are nursing tanks necessary?

june05iris

i am having my second baby this coming week, and am going to try BFing.  my DD was FF only, so this is new to me.  for being home the first few weeks, do i need nursing camis, or do just shelf bra tanks work fine?  thanks much!

ghcc

I think it depends on how stretchy the shelf bra tank is and how big your chest is. You have to be able to easily pull out your boob frequently, especially at first!I really liked having the snaps. I found some great ones at Target - the G & O ones - they go on sale frequently. You could try one and see if you like it. I love mine and use it all of the time (3.5 months into it.) Good luck!

pitterpatter129

I've nursed for 11 months now and I don't own a single nursing tank.  Not necessary in my opinion.  I wear a nursing bra under my shirts and I don't care if a little bit of my side is showing while nursing.  It's only necessary if you want 0 skin to show while nursing or don't want to wear a bra.  I don't nurse a lot in public though, since I'm at work for most the day and not out and about a lot.  When I do go out, I often have a sweater/jacket on with my tops, which covers skin the same way a tank would.  You might as well buy one and if you don't use it, then no big loss.  You could also wear a sleep bra while at home, which are comfy.

diamondcks

If you plan to wear tanks I would get nursing ones, the easier to access the better    That said I bought some tanks from Target, and they fit well, but I'm not a tank person, so I usually just wore a nursing bra with shirt.

T&HLove

nope..

I typically don't wear a bra while just lounging around the house, so I can easily just lift my shirt. If you are planning on nursing away from home though, I would get a tank or a bra

ETA: I'm a bit on the small side, I know some people don't like no support, so its really up to you

CleanQueen

I have a few tanks but couldnt really wear them once my milk came in because the pads wouldnt stick and I ended up soaked. I think nursing bras are a better investment imo

1ht with napping baby

amy_rski

I wore them all the time at first.  It is easy access and was nice to still feel covered when I was nursing the first couple weeks and there were always visitors.  Now I'm using regular tanks or a nursing bra with a normal shirt.

tokenhoser

I prefer my bravado tanks to the nursing bras I did buy. They're very supportive and I wear one nearly every day under my other shirts.

Not a necessity, but I would get either nursing tanks or bras. Odds are you old bras won't fit you breastfeeding boobs, and an ill fitting bra can give you mastitis and clogged ducts.

PrincessPeach13

I don't have one.  I just tried a few on this afternoon, and I wasn't crazy about them.  I have a couple simple nursing bras, but I've mostly been wearing a stretchy sports bra.  Very easy to pull up or lift out of.

firewiferut

Crash Into Me:

They are nice in the beginning when you are constantly pulling your boob out, plus my dd we born when it was 100* out. I don't really wear them anymore because they don't provide enough support and I'm not that big.

This. I do still wear them on occassion but mostly stick to nursing bra w/ cami & a zip up hoodie. I did wear the nursing tanks EVERY day for a good 6 weeks though. Loved them, and also got the Gilligan O'Malley ones from Target. They are just so handy!

FirstBabyMomma

Not necessary, but then again neither is a microwave- it's just a nice thing to have that makes your life a bit easier!

I wore mine a ton. 

jlsimon56

I never wore mine.  I preferred the crossover style bra, or just going topless.  I never thought that would be the case either, but it was oh so easy.  (This was when LO was tiny tiny and I stayed in bed most of the day!)

knightbaby

I have 2 of these and live in them! awesome!!

 

https://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=935060362&MasterCategory_Id=MC29

aliciaroset

I like them because they work with a lot of my other clothes. I can easily wear them under wrap dresses or cardigans, which have really made getting dressed easier for me.  I also like the option of nursing without my tummy showing in public, thanks to the lovely stretch marks this little girl blessed me with  

That said, I haven't found one I totally love. I have one from GO, Glamourmom, and Walmart and like them all about the same.  The tag on the glamour mom one drives me insane and it's short, the GO one is nice and long but the least cute looking and quite thin, and the Walmart one works ok.   

momtoRaegan041008

At home I found it much easier to just take my bra and shirt off for the first few weeks.  I EP with DD1 so I always did this anyway.  The only nursing tops I own are the ones that don't have a bra in them.  When I go out in public I use a nursing cover and just pull my shirt up.  I did buy some nursing bras this time around though.

christylala

I had this same question too before I started breastfeeding, and I thought I could just use really stretchy camis.  But I've found that I really like having nursing tanks (especially this one: https://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=935060362&MasterCategory_Id=MC29) because it sucks all my fat in!  And it also helps when the weather is getting colder so I can layer since I'm out a lot.  If it gets too hot I can still shed a layer and nurse comfortably, or if it's pretty cold it keeps me warm when I have to lift my shirt.  Also, I've never had a problem with my pads not staying in place with this tank.   

dairygirl19

I have two and I honestly like them best for pjs when I don't feel like wearing a full on bra to bed.

I sometimes wear them out because like a pp they suck my belly in a bit more so it makes sweaters look good.

I actually do best with a shelf tank and a regular bra. Life tank, pull down bra cup. Easy.

I've never loved them enough to wear with any frequency or to buy more.

AdaraMarie

Nursing tanks work well for nursing in public (or just in front of other people at home), I would wear them under t shrits and I would keep my stomach covered.  Both worked fine when I was home and there were no other people around.

memo9

I love mine and wear them daily!  I don't have any "real" bras yet, but these are supportive enough that I can wear them in public.

jmcdionne

Have to say- I love them. The ones with the snaps. Didn't care for them with my first baby, but then again- I only wore a bra when I went out, not around the house or in bed and really regretted it. Gravity has really taken it's course My tatas are huge and really need that extra support.

 

Now I wear a nursing bra 24/7 and a tank top around the house. When I go out, I wear a nursing bra and a nursing shirt.

aggy34

I wouldn't say they are necessary but they can be quite helpful especially if you are a larger size.  I am a 40DD and really needed the support in the beginning when my milk came in.  I love the Bravado brand they have a built in bra that has some real support to it, my husband even likes how I look in them says they hold them up better compared to some of the other ones.  I still wear mine practically every day as I don't like having a cold tummy when I pump at work.