Medela Seamless Full Fit & Bravado The Body Silk Seamless
Shopping for a bra is one of the more difficult and frustrating tasks, and finding a great one often proves [near] impossible! Add in the need for a well-fit and functional nursing bra and you have a challenge requiring even more particularities. There are many brands, many sizes (some impossible to try and buy in-store), styles, colors. With all the choices and unknown virtual shops, how to you find the best for you?
It’s a task I have yet to accomplish, despite the momentary glee at thinking I finally found one that fit. Here’s a review of two I’ve bought and worn during pregnancy and now two weeks into the life of baby #2. It’s recommended that you buy a nursing bra after delivering baby, but during pregnancy those you already had will more than likely cease to fit. Some products are marketed as “maternity bras” but most of them feature drop cups designed for the nursing mother.
Back in January, I was introduced to a local boutique and was ecstatic because it seemed I’d found a bra that actually fit. I bought one and ordered more. I’ve been a pretty loyal underwire wearer even though it’s not recommended when nursing as they are said to contribute to plugged ducts. With the Medela Seamless Full Fit, I’d though I’d found something supportive, well-fit, and functional.
- Even up front there was a problem, the cup hook. It is described thus: “Convenient one-hand release clasp and flexible drop cup makes for fast easy nursing.” Good – it releases quickly. Bad – it does not reattach so quickly. You have to slide it up into the clasp and push until it clicks. This is difficult to do one-handed and can come undone later even after clicking.
- After wearing for a while there was another problem. Good – the thick wires provide support. Bad – the frame the wire slides into dug into my ribs and underarm. Someone suggested I take out the wires, I did so and while it seemed more comfortable, it was not as supportive. As anyone similarly built knows, shortening the shoulder straps brings the back up, not the front.
- Shoulder strap description: “Cushioned straps for added comfort”. If you need support, wider straps are better, true, but the wider, thicker cushion sticks out from underneath sleeveless clothes.
After a couple months I visited the Maternal Connections boutique in El Camino Hospital to find something more comfortable and in a nude color. They have most of their bra selection stored in a room that offers complete privacy from other shoppers (as opposed to Motherhood Maternity where you are behind a curtain). I would have preferred to have the room to myself, but having babies usually requires a little loss of privacy and the lady who helped me was very nice. She stressed that I not try to get a perfect fit until after delivering, but to find something soft and comfortable. What seemed best at the time was the bravado The Body Silk Seamless. The package boasts “lovely shaping and support” but that doesn’t ring true as you go up in size.
- It’s definitely soft. Sure, it’s comfortable but there isn’t any support or separation. Can I just say this did not help with the increased pregnancy sweatiness.
- As with most nursing bras, it’s a basic drop cup, but unlike many it doesn’t have a frame. Between the hook and the band is only a narrow elastic – not enough support.
- The cup has removable foam inserts for “the option of a thicker cup”. Now that I’m using it while nursing, I find that the insert has folded over when I rehook the cup. Readjusting the insert discreetly has proved impossible, it works a lot better with the insert removed.
Anyone have recommendations for great nursing bras for large cup sizes? Have you been able to try them on? Or do you order them?
I’ve found that Abecita brand bras work very well for me. They have wireless models, which is what I prefer, and I find that unlike many other wireless types they provide enough support even without the wires. They have models with wires too. Might be worth checking out if you haven’t tried them.
Miranda Dettwyler from RMWC 02 swears by this company for larger sizes (and they have the benefit of being pretty, too!): http://www.hotmilklingerie.co.nz/ but you will have to pay the shipping, unfortunately.
Some of my friends from LLL have had luck just using a good demi-cup bra (not a nursing one) and popping out the top, but it is somewhat less discreet than other options.
I bought two bravado bras right after Greg was born and ended up having terrible problems with them; I guess they didn’t fit quite right even though I waited until after the milk came in to get them. I got 23 plugged ducts and mastitis twice–finally figured the connection between the bras and the illness, and sold the darn things on ebay. Glad someone else can use them, but they were definitely not for me! Interestingly, I did not have the same problem with the nursing tank from Bravado. It has the same bra design but must fit slightly differently, and it’s nice with the tummy coverage.