Features to consider Nursing bras

Support. In the world of nursing bras, support is queen. You'll need it now more than ever, just to feel comfortable. The best nursing bras open in the back but have flaps in the front for access. They also have strong side and undercup support and an extra wide back for a forming fit that doesn't feel tight. Straps should be adjustable. Soft cup styles usually feature a "no-roll" band, which is a plus. If you're extra ample, you may be a candidate for bras with extra wide, padded shoulder straps. But be sure to try them on before you buy, to see if they're comfortable.

Closures. How you open and close the flaps on your nursing bra is important. The front flap on many nursing bras attaches at the top, near the shoulder strap. Other nursing-bra flaps open and close between the two cups. Go with whatever type is easier for you to unclasp discreetly one-handed (without having to put your baby down). If you can close your bra one-handed, all the better. Squeeze or push-type latches are easy to operate one-handed, compared with snaps, which usually take two hands to close. Practice in the dressing room at the store.

Adjustability. Near the end of your pregnancy and in the early weeks of nursing, your breasts may enlarge dramatically, then return to a smaller size once breast feeding gets established. For greatest comfort, you'll want a nursing bra that "grows" with you and springs back again throughout the day--before and after feedings. After you've found your correct bra size, look for brands made with Lycra, which adjusts to changing breast size and fullness. Or opt for 100-percent cotton bras with stretch cups and with three to four hook adjustments in the back so you can change the band size as needed throughout the day.

Color and style. Nursing bras once came only in white, beige (taupe), or black. Times are a changin'. Though white is still the norm, you'll now find nursing bras in red, black, pink, polka dot, florals, and animal prints, some with lace and ribbon.

Article Source = http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/care-and-dressing/nursing-bras/nursing-bras-4-07/features-to-consider/0704_nursing-bras-features.htm

How to Choose the Right Bra For Your Teenage Girl?

You might think that buying a bra may seem simple but its a little complex especially getting one for your teenage daughter; the first bra she wears is the most important one to keep her breasts growing healthy. There are some facts you might want to know. A bra is meant to minimize jiggling and it actually shapes the appearance of a girls breast. Your girl needs the right bra as it support her breasts especially during sport lessons and it also helps to prevent injury to her breast tissue. Wearing a wrong bra may cause back problems, muscle tension or headaches as well.

Wondering when is the right time to get your girl a bra? There is no specific age or time but generally you need to know when she begins to develop breast buds such as when she grows a little more self conscious about herself, appearance and during shopping trip when she encounter things that might make her look beautiful. Girls usually start wearing bra at the age of 11 to 13. There are times when your girl persuades you to get her a bra and she aware that other girls in her class do have it as well.

So if you are seeking one for your first time teenage girl, get training bras. They are made specially for young girls who have started to develop breasts which sometimes do not fit the standard bra size. You also have to remember that if your girls breast is big enough for the standard bra then get one of those even if you are very young.

Girls who have smaller breast fits well with light support bra which do not have wire around them. Young girls usually feel comfortable wearing this kind of bra but since they are wireless, they offer less shaping and rather suitable on trimmer figures. They also come with pad and without so its really depend on her to choose.

For full support bras, they usually have wire or plastic holding them up and are most suitable for those with larger breast since this bra offer a shapely cut.

Sports bras are also important as it stop the breast from moving too much during athletic activity. You need to know that her breast tissue is delicate and growing breast tissues need to be protected especially when doing high impact exercise. Sports bra should also be wear by smaller breast girls if they are active in sports or any physical lessons.

Most lingerie consultants have the experience in getting the right bra for your girl. Most parents also tend to seek for their help to explain the right type of bra for her, letting her to be more involved in it rather than just on her parents judgment. Also, the lingerie consultants will surely be happy to help you.

The thing is, even if your girls body changes are minimal but getting her first bra actually symbolizes that she is actually growing up and gives her the self confidence that she will grow into a beautiful women.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carole_Sowe

Why a Great Nursing Bra is Like a Pot of Beef Stew

So you’ve never compared a great nursing bra to a pot of beef stew? Maybe you are too busy nursing your new baby at all hours of the day and night. Maybe you are thoroughly exhausted by the demands of being a new mom and feeling too overwhelmed to consider such trivia. Maybe you need a few minutes time-out to laugh and chuckle. If there is one new mother product that is critical to a nursing mother, it is finding a high-quality, well-fitted, sturdy yet lovely nursing bra. Any new mom will agree that a nursing bra is the key to a new mother’s happiness and well-being. If you are not convinced a great nursing bra is much like a pot of beef stew, read the below cheeky comparison:

• The contents of both a nursing bra and a pot of beef stew are both nutritious and delicious.

• Both a nursing bra and a pot of beef stew come in various sizes depending on the size of your family

• Spills and leaks are prevented with a good, sturdy construction

• The contents of both a nursing bra and a pot of beef stew sloshes when driving over speed bumps

• Both a nursing bra and a pot of good beef stew contain the secret to a man’s desire.

• Turning up the heat will produce a more pleasing experience and increased enjoyment in both

• A woman typically fills both a nursing bra and a pot of beef stew; a man usually enjoys them

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amber_Lipson

What is a Nursing Bra?

A nursing bra is a type of bra used by women who are breastfeeding their children. It often features cups that are secured by a hook and eye or plastic attachment. These can be unsnapped to expose the breast allowing the baby access for nursing. Alternately, some nursing bras are made of stretchy material that can be pulled down easily to allow for nursing of the baby.

Like regular bras, the nursing bra comes in a variety of styles. There are underwire styles, bras made of soft cotton knit, and some made of stretch knit. It’s important, especially in the early stages of nursing, to own more than one. It is highly likely that you will stain or soak through at least one nursing bra a day during the first few weeks of nursing a baby.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of nursing bra. The underwire nursing bra, for example, can provide greater support, but you may need to wear the nursing bra initially both day and night. The last thing you want is a tightly fitting nursing bra, since you need room to accommodate breast pads, to soak up any leaking milk, and compression on the breasts may be very uncomfortable. Too much compression can also lead to blocked milk ducts and mastitis.

If you feel you do need the underwire support, consider a slightly less supportive but more comfortable bra for nighttime wear. The cotton nursing bra is a good choice because it is breathable. Alternately, you may be just as comfortable wearing a wireless bra during the day. Most important is comfort, since early nursing can be unfamiliar and uncomfortable to the new mom. It should be noted some moms don’t bother with a nursing bra, but just choose a bra that can be slipped up or to the side for nursing.

As pregnancy advances breasts enlarge, and this usually means you should look for nursing bras in the late stages of your pregnancy. Note that when you are nursing, the breasts will enlarge further, and may be one to two full cup sizes larger than you would normally wear. Some variants of the nursing bra have attachments that allow you to vary the cup size slightly. They have two or three hook and eye attachments, so you can lower or raise the cup and provide a bit more room.

If you’re unsure about what size you’ll need in a nursing bra, the varied size bra is a good way to go. Alternately, you can buy a few nursing bras in the styles you like but not try them on until you start to lactate, usually about two days after you’ve given birth. This way you can choose the size most comfortable when you are actually nursing. Have a friend or family member return the sizes that didn’t work.

Remember that you will need a little room in the nursing bra for breast pads. Especially in the first few weeks of nursing, the breast you are not nursing with tends to leak. Further, the breasts tend to get in cycle with baby’s eating patterns. The first time baby sleeps through the night, expect to wake up with a fairly soaked nursing bra. Using breast pads can help this, but may not completely eliminate the issue. Also, women tend to lactate in response to baby’s cries, not even necessarily of their own child. If you are around other children, you may be thankful for the extra protection of breast pads.

The nursing bra tends to have similar washing instructions to the standard bra. This means you’ll need at least three, since you may have to handwash and hang dry your bras. You can wash most nursing bras on a gentle cycle in the washing machine if you use cold water and place them in a fabric bag. Yet you’ll usually have to allow a day for air-drying.

Article Source : http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-nursing-bra.htm

How to make a regular bra into a nursing bra

Changing a normal bra to breastfeeding bra!

Notes: If you plan to change your normal bra to a breastfeeding bra, make sure you have a good fit. Make sure the bra sits comfortably around your ribs and over your shoulders. The bra should not dig in anywhere, especially under your arms or under your breasts. If you want to use a bra with wires, make sure the wires sit comfortably over your ribs and do not ride up on your breast. This is very important. There is no concrete proof that you should not wear a wired bra whilst breastfeeding, but a ill-fitting wired bra could cause a lot of discomfort. Wired could actually be more comfortable if it sits the way it should and if you are used to wearing one.

You will need:

• A normal bra with space on the shoulder straps to extend the length at least 2cm. The strap could get slightly shorter as you are cutting it and folding it over.
• 2 large hooks and eyes, as close as possible to the same width of the bra strap. There are metal ones on the market that works great. If you can find plastic ones, great!
• Matching cotton thread.
• A thin long sewing needle.
• About 2x 30cm of satin ribbon, matching the bra in colour but also matching the width of the bra strap. If you cannot find any, make the ribbon from a piece of matching fabric. Make sure you get something soft and thin. Satin is smooth against the skin and does not rub. Here’s how to make the ribbon:

1. Cut 2 strips of fabric 3x the width of the bra shoulder strap and about 30 cm long. If you can, cut on the bias - this allows a little more “movement”
2. Fold each in half along the length of the strip.
3. Sew along the raw edge, creating a “tube”. You should be able to push the bra strap into the tube if it is a elastic strap, not too loosely… (an indication that you have the correct width)
4. Turn the tubes inside out by attaching a safety pin to the end of one layer of your tube and push the safety pin “blind” through the tube till it comes out on the other side.
5. Iron the tube flat.
6. If you do use this method with a flat elastic bra strap, you could follow first method - using “tube”- like straps.

You could also use some beads to sew a little chain (about 3cm long) to the hook on both sides. Put the chain on the outside (on top) of the strap when you refasten to remind you which breast you last fed from. Make sure you use a triple thread at least, so the chain doesn’t break easily.

How to make the conversion:

Cut the bra strap off just above the joint of the cup (front) and the strap, about 1cm away from the cup. If there is some stitching that you can easily undo, do that instead, using a seam ripper.

If the strap is “like a tube” when you press it from the sides: (method 1)

1. Try to push about 5mm of the strap into the tube - hiding the raw edge.
2. Push the end of a ribbon into the tube and sew securely in place. If you can, you could also hide the loop’s “back end” inside the tube. Be sure to sew in place very securely with small stitches



3. Sew the eye of the hook and eye to the joint in the shoulder strap, so the eye is towards the attachment.
4. Push the raw edge of the cup-end of the shoulder strap 5mm into the “tube” coming from the cup, sew in place.
5. Sew the hook securely to the cup-end of the strap, making sure the hook faces up and towards the body.
6. Hook the hook into the eye. You could pin the ribbon to the cup just below the hook, just to keep it in place for a bit.
7. Turn the cup inside out and stretch over your knee or something round to take the form it would when you are wearing it.
8. Pull the loose end of the ribbon loosely towards the bottom of the cup. About a 1/4th of the way from the “underarm position. This extension to the strap will help keep the bra’s shoulder strap over your shoulder whilst feeding.
9. Attach the ribbon securely to the seam or elastic passing under the bust. Trim off excess ribbon and finish neatly.
10. Follow the same steps with the other side.

If you just have a flat elastic shoulder strap: (method 2)

1. Put the end of the ribbon on the end of the shoulder strap, with the ribbon on the “nice side” of the strap. Let the ribbon overlap about 2cm. Sew the ribbon to the strap about 1 cm from the raw edge of the shoulder strap.
2. Fold the overlapping ribbon 5mm to the inside. Then fold it again over the raw edge of the bra strap. You want it to form a little pouch for the edge of the elastic. Sew in place with small stitches.
3. You could also make a similar “cover” for the cup-end of the strap.
4. Sew the hook securely to the cup-end of the strap, making sure the hook faces up and towards the body.
5. Hook the hook into the eye. You could pin the ribbon to the cup just below the hook.
6. Turn the cup inside out and stretch over your knee or something round to take the form it would when you are wearing it.



7. Pull the loose end of the ribbon loosely towards the bottom of the cup. About a 1/4th of the way from the “underarm position. This extension to the strap will help keep the bra’s shoulder strap over your shoulder whilst feeding.
8. Attach the ribbon securely to the seam or elastic passing under the bust. Trim off excess ribbon and finish neatly.
9. Follow the same steps with the other side.

Article Source : http://www.mamasworldwide.com/2009/02/07/how-to-make-a-regular-bra-into-a-nursing-bra/

Why Women Wear Bras

To know whether that bra fits you, ask yourself. How do you feel? Do you feel certain tightness around your breast area? Or is the bra too loose? Every time you lift up your hands your bra follows to go up as well? From these few test, you will be able to judge whether the fit is correct or incorrect. Some bras have under wire and side panels, these can make you uncomfortable because if the fit is not correct, the under wire can poke into your breast tissue and the side panels will depress into your flesh and leave some red sore marks which can be very uncomfortable. Therefore, seek the advice from the professional when choosing your bra.

So, why do women wear bra?

Firstly, it is for support and prevents your breast from sagging. When doing an exercise, ladies with medium and big breast can feel painful especially when they are doing an active exercise such as running, jumping and many other active activities. Proper fit bras for medium and big breast is important here. Remember to give your breast some breeding space by removing your bra when you are at home or sleeping.

Whether you like it or not, gravity is always there so by wearing your bra everyday does not prevent sagging. Sagging still takes place eventually. Reason is that breasts has ligaments, and bodily ligaments can atrophy when not in use, same goes to the breast ligaments when under artificial support which is your bra, can result in increased sagging. If you put on an incorrect fitting bra, this will force your breast tissue to move away from its original place to your underarm, back or tummy, eventually giving you an out of shape breast.

Second, some ladies feel indecent for not wearing a bra. They feel that their breast is an organ that must be covered and hidden. There are some other ladies who feel sexy and proud of their breasts without a bra. These ladies will show as much as they can without bras on.

Some ladies will follow the Company rules on dress code therefore these ladies must put on your bra. It is the common reason for wearing a bra.

A nursing bra. New nursing moms will need to wear this nursing bra otherwise their milk will start to leak out onto their blouse and is very visible. Nursing bra can also cause breast engorgement or pain to the breast. Therefore, do place a towel beneath you during the night so the leakage can flow to the towel.
For those who refuse to have a strap over your shoulder and creating a weight on your shoulder, you can opt for a camisole or a silicon bra. It can hold your breasts looking very elegant and professional at the same time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carole_Sowe

Breastfeeding Baby to Sleep: Is It Really That Bad?

“Don’t nurse that baby to sleep or he won’t ever fall asleep on his own.”

If you ever nursed your baby to sleep, you’ve probably heard this well-meaning (but totally wrong) piece of advice.

I mostly knew this advice was misguided but there were those times–like when my child wouldn’t go to sleep after nursing for 45 minutes–when I start to doubt my ways.

Did I create a monster? Should I have avoiding nursing my son to sleep even though it’s what he wanted/needed?

Don’t feel bad if you nurse your baby to sleep and the situation works for you. Emphasis on you–not your mother, your aunt or some stranger at the grocery store. If you’re happy, continue with it.

All children put themselves to sleep eventually. It’s a developmental milestone they reach on their own, at their own pace.

If, however, nursing your child to sleep isn’t working for your family (it’s making you resentful, you’re feeling exhausted, etc.) then try to slowly transition baby to put herself to sleep. Nurse her until just before she’s asleep. Then transition to nursing her until she’s relaxed.

Incorporate reading a book or singing a song into your bedroom routine. Try to get your child to a comfortable place where she feels secure enough to fall asleep.

This transition may take a while, so be patient. In tough times, remember that children grow up fast and this too will pass.

Article Source : http://sexynursingbra.com/blog/breastfeeding-baby-to-sleep-is-it-really-that-bad/

How to Find a Comfortable Nursing Bra For D Cups and Up

One of the main effects of pregnancy is larger breasts. While some women are thrilled to go up a cup size or two, those of us who already have a large chest may not be so excited. When you are pregnant or nursing, it's very important to keep your breasts healthy and not put too much pressure on your back. The right bra can help you feel 100% more comfortable.

Maternity Bras for Large Breasts
Finding a comfortable nursing bra should start before your baby is born. Around 30 to 32 weeks, your bra size will be about the same as it will be when you're nursing. This is a good time to go nursing bra shopping. Another reason to shop for nursing bras while you are pregnant is that you can wear them in the third trimester after you have grown out of your regular bras. You should also be sure to buy one nursing bra that is a cup size larger than you are at 30 weeks, or one that will stretch to fit a larger size. Right after birth, your breasts will be "engorged" with milk. You will need a larger bra during this time.

Buying a Supportive Nursing Bra
Buying a nursing bra for large breasts is similar to buying a properly fitted bra when you are not nursing. The best way to find a perfect nursing bra is to get advice from a professional bra fitter. It is better to be fitted by an experienced fitter in a specialty store, not at a chain store. If you don't have time to go for a fitting or do not live near a quality bra store, here is how you can check to make sure you are wearing the correct size:

Step one: Check your band size. The bra band should make a straight line across your back and feel snug. If the bra band rides up, that means the bra is too loose. While you might thing that a loose bra is more comfortable, that's actually not true. Women with large breasts need a tight bra band to hold their bust in place. If the bra is too loose, it will pull down on your shoulder straps - ouch! Most women go up one band size or less after having a baby. So, if you were a 36 band before you were pregnant, you would probably be a 36 or 38 band when you are nursing. If your bra band is digging into your sides or leaving marks on your back, you should try a larger size.

Step two: Check your cup size. Try on a bra in your correct band size. If the cup size is correct, the cups of the bra should fit all of your breast tissue. You should never have a bulge at the top or sides of the cup. Wearing the right bra size is extremely important when you are pregnant. If your bra cup is too tight, it will put pressure on your breasts and can interfere with milk production. Keep going up to larger cup sizes until you find a size that can hold all of your bust without "spilling out". Don't worry about what letter size you have to wear - it is better to have a G cup bra that fits perfectly than a D cup bra that hurts you. Don't go up to a higher band size! This will just give you less support.

Try a Stylish Nursing Bra!
When you are taking care of a baby, it's easy to forget about taking care of yourself. One way you can feel great while you're nursing is to indulge in a pretty and flattering nursing bra. Bra companies today make much prettier nursing bras than they did even just a few years ago. Having a sexy nursing bra in your drawer is a great pick-me-up on bad days.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Becker