When do you buy a nursing bra

Can anyone tell me when you are meant to buy your nursing bra? Is it before you have the baby or after when the milk comes in?

What I mean is - my breasts have not gotten THAT big during pregnancy, but I know they will get massive once the milk comes in... so are you meant to wait till then to choose one????

I am lucky enough to have a midwife who literally could not B/F her first baby either, and told me she was fine the second time around so I feel like I have an alli that understands me and is going to support me - BUT I FORGOT to ask her about nursing bras and my next appointments from here on in are strictly with the obstetrician, I can hardley ask him about bras can I LOL LOL.

[love2bmom]

The rule of thumb is to buy the same size you normally wear. It always worked for me. I am actually wearing normal bras, due to the fact that no one in this area makes good nursing bras. Sears used to have great nursing bras, but they don't carry them any more. You will want to try them on, also be sure to get some nursing pads. They make disposable and washable [welcomewave] .

I bought mine while pg , found some really soft (sport's like material) at walmart...support and comfort + + ,stretched easy too

Definately don't forget the washable pads...Disposables came apart on me :? yuck! I loved the washable ones...

BF only lasted 6wks for us but I'll always treasure it

[Godzgirl]

When i was nursing i brough a cup size bigger than what i normally am. It is what i was told and what worked me me both times.

[Rach]

I bought my regular size, and I actually had to make my sister do it cause I was on bedrest but I was leaking :shock: at 7 mo. My breasts didn't get that much bigger either, and they're not so big to start with. I have always have abundant milk.

ITA about the washable breast pads, they rock! Keep an extra pr in the diaper bag :wink:

[harmony5]

I bought my normal size while I was pg, but I will admit, I wished it was a little bigger once my milk came in. It fits me fine now! My dh makes fun of me for wearing it since I haven't breastfed in over a year!! But, hey, it's pretty comfortable. :oops: :lol:

Oh yeah I am definately going out in search of some washable pads for the bra, man those disposable ones could get really expensive at 8.00 per box.

At the moment I am wearing.... HA HA HA :oops: this thing called My First Bra from Big W (walmart), it's not a training bra, they have real cup sizes etc, it's just mean to ease teenage girls into wearing a bra I think but it's soooooooooooooo soft and has fuzzy cloth on the insides, and of course no metal support.

What on earth do you do if you are at a function or a friends house and your milk comes in? Do you get paranoid it will leak out? My friend had to go and milk herself in the bathroom at a wedding once :oops:

My other friend told me it has happened in church and she was like "oh please, no... please no" :oops:

[love2bmom]

Your milk should come in maybe 2-4 days within the birth of your child. So you probably wouldn't be in public.
Not to ramble but quick story about your milk coming in: My son was sent to a childrens hospital for seizures, anyway my DH was the stronghold for everyone, especially me. Well the night I was sent home from the hospital, he jumped out of bed holding his chest and ran down stairs. My first thought was to call 911. Well when the ambulance showed up, my husband had had a panic attck from all the stress of our son & being so strong. Well anyway, the ambulance crew is in our living room and my milk came in [rofl] Oh my goodness... my nightie was soaked and I was sooo embarressed. Anyway, normal circumstances you will be at home and not in public. Thought you would enjoy. Just for precaution, just always be sure to have a nursing pad on :D

[tracy]

I purchased a nursing bra about a month before, but ended up not liking it. After she was born I went to Motherhood, don't know if you have those. They have white cotton underwire's for $10 and padded bras for about $17. (I never had a problem with the underwire, I actually liked it for the extra support. It was never right under the breast, though.) They have a decent selection and reasonable prices, no returns, though, so you have to go and try them on. I used the cotton ones the first year, now I have the padded ones - a little more sexy. :wink: They also have sleeping bras that I just got (was using sports bras that were too small :o and had to pull out of arm strap everytime). Soft cotton, white, nude, or black, ($12) and crosses in the front. You just pull down which ever side to feed. I think they're comfy. When she was born I went up a size and cup, now, a year later, I'm pretty much back to normal. :? Maybe call some companies for coupons for breastpads and get them now. I would definitely have disposables on hand. I had the washables, but found out I had gotten a breast yeast infection (from antibiotic), so the washables were making it worse! That's a whole other story.

[tracy]

Maybe go for the sleeping one right now. They have some room to grow, it'll hold you over till you feel up to "shopping" and still can be used for sleeping.

[BlessedMommy]

I purchased my bras in my 8th month of pg. I got them at Motherhood for $16 each. The lady said as a rule of thumb, if you can fit your fist in the bra, then they're big enough. I got size 36E. I do hope that's big enough. I'm really not in the mood to bump up to size F!

I got them because underwire felt like it was literally tearing my breasts up! It hurt! So I'm exclusively wearing the nursing bras, even though I'm not due for over 3 more weeks.

ITA about washable nursing pads. Other than cost, I don't like disposable nursing pads. I'm making a number of my own reusables out of soft, pretty flannel and I told my MIL that if people ask about nursing pads to please tell them to get reusable. Question: How many sets of reusable nursing pads should I have?

[love2bmom]

For the first couple months your body will be adjusting to the flow of milk, so you will leak a lot. I would suggest at least 7 pair. You will need to keep them fresh or like Tracey mentioned that is perfect breeding area for bacteria. You body will begin to know your childs eating patterns and your milk will come in at those times. It is such an exciting thing!!

[7thHeaven]

I bought mine before Sam came, close to my due date. Try Wal-mart, they have super comfy nursing bras, but they were kinda thin, so you may wanta get some bra pads also.

hang on LOL I didn't make sense before, I wasnt meaning about milk coming in - as in after the baby, but some of my friends have described instances to me when they have been in public and... I think the correct term is "let down" has happened, anyway they described it as milk coming in - that was what I meant by my friend in church when it happened to her. Obviously it isn't an issue for a lot of women, but I know my friend freaked as she was in church, but perhaps this was because it was her first baby and she didn't know what to expect.

[Rach]

that's why you wear nursing pads and a bra... the pressure will prevent most of the milk from coming out and the pad will absorb the bit that does leak out.
The first few months when your milk supply is being established, you might leak even out of a nursing pad... I just kept an extra pr of pads in the diaper bag and an extra shirt and bra and pads in the car.(works great for spit up accidents too, LOL) Most of the time, you'll have your baby with you when it happens, so you just nurse.
Personally I prefer nursing tops, or nursing camis under regular shirts, so I can be confident to nurse ANYWHERE and everywhere!

[MomFromCanada]

I was really glad I had gone out ahead of the baby's birth to buy a nursing bra, I was just too tired and sore to go out after the baby was born when I really needed them!

hang on LOL I didn't make sense before, I wasnt meaning about milk coming in - as in after the baby, but some of my friends have described instances to me when they have been in public and... I think the correct term is "let down" has happened, anyway they described it as milk coming in - that was what I meant by my friend in church when it happened to her. Obviously it isn't an issue for a lot of women, but I know my friend freaked as she was in church, but perhaps this was because it was her first baby and she didn't know what to expect.

My preacher's wife had 4 kids but I only knew her through the fourth pg and delivery...She would "let down" just about everytime that baby cried...I was the nursery keeper so ther were quite a few instances she'd come running in wet and :oops: .....she would always tell me that she had on two pads but she'd soak through.....I had milk way before Angela was born but I guess cuz she was two weeks late...I never had any public displayed leaks, but then again we were in quarantine and when we weren't I would pump before going out because I was paranoid that what happened to the preacher's wife would happen to me :lol: