nursing bras + Tanks
Nursing bras are almost universally unflattering and weird, but here's what I learned along the way! A note on something I wish I'd done: buy nursing bras instead of regular bras as I needed larger bra sizes during pregnancy. Instead, I bought larger regular bras, and I ended up only wearing those for a few months of my pregnancy, because once I was done with nursing bras, I went back to my original, smaller regular bras.
sleep bras
Functionally I needed and used sleep bras, but I didn't find a great one until very late in the game. Originally, I had the Lamaze ones, which were of the quality of a Jockey training bra (thin cotton, not great for support/shaping, itchy elastic edges), but those were at least better than the La Leche League sleep bras, which were an extremely thin, cheap material and extra itchy on the elastic bands. The favorites I finally found were Kindred Bravely (thick, soft cotton that provides actual support), the Bravado Body Silk Yoga Nursing bra and this seamless Rosie Pope bra.
daytime nursing bras
Cake Lingerie and Bravado are my favorite brands for nursing bras. I also have a cute Cosabella one, though the Cosabella one doesn't have back clasps (as in, you pull it on over your head), which was sort of annoying. For more support, get the Anita Underwire 5035.
nursing tanks
I wore nursing tank tops at home and out in the real world, either as part of my PJs or as a layer to create privacy while nursing in public (if you lift up your top layer, the nursing tank keeps your tum-tum covered). Depending on the level of support you need, you can use nursing tanks exclusively and in place of nursing bras -- in that case, Rosie Pope nursing camis are a great option because they are more like lingerie than the other brands. I also loved the Cake Lingerie Shaping Nursing Tank to wear in place of a nursing bra and as a layer under regular clothes (it does an incredible job of Spanx-ing the post-baby tummy). For cozier times at home or to wear as PJs, my top pick were the Gillian & O'Malley nursing tanks from Target. They are a nice, soft, stretchy cotton, and while the pic below shows one with buttons, they have lots of styles without buttons as well. Note that I do not recommend the Lamaze nursing tanks -- cheap-feeling cotton and not very comfortable.
