‘Over-the-top’ Comfort with Bravado Nursing Bras

When I was pregnant, I woefully underestimated how many nursing bras I would need. I thought I’d buy myself a few and keep washing and wearing on rotation and that would do me for however long I successfully fed for. But, if you’ve got experience of breastfeeding, you’ll know it’s not that simple! Firstly, my boobs have been ALL sorts of crazy sizes over the last eighteen months. There’s no way I could have gotten away with wearing the same size this whole entire time. The size varies throughout the day, let alone on a month by month basis depending on how much Pickle is feeding. And secondly, some of them really don’t last very long – some of the cheaper ones I bought started to look pretty grim and gruesome after a few washes and they’re definitely not doing much supporting anymore… so when Bravado offered me some of their Bravado nursing bras that have some degree of size-flexibility and look top quality to review – I leaped at the chance! And I’m a little gutted I didn’t find out about them earlier, to be honest.

I’m at a stage in breastfeeding where I’m not feeding as much in the day as I used to, so I can just about get away with wearing a ‘normal’ bra if I wanted to – the only time I tend to feed in the day now is at home before his nap so I’m not needing to worry about being discreet in public, but because of the aforementioned fluctuating size issue, some days I find my ordinary bras comfortable and sometimes, they’re wildly the wrong size and it’s not pleasant to wear… so especially on days when I’m feeling a bit tired and run down, it’s ALL about choosing underwear that is comfortable and boy, do these Bravado bras fit the bill when it comes to comfort.

Both bras, the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra (currently available in 9 colours) and the Body Silk Seamless Yoga Nursing Bra (available in 3 colour choices) are described on the website as being ‘over-the-top’ comfy, and I’d agree! I love that it doesn’t really feel like I’m wearing anything, and the seamless shape means there are no lumps and bumps showing through my clothes like some other nursing bras I have. Don’t be fooled by the images either – without photographing myself in my undies (and trust me, no one wants to see that right now!), this style of photographs isn’t showing them off to their full potential. They look a little bit… old-fashioned? But it doesn’t feel like that when I’m wearing them. And they give me a much better shape than some other bras I’ve tried (cheap rubbish ones from New Look – I’m looking at you).

Both bras have clips at the top, and for once, they genuinely only need one-hand! Perfect for me now that Pickle is becoming quite the wriggler and acrobat. It means once he’s finished, I can stop him from diving off the chair with one hand, whilst clipping myself back up with the other. The bras don’t have an a-frame, which I used to really like when Pickle was younger as I felt a little more ‘covered’ when feeding out and about but seeing as that’s not really a concern anymore, it’s not an issue for me.

Both bras have a foam pad that can be inserted or removed, and whilst I don’t feel I need the ‘padding’ in the same way as I used to wear padded bras before, these pads are brilliant as they help to maintain a smooth appearance under clothing. And, if you have a little unexpected ‘leak’ (we’ve all been there… I became a human fountain one week after our swimming class when all the babies were having a cry!), these have got you covered – literally.

The Yoga bra also comes with a clip to convert it into a racer back – perfect for sportswear! Although I haven’t tried it yet, both bras come with a kit to convert them into ‘normal’ bras once you’re done with nursing, so they’ll last longer than you’re breastfeeding/maternity journey but… I love them so much that I’ll be saving them for the next pregnancy and feeding round! The quality is that good that I’ll know they’ll last.

The only thing I’d say against them is that they do sit quite high – which means, I’ve often got a bit of bra on show if I wear certain tops with them. As I’m typing this, I’m wearing a cheap vest top from Primark and there’s a sizeable amount of bra on show (in the Seamless Nursing Bra)… but you know what? It doesn’t actually bother me. Maybe I’m that stage of sleep deprivation where just putting clean clothes on feels like a victory regardless of how much bra is on show, but it’s really the least of my worries right now. That said, if that kind of thing annoys you… maybe it’s best to steer clear or save them for when you’ve got high-necked garments to wear.

Thank you Bravado. I’m ‘over-the-top’ delighted with my bras, and I hope that they’ll continue to make me happy for however long I breastfeed with Pickle, before I put them away ready for wear for any future babies…! If you’re reading this and wondering whether this a worthwhile investment for yourself, don’t just take my word for it – Lucy over at Real Mum Reviews also tested some Bravado Nursing Bras out and has written a glowing report too!

Disclaimer: I was sent both of these bras from Bravado in exchange for a review on the blog. That said, the opinions expressed here are still my own and, as always, remain 100% honest.