Dressing for breastfeeding

painauchocolat

I'm due baby no. 2 in less than a month. Baby 1 had desperate latch problems so I only breastfed for a week, which meant I didn't have to figure out how to manage it while out and about. I'm planning to give breastfeeding another shot this time but have a few questions about clothes, specifically bras.

I bought a lot of vest tops last time round (the ones with the clippy straps) and a few tops with various flaps and access points, but the only bras I have are the non-underwire ones from Next. I've been wearing them throughout my second and third trimesters as my normal bras are too small at the moment, but I really don't like them at all. I find they offer no support or shape. This hasn't been too much of an issue during the past few months, as my general shape has disappeared. But I'm hoping to get back to myself over the next few months, and would like my boobs to stop looking as if they are spreading out to my armpits!

I'm also aware that if I manage a longer stint at breastfeeding this time, I'll be doing it in (hopefully) progressively better weather, so just throwing on a big hoody won't work.

Could anyone recommend a more supportive, but still manoeuvrable bra? Under normal circumstances, I'd be about a 34D, so a bra of some sort will be needed!

General layering / feeding on the go tips also greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

painauchocolat

bovril

I wouldn't recommend you spend a lot of money on bras just yet. In early stages of breastfeeding your breasts will change a lot size wise. By 3 months they *should* settle down as your supply settles. You could get measured then. There are underwired breastfeeding bras. Have a look in penny's/ h&m or even Mothercare sale for a few that might do you in the interim. I have bought from http://www.nursingbra-shop.co.uk and I've also got a lovely underwired one I was measured for in Arnotts.

The vest tops you have will work with say at t shirt over them. You can pull the vest down and the t shirt up and nobody will see anything.

Best of luck with it.

Speedy2009

M& S do good BF bras - they have a clip for the breastfeeding which is very handy
They are made from elastic aged material so they can be used as you naturally change size

I found some nursing clothes in H&M which are handy for feeding at home and out & about
I also got a mama scarf for feeding in public to provide privacy for me & baby while feeding!

scarepanda

I don't have any nursing tops. I usually wear a string top under my main top. Pull up main top and down string top. I also use a muslin cloth, but that's more from my comfort than anything else if bubs pops off to have a look around. Even without it though nothing can be seen so I don't worry to much about it. To be honest its usually to one side of her head when she's feeding good and not too distracted. I have to take off my jumper when she needs a feed coz I get to hot otherwise, so it's the way I plan to feed her during the summer if I'm still breastfeeding.
As for bras, I'm still using the cheap ones, Penney's and h&m I think are where I got them. No underwire. The h&m ones are dressier, but they drive me mad. I find the Penney's ones more comfortable. I haven't looked to see if there are alternative designs, but the clips are handy to take off but a pain in the ass to get back on when baby is wriggling, especially if you have to wear breast pads.

Moonbeam

Change do the best breast feeding bras and they are underwired:)

painauchocolat

Thanks for all the tips! A few people suggested the string top/t-shirt combo. I suppose the main logistic I'm having trouble figuring is when you've pulled up the tshirt and down the vest, is there even room to be fiddling with a bra at that point? Worried I'll drop the baby I'll be so distracted by clips and layers!!

bovril

painauchocolat wrote:

Thanks for all the tips! A few people suggested the string top/t-shirt combo. I suppose the main logistic I'm having trouble figuring is when you've pulled up the tshirt and down the vest, is there even room to be fiddling with a bra at that point? Worried I'll drop the baby I'll be so distracted by clips and layers!!

Do it a few times in your home first and you'll be a pro in no time. For my first ever time feeding in public I went somewhere known for being bf friendly and my husband came too for support. Nobody batted an eyelid and now on baby 2 I'll feed anywhere and nobody notices.

painauchocolat

bovril wrote: »

Do it a few times in your home first and you'll be a pro in no time. For my first ever time feeding in public I went somewhere known for being bf friendly and my husband came too for support. Nobody batted an eyelid and now on baby 2 I'll feed anywhere and nobody notices.

*Facepalm* I have sunk so far into baby brain that the idea of just practising at home didn't occur to me! Thank you!

FunkSoulSista

I unclip my bra first the do the top pulling. Stringy top under baggy jumper/top is what works for me. Tis scary feeding in public at beginning as I would be fiddling around trying to latch on. Now not a bother and don't really care who sees what!

shesty

I liked M&S bras best.I got two to start with, with the intention of getting more if feeding went well (it did).H&M do strap tops with built in clips for breastfeeding.You can get them in black and white.Very handy for wearing under tops.I also had a couple of 'Breastvest' tops, one black and one white.They're a bit expensive for strap tops, but I found them so handy.
I discovered lately that Ikea do muslins in their baby section, and they're really big so they're handy for privacy.
I had some breastfeeding tops, but I wasn't mad on them.They were all mothercare and were...ok.I preferred a strap top under a normal one.

Kathy22

I live in loose fitting tops and a vest underneath, I usually reach under and unclip the bra and sort myself out then as i bring baby up i lift my top. I remember the early days I was so nervous about feeding, now I will feed anywhere and tbh no one has even noticed. I bought nursing tops and have rarely used them. I have gotten more structured nursing bras in M&S and debenhams. I am a DD and found the soft non-structured ones gave me no shape, the more structured ones are better but still not as good as wired bras. I miss my old wired bras! I have heard a lot of people recommend hotmilk nursing bras.

Just regarding your note about bad latch, if you have trouble in the beginning with a bad latch you should reach out to LLL for free support. They have councillors that will speak to you over the phone for free, just find your area in the link and there should be a number. I would also get the advice and support of a lactation consultant. They can really save breastfeeding journeys. Good luck with your new baba

implausible

I bought most of my nursing bras from the site recommended near the top. I couldn't cope with no underwire as I'm very big anyway (32G) and the ones I found best were a brand called Anita-underwire and a decent shape.

I did the same for feeding as everyone else - vest top, top over it and a muslin cloth just in case. H&M have lovely pop over shirt type tops that I must stock up on. In summer you could wear two vest tops or use a pregnancy belly band under a vest top - I'd be more worried about flashing lumpy stretchmarked belly than boob to be honest!

scarepanda

'I would also get the advice and support of a lactation consultant. They can really save breastfeeding journeys'

I defiantly second this. Iv ended up using shield's 100% of the time. I had a section and used that as an excuse not to go to a group in the early days, the reality was I was to nervous and self conscious to go. It's unlikely now that I'll be able to wean bubs off the shield. Their part of my journey now and I'm so used to them they don't really bother me, but it would be lovely not having to use them and if I had had the courage to go to a group at the very beginning and not when bubs was 5mo, I probably wouldn't be using them now. If we're lucky enough to have more children, a support group will be my first port of call.

spottybananas

I fell out with stupid clippy bras after about two weeks and went back to my soft non wired maternity bras, which I just pull down out of the way, so I pull down vest, lift up outer top and then pull down bra. Sounds complicated but is one fluid move now

Beanybabog

I got some bras in debenhams with a clip on the shoulder and also bought some nursing tops. I was always supportive of breastfeeding in public so was quite surprised at myself how awkward I felt- it's a totally different experience when it's yourself for the first time. I use shields so I struggled with trying to cover up, put on shield and latch- baby kept whacking it off. I have a new found distaste for people who say breastfeeding in public is ok IF women are discreet- being discreet is bloody hard work!!! I have definitely flashed a few people by accident and I am so awkward! I find the special bras and tops help me because I couldn't for the life of me manage to hold baby, the nipple shield and a shawl at the same time

fits

I bought a hot milk bra last week. Breasts are so big and heavy I needed one with proper support at least.

painauchocolat

Thank you all so much for the tips and suggestions. Feeling a bit calmer now. Honestly had an image in my head of a crowded cafe, screaming infant on the floor and me strangling myself with stretchy cotton

scarepanda

painauchocolat wrote:

Thank you all so much for the tips and suggestions. Feeling a bit calmer now. Honestly had an image in my head of a crowded cafe, screaming infant on the floor and me strangling myself with stretchy cotton

Trust me, you will be sound. First time I ended up feeding my lo in public I forgot to bring an expressed bottle and she looked for a feed quicker than we had expected. So I ended up feeding her without planning it in advance and honestly it was perfectly fine. Thankfully my oh was with me, we found a semi private seat in the local shopping centre, he got us coffee while I was getting muggins ready. I remember looking around to see if anyone was looking at us and not one person noticed even though we were right beside a main walkway. Now I'll feed her where ever and while I try to be discrete I don't actually care if someone catches an eye full for those few seconds! I actually found it alot harder mentally to feed her in front of male family members!

chocfan

You definitely get more confident as you get used to it and can feed anywhere but if you're really awkward/self conscious at the start, a lot of shopping centres (Dundrum, Liffey Valley, St Stephen's Green to name a few) have feeding rooms which are nice and comfy to go to for a bit of privacy

Absolutely a fan of the clip-down bra with string top and normal top over it. I bought a few breastfeeding tops with the little hole in them that you push the cover aside to feed but just found them far too awkward. I've big enough boobs anyway and felt I couldn't get enough of the nipple out properly to get baby latched on. So just ended up using them as normal tops with string tops underneath

Good luck with it!! Multi-Man compresses are the best if you're sore (sold in Boots and I'm sure other places too)