Leading Lady Crossover Nursing Bra

Finally I am able to find a crossover nursing bra that does not look like the usual plain brown, beige or white cotton ones that are so boring and look so momsy. I approached it with a lot of hesitance at first as after all these years of buying and wearing nursing bras, I don't believe too much in those materials that are comparatively thin as nipples tend to show through even if you have not been breastfeeding. This is surprisingly sexy and comfortable - it makes me look twice at other thin (and non-padded) nursing bras again. Crossover design is great for nursing at night and more so for first time nursing mothers, as you do not have to worry about hooking and unhooking. Pull aside to nurse and pull back again without any fuss. Material is smooth and thin enough for quick drying. Nipple show-through is rather minimal.

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Leading Lady Padded T-Shirt Nursing Bra

This Molded Stretch Pad Underwire Nursing is soft and thinner than your usual padded nursing bras. Comes with beautiful lace around the bands. However, the quality and durability of the lace is area at the bands can be further improved. Super comfortable, but cup size is slightly on the larger side. Do size down if you get one of these. Eg. If you're an Asian cup C, size down to a cup B and so on. As it is a padded bra, nipples do not show especially when wearing T-shirts. Downside is that it is not very easy to hook back after nursing, probably due to the construction of the nursing access.

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Marks & Spencer Stretchable Balcony bra

This is not made for nursing, but I have found them extremely comfortable to wear. They are also super yummy, with the wild purple & black mesh prints. Extremely cooling due to the thin material. Surprising that with such thin material, nipple bumps are pretty minimal after nursing. To nurse, simply pull down on the cups. Cups are not difficult to pull back at all after nursing. However it comes with underwire (rather comfy for an underwire bra), and some people may not find it comfortable in the early nursing stages. As I bought them quite some time ago, you can probably only find similar bras at Marks & Spencer that you can improvise for nursing.

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Mothercare Basic Nursing Bra

This bra is from Mothercare, bought just before they name their bras the Moda range. Very basic, but comfortable. At the price of S$30 plus or about $40 each, they're not exactly cheap for this kind of designs (so basic you can probably find similar designs of nursing bras everywhere) but the cotton is very comfortable and offers very good support. Shape is nice and cups fit rather well, with no gaping at the sides. My husband commented that simple as it looks, it actually does accentuate the cleavage quite well. The hook is the common type and very easy to use. Only downside is probably the fact that nipple bumps show through after nursing.

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Padded Tube Bra

Simple and rather stretchy, this type of padded tube bras are pretty comfortable if you are a B cup or below. Larger cups will find that it lacks vital support and the fabric may tend to scrunch up towards the middle (from the top and bottom), so it can become a little uncomfortable. Does not have hooks on the back, so people who do not like doing hooks will find this rather "friendly" to use. Nursing is by pulling down on the bra and pulling up when done, but the pulling up can become a hassle as the thin fabric and bra cups are difficult to put back properly. I ended up having to pull frantically as it got "stuck" under my breasts. You can find these or similar ones in most lingerie shops.

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MIM Padded 3-Way Bra with Removable Underwire

The only nursing bra so far that offers 3 different wearing options. It comes with straps that are removable and crossed any which way. Pity though that the material is a little bit stiff and quality can be better for its price. When wearing the normal way like in this picture, it tends to gape at the sides near the armpits. The cup is a little too stiff, so it sort of creates a bulky feel underneath the breasts when nursing. Access is not using the traditional nursing hook, but using velcro. For mothers who find the hook difficult to find when nursing in public, this may be a good feature.

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MIM Very BASIC Nursing Bra

Very basic nursing bra as the name suggests, so do not expect it to come with frills. Made of cotton it is rather breathable, like most of the basic plain bras you find elsewhere, except that the fabric is rather soft. However, I find that the shape doesn't hold very well and it tends to gape at the part near the armpit. Band also tends to be slightly larger that the normal bra widths so if you are intending to get one, do size down a bit. Like almost all cotton basic nursing bras, nipples tend to show through after nursing. Price tend to be a little on the high side as you can get the same quality elsewhere at a lower price. My recommendation is to get these only for the few months post pregnancy since you can get much better support with other types of bras.

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The Slip Padded Lace-Trimmed Nursing Bra

This is a bra with soft & thin padded stretch cups, accented with lace trim in front and around the sides. Label says the brand is "The Slip" although I cannot understand why most nursing bras have rather low quality labels. However, this does not decrease the comfort of these bras. Super comfy and nipples do not show through after you have nursed your child as promised on the Momsinmind website. Bra has underwired cups and a 4-hook back-band hook to allow for your fluctuating size during your pregnancy and breastfeeding period. Very easy to use as the slight padding actually helps me put back the bra quickly instead of having to tug at it to straighten before hooking back. Fabric is also super smooth and doesn't feel warm at all. One of my top favourite padded nursing bras.

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Selecting Nursing Bras

I have found a really short but informative article on nursing bras in Dr William Sears website. He's a rather well-known pediatrician and I personally find his information very useful for new parents and even for non-first time parents.

Learn a little more about choosing the right nursing bra and other tips on nursing bras at http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T025200.asp. You will definitel find it useful. As for me, I will continue to test out nursing bras and give my own take on their comfort level, etc.

Review: QT Lacy Maternity & Nursing Bra

I got this nursing bra from Moms in Mind http://www.momsinmind.com.sg. It 's a snap front nursing bra with underwire and is made of rather soft lace. Great for people who are used to wearing underwire bras. If you are not used to wearing underwire nursing bras, I do not encourage getting this one as it tends to be rather uncomfortable. As I used underwire bras before I had kids, they were not a big problem to me. The fastener is using those metal snap fasteners that you see on infant clothings. Personally I find that it is not as easy to undo and refasten with baby in hand, compared to the those drop-cup ones.

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When to Buy Nursing Bras

So the big question for new mothers intending to breastfeed is: When should you buy your nursing bras?

From my personal experience, you should consider getting a few nursing bras (maybe about 3) very close to delivery. Perhaps around 2-4 weeks beforehand. Not too early as your breasts tend to become more swollen closer to delivery. Not too late too, as you may find yourself without any when you are heading to the hospital.

So what type should you buy? You may want to consider getting some cheap ones to last about a month or so (for confinement). Why cheap ones? Because most times your breast size changes and you won't want to waste money. Also because some mothers do give up breastfeeding beyond the first month and it will be such a waste spending too much. You can get some easily from OG maternity section. I found some at OG at Middle Road. They cost something like $10. Don't expect too much mileage from these though, as the elastic probably doesn't last beyond washes more than 3 months. Save your money for good quality ones a few months later when your breast size stabilises.

Why you need a good nursing bra

After more than two and a half years of nursing, I do find that a good "nursing" bra is one of the most important things that a nursing mother should invest in. Why? A good nursing bra is one that gives you good support, with a soft material that does not cause any abrasions on your already tender nipples, while is easy to undo and refasten quickly as you hold your baby in your arms. Of course, I have also come to realise through such a long nursing period that a nice nursing bra actually helps boost the nursing mother's confidence.

Before I gave birth to my first child, all these never cross my mind, and I got the cheapest ones I could find at a department store. While I used to spend on average S$50 on each bra (pre-nursing days), I did not imagine myself splurging on nursing bras mainly because all that I saw kinda looked alike and were so "granny"-like that I didn't believe in spending more on any. I guess having been through these, I would recommend new mothers to only buy the cheap ones for the first 1-2 months after birth (please read my next entry on reasons for getting cheap bras in the initial days).

The cheap ones are difficult to undo and refasten, support is not great, and the rubber usually loosens after only 2-3 months. Compared to the higher quality (and more expensive) ones I got later on, they were of less value for money, since the good ones can last at least 2 years on average. So, do be prepared to pay a little more for quality nursing bras after your breast size stablises.