Choosing a Nursing Bra

What is a Nursing Bra?

Choosing a Bra

Practical Tips

Breast Pads

What is a nursing bra?

A nursing bra traditionally has a flap on the cup that is opened for breastfeeding.  A well-fitting bra provides support to the breasts and helps to maintain breast shape by limiting the stretching of supportive tissue.

Choose a bra that provides these features:

● Wide, non-elastic straps.  Cloth straps are better because they provide more support.

● A large enough cup to cover all breast tissue.

● Wide enough under the arm to support breast tissue.

● A wide back with at least three rows of hooks to adjust for fit.

Practical Tips:

Ensure that the bra will:

● Give good support to enlarged breasts

● Be comfortable and not restrict any part of the breast

● Be convenient and easy to manage

● Buying a nursing bra one size too big late in the pregnancy will usually provide

   a good fit because the breasts increase in size after the baby is born and the 

   milk comes in. 

● A bra that is too tight, either around the ribs or in the cup, can cause a plugged 

   milk duct or infection. 

● Be sure your bras fit well enough in the cups to allow the change in breast size

   as your breasts fill before a feeding.

● When your milk is established and you are past the engorgement stage 

   (usually around the second week), it is often a good idea to purchase three 

   nursing bras: one to wear, one in the laundry, and one on standby. Try them for 

   fit and ease of use before buying more.

● Also, when trying bras on, be aware of how the flap is attached in front.  You’ll

   want a fastener that you can manage with one hand so you do not have to put 

   baby down every time you open or close the cup.

      ● Look for a style that opens by a self-closing slit along the inner

         edges of the cup.

      ● Avoid bras that have a row of hooks down the front.  These give no

         support to either breast when open.

      ● Bras with a hook at the top of each cup give more support and 

         easier access, letting you uncover one breast at a time.

● Buy a 100 percent cotton bra cup.  Avoid synthetic fabrics and 

   plastic liners as these are not absorbent and do not allow skin to

   breathe.

● An underwire bra is NOT suggested, as it can cause plugged milk ducts.

Breast Pads

● You can buy washable or disposable nursing pads that fit inside your bra and

    absorb milk that may leak from the nipples between feedings. 

● A folded cotton or linen handkerchief often works well, too, or cut out four-inch  

   circles from cotton diapers to make your own.

● Avoid synthetic fabrics and plastic-lined pads as they hold moisture, prevent air

   flow, and promote bacterial growth. 

● Change pads after leaking; if the pad sticks to your nipple, moisten with warm 

   water before peeling it off.

References:

La Leche League.  (1997).  The womanly art of breastfeeding (6^th ed.).  New

York, NY: Penguin Putnam Inc.

Olds, S.B., London, M.L., & Ladewig, P.A.  (2000).  Maternal newborn nursing:

A family and community-based approach (6^th ed.).  Upper Saddle River,

NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Sears, W., & Sears, M.  (2003).  The baby book: Everything you need to know

about your baby from birth to age two (2^nd ed.).  New York, NY: Little,

Brown and Company.