As your due date nears, I’m sure you are stocking up on all things baby, but there are some things you need to stock up on for mama too! Here’s a list of the four types of nursing bras you should have on hand!
Sleep Bra
Now that you are producing milk, sleeping bra less is not really an option. You’ll wake up in a puddle of your own milk if you don’t have nursing pads in. So you’ll want something comfy that doesn’t make what little sleep you may be getting any less dreamy.
My pick: I love the Kindred Bravely bra. These were all I wore when I was in the hospital and I was SO thankful I packed them in my hospital bag. I think what makes them so great is how low they come on my back. I have also experienced a wide variety of breast size from milk coming in and then leveling out and this bra has worked through them all.
Sports Bra
You probably won’t be doing a lot of “sporting” in those first few days after pregnancy, but as the weeks pass, you may get out and take baby for a walk around the block. Once you’ve been cleared by your doctor, you may even be back in the gym! Make sure you have a large enough sports bra for your more endowed chest and one where you can easily feed baby before, after or even during your work out.
I always prefer something that comes up a little higher on my chest while working out. My recommendation: The Gratlin Womens Nursing Sports Bra. This bra comes low on the sides of my boobs (a lot like the Kindred Sleep bra) that just makes everything feel a bit more supported. I have a nursing sports bra from a big name maternity store with just a wee bit of fabric underneath and my breasts almost always fold right over it and have no support.
Underwire
Before any of you freak out that I am suggesting this, hear me out. I understand this is somewhat controversial. Some believe that the underwire can cause lack of blood flow which will in turn hurt production. But I believe ANY bra that doesn’t fit properly could also do this. There is no direct evidence linking wearing a underwire bra to low breast milk production. But for ANY bra you pick out, you want to make sure it fits properly.
I purchased all of my nursing bras from Motherhood Maternity, and I spent a pretty penny on them. It’s one of the 5 big buck baby items I don’t regret splurging on.
I have been wearing my nursing bras for over a year now. I’m not even breastfeeding anymore but I love the way they fit! While I ordered every other bra online, I think it’s important to try on your every day bra in store to make sure it fits properly.
Pumping bra
When I was searching for a hands free pumping bra, I remember thinking “Do I really need this? Can’t I just hold the parts while I pump?”. I am so happy I didn’t listen to my hesitations because YES, YOU DO NEED THIS!
Being able to pump hands free saved my sanity. I can’t even begin to list the tasks I did while pumping. I would do my make up, blow dry my hair, fold laundry, answer emails. The list of possibilities is endless. And as a new mom, being able to knock out things on your to-do list while also pumping makes you feel like a superstar.
I ended up with two pumping bras. One was awful, it was basically just two a bunch of strings that were supposed to hold my pump parts in place but they never did. I seriously only used it once.
My Suggestion: Simple Wish Zip up Hands Free Pump Bra. The main reason I loved this bra was convenience.  I would simply pull the flaps of my bra down (like I would if I was nursing baby) and start pumping.
It can be tricky when picking a size when it comes to breastfeeding boobs. They change size like 100 times in the first 3 months after baby comes. Again, that is why I highly recommend this bra. You can adjust it up to 10 inches!