Nursing pads, nursing bras, nursing garments?

[Tarnished]

So I am halfway through my pregnancy at this point and I find myself thinking about nursing stuff. Nursing pads, nursing bras and of course the thought comes to, do they have nursing garments? I think they do, or at least I thought I remembered my mom having something of the sort, but I was 5 and 6 respectively for my brother and sister's births, so I could be remembering things incorrectly.

Do they have nursing garments? And if so are they useful? Do they have different styles?

What about nursing bras? Any particular kind that work better than others? Any style that work better?

Nursing pads? I have heard some women swear by one kind and swear off others. What things should I look for in a nursing pad? What is good what is bad, what is downright silly?

And what about breast pumps? Are there any recommendations that anyone has? Any brands that you prefer over others?

[Wingnut]

Do they have nursing garments? And if so are they useful? Do they have different styles?

Yes, they do make nursing garments. The breast cup pocket thing has flaps instead of being a solid patch of fabric. When I was pregnant, a friend (who was at least a C, but probably a D cup when not breastfeeding) told me not to bother with them. She had gotten them with her first, and even as big as she was, she wasn't able to fill the cups. That just led to extra fabric in the way, which was a nuisance. She recommended instead buying the chemise-style t-shirt like tops, in a long, and possibly even buy a size too big. It worked fine for me.

What about nursing bras? Any particular kind that work better than others? Any style that work better?

Unfortunately, this will be different for every woman, based on size, shape, comfort level, etc. I can' remember the last time I'd worn a soft cup bra. I've been in underwire for probably 13+ years. In the first few weeks after my daughter was born, when I was painfully engorged (I was a D before pregnancy/childbirth), I found the underwire exacerbated the problem. I switched to soft cup, and it felt so much better. I did have a couple of underwire nursing bras that I started to wear again after my daughter started eating more solids and wasn't 100% dependent on me anymore.

Also, I don't know what your current preference is, but you may find it necessary to wear your bra under your garments while you're breastfeeding. I'd always been an over gal, but it just wasn't working. With the bra under and the t-shirt style garment top, the whole process became so much easier.

Nursing pads? I have heard some women swear by one kind and swear off others. What things should I look for in a nursing pad? What is good what is bad, what is downright silly?

Don't bother with anything that isn't contoured. You'll look ridiculous and feel self-conscious. Also, don't bother with papery materials. You'll be audible, which is pretty awkward. I loved the Johnson & Johnson brand nursing pads. They're contoured. They're nice and thick. They're almost fabric-like in their weave. They're really soft and comfortable, and easy to forget that you're wearing them.

I don't know how "green" you are, but you can also buy (or make) your own reusable fabric ones.

And what about breast pumps? Are there any recommendations that anyone has? Any brands that you prefer over others?

If you're planning on going back to work full-time after the baby is born and you still want the baby to be breastfed, buy a good electric pump. If you're staying at home and you just want a pump to relieve your breasts or stock up for date nights, a single breast handheld one will be fine. I received one as a giveaway with everything they gave me in the hospital.

[Gwen]

i agree with wing on the garments. i used nursing with my first. i prefer the chemise that is gathered vertically between the breasts. get it a little big and it's got a stretchy neck you can just pull it down with your bra or you can raise it with your shirt, either way works.

bras are harder to recommend. depends on what style you like to begin with. but definitely get a nursing bra.

the pads i never need a lot of them so i got a large box of disposable. don't remember the brand. one box would last me a very long time.

i was never able to pump so can't help you with that one.

[Jenamarie]

I actually didn't wear a nursing bra, just pulled the cup down and the b over and out to nurse. I never found a style of nursing bra that worked well for me. I'm large chested even when not nursing, and "wireless" just does NOT work for me. Even when engorged, I wore my regular bras and just changed my nursing pads often and took very warm showers to help release the extra milk.

Also didn't bother with the nursing garments. They are HUGE and very cumbersom and created a lot of extra wrinkles and bunching under my clothes.

[applepansy]

I liked the nursing garments. They worked well for me. I did get a smaller size than I usually wear. My sister is a lot smaller in the chest and she liked them too. I guess its all a matter of preference.

Tarnished, you can see one prior to buying. Just ask the sisters at the distribution center for help.

Best wishes! New babies are a little bit of heaven!

[Tarnished]

I will probably be pumping every day, mostly because my husband will be coming home from work at Midnight and I figure if he is awake then he can do the feedings in the middle of the night. Thank you all for the advice on bras and garments and nursing pads and pumps. There is so many things out there it is difficult to decide which one is the right one for me. It is good to hear the recommendations.

[MorningStar]

Some advice:

Don't shop for a supportive nursing bra until after your baby is born and your initial engorgement decreases. You really don't know how big you're going to be until after you start producing milk. Instead, buy a sleep nursing bra. Nursing Bras for Sleep, Lounging, or Light Support (I bought the one called "fancy free") They are very forgiving and easier to deal with while sleepy, plus it's not going to put pressure on your milk ducts, making you more likely to develop mastitis. I didn't know about these with my first and having to wear my underwire all night drove me nuts. I ended up wrapping a towel around myself just to have some relief from my bra, but when you're nursing on one side, the other side will spray at the same time, so when I dozed off and didn't cover up well enough on the other, I ended up spraying my poor baby in the face.

Use "lily padz". These kind of suction to you and prevent milk from leaking out in the first place rather than absorbing. Women I know rave about these and you use them over and over rather than buying nursing pads repeatedly.

I did fine with nursing garments. Just tugging down regular ones didn't work for me. If you pull them up, then you have to untuck them. What a pain. Maybe try one nursing top and see how you like it.

Congratulations! I hope you have a smooth start to motherhood.

[MorningStar]

P.S. Buy at least two sleep bras! Between you leaking milk, your baby possibly spitting up, and probably sweating (soon after birth, you have a lot of excess fluid you sweat out), they will get soaked easily.

[Guest Alana]

I like the nursing garments. Yes, the cups do have a lot of material. If you're smaller chested, it might be annoying to you, but I don't mind it at all. I like wearing my bra over my garments, and doing this with out nursing garments wouldn't be very easy to nurse with imo. I don't like any of the bras they sell at Motherhood. I do LOVE the Gillian & O'Malley bras they sell at Target. They are like $14 not on sale, super supportive, they fit me right and make nursing very easy. I get the ones with underwire because they give me more support, but they have a good selection.

As far as nursing pads go, I've always used the disposable. With all the laundry I never wanted to have to keep track of little white things. Johnson's and Johnson's nursing pads are my favorite, they are cushy, absorbent, and comfortable, but I've used the other kinds and they did fine, too.

A lot of insurances cover breast pumps, even state insurances. My only advice with those is this. When your milk comes in for the first time, you'll get painfully engorged. Don't just keep pumping to relieve this (or even wait a few weeks before you start pumping). If you keep pumping when you're engorged, your breasts will just keep producing more milk. I know several women who would just keep pumping and pumping and coulnd't keep up and kept being engorged, and then just gave up. With engorgement, you just got to live through it for that week, and then it will be better.

Congrats also! I had my third last month and it's been so awesome. Best of luck with feeding every 2 hours and make sure to take video because in just a few months after their born it's hard to believe they were that little!

[Tarnished]

A lot of insurances cover breast pumps, even state insurances. My only advice with those is this. When your milk comes in for the first time, you'll get painfully engorged. Don't just keep pumping to relieve this (or even wait a few weeks before you start pumping). If you keep pumping when you're engorged, your breasts will just keep producing more milk. I know several women who would just keep pumping and pumping and coulnd't keep up and kept being engorged, and then just gave up. With engorgement, you just got to live through it for that week, and then it will be better.

Congrats also! I had my third last month and it's been so awesome. Best of luck with feeding every 2 hours and make sure to take video because in just a few months after their born it's hard to believe they were that little!

Oooh, I bet my flex spending plan would cover one! I was despairing of being able to afford one, but your comment on insurance got me thinking. Thanks!

Congrats on your new little one! And thank you for the advice!!

[Guest jerrymaguire92]

Hi, thanks for the useful thread. My wife gives birth to a baby recently and she has problem in breast feeding to our child so is there any way she can feed our child her milk.

lily pads breast pads

[Guest]

What worked for me:

1.) Regular garments. The nursing garments never laid flat across my breasts. The parts would roll up and the extra material (the cups were too lose - and I got the smallest size being a petite person) just bunch up and make every shirt I wear feel very uncomfortable.

2.) The sleep nursing bras. I wear them all day long.

3.) Lansinoh nursing pads. I'm a fan of Lansinoh's cream too - to prevent cracked nipples.

4.) Medela Pump In Style breast pump is AWESOME. I went through a bunch of them and the Medela is the only one I would recommend for the electric pumps. The double pump is awesome - express both sides at the same time. You're done in half the time. It can also run off of battery for extra on-the-go convenience. I love the bag with the cooler.

But, I also have the Avent manual pump. The best manual pump I've tried. I use the manual pump for traveling and for quick expression when my breast hurt. This pump is super comfortable.

Okay, I mixed the two and used the Avent soft cup insert into the medela suction cup. Adds a little bit more comfort to the medela.

5.) Other: I didn't bother with nursing shirts either. It is much simpler to just wear a loose shirt and just lift the bottom of the shirt over your breast when nursing. The baby covers your exposed belly, so nobody can see anything. I usually have a burpee with me, so I hold the baby with the burpee hanging down like a curtain under him to help cover me from the side. It's not even really necessary because your arms cover that part too.

Tips: The trick to breastfeeding is to not worry about everybody else around you. Being self-conscious only adds to your being uncomfortable which affects your milk expression which causes the baby to fidget and make you more uncomfortable. Just find a good spot, relax, and enjoy the bonding moment. Keeping things simple is best.

[Guest alle-mark]

In all types I used disposable pads for a long time before finding lily padz. Seriously they are awesome and comfortable. Easy to clean, convenient and environmentally friendly! Thanks

[Guest jackidela]

You can search it online and always remember that your bra must be comfortable so that you do not face any problem in breast feeding.plus size nursing bras will be good.