Nursing Tanks and Bras
By Courtney Schweiger
Finding the best nursing tanks and bras was SO hard for me. There are certain styles that suit me better at certain times, and it felt like a huge guessing game to get it all right. I wanted to feel good in my clothes, and not like a lopsided (cue the sh*tty titty), saggy new mom. Why is it so difficult to find the right fit, comfort level, and ease of use? Moms have SO much to figure out in the newborn stage, and finding the right tanks and bras shouldn’t be one of them. I am going to share my top favorite brands, why I love them and when I use them, and link up some great options for you!
The First Days Home
This may seem cray to need different styles for different stages of your motherhood journey, but trust me on this one. During your first days home, you do not want too much support, something too tight, etc. While your body figures out your baby, and how much to be producing, you may be sore and engorged. Bras and tanks with more structure are going to be so uncomfortable during this stage! I love from Amazon. The fit was perfect, and the make of these are stretchy, yet give some grace to that new mom figure. I preferred to remove the padding on these, and just use pads (code SIMPLEMOM20 gets you 20% off at checkout). I also suggest not wearing bras during this stage, even the nursing friendly ones. If you have experience breast feeding, or are comfortable with whomever you are around, bras might be an option for you (so I will link some of the best ones below!). However, if you are brand new to the mom crew, a nursing tank is preferable so you are not worrying about learning how to nurse, while also trying to keep that new mom tummy covered.This may seem cray to need different styles for different stages of your motherhood journey, but trust me on this one. During your first days home, you do not want too much support, something too tight, etc. While your body figures out your baby, and how much to be producing, you may be sore and engorged. Bras and tanks with more structure are going to be so uncomfortable during this stage! I love these from Amazon. The fit was perfect, and the make of these are stretchy, yet give some grace to that new mom figure. I preferred to remove the padding on these, and just use these pads (code SIMPLEMOM20 gets you 20% off at checkout). I also suggest not wearing bras during this stage, even the nursing friendly ones. If you have experience breast feeding, or are comfortable with whomever you are around, bras might be an option for you (so I will link some of the best ones below!). However, if you are brand new to the mom crew, a nursing tank is preferable so you are not worrying about learning how to nurse, while also trying to keep that new mom tummy covered.
The Newborn Stage
Once you have gotten adjusted to being home, nursing, etc., I love this option for the remainder of the newborn stage (use SIMPLEMOM20 at checkout). These are so soft and comfortable, while also adding a little lace to bring some of the sexy back. These provide some support, but not too much to where discomfort kicks in. I will link a few options that I preferred during this stage below!
Bringing Back Support
Now that you are out of the newborn stage or the “fourth trimester,” it feels good to bring back some support while also being able to easily feed if you are still nursing or pumping. I was searching high and low for the best tanks and bras– ordering from one maternity site after another– just to find that my favorite would be from my favorite one stop shop. Thank you Target, for introducing the Auden brand, and giving me all that I ever needed in my tanks and bras. I LOVE the options provided below. The bras are so comfortable while putting your ladies back where they belong, and still having the clasp to easily pop out and feed. And their tanks? By golly, the best tanks ever. I was constantly fidgeting with all of the other brands that I tried, trying to keep the padding in place. The padding in the Target bras is the absolutely best, and the quality is not compromised with continuous washes. I loved purchasing these online for in store pick up, and do suggest sizing up if you went up more than 1-2 bra sizes with breastfeeding!
Caring for Your Garments
I learned in the early stages that most of the tanks and bras lost quality quickly when I didn’t care for them as well as I should have. For any nursing tank or bra, I would suggest the following:
- Remove the padding if the inserts are removable. Hand wash the padding and let air dry.
- Wash on the gentle cycle (I throw mine in with the baby’s clothes) and in cold water.
- Do NOT use fabric softener. This can cause irritation and even mess with your supply too!
- Air dry, or fluff dry!
Be sure to change out any pads used daily. If I sleep in a tank, I do not wear it the next day and vice versa. Continuous wear after feeding and/or leaks can cause additional irritation or infection.
To view the blog https://thesimplemomblog.com/nursing-tanks-and-bras/