The best nursing bras for new moms

It’s no secret that breastfeeding can be difficult for new moms. From tender nipples to lack of sleep, nursing can be tough on your body. One of the most important tools in your arsenal is a good nursing bra. As a new mom, you want to be comfortable in your own skin. With so many brands to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the options.

The best nursing bras for new moms are soft, stretchy and wireless. Nursing bras with these features are best for engorged breasts and tender nipples, preventing painful clogged ducts and mastitis. Never wear an underwire bra in your first few months of breastfeeding.

Let’s do a deep dive:

How to choose the right nursing bra for new moms

The first 4-6 weeks of being a new mom is filled with wonder, joy and love. Also emotional ups-and-downs, exhaustion, clogged milk ducts and painful breast engorgements. The last thing you need is a nursing bra you are not completely happy with.

When choosing nursing bras for this phase of your mom-life, make sure they are:

• Made of soft, stretchy fabric

Your breasts will be engorged, your nipples tender as all hell… make sure the nursing bra you choose is made of soft fabric that feels good on your skin. It also needs to be stretchy enough to accommodate wild fluctuations in breast size but still offer you adequate support as you go about taking care of bub and the rest of the family. I’m generally a fan of natural fabrics like cotton and bamboo but these fabrics will always need to be combined with a synthetic component like spandex or nylon for it to be flexible enough for the early weeks. Now a days, good quality synthetic fabrics also feel amazing.

Check out the best bamboo nursing bras and cotton nursing bras on Amazon. 

• Wireless

If you’ve been a wired-bra girl or you’re worried about sagging breasts, you would be itching to go back to wired bras but hold your horses. In the first 4-8 weeks of breastfeeding, you need wireless nursing bras. You get engorged at the drop of a hat and a wired structured nursing bra will almost certainly block your milk ducts and cause lots of discomfort and pain. If you’re not careful, this will lead to mastitis.

• Unstructured / un-cupped

I’ve not used an un-cupped bra since my pre-teenage bralette days but trust me, you’ll love that you chose cup-less nursing bras for your early weeks. Squashing your tender, engorged breasts into cups (even without wires) will cause discomfort, pain and clogged ducts. Instead, go for unstructured nursing bras that are seamless and wireless. These bras tend to come in sizes like S, M, L and XL instead of the usual cup sizes and they are designed to stretch with your fluctuating breast size.

• Easy to breastfeed in

Even though they tell you that baby feeds 8-12 times in the first few months, this doesn’t really sink in until you’re actually doing it. Imaging trying to unclasp your drop-down cups 12 times (sometimes more) a day. Some women just give up and go with sleep bras that you can pull aside easily for feeding. Other women (like me) prefer unstructured seamless nursing bras with drop-down cups with easy clips that I can maneuver with one hand.

• Have good support

If it wasn’t for the need of extra support, I would wear a sleep/ hospital nursing bra throughout the first few months (and some women do). However, if you’re like most moms, you don’t get the luxury of lounging around the whole day. Even after my C-sections, I still did a lot of housework and when I had my second baby, I was chasing after my toddler within the first week. That’s where ‘new mom nursing bras’ come in.  These bras are usually seamless, wireless unstructured nursing bras that have special knit-in zones and thicker under-bust bands to provide moderate support. They are useless for exercising but for running errands and stuffing about at home, they are perfectly adequate.

• Machine-washable

Some brands recommend handwashing their nursing bras but I have not met a new mom who has had the luxury of time yet. Having said that, most quality nursing bras hold up reasonably well, especially if you cold-wash them in a lingerie bag on a delicate cycle.

Best nursing bras for new moms

Cake Maternity Cotton Candy Nursing Bra

Check it out on Amazon

The multi-award winner Cotton Candy Nursing Bra is ideal as a first bra for new moms. It is made of good quality 4-way stretch material that accommodates fluctuations in breast size easily. Not only that, the microfiber material provides a cooling effect and soft second-skin feel which is a real God-send when you have tender breasts and nipples. The bra has double layers and structured panels for additional support and is designed for every day (and night) use.

Read my detailed review of the Cotton Candy Nursing Bra.

Kindred Bravely Simply Sublime Seamless Nursing Bra

Check it out on Amazon

The Parent Approved Award winner Simply Sublime Nursing Bra is made of ultra-soft stretchy fabric and has cups that mold to your breasts and expands with breast engorgement. The bra also has removable cup paddings to protect against nipple show-through and milk leaks.

Bravado! Designs Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra

Check it out on Amazon

The Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra has adjustable shoulder straps and up to 6 hook and eye options for a customized fit. It’s made of 4-way stretch fabric and has removable foam inserts as well to prevent nipple show-through and milk leaks. There are also knit-in zones around the cups for extra lift and support. To top it off, the bra comes in 14 beautiful colors!

Read my review of the Bravado! Designs Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra for more details.

Motherhood Maternity Plus Size Seamless Clip Down Nursing Bra

Check it out on Amazon

The Motherhood Maternity Seamless Nursing Bra is one of the best-selling nursing bras on Amazon. It was designed specifically to cater for moms with large breasts with bra sizes up to 46G. Special features include full cups to prevent your boobs from falling out when you bend forwards, wide under-bust band for better back support and removable padding to protect against nipple show-through and milk-leaks.

Read Marie’s review of the Motherhood Maternity Seamless Nursing Bra.

* It’s worth mentioning that removable cup pads can be great but also annoying. On one hand, they are excellent for when you are out and don’t want your nipples poking someone’s eyes out. On the other hand, they can get displaced after you fold your bra cups down for breastfeeding.

Tip: Put a few small stitches into the removable padding to hold them in place. Another option is to use disposable stick-on nursing pads instead. 

Some women don’t use the pads at all. Your nipples will likely show-through but you’ll be home lots and it’s loads more comfy.

To wrap up

Always invest in a good quality nursing bra. The best nursing bras provide comfort and support that will make a new mom’s life a little easier.

If you shop around, you’ll definitely find a nursing bra that suits your budget and lifestyle.

I bet you’re also interested in my review of the best wireless nursing bras on Amazon.

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Sharon James

Chief Blogger at The Sensual Mom

I am a mom of 2 bossy toddlers. I breastfed both and struggled through all the usual breastfeeding issues. Now I give nursing moms the info you need to make good decisions during your breastfeeding journey.

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