulled a normal bra down enough and also usually wear underwired which I didn't while feeding. I went for the vest/t-shirt method which works really well.

Also needed bedtime crop tops to put pads in at first, otherwise would wake to soaking milky bed

Totally 100% essential IMO. More than a cot or a pram. Also your boobs won’t be the same size as they are now.

I wore nursing bras through pregnancy too but needed bigger ones once baby came.

Yes, also needed bedtime crop tops otherwise I would have been very uncomfortable and leaked everywhere.

I've got 4 feeding bras (no wire) from Asda which are very comfy.
I'm a 38E / F and I don't feel droopy in them. I went for the XL size.
£16 for 2 I think!

Yet to have baby, but I wear them to work sometimes and they're very comfy to sleep in!

They're so much more comfortable to get access to a heavy milky boob and to change breast pads. I used either a muslin dangling over my shoulder or a large, soft scarf for discreteness in public. It made me feel much more relaxed and comfortable. But, when the baby is a little older, they do repeatedly pull it off whilst feeding, as a 'fun' game!

Yes I would say necessary if breastfeeding. I got reasonably priced ones from Asda and I find them more comfortable than conventional bras.

I was worried about getting the right size too so went with ones that came in S/M/L rather than bra sizes.

Two tops sounds too fiddly to me and imagine in the summer 🥵

I breastfed for over 16 months and a nursing bra is essential imo! I had the following:

Day: 1 black and 1 white new look (very cheap)

And 2 nighttime ones from mothercare which I appreciate you may not be able to buy anymore but there will be some cheap nighttime bras out there somewhere.

So only 4 bras in total and that did me. Total spend under £40.

I've found mine essential - especially in the first 2 -3 weeks when it's really sore. They also mean you expose a minimal amount of yourself - if you were having to pull your whole breast over the cup it would be much harder to do it discreetly!

I had some nursing bras but didn’t find them convenient. The non underwired ones were awful (I was very big busted), the one underwired one I had was ok but still less convenient than my underwired balcony bras from bravissimo. They were the very plain kind with lightly lined cups so I would just fold the cup under the boob, no fiddly clips.

I either wore just breastfeeding vest tops under a shirt or a normal triangle type bra. My breasts remained a small b cup though but I imagine if your boobs are much bigger then you'd want a proper feeding bra. I did buy one feeding bra but it was so uncomfy.

I had some from Asda that have been great and cheap.

For night time, there’s loads on eBay that are cheap and comfy. The crossover ones are the best cause you don’t have to faff with clips in the night.

Underwire can be an issue when your breast milk comes in, blocked milk ducts are bloody painful and lead to mastitis so if you’re going to convert your normal bras to nursing ones I highly recommend doing it with non underwire ones.

Unrequested advice too: use muslin clothes to deal with the let down reflex on the breast your not feeding from for the first few weeks, breast pads are not nearly absorbent enough to deal with it and you’ll end up with soaked bras and T-shirt’s several times a day!

Good luck

I’ve been in nursing tops for 2 and a half years! Lol. I get mine from hnm, like vest tops but with clips. I prefer these as it covers my belly when DS is feeding rather than a nursing bra, sat there with it all out.

I think you'd be ok with just a crop top that you push down, but would be much tricker with a normal bra.

By the end of breastfeeding I normally used a strapless bra which I sort of pushed down, but at the beginning when your breast a are fully and you're less natural at it, I think nursing bras are pretty essential.

I used those stretchy pull on bralette things than you can get everywhere for about £4. Very easy to just lift your breast out.

Nursing bras that unclip at the front are absolutely essential for me. Squeezing a milk-full boob out of a regular bra is painful/uncomfortable and anything with underwire is a big no because it can dig in and cause mastitis.
I have some breastfeeding dresses and tops but have found that a combination of high waisted bottom halves with a crop top the easiest to feed in. Sounds like you’re due at the start of the summer and that might be suitable for you.

I have breastfed 3 children and would consider them essential.

I think nursing bras are pretty much there on the essential basics list.

In the first couple of months of breastfeeding, breasts tend to change size depending on whether a baby has just fed/is about to feed. You need a bra with enough stretch to cope with the changes over the course if the day/week.

You need to be able to get your breast out of the bra one handed, while also holding a flailing baby who is screaming with hunger.

Sometimes your breasts will get so full of milk that if you touch them, milk will squirt out dramatically. If you have to squeeze your breast to get it out if the bra, this could result in you spraying milk all over your neighbour.

I really liked the Bravado Bodysilk bras.

Definitely get nursing bras!! It will be sooooo uncomfortable to just "pop your bra down" plus in most nursing bras, there is space you can insert a pad to soak up leakage. Have a look on Amazon, there are some really good options that won't break the bank and that are super comfy!! I found the seamless bralette types the most comfortable for day and night.

I hated the feeling of the two nursing bras I bought, they had two layers,
One with a hole in which felt horrible and the other that came unclipped - I ended up using a non wire bra and that worked best for me. Saying that i detested BF, especially whilst out, so I'm probably not the right person to comment