When you start to return to a normal daily routine after giving birth you will need to learn how to incorporate breastfeeding (often at inconvenient times) into your day.
You can make this much easier on yourself by starting with the right clothes, and more specifically, a bra that is especially made for breastfeeding.
You need something that is accessible, comfortable, and just the right amount of coverage.
To help you start to fill your wardrobe with the best quality nursing bras we have reviewed the best bras on the market for breastfeeding, and have covered the most important categories to have you covered all day; sleeping, pumping, underwire, and soft cup.
In this post we review a range of nursing bras in different categories. The best in each category are the following:
- Best Sleep Nursing Bra – HOFISH Nursing Sleep Bras
- Best Soft Cup Nursing Bra – Elomi Women’s Soft-Cup Nursing Bra
- Best Underwire Nursing Bra – Gratlin Underwire Nursing Bra
- Best Pumping Bra – Rumina’s Racerback Nursing Bra
Best Sleep Nursing Bras
These differ from a regular nursing bra due to the lighter support. These type of bras are great for nighttime breastfeeding or if you’re just relaxing inside the house. It can limit your exposure without being too constrictive.
HOFISH Soft French Modal Nursing Sleep Bras
If you like comfort, this sleep nursing bra can give you exactly that. It has a soft and elastic fabric that can give you the light support that you need.
When it’s time to breastfeed your child, you just need to pull the cup towards the side and you’re ready. There are no hooks or clasps that you need to take off before you can feed your child. This is a welcome feature especially when you are feeding your child during those unholy hours where you are half-awake or half-asleep.
CAKYE Women’s Nursing Tank Sleep Bra
This lovely sleeping bra is made from 95% cotton and 5% spandex making it soft and really comfortable. A mom who breastfeed her baby have sensitive breast and a soft and lightweight bra can offer some relief. It is just like any sleep nursing bra – easy to use. It has no clasps, which is an advantage during late night feedings.
An additional feature of this product is that there’s an area for the nursing pads to be put on. This can come in handy for those unwanted leaks at night.
Best Soft Cup Nursing Bra
This type of bra is the traditional seamless nursing bra that most mothers use when nursing. Its best feature is the cup which can be lowered when you are nursing. The closure of this bra varies depending on the brand or the design of the bra. It can be clasps, hook and eye or some specialized snaps.
Elomi Women’s Beatrice Soft-Cup Nursing Bra
This nursing bra offers full support and full coverage for breastfeeding moms. The combination of nylon, cotton, modal, and elastane fabrics made this bra comfortable and perfect for moms with sensitive skin.
It is made for plus-sized moms, which is great because it can be tough to look for the right nursing bra if you’re a breastfeeding plus-sized mom.This nursing bra has large and spacious cups that can give the right amount of support that you need.
It also features a squeeze-release clasp closure that makes it easier for you to release the cup when it is time to feed your baby. Remember to use nursing pads when using this nursing bra to avoid damaging the fabric when you’re leaking. It can absorb some moisture but too much of it can damage the integrity of the fabric.
Vigoo Womens Cotton Soft Cup
Perfect for petite moms, this nursing bra has no underwire and is made from cotton and spandex which makes it soft and comfortable. It offers the right amount of support and is not constrictive.
It is also elastic which means that this nursing bra can adapt to the fluctuating size of your breast while you are breastfeeding. Aside from that, it also has adjustable straps and fastener. It also comes with a free extendable fastener to accommodate the bust size fluctuations.
This is a great alternative sleep nursing bra if you want more support.
Best Underwire Nursing Bras
These are nursing bras that have flexible wire support. It does have the same features as the regular nursing bra with non-rigid wiring under the cup for support.
There has been a controversy on whether a breastfeeding mom can wear underwire bras. Apparently, there had been some issues that the wires can actually clog the ducts which can lead to infection. So the real question is can you or can you not?
The answer is yes of course as long as you are comfortable. Make sure that it doesn’t hurt or that it doesn’t dig under the cup. Comfort is the key.
Gratlin Women’s Padded Maternity Underwire Nursing Bra
Every mom needs a nursing bra that can give you the lift that you need and this nursing bra can help you with that. It can give you the support that you need while nursing your child.
This is a well-made nursing bra that sturdy and durable. You can just toss it into the washing machine and it will maintain its shape and the integrity of the fabric.
It has a clip which makes it easier to open the front of the cup when it is time to breastfeed your baby. It has adjustable straps which can help you adapt to the fluctuating size of your chest.
The combination of polyamide and spandex made the fabric smooth. It has built-in pads that can absorb leakage thus avoiding embarrassing situations like when you are at work or having a night out.
Motherhood Full Coverage Underwire Nursing Bra
This is a nursing bra that can give full coverage nursing bra that can give maximum support and shape. It is padded which means that it can absorb leaks and can provide appropriate coverage for nipples as well.
The fabric of this nursing bra is made from the combination of nylon and spandex that’s machine washable. Putting the cup down is easy, just unclipped it and you are ready to go.
Best Pumping Bra
These bras are best for moms who are pumping breastmilk whether it’s at work or at home.
Rumina’s Racerback Nursing Bra
This nursing bra offers convenience to all nursing moms out there. You can use this to nurse your child and for breast pumping as well.
What’s nice about this bra is that it has no zippers or gaping holes that you can see through your shirt. It is made from jersey cotton and spandex which means that it can actually adjust to the fluctuating size of your breast while nursing.
When you want to nurse your child, you just need to pull down the cup and you’re ready to go. If you need to pump, you just need to lift the top layer to expose the inner layer where there’s a side opening where you can slide your electric milk pump and attach it.
This nursing bra is supportive even without any wires. It almost feels like you are wearing sports bra. The layering design of this nursing made it possible to hold the pump in place making hands-free pumping easy.
Common Features of Nursing/Breastfeeding Bras
Accessible and Functional
What makes it different is that you can easily pull the covering up or down. It varies in the closure mechanism – some have a zipper, hook and eye or even hooks as closures. Ideally, it is something that you can close and open using one hand only because you need to hold your child in your other hand.
Comfortable and Supportive
A nursing bra is not only functional but it also needs to be comfortable. Usually, the fabric is soft and stretchy to be able to adjust to the shape of your breasts. It also needs to be durable to be able to provide the support that you need.
A nursing bra has a back closure and front access when breastfeeding. It is best to choose those with a wide back because the extra support while you are still breastfeeding will goes a long way in terms of comfort.
Aside from that, a nursing bra also needs to have durable under-the-cup support for easy breastfeeding. Without efficient support even when the cup is fully open, you are going to have a difficult time to close the cup.
The strap doesn’t need to be that stretchable but it definitely needs to be adjustable. Anything that’s too restrictive is not good for nursing mothers. It can hamper the flow of milk production and can obstruct the glands producing the milk which can lead to infection.
Final Word
Nursing bras are a mom’s best friend. It can provide coverage and support which is a gift for busy mothers. You don’t need to worry about leakage and exposure. It can also help you save time because you are ready to pump or nurse your child anytime and anywhere.
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