The magical clasps that hide a mom’s superpower of making milk unclip in a second to allow a baby to latch immediately, makes breastfeeding in public so much easier.
As a First Time Mom (FTM) myself, I knew I had to purchase new bras to accommodate the growing ribs and the swelling breasts. I come from a “small family” of A cups and I never knew I had to purchase these maternity bras, because how big can it become right?
Lo and behold, I was searching for nursing bras in my second trimester and I was so overwhelmed with the options I had! Did I want to get nursing bras or just bigger-sized bras? Can I try these bras before buying them? How much do they cost? Are they comfortable? I had all these questions swelling up in my mind, alongside my pair of unforgiving boobs…
To help you in your search, we surveyed 12 mommies to find out their considerations when choosing a maternity bra and where they bought their bras from. Read on for the 5 best shops to buy a nursing bra in Singapore!
Why You Should Trust Me
Hello! I’m Serene, a mom of 1, and I have been breastfeeding for 23 months (as of Sep 2022)! I do a mix of latching and bottle feeding because I’d like the ease of having to be able to choose between these two. With latching, it meant not having to lug many things out with me, and with bottle feeding, it meant I could let someone else do the feeding while I’m doing something else.
My Breastfeeding Journey
Breastfeeding was something entirely foreign to me. Not only was it portrayed to be painful and a pain in the a$$, but it was also not the most exciting thing from what I heard. Nevertheless, I was still drawn towards the idea of providing for my daughter through my own body. Plus, I could save lots and lots of money without buying formula milk (please cue the budget mommy here).
I was pregnant during COVID times, and the best I could do for myself and my daughter was to attend webinars where I could learn more about breastfeeding – the WHYs and the HOWs. Through my research, I chanced upon Hegen’s webinars (now they hold physical classes in their Lactation Centre) and I was so inspired by Yvon’s (Hegen’s founder) breastfeeding class, I got really excited and told myself that by hook or by crook, I was going to breastfeed!
The Search For The Best Nursing Bra Begins
What’s breastfeeding without the right nursing bra right? I have tried and tested 10+ nursing bras (ranging from $4 to $30+). I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on nursing bras throughout my breastfeeding journey, cursed and swore at some of them because they either went out of shape within a few washes, or they just couldn’t accommodate my swelling and engorged boobs.
Of course, my experience is going to be different from yours, and that’s why together with Nuevamae, we interviewed and surveyed 12 mommies who are or were breastfeeding to gather insights on what worked for them, and what did not. Here, we present to you the most concise, helpful (what we hope!) and honest review about nursing bras.
How To Choose The Right Nursing Bra
We surveyed 12 mamas, and mamas-to-be and here are some of their considerations, in order of importance (from most important to least important).
- Is the bra wireless?
- Does it have good support?
- Is it seamless?
- Is it easy to remove?
- Is it lasting?
- Is there a range of colours to choose from?
- What designs e.g. lacy, are there?
- Is it expensive?
- Is it a nursing bra with easy-to-do undo clasps?
- Is the padding thick enough to possibly hide milk leakage?
- Can I attach flanges to it to make it hands-free and pump-friendly?
- Can I wear it postpartum as a normal bra?
- Can I try them before buying?
Now that you have an idea of the factors to consider, here’s where you can buy nursing bras from!
Random Shopee Brands
5 Stars Shopee Sellers Best Value For Money
Most mommies, including myself, bought their nursing bras from random Shopee brands. You just need to do a search – nursing bras – on their app and you will find tons of them!
A quick search would lead you to nursing bras, which can cost less than $5 and that is so tempting! Personally, I have tried some of these cheap nursing bras from Shopee and mommies whom we surveyed shared the same sentiments as myself. Here are the pros and cons of these nursing bras.
In a nutshell, you are paying for what you get. The price of these bras are probably just one-fifth of the ones out there in the market and as a consumer, I would not expect too much from it and is it still worth every cent? Honestly, yes. I would not expect to use them for long though as constant washing stretches the material and it becomes loose afterwards.
I would say if you’re looking at wearing these just at home, and looking for something comfortable and yet you can nurse in them, this would be a good and cheap option! I do see why mommies mostly purchase nursing bras from here!
EnvyHer’s Embrace Collection
EnvyHer ONE-stop shop with a wide range
Some mommies we interviewed bought nursing bras from EnvyHer and personally, I have purchased their bras from their Embrace collection and I highly recommend their shop and their nursing bras!
They are reasonably priced on average of $25 each and they do run promotions quite often, so the bras can be as cheap as $15-$17! I own about 4 – 5 nursing bras from EnvyHer and I highly recommend the two following!
Our Recommendation:
Embrace – MADY Dual Function Hands-Free Nursing Bralette
This nursing bra works as a pumping bra as well, and that makes pumping so much easier. It can hold the flanges tightly, without feeling any discomfort and makes breastfeeding much more accessible.
I personally recommend this because it can be used as a nursing bra and also a pumping bra! Many hands-free pumping bras like the Maternity Express’ hands-free pumping bra do not allow you to nurse in them and they can feel quite uncomfortable.
Despite the fact that they hold the flanges really tightly, I find them quite uncomfortable and it’s quite troublesome to change your bra when you are pumping. Can you imagine if you have to change your bra every 2-3 hours just because you are pumping?
When I found Envyher’s MADY Handsfree Nursing Bralette, it was like a dream come true! Not only do I nurse in them, I also use them to hold the flanges while pumping. It made life so much easier!
The bras are also made of really good quality and despite wearing them almost everyday (I rotate amongst 3 of them – yes I own all colours!), they lasted in pretty good shape for about 18 months. However, I do not deny that because of the extra flap holding the flanges, it can feel warmer when wearing the bra.
Our Recommendation:
TWO SIDES® Shona Seamless Wire-free T-shirt Nursing Bralette
Made with the softest and higher quality fabric, this breathable bra was my go-to confinement bra. Not only is it highly elastic, it is comfortable on the skin and feels cooling too!
I first bought this bra because I was sick of wearing cotton nursing bras, which can feel so warm during the last trimester (talk about pregnancy heat here! Oh goodness!).
This bra is made of a cotton-lycra mix which feels airy and also, super seamless! This was such a plus point during pregnancy where your clothes start to get a little too tight, and the heat starts building up in your body.
I enjoyed wearing this bra during and after pregnancy, it was my to-go during confinement as the material is much thinner than cotton.
Lovemère Seamless Nursing Bra
Lovemère most comfortable
One-third of the mommies we surveyed bought Lovemère’s Seamless Nursing Bra and they raved about how comfortable it is! I personally own one of theirs too and I can vouch for the comfort and the quality!
Our Recommendation:
LOVEMÈRE Seamless Nursing Bra
This nursing bra’s material is much more durable, with a thicker padding. Moreover, this bra is also more lasting than the cheaper ones from Shopee. You can choose to buy in packs of 2, 3, 5, or 7 (the cheapest per item!).
I personally own their Lovemère Seamless Nursing Bra and they look so similar to the cheap ones I bought from Shopee and of course, I was doubtful if it was worth buying these!
This can go as cheap as $15.70 each (if you buy their pack of 7), which is 3 times more than the ones from Shopee. After buying them, I can vouch for the triple in price because the material is much more durable, and the padding is much thicker. A mommy we surveyed expressed that the thicker padding helped with hiding unexpected milk leakages.
I like how stretchy their material is, as it could accommodate my growing twins in the last trimester and also when I lost weight postpartum. I was surprised that it could still fit me comfortably after losing weight, without it feeling loose! This was my go-to bra when I had to head out because it was so comfortable, held my growing breastfeeding boobs well, and also fitted well under most of my clothings.
Uniqlo & H&M
Uniqlo
UNIQLO most conveniently found
Our Recommendation:
Wireless Bra (Ultra Relax) (With AIRism)
These wireless bras may not be nursing friendly, but they’re soft and comfortable on the skin especially for the growing bump during pregnancy.
Despite not having bras meant specifically for nursing, some mommies still chose to buy these wireless bras from Uniqlo as they’re super comfortable.
Mommies liked that they could enter almost any Uniqlo outlets to try on their bras and purchase them on the spot. I would think that this convenience is very much appreciated especially in your last trimester when walking becomes really tiring!
H&M
H&M most conveniently found
Our Recommendation:
MAMA 2-pack nursing bras
Similar to Uniqlo, many mommies commented that they enjoyed shopping in H&M as they have many outlets in Singapore. Moreover, their shops sell both maternity clothes and maternity undergarments which makes it more convenient for pregnant mommies!
Besides, they sell these maternity wear in packs of 2, 3, and 5, which makes it much more affordable! I can see why mommies love shopping for nursing bras in H&M!
Overall Thoughts on Nursing Bras
These wonder bras transform the way we breastfeed in public, giving us the convenience to exclusively latch our children. To all mommies, comfort is always a priority. I would recommend for all mamas-to-be to try out the bras before purchasing. I have learnt from my mistake of buying online, and not being able to fit nicely in it so I hope you won’t have to make the same mistake.
To end off this post, I would like to give thanks to the sweetest mommies, who did the survey and made this review possible. Thank you mommies!
Frequently Asked Questions About Buying Nursing Bras
When to buy a nursing bra?
I found the need for a nursing bra when my usual pre-pregnancy bras couldn’t fit me anymore. For my experience, that was around the 5th month of pregnancy when I started noticing significant weight increase. That was when I realised my bras were starting to get tight! In my case, I did not lose or gain any weight in my first trimester. I only started gaining weight in my second trimester.
Different bodies react differently, and some mommies might gain weight earlier, while others might even lose weight due to the vomiting/morning sickness. Hence, the question of ‘when to buy’ differs from body to body, so the rule of thumb for myself would be as long as I begin to find my bras a little tight, I would start my search for a nursing bra!
Some of my considerations in buying the bras were
- comfort in the form of breathability
- material: is it stretchy? I would want a bra that could accommodate my growing belly.
- versatility: can I use it postpartum? Since I did not want to waste money on getting bras that I would not use post-pregnancy, I turned to a nursing bra instead of just another bra that fits my growing body.
How to measure nursing bra size?
I would suggest to buy a bigger bra where your current chest size fits the inner most hook. So that you still have that few extra centimetres to play with until you reach the outer most hook.
To save money, I would buy bra extenders to survive the last few weeks of pregnancy and the first few weeks of pregnancy. This is because there is a high chance you will start to lose that pregnancy weight, and you wouldn’t wanna be buying new bras again to fit your smaller frame.
Other Mommies’ Responses
Disclaimer: Nuevamae is not sponsored by any of the mentioned brands or platforms. This article expresses our honest opinion based on our experience and research. Read more about our mission. This article includes affiliate links so we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase via the link.
