Nursing Bras

silja

Where is the best place in Dublin city to get these, and how many will I need? What size?

I am hoping to breastfeed for about 6-8 months. I am normally a small 36 B, and only wear bras about 1/3 of the time (depending on my top), but I figure due to leakage I'll need to wear bras all the time while nursing. During the pregnancy, my boobs have grown over a cup size too, so not sure what size to get?

Nevyn

I ended up getting all of mine in Boots, which considering tat last time I went up to a 42 E I was surprised at.I ended up having to wear them day and night but they were very comfortible.
By the time you are in the last 4 weeks or so your bust should have filled out and won't get bigger until you have been breast feeding for a few days and your full milk comes in.

Ayla

Agreed with Thaedydal - you will wear bras 24-7 while b/feeding b/c without the pressure against the nipple you'll start leaking. I never used to sleep in a bra, but one night when my wee woman was a week or so old I woke up with a soaking sheet - I thought she had gotten sick, but in fact I was dripping all night in my sleep

Anyway, my suggestion is to wait until the last couple weeks of your pregnancy because you're size will be pretty set by then until your milk comes in, as Thaedydal also stated. But most nursing bras have a good bit of give in them so they'll grow and shrink with you as your boobs change (and they will!)

Also, I really resented spending €50 on one nursing bra (I'm quite cheap when it comes to clothes anyway, but that seemed excessive) but that bra wound up being the best thing I bought. Considering you really do wear bras 24-7, don't skimp on quality. They'll wear out, they'll get deformed in the repeated washing and the straps will start digging in. And trust me, the last thing you'll want when adjusting to new motherhood is to be fighting a bra.

Get professionally fitted - any embarrassment you may feel will be well worth it when you get a properly fitting bra. I would have made so many wrong decisions if I didn't have a pro helping me out. My normal cup size is a C, but I wound up going up to an E...I never would've thought that possible until my "helper" kept handing me bras to try on and proved to me that I was *much* bigger than I thought. Also it's much easier to have someone there to help you get the straps adjusted (and put on, b/c being 9 months pregnant and trying on lots of bras tires out the ol' arms).

Anyway, best of luck. I can't emphasize enough though...don't skimp on quality. If I ever get pregnant again I won't flinch (as much) when paying that much for a good bra.

Nevyn

I found that the breat shells were great for catching milk flow at night time.
Yes they had to be worn with the bra.

# Milk collection: use during feeding or expressing to help collect excess milk and protect your clothes.

# Nipple protection: use in between feeds to prevent chafing of sore and cracked nipples. The ventilation holes allow air to circulate, helping your skin to breathe.

# Engorgement: can also be used to ease engorgement.

And yes I spent most of my time asleep on my back or side any way.
I would wake up and there would be as much as an ounce of milk in each in the morning.
I also found them great for catching milk flow from the breast the baby was not feeding off.
The washable breast pads were also great.

Ayla

Thaedydal wrote: »

The washable breast pads were also great.

Forget great...they're flippin' essential!

ArthurDent

Ayla wrote: »

Forget great...they're flippin' essential!

and my DD loved chewing on them when she was teething too

Ayla

Oh, but a point about the booby pads - I used washable ones, but I also kept disposable ones in the nappy bag for being out and about. It surprised me how sometimes my body would just suddenly turn on the taps and being caught out is no fun. Of course, once your body figures things out a bit everything tames down. I didn't even use breast pads after a few months of b/feeding b/c my milk would only arrive when my baby was getting in the position for a feed.

If you do have to use breast pads, I found the ones with some sort of adhesive strips to be helpful, b/c otherwise the pad would move around and you'd have to hunt for it when you'd go to pull your bra back over the nipple.

Oh, and one more hint - if you use washable breast pads, make sure you wash them in one of the mesh laundry bags or else you'll find they get sucked into the washing machine and caught in the filter. The same is to be said for the wee baby socks. I had to manually drain the machine drum a couple of times before I figured that gem out... :rolleyes:

killwill

My partner got hers in Brown Thomas, and they were not any more expensive than anywhere else.
That was the worst day of the pregnancy for her as they are the most unflattering things ever!!!!!!!!!!
Fair play for opting for breastfeeding, not many mothers do these days which is amazing considering the benefits.

Shelli

Marks and Spencers are the best....they have double packs for about €30, you get one black and one white. They also have some nice pretty ones and lightly padded ones, just because your BF doesn't mean your life just stops...sometimes you just want to get dressed up and feel pretty and I wouldnt feel right without the right underwear

BTW, M&S have nearly every size imaginable, I went up to a 34/36 F/G, depending on the day, but they have the more average sizes too.

I tried every disposable pad going...I had major leakage problems. The only ones that were any good in my opinion were the boots slimline ones. They stayed in place, were wider than the other ones and slimmer so you couldnt see them through bras or tops and they have a leakproof backing....they were also the cheapest and are individually wrapped so are good for carring around.

KlondikePaddy

Dare I ask but whats a nursing bra?

Shelli

KlondikePaddy wrote: »

Dare I ask but whats a nursing bra?

Its a bra with little clips to open at the front so you can easily breast feed without taking off the bra.

Nevyn

ArthurDent

I got a lovely one in mothercare too - didn't look to "industrial"! pricey though.