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As a first-time mom, I embarked on my breastfeeding journey with more enthusiasm than knowledge. One of the earliest challenges I faced was finding the perfect nursing bras for breastfeeding. It seemed simple enough at first, but boy, was I wrong!
Without much guidance, I found myself lost in a sea of options. It was only after plenty of trial and error (and yes, spending a good chunk of change) that I finally found the best nursing bras suitable for breastfeeding. Hence, here I am now, sharing my experiences so future mummies can skip the guesswork and go straight to what works.
In this blog post, I’m breaking down my honest reviews of 7 (yes I bought and tried all of them!) different nursing bras! The hits, the misses, and everything in between – to help you make an informed and cost-effective choice.
Most of the misses I’ve already given away and are still in the process of clearing them as you can see.
The Hits: The Best Nursing Bras For Breastfeeding
Let’s get right into the best of the best options that I tried.
No Brand Nursing and Maternity Bra (Under $6)
No I’m not kidding. Of all the nursing bras for breastfeeding that I’ve wasted money on tried, it’s quite funny that the cheapest of them all actually turned out to be just what I needed. At under $6 a piece, it does everything a nursing bra needs to do and more. It even doubles up as a handsfree pumping bra for me with this simple bra strap hack. You’re welcome for saving you tons money!
Honestly, I would say it’s the perfect dupe for this Lovemere bra which I got for free with my Thomson goodie bag. Hand to heart, the Lovemere bra feels like it’s better constructed. But for a quarter of the price, one really cannot complain.
One downside however, is that the material isn’t exactly the smoothest of all. So it might not be very comfortable in the first month or two when your nipple is super duper sensitive. Then again, I went braless most of that period, because almost every bra hurt no matter how smooth the material was.
But after the 3rd month till 7 months postpartum, this bra is still my default go-to-bra. I even have 3 to rotate between for my breastfeeding journey.
Lavie Pump Strap Handsfree Pumping Bra ($49.90)
So remember what I said about going braless for the first 2 months postpartum? This handsfree pumping bra was an absolute lifesaver! A super convenient STRAP-ON free-size bra. I simply strapped it on whenever I needed to pump and took off quickly whenever I was done.
It’s easy to use Velcro closure allows you to adjust the tightness accordingly so that your pumps are fully secured. Also machine washable and quick to dry. So you can get it cleaned up easily at the end of every day – you know how sweaty we get during the confinement period.
Oh! And if you have any boob massagers, you can just stick it in between and the bra will hold it securely. In my case, I used the Lavie Warming Lactation Massage Pads which fit it perfectly.
Autumnz Tilia Bamboo Sleep Bra ($18.90)
I bought this when I thought I was still going to be direct latching – which unfortunately did not last long. But this bra ended up being one of my favourites. During my confinement period, it was one of the few soft enough bras that I could tolerate. Honestly it was so comfortable, I bought two more after I tried on the first one. I would say this is great for breastfeeding mothers who direct latch. But not a great long-term option if you are an exclusive pumper like myself.
However, having said that, I use these bras when I go out just because it’s so comfortable.
Bra Extenders (Under $1.50)
While this is technically not a nursing bra, it’s a very helpful accessory. Given that boob sizes can increase over the initial few months due to ramping up of supply, these bra extenders are super duper helping in increasing the mileage of the nursing bras you bought. A must-have in my opinion.
The Misses: The Not-So-Great Nursing Bras For Breastfeeding
Just in case you decide to check out other bras too, here are some of my reviews of the others that I did not like. But hey, if you want to try them out yourself, why not?
No Brand Cooling Ice Silk Nursing Bra (Under $7)
Just so that you know I’m not biased at all. This is from the same store as my highly recommended no brand nursing bra! I got both of these at the same time since they were so cheap. And this was just chucked away in the corner after I got to try the other.
It has all the similar features, and comes with an even smoother and cooling material. So what’s so bad about this? The soft silky material while good to touch, is not so great at providing structure and support for the bra. Which means it’s not great to use for the handsfree hack to keep the pumps in place. However, if you plan to use it purely for latching, this could definitely be a good option still.
No Brand Latex Ice Silk Nursing Bra (~$7+)
From another shopee seller, this was yet another cooling latex ice silk nursing bra that I got because it was a cheap option to try out. However I would say this material is not as cooling, and has a weird cut out in the centre of the bra which I did not like the feeling of.
Again it was too flimsy for my handsfree bra strap hack so I did not end up using it.
More information on Shopee here!
Mama’s Choice Seamless Hands Free Pumping Bra (Under $17+)
After the failed silky material options, I decided to check out some actual handsfree pumping bras instead. These tend to be more expensive than the normal nursing bras, so I figured why not try out a trusted brand – Mama’s choice. Unfortunately it turned out to be a poor choice (no pun intended!).
I personally did not like the design where the flange was inserted because it was very troublesome to secure it well. After many tries, I felt that my flanges were quite loose and difficult to insert/remove, so I gave up after a few tries.
Autumnz One Size Fits All Hands Free Pumping Bra ($25.90)
Because I really liked Autumnz’s milk storage bottles, I thought hey why not try out their handsfree pumping bra after the silky options above failed me. These had a Velcro back zipper so I figured it might give a better fit than Mama’s Choice – which it did.
But the design for inserting the flange was similar and not secure enough for me because I was pumping quite a bit at every pump. As a result, the bottles would get heavy and start sagging and the flanges would get out of position. So it ended up not being for me either.
Which Are Your Favourite Nursing Bras For Breastfeeding?
After so much trial and error, I’ve finally narrowed down the list to these 7 nursing bras that I hope will provide you with the guidance I wished I had as a new mom.
Remember, every mom’s body and breastfeeding journey is unique, so what worked wonders for me might be different for you. Have a favourite nursing bra that I did not mention in my list? Share it with us in the comments below.
At the end of the day, comfort and functionality are key in a good nursing bra, and I hope my journey helps you find just that.
Happy breastfeeding, mamas!
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