Like a mom, nursing bras go above and beyond for the call of duty. Your breasts will change after having a child, and regular bras won’t cut it.
Nursing bra lists often fail to include designs that are suitable for plus sizes, so here’s a specific best plus size nursing bra review for you.
Our overall best choice is the Motherhood Maternity Clip Down Bra, but we’ve included all sorts of bras with different traits on this list.
Best Plus Size Nursing Bra Reviews
Best Value — Motherhood Maternity Nursing Bra
- Affordable
- Washes easily
- Clips down for easy nipple access
- Soft fabric doesn’t chafe the nipple
- Provides all-day comfortable support
The Motherhood Maternity is affordable and doesn’t include any uncomfortable underwire. It will be a seamless addition to your maternity wardrobe, as it doesn’t actually have any seams. That provides all-day comfort for when your breasts are heavy and filled with milk.
The adjustable strap has a clip in it. You can unhook the cup from the strap to let your child easily access your nipple.
The bra’s soft material feels comfortable against the skin and won’t irritate the nipple. The Motherhood Maternity Clip Down Bra provides high-value for a low price, making it our top choice.
Most Comfortable — Bravado! Designs Silk Seamless Nursing Bra
- Seamless
- Made from soft material
- Wire-free
- Built from 4-way stretch fabric
- Easy-clean removable cups
This nursing bra from Bravado! Designs adjusts to your body thanks to its 4-way stretch fabric. It will hug your curves, change shape, and not dig into your skin. The bra is wire-free, seamless, and soft, providing comfort all day.
The removable foam inserts help you easily clean this bra should any milk leak out. There’s also a drop-away clip to help give your child skin-to-skin contact while breastfeeding.
The only downside to this bra is that it requires dry-cleaning. Otherwise, it’s comfortable and useful for breastfeeding at any time of the day.
Best for Sleep — Kindred Bravely Nursing Bra
- Great for sleep
- Quick nursing access
- Comfortable
- Adjusts to fluctuating breast size
- Easy pull-on style
Kindred Bravely Nursing Bra lacks hooks or straps. It’s built racerback style, allowing you to pull it on and forget about it. When it’s time to nurse, simply pull the fabric aside to allow skin-to-skin contact while breastfeeding.
The soft fabric doesn’t have any cups or lining. This means the bra can’t absorb milk leakages, but it does provide flexibility for fluctuating bra sizes. These bras also suit tall people, those with long torsos, or others who need extra length.
The gentle support and hookless design mean you can wear this bra to sleep, which is great if your enlarged breasts feel sore at night. In all, the Kindred Bravely Nursing Bra suits women who don’t want straps, need a maternity yoga bra, or need a comfortable bra to wear to sleep.
Best Budget Item — Gratlin Nursing Bra
- Affordable
- Clip down strap
- Removable, molded cups
- Comfortable material
- Body-hugging, supportive design
The most affordable bra on this list offers a tightly-knitted underband for extra support. The removable molded cups make washing away milk leaks a breeze. Quickly breastfeed your child with the easy access drop-down bra cup.
The Gratlin’s Nursing Bra even provides additional side panel support to smooth out underarm bulges. Comfortable materials comprise this bra, making it a good budget option.
Why Choose Nursing Bras Over Regular Bras?
They make nursing easier.
Nursing bras provide quick access for breastfeeding, conform to your body, feel comfortable to wear all day, and can accommodate issues while nursing.
Such subtle bra differences can save your nerves when you’re trying to feed a screaming infant.
They absorb leaks.
Breasts fill with milk after a woman has a child. These enlarged breasts are prone to leak every once in a while. That process is normal, but it could mean having an inconvenient mess on your hands (or chest).
Nursing bras tend to have more absorbent pads to catch any milk leakages. These pads then remove from the bra to let you wash them.
They provide better support.
Nursing bras accommodate breasts that fill with milk after a child is born. This is called breast engorgement.
Frequent breastfeeding lowers your available milk and reduces breast size. Some circumstances make it difficult to rid your milk, though, such as if your baby is switching to solid food, has a poor appetite, or you can’t breast pump.
Your breasts will feel sore and swollen, and they might be painful to the touch. A regular underwire bra won’t help you when this happens, as they’ll feel too constricting due to the internal metal structure.
Maternity bras provide better support wherever your breasts are, whether they’re frequently shedding milk or feel enlarged and tender.
They protect sore nipples.
Healthy full-term babies instinctively know to latch on to the nipple after being born. They also know the right position and style to suckle so that both parties feel comfortable.
Some babies, though, don’t latch or suck properly. Nipple soreness can occur as a result.
To accommodate nipple soreness, maternity bras are made from softer materials that don’t irritate the skin. Any removable cups also tend to be softer so that they don’t chafe the nipple.
Regular bras feel firmer compared to maternity bras, which can irritate sore nipples should your baby have an improper feeding technique.
They can help you exercise.
Maternity bras feel soft against the skin, but they also provide substantial support. They don’t have the same compression as a sports bra, which can feel uncomfortable against sore, enlarged breasts after having a child.
Nursing bras are thus the best solution to help moms exercise safely. Proper support helps you avoid mastitis, or a medical condition in which breast tissue becomes inflamed — and even infected. Mastitis makes the breast feel swollen, painful, red, and unusually warm.
The condition is common among women who are breastfeeding. Having the right nursing bra during exercise reduces the chance of developing adverse breast outcomes while exercising.
Things to Know When Buying a Maternity Bra
Know how it should fit
Like any bra, the best plus size nursing bras fit snuggly but don’t feel tight. They shouldn’t leave marks or indentations on your skin after wearing it.
If plus size nursing bras that are too tight can potentially clog milk ducts, which can lead to mastitis or decreased milk supply.
It’s best to shop for nursing bras in-person and to try it on before you buy it. If you can’t try it on beforehand, be sure the online company you’re buying from has a return policy. It might take a couple of tries before you buy the right plus size nursing bra.
Go for the seamless, soft cup
Underwire bras feel uncomfortable in general, but it’s especially uncomfy when your breasts are tender and enlarged with milk. The seamless option provides extra comfort for fluctuating breast sizes and all-day comfort.
Have two nursing bras on hand
Changes that occur after delivering a child can make your breasts sore and painful when they don’t have support. Therefore, you might feel more comfortable wearing a bra at all times.
That’s why you should have at least two maternity bras. You can always be wearing one should the other need a wash.
Don’t buy more than two bras before your baby arrives
Your breasts will probably change sizes toward the end of your pregnancy, but don’t think that will be a long-lasting change. Your breasts will likely change size again after you’ve delivered your baby.
We know you want to get as many purchases out of the way before your baby arrives. However, buy nursing bras at least one week postpartum. That way, you can better accommodate your new breast size to a nursing bra.
Bras with one-handed clasps will save your sanity
When your baby is hungry, the last thing you want is a difficult bra clasp to frustrate you. Buying nursing bras with one-handed clasps allow you to hold your baby and while still providing access for breastfeeding.
Final Thoughts
Plus size maternity bras help women feed their babies and support their changing breast size. They take a lot of stress out of breastfeeding a newborn, which can mean all the difference in the moment.
The best plus size nursing bras on this list suit different needs, but the Motherhood Maternity Clip Down Nursing Bra is the best plus size nursing bra on this list.
It’s affordable, easy to put on, and comfortable enough to wear all day. The bra also soaks up milk leakages and washes easily at home, making a great first-time maternity bra for new moms.
And the runner-ups? The Bravado requires dry cleaning, which can be a hassle. The Kindred doesn’t have cup linings so it can’t catch leakages, and the claspless nature of the Gratlin could obstruct access to breastfeeding. That’s why we chose the Motherhood Maternity as the best plus size nursing bra.
