newbie questions

shutaff · June 2014

Hi! I am a soon-to-be FTM and August 2014 board member. I am planning to breastfeed and stalk your board for info. I have some questions that I haven't run across on here yet:

1) I know I am going to need nursing bras and would like to get a few before the baby comes so I am not out shopping the first few weeks. I know your size can change when your milk comes in, so this is proving difficult. What did you do?

2) I am a 34DDD now. I have always worn underwire bras and really need the support, but I heard they are not recommended for nursing. Are there some really supportive non-underwire bras out there, preferably that aren't horribly matronly?

3) Do I really need sleep bras? Why?

4) My non-maternity wardrobe is mostly dresses. Do I need to buy nursing tops? I feel like this would require me to make a serious style change (buy lots more pants, etc.) But I'm not sure the logistics of nursing in a dress, especially when we are out and about.

5) I am going to be a SAHM after the baby is born. Do I need an electric breast pump? Do most moms pump extra milk to store, even if they are nursing baby regularly?

Thanks for your help!

shutaff · June 2014

Oh, and one more question! Are all nursing tanks the kind with a shelf bra? Those never seem to fit me properly; if the boob part fits, they are too big everywhere else or vice versa. Are there any nursing tanks that you have run across that don't have shelf bras?

lilies&orchids · June 2014

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I will chime in on a few of these.

1) I lived in nursing tanks for the first several weeks so I honestly can't even tell you how my size changed. To answer your follow up question, I never found any that were big enough for my bust and small enough for my waist. I wore Large ones from target. I just wanted to be comfortable.

2) underwires were extremely uncomfortable to me, even during pregnancy. Lane Bryant sells a great brand called Cacique, but you have to be a minimum of 36band size. Still maybe worth trying. They are not nursing bras, though - I wasn't sure if you were looking for regular or nursing.

3) I never wore a sleep bra. I wore nursing nightgowns or a loose top

4) cross-front dresses are perfect for nursing! I don't own any nursing specific apparel. I wear a lot of cross-front, stretchy, or loose tops. I can lift my shirt or pop my boob out through the neck of a v-neck shirt.

5) I'll defer to the SAHMs

redhead610 · June 2014

To answer a couple questions...
Wait until your milk comes in to buy nursing bras. They are expensive and you will likely change once your milk comes in and then your supply regulates. I was a similar size to you. I ordered a whole bunch from Amazon, tried them on, and return what didn't work. I liked the Left Mystere sexy mama bra - it had underwire, which I needed, and never caused an issue.
In the meantime you can get a couple cheap sports bra type bras ( I got some from Burlington) to get you though.

Nursing in a dress will be next to impossible unless it is a wrap style or a specific nursing one, so you could look for those. I liked wearing nursing tanks (with a regluar bra as well).

I am a sahm and used an electric pump. I kept about 50 oz stored. If you want to go out for a couple hours, it is way more efficient than a hand pump. Also, your insurance should cover it, so it won't be an added cost.

BootsOrHearts · June 2014

I can only answer a few:

3. They are handy because they keep your nursing pads in place if you leak. Even if you don't, they keep your nips from rubbing against things which can in turn trigger a let down, read: major leakage!

5.. Get a cheap manual pump like the Medela Harmony to have around just in case. The manual pumps are actually very effective. Other than storing milk, you might need to pump: if you have a slow let down, to get things started before you latch baby, if you have inverted nipples to pull them out before nursing, if your supply is low you can pump to help increase it too. Also handy to have in your purse if you nip out to the store and don't expect to be out long but then get stuck in traffic or something like that. Nothing worse than getting stuck somewhere with rock hard boobs and no way to get relief.

shutaff · June 2014

Thank you for all of your comments! They are helpful!

Aliki · June 2014

1) Nursing bras: I highly recommend Bravado Bras. A fellow mama gave me the tip and I thank her endlessly for it.
https://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/maternity-and-nursing-bras-and-tank

Click on "Shop by Stage" and you'll see they can help you find bras that are suitable for 3rd trimester as well as bras for nursing a newborn (0 - 6 weeks). The newborn bras are "flexible" size so it's not a specific cup size, just goes by general band and cup size so it helps while you are still regulating.

2) The problem with underwire bras while nursing is that it can cause plugged ducts, which is problematic.

I can't help because I dont have big boobs.

3) I have sleep bras because I leak without nursing pads in place.I know some moms sleep on a towel instead so they dont soak the bed.

4) Dresses can work, depending on the style. If you have V-neck type dresses, particularly those criss-cross types, they are perfect for nursings. Or if you have buttons down the front, those work too.

5) I recommend a cheap electric pump for several reasons. Maybe down the line, you want to go out without the baby, and a caregiver can give a bottle. Or maybe you get engorged and need some help. I've heard manual pumps are not so awesome

Also with new Obamacare Act, pumps are covered!!

shutaff · June 2014

Unfortunately, we use my husband's insurance through the Army (Tricare) and they don't have to cover breast pumps like other insurance companies

springbeduk2 · June 2014

I'm a newbie too (FTM with 4 week old baby) - thank you for asking those questions and to the moms who answered -its good stuff to know!

2 things from my limited experience so far - second/third comments about sleep bra being good to prevent chafing on sore nipples!! I haven't had much leaking yet but definitely have wanted to wear something tight and soft. Even now that the nips aren't as sore as first 2 weeks - loose shirt rubbing still = ouch. Sleeping topless would be OK too if your space is warm enough and private enough - mine just isn't.

2. I think the nursing tanks and sleep bras from target run a bit small - more like sizes were about 10 years ago before cheap brands shifted to vanity sizing like the expendive brands. The elastic above and below cups in the mediums I got are awfully tight and medium shirts ate usually kinda loose on me. So if you get them you might want to size up or get 2 sized and return one.

Piggyback question that might also help OP :
When you pull open a wrap or faux wrap dress/top or pull down a vneck or scoop neck to nurse a bunch of times, does it really rebound to adequate coverage for walking around, bending over, etc? Does it only work if your boobs are pretty high?

Unknown · June 2014

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nonzero · June 2014

1) I know I am going to need nursing bras and would like to get a few before the baby comes so I am not out shopping the first few weeks. I know your size can change when your milk comes in, so this is proving difficult. What did you do?

I just waited until LO was here. It's all a guessing game even then, though, since once your supply regulates, your boobs might stay the same size or they might go back to your pre-preg size or who knows.

2) I am a 34DDD now. I have always worn underwire bras and really need the support, but I heard they are not recommended for nursing. Are there some really supportive non-underwire bras out there, preferably that aren't horribly matronly?

Yes! Hot Milk has some really nice non-underwires and I've also liked ones from Motherhood. The Motherhood ones are closer to the matronly side, but that's good for work and daily use. Hot Milk is for the sex appeal stuff.

3) Do I really need sleep bras? Why?

Not necessarily since everyone is different, but I definitely need mine. With DS1 I only bought one before he was born and wound up wearing that one for a week straight before breaking down and buying a bunch. They were the only bras that were an easy fit and comfortable enough to sleep in. I don't normally sleep with a bra, but I need sleep bras for the first six months or so because I leak overnight no matter what I do and I need somewhere to keep my nursing pads. (Incidentally, for overnight, get washable nursing pads. I use the disposable Lansinohs during the day sometimes because they don't show under my shirts, but I don't care about being lumpy overnight. Bamboobies are very soft.)

4) My non-maternity wardrobe is mostly dresses. Do I need to buy nursing tops? I feel like this would require me to make a serious style change (buy lots more pants, etc.) But I'm not sure the logistics of nursing in a dress, especially when we are out and about.

You can buy nursing dresses, or just plain wrap dresses. Personally, I can't pump in them because of my hands-free bra, but nursing in them is a cinch. The problem with dresses is a high neck, so if you can buy dresses that aren't a crew neck or ones that have buttons down the front, you can nurse in them. I do wear a nursing tank underneath any regular dress, though. I don't bother wearing a nursing tank with nursing dresses since they're specifically designed to keep most of you under wrap, but if you're planning on using a cover or don't care about showing skin, you might not need a tank or a nursing dress.

5) I am going to be a SAHM after the baby is born. Do I need an electric breast pump? Do most moms pump extra milk to store, even if they are nursing baby regularly?

I was a SAHM for a pretty long while with DS1 and had a single-electric Medela Swing which did the job. I also had a Medela Harmony, which is a manual pump, but I didn't like it not because it didn't work but because I'm lazy and it's, you know, manual. It was good the few times I both needed a pump and couldn't get to a power source, though. As for the extra milk, not all moms do, but I liked having that stash for whenever I wanted to get away for an evening or even just a few hours.

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