What are the advantages of a Nursing Bra?

Breastfeeding is natural but not necessarily easy. There are several products on the market which can help make nursing your baby less challenging and more comfortable, especially when you are in public. Nursing bras are designed with cups that open to allow easy access to the breast. They are comprised of material designed to expand and contract to accommodate changing breast size. High quality nursing bras are engineered to support heavy breasts, thereby helping to protect delicate breast tissue and preventing neck and back aches. In addition, they usually feature several rows of hooks at the back to allow for changes in the rib cage, allowing you an extended period of wear.

What to look for when shopping for a Nursing Bra

A good nursing bra will allow you to open and close the cups with one hand. This is important because your other hand will be holding your baby. The bra should support the breast even when the cup is open. The bra should fit you comfortably; if it is too tight, you may be vulnerable to plugged ducts and infection. Try to avoid underwires in the initial few weeks. When purchasing a nursing bra with underwires, take extra care to ensure that you have a perfect fit.

When to buy, what size to buy
One of the first signs of pregnancy for many women is the increase in breast size, often before the pregnancy has been confirmed. During the final weeks of your pregnancy (from 36 weeks), you can get measured for a nursing bra. Keep in mind when shopping for your initial nursing bras that your ribcage will decrease after the baby is born and your cup size will increase.  A good rule of thumb is to purchase 3 nursing bras, one to wear, one to wash and the third as an extra. If you prefer washing less, consider purchasing a few more. You can wear these bras during the initial post partum weeks. Once your breast size settles down (usually after the 2nd week) you can shop for additional bras. If you have the opportunity to be professionally fitted for a nursing bra, take advantage of the service. Don’t forget to allow room for your breast pads which become a necessity for any nursing mom.

Introducing Melinda G™ Nursing Bras

Melinda G™ nursing apparel is specially designed for you. Melinda G™ use beautiful fabrics similar to your regular bras, only their bras open for nursing access. All Melinda G™ nursing bras feature seamless cups so there are no seams to chafe delicate breast tissue. In addition, comfort straps to eliminate bounce, and back hooks and eyes adjust to your changing figure. Select soft cup styles feature under-the-breast channeling for the support of an underwire without one.

While there are several nursing apparel brands on the market, many are overpriced, and do not deliver when it comes to quality, function and comfort. We are very excited to discover the Melinda G™ line of high quality, feminine nursing apparel, which nursing moms will greatly appreciate. The line is made in Costa Rica of soft American and Canadian fabrics, and you can be assured that you purchasing a quality product, made under fair labor conditions. Melinda G™ supports some very worthy organizations and we commend them for giving back to the community.

Melinda G™ hasn’t forgotten the more endowed nursing mom and offers extended sizing for many of their styles with positive and empowering names such as “fab! curvy™ voluptuous” and “cool! curvy™ va-va-va-voom.”

Introduced in January 2013, the Melinda G™ Smoothly Divine™ Tee-Shirt Soft-Cup Nursing Bra with Removable Pads #2175 has a beautiful sweetheart criss-cross neckline.  The cups are made of a wonderful spacer fabric and are double-ply (the liner cup – and the rest of the bra – is supportive 82% nylon/18% lycra) with removable pads. Mom wears the bra with the pads for discretion against show-through and added OOOOMPH! or she wears the bra without the pads for natural contours.  Either way, she looks great! This bra features one-handed clips on the cups and comfyCurves™  under-the-breast channeling for extra support, along with non-stretch straps and 4-across back hooks & eyes.

New Sizing Ranges coming this summer

Moms with smaller cup sizes can now rejoice because this bra is now available in smaller cup sizes!

Melinda G™:

“New sizes this summer are x-small (fits 30D-32B-32C) and fab! curvy x-small (fits 30E-30F) and we are already hearing how wonderful this bra is for the smaller nursing mom! Available in nude or black”

Why we love the Smoothly Divine™ Tee-Shirt Soft-Cup Nursing Bra with Removable Pads #2175 (pictured above)

This bra checks all the boxes when it comes to comfort, support, style, function and versatility.  We love the low cut design which allows moms to wear this bra with all styles of tees without the fear of her bra showing. The seamless cups protect against chafing of the delicate breast tissue. The comfyCurves™ under-the-bust channeling ensures that your breasts are well supported without the addition of an underwire. The one handed clips are the easiest clips to operate that we have ever tried and will enable mom to feed baby instantly without any fuss. The removable pads allow your breasts to be fully concealed. Overall a great pick!

The Melinda G™ tee-shirt nursing bra #2115 is a full-coverage bra made with one fabric, a very supportive 82% nylon/18% lycra fabric.  It is a very lightweight, very supportive bra with a high center front.  It is available to G-H cups. Available in nude or black

This tee shirt nursing bra has the comfort of a sports bra but without the squished uni boob effect! The brilliant comfyCurves™ under-the-breast channeling supporst the weight of the breasts without the need for an underwire. The soft fabric is super comfortable and feels beautiful next to the skin. The seamless cups protect against chafing of the delicate breast tissue. The one-handed clips on the cups make nursing your baby very simple. Our experienced tester has named this bra “The most comfortable nursing bra that she has ever tested”. Highly recommended.

PURCHASING

To find a retailer in your area, please click here. Alternatively, shop online from the comfort of your home.

To see the full collection from Melinda G™, please visit www.MelindaG.com

JoJo Maman Bébé, Newport, UK based company,  was founded in 1993 by Laura Tenison who recognised the gap in the market for stylish maternity fashion. Laura, who was living at the time in Brittany, Western France, was inspired by the Nautical Breton Style which still remains a prominent feature in the current collection. Laura, a mother of two, started JoJo with just a single sewing machine, and today, JoJo is regarded as the UK’s foremost niche market specialist in pregnancy, baby, children and nursery market. JoJo prides itself on the treatment of its staff and third party workers and has links to Africa charity Nema – which aims to reduce infant mortality in Mozambique.

Here are our top picks for Summer 2013:

Navy Breton Striped Feeding Dress– £29.00

Navy Stripe Maternity & Nursing Maxi Dress– £39.00

Poppy Floral Print maternity Dress– £39.00

Secret Support Feeding Tops– £18.00

Blue Floral Print maternity Dress– £39.00

Fuchsia Floral Print Maternity Dress– £39.00

Available from- www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Telephone-  0871 423 56 56

Bravado! Designs was founded 20 years ago by two young nursing mothers who recognized the gap in the market for stylish and comfortable nursing bras. Bravado understands the needs of a nursing mom and test all of their bras on real pregnant and nursing moms.  The company has built an excellent reputation amongst healthcare professionals such as doctors, lactation consultants and midwives for their high quality, innovative line of products. The Bravado website is very well designed and is packed with educational resources for nursing moms.

In April of 2011, Medela acquired Bravado Designs.

Medela provides the most technologically advanced, superior-quality breastpumps and breastfeeding accessories to nursing mothers around the world. A longtime champion of breastfeeding, Medela is the only company to develop products based on research by the world’s leading lactation experts. As a result, Medela’s breastpumps are the number one choice of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities worldwide. Medela has developed an extensive line of products to meet the diverse needs of nursing mothers. These products include hospital-grade, double and single electric and manual breastpumps; breastfeeding accessories such as pump cleaning products, breast care products and specialty feeding devices; and maternity and nursing intimate apparel. Founded in 1961 by Olle Larsson in Zug, Switzerland, Medela continues to grow under the ownership of the Larsson family. Medela serves customers through a worldwide network of distribution partners in more than 90 countries and through its 15 subsidiaries in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany (and Austria), Italy, Japan, Netherlands (and Belgium), Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden (Denmark & Norway), Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
www.medela.com

This dynamic duo compliment each other perfectly and we are excited to see what the future has in store.

Today we will be highlighting our favorite bras from Bravado Designs.

The Original Nursing Bra has been recommended by Lactation Consultants for over 20 years. This cotton nursing bra adapts to your changing shape making it perfect for pregnancy right through to nursing. Mums love to live and sleep in the Original Nursing Bra 24/7 – especially in the early stages when comfort is the key in your journey to breastfeeding success.

The Original Nursing Bra has been recommended by Lactation Consultants for over 20 years. This cotton nursing bra adapts to your changing shape making it perfect for pregnancy right through to nursing. Mums love to live and sleep in the Original Nursing Bra 24/7 – especially in the early stages when comfort is the key in your journey to breastfeeding success.

What you’ll love about the Original Nursing Bra:

• Cotton Nursing Bra: breathable and promotes healthy breast tissue. The super soft cotton fabric stretches and adapts to your changing shape – making it perfect as a nursing and maternity bra.
• Double Cup and Double Band: unique double-cup/double-band feature gives you the confidence to purchase while pregnant and experience the enjoyment of continuing to wear after birth during the early stages of breastfeeding.
• Comfort Nursing Bra: sports-back design evenly distributes the weight of your breasts which helps make you comfortable. There are no hooks and eyes in the back which ensures comfort, even while you sleep
• Full Access: Cups unclip at the shoulder and drop down and away from your body to give baby full access to your breast, providing you and your baby with skin-to-skin contact which is essential, especially when establishing a breastfeeding rhythm.
• A proprietary Bra Conversion Kit (BCK), is now attached to your Bravado Nursing Bra and can be used to convert it to a “regular bra” once your nursing journey is complete. For more information on the BCK, Click here. Click the Video tab for our BCK instructional video.

The Original Nursing Bra is available in 3 different styles:

Basic: Suitable for a B to C Cup

Light to Moderate Support

Wide under-elastic band evenly distributes weight and provides under-breast support.

Plus: Suitable for a C to E cup

• Medium to Full Support
• Wide under-elastic band evenly distributes weight and provides under-breast support. The Plus Style features a double fabric side panel for extra support.

Double Plus: Suitable for a DD to G cup

• Full Support and Coverage: Wide under-elastic band evenly distributes weight and provides under-breast support.
• The Double Plus Style features a double fabric side panel, and a scoop front for extra support.

The Bravado Double Plus Original Nursing Bra is a solid choice for those of us with larger cup sizes. It is the ideal choice of bra to wear immediately post partum because of its unique design. The sports bra design is fuss free and uber comfortable – there are no hooks and eyes in the back to irritate your sensitive skin. Simply pull the bra over your head and you are done! The wider cut at the back helps to distribute the weight of the breasts adding to the comfort and support of the bra. The higher cut front provides extra coverage and support for your breasts. The wide double band design supports heavier breasts and adds to the comfort of the bra. The stretchy fabric will accommodate your fluctuating cup sizes throughout the course of the day. In addition the breathable cotton fabric will keep your breast tissue healthy. This bra doubles as a fantastic sleep bra. The full access cups are ideally designed for moms who are new to breastfeeding; dropping down and away from your baby to help baby latch on more easily. In addition, this design maximizes skin to skin contact with your baby, facilitating bonding and helping to establishing breastfeeding from the get go. The user-friendly signature nursing clips from Bravado Designs which you can operate using just one hand are well loved by moms the world over. Don’t forget to pack a few of these bras in your hospital bag! Highly recommended.

The Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra

• Seamless Nursing Bra: seamless buttery soft and stretchy fabric that’s comfortable to wear all day and virtually invisible under clothing.
• Foam Cups: removable molded foam cups provide you with a lining to hide nipples or breast pads that you can remove or wear anytime you need to.
• Bravado Best-Seller: One of our best sellers because it molds to your unique shape. The seamless design and fabric perfectly supports your unique shape and movement.
• Easy to Size: This is the easiest bra to find your size which makes it perfect as either a maternity bra or a nursing bra. It comfortably fits your changing shape each step of the way.
• Full Access: Cups unclip at the shoulder and drop down and away from your body to give baby full access to your breast, providing you and your baby with skin-to-skin contact which is essential, especially when establishing a breastfeeding rhythm.
• Nursing clips that stay closed: proprietary clips lie flat under close-fitting clothing and easily open and close with one hand.
• A proprietary Bra Conversion Kit (BCK), is now attached to your Bravado Nursing Bra and can be used to convert it to a “regular bra” once your nursing journey is complete.
• Award Winning: The Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra has received the Parent Tested, Parent Approved seal of approval for quality and comfort.

The Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra has a unique sizing chart (S through XL) with many sizes overlapping allowing for fluctuating cup sizes and post partum weight loss. This bra is also terrific as a maternity bra.

Unique features which we love:

The award winning Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra is a very popular choice for nursing moms the world over. Its seamless design and super soft fabric were carefully chosen for superior comfort and a smooth silhouette under your clothing. The stretchy fabric will accommodate your fluctuating breast size making it a great value. This unique fabric will mold to your unique shape – a feature which many moms rave about. The bra comes with foam cups which are fully removable. The foam cups have a dual purpose: to help to keep your nursing pads in place while also covering your nipples. The wire free design allows for maximum comfort and range of motion and makes this bra a perfect choice for gentle activities including yoga. The user friendly signature nursing clips are well designed, allowing you to operate them using just one hand. The full drop away cup is the perfect design for moms who are new to nursing and will maximize skin to skin contact with baby. Overall a terrific pick!

PURCHASING

Shop the Bravado Designs online store from the comfort of your home or find a retailer in your area.

For additional information please visit the Bravado Designs Website.

For further information about Medela, please click here.

All images copyrighted Bravado Designs.