Nursing bra's/shirts. Do you need one?

KMC0807

FTM here and huge procrastinator. I have not taken any classes over breast feeding and the books I've read doesn't really mention anything. Do you have to wear a nursing bra or do.the bra's with the front clasps work just as well? And what kind of shirts do you wear with them? Vnecks, button down, tshirts? Starting to pack hospital bag and wondering if I need to invest in nursing bras only will be nursing during maternity leave.

FloridaLady

I'm not sure what's needed but so far I've got five nursing tops, two nursing tanks, and a couple of nursing bras that I don't expect to fit once my milk comes in (I've been wearing nursing bras since I grew in first tri). I plan to wear the tops with new nursing bras under them when I leave the house and the nursing tank/camis when I'm at home or, in some circumstances, under a sweater with jeans.

I want to EBF for the first six months and continue up until a year so I plan to add more tops, bras, and tanks to my collection, and probably a few button-down henley shirts as well since they should open enough to be nursing friendly. I consider them to be necessary as I plan to BF in public regularly and don't want to be lifting my shirt to a bare belly (or lifting my shirt to BF at all, really). Also, as to the front-clasp question, they don't make them in sizes big enough for me so I can't really answer on that but i would figure it wouldn't work quite as well as a nursing bra that is meant to stay on even when one of the cups is pulled down; I remember back when I was able to wear the front clasp, they never stayed on very well if the clasp was undone and it took two hands to get it reclasped -- not very convenient when holding a just-nursed baby.

Kayzie24

I would say one or two nursing bras would be fine for at the hospital.  I didn't have any when I went in to have my son two years ago.  I was lucky that our hospital has a nursing boutique, so I was able to buy a bra right in the hospital before I went home.  It might be helpful to get some nursing pads too.  I liked the Lansinoh ones simply because they were the cheapest.  

I hope this information helps... Good luck! 

shutupanddance07

Do you HAVE to use a nursing bra, no. Depending on how much your bra size has changed during your pregnancy though, you might want to get at least one... They've got a bit more adjustment and support and when your milk comes in, engorgement could really hurt if your bra isn't offering you good support. Will you nurse part time after your maternity leave? I'm a FTM, and plan to nurse exclusively, but all advice I've been given was that nursing bras are SO much easier than having to take your whole bra off every hour or so to nurse. You can wear whatever shirt you want with them, but the easier access, the easier it'll be for you. 

ZoeMay06

You can probably *get by* with regular bras with front clasps, but I wouldn't want to. The greatest thing about a regular nursing bra is that only one side unhooks at a time but the whole thing stays together so you can undo and redo it one-handed. This is crucial since you'll be holding your LO with the other arm, and especially helpful when you're out in public. Underwires can also cause plugged ducts/mastitis, so I wouldn't use a regular bra for that reason alone. I wore nursing tanks under hoodies or cardigans in the beginning, and then a nursing bra under any kind of shirt that gave me easy access to the girls later on. My favorite were the crossover front tops.

jennygirlmt

I wouldn't do a front clasp for reasosn pp mentioned, putting yourself back together. I read a post the other day and couldn't believe how many ppl said they didn't use tanks. I had three and wore them out (sah mom and nursed for 21 months.) I bought four new ones from motherhood this time and they are much nicer. I never wanted to pull down my shirt bc there is always milk leaking while baby nurses and I didn't like milk spots on my outside shirt. I have three nursing bras (one more like a sports bra which was best for sleeping.) But preferred my tanks. I never had nursing tops bc I would just wear my regular clothes on top of my tank. Stretchy things that can be pulled up work well. Also, you don't have to take much to the hospital and your milk won't be in yet so size won't be an issue. One tank is fine for the hospital.

starfish717

Kayzie24:

I would say one or two nursing bras would be fine for at the hospital.  I didn't have any when I went in to have my son two years ago.  I was lucky that our hospital has a nursing boutique, so I was able to buy a bra right in the hospital before I went home.  It might be helpful to get some nursing pads too.  I liked the Lansinoh ones simply because they were the cheapest.  

I hope this information helps... Good luck! 

Ditto this!

I'm not an expert, but here's what works for me. I got a comfy nursing tank to sleep in. For day, I prefer a little more support so I got a nursing bra that unclips and has light padding. In the hospital I wore a cotton robe that was easy to wiggle an arm out of for nursing. At home I wear tanks over the bra and pull the straps off.

What I have is working well for me, but I need to get a couple of more. I just got mine at Target because I wasn't sure what I wanted or needed. I wouldn't buy a bunch until you know your preferences and needs.