After creating and delivering an infant, you are pretty much She-rah: teaming with superhuman pro-creative powers, one being your mother’s milk. But this strength must be controlled to ensure that its mysterious strength is not squandered indiscriminately. Lily Padz are a progressive pad that prevents rather than just absorbing. The lillies act as a seal on your mammo-milkers. This keeps them cool, dry, and comfortable. These three qualities can predict happy breasts, free of clogs and infections.
Next you’ll need a supportive guise. Exposing your super powers recklessly is uncomfortable, possibly embarrassing, and potentially dangerous. Choose carefully between these options, allow your unique strengths to guide you.
Front closure, full exposure: fastens between the cups at the front. This type is easy to open but doesn’t leave a lot of mystery to secret identities.
Cross & Slip: Lightweight and very comfortable. This style has a crossover front design so you can slip your maid out on a lightening fast impulse.
Hooks or Buttons: Your holster is snapped, fastened or buttoned to the shoulder strap, which can easily be released to allow the cup down. Ensure you buy one that exposes the whole of the breast’s power and not just the nipple. The bra fabric left pressing on the breast may cause blocked milk ducts.
Regardless of which style you choose, below are important guidelines to keep in mind:
- Avoid underwire: Underwires are like nursing kryptonite. At least during the first few weeks following birth when the breats and milk flow are most volatile. Underwire can confine the growth changes in breast size and shape during pregnancy, and restrict milk flow during breast feeding.
- Quick Draw: Try it on and make sure you can unfasten, unzip, unclip, or slip as necessary with one hand.
- Soft Cottons: Even if the cup has some lace or alternative fabric on the exterior, the interior should be lined with seamless soft cotton. Anything else can chafe your sensipples and may not keep them cool, dry and free of infections.
- Perfect fit: Your getup shouldn’t bind the breast in any way that will interfere with milk flow. This means wearing a regular bra or one that doesn’t fit isn’t an option. Not only because of the sad visual state it leaves your breasts in, but also because it can inhibit your milking powers all together, replacing it with crippling pain.
Eventually the power of wielding your mother’s milk may begin to weigh on you. And it may be time to surrender the mantle for a season. At this point your lactical powers will retract leaving the skin somewhat looser and lower than before. Fear not, you are not defenseless, just a reborn heroine in need of a new costume. Something with a strongly supportive band and perhaps underwire.
In the mean time, explore appropriate uniforms for both Claketta Kents and Super Women.
I found your blog not long ago and love it…since you are adressing “nursing flowers”, I am hoping that you are going to address “Drooping buds: the Post-nursing blossoms” because I dare say that A LOT of us need that help!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for this post, Reachel! I am gearing up for “nursing: round 2.” And I have all my bras ready to go (from comfy cross overs for sleeping, to shaped simplicity for a smooth silhouette during the day).
I have to say that Lily Pads didn’t work for me at all. It was a very embarrassing day when I went out in public wearing them for the first time, and ended up with a big milk ring around the edge of the Lily Pads while doing my grocery shopping. I had to make a quick exit. So test them at home first!
But I CAN recommend Mustela “Specific Support Bust.” It’s specially formulated for blossoms pre and post partum.
And I do recommend buying a bra with MORE than just a little or no lining if you have to wear nursing pads. Otherwise you look like you stuffed your bra with toilet paper and ran out the door. 🙂
Thanks for the tips Lyndsay. My sisters swear by them, but this proves, one style rarely fit all.
Aubrey,
For what you term “drooping buds” the same principles of bra selection apply. First make sure your bra fits. Your band should be snug and your cup shouldn’t have gaps or wrinkles. Next, look for a molded bra that mimics the shape you prefer. Apply the principles of petite blooms or ample blossoms as appropriate. With the right bra in the right size in place, you should feel confident with your blooms.
As Always, love this post.
LOVE the daffodils as nursing blooms…I was wondering which flower would depict that!
I’m almost ready to pop with baby #2. The first time around, the three indispensable nursing items were lily padz, Elle McPherson nursing bras, and a “hooter hider.” Tacky name, great product.
Thanks for the links!
This is such a wonderful post, dedicated to nursing mommies such as myself! I have found the options for nursing bras to be seriously lacking and am almost done nursing, so almost ready to make it into the REAL bra world again! One note about Lily Padz–because they do not allow the breast to leak milk if there is built up pressure (from a missed feeding or just overproduction) the breasts can become lumpy and painful because the milk backs up in the ducts. I LOVE my Lily Padz, but have to be careful when I wear them that I do not wear them for too long or through too many missed feedings. If I do wear them too long and end up lumpy, I have to make sure I pump immediately. 🙂
Really an awesome post, thank you, you have given me great tips over here, i am on a search for best fit underwire nursing bras!
The Bravado nursing camis are the greatest. When fit well, you can wear them alone with only a little bit of cleavage (good for at-home use) and they go well underneath your clothes, supportive enough for this 40E mama. My favorite feature beyond the supportive more-than-a-shelf bra is the fact that you can nurse (or pump, as is my case) without exposing a soft midsection, since the cami part stays down when you lift up your shirt to nurse. This means that you do NOT neat to drastically alter your wardrobe to only include loose, button-down, or weird flap-containing clothes. Love.
Every year, more than 3 million mothers in America breastfeed. These provisions are good public policy for not only the baby and the mother, but also for the business community and our overall economy. Breastfeeding can improve more than 10% of the Healthy People 2020 health goals for the nation.