Celebrity Baby Blog Reviews

Bravado! Designs: Tanks for the mammaries!

Okay, it’s no surprise that a baby would love a nursing top -- it gives her easy access to the things she loves most. But it is a surprise when she really, truly loves the top. When I wear my gorgeous new Nursing Bra Tank ($45; shown at left) by Bravado! Designs I swear to you my 4-month-old daughter’s eyes light up.

And when you add up the facts, you really can’t blame her -- the new sunset splash color is brilliant and very 'this season,' the cut and design are ridiculously flattering (I really didn’t know I could look this good!), and the full bra inside -- not just a shelf bra -- supports and shapes like you wouldn’t believe. It would seem my wee girl knows a thing or two about function and fashion. She makes her mama proud.

My favorite ... nursing bras

I am often asked about my favorite nursing bras but bras are like shoes -- everybody's got a different pair and therefore different needs. For example, I have a high instep and arches that kind of flatten out (but I'm not flat-footed) so shoes that are really comfortable for me might not be for you. So I can tell you what worked for me in the nursing bra department.

I was always well-endowed in the chest department despite my short stature, and after giving birth, my boobs settled down into a 34DD-DDD. Nursing bras are kind of like regular bras -- a huge selection of cute ones for smaller cup sizes but if you are bustier, you're limited to grandma-like styles. However, this IS changing and towards the end of nursing, I started finding a larger selection of prettier bras. (Now I'm down to a smaller size, perhaps 34D-DD.)

Here were my favorites:

Le Mystere Florence Underwire Nursing Bra style 161 (left, $52)
Hands down my favorite nursing bra. Made of lace and cotton, it is very supportive, comfortable and even a little sexy.
Grenier Mater Nursing Bra ($36) 
Cotton underwire with a smidgeon of lace.  My third favorite bra.
Eve Alexander Lycra Nursing Bra ($30-38)
Really supportive for a soft cup bra.
Eve Alexander Lace Nursing Bra ($30-38)
Very pretty, comes in white with pink or black.
Bravado Designs Nursing Bra ($36)
A great comfortable bra for your pregnancy and early nursing days, especially to wear to bed.  I didn't find the larger sizes to be supportive enough for going out of the house but I will wore them at home when my other bras are in the wash.
Elle Macpherson Intimates Maternelle non-underwire drop cup bra ($50)
I really liked this bra but it is cut pretty high in front.
Anita Nursing Bra style 5075 ($39)
I had a whole bunch of these  and loved them.

What are your favorite nursing bras?

Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra: The perfect nursing bra to add to your collection

I have long been a fan of Bravado’s nursing bras. I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for more than three years now and I have been wearing Bravado from the very start. I started with an Original Basic nursing bra while I was pregnant with my first son and have loved Bravado ever since. Since then I have added several more Originals, basic and plus styles, and Nursing Tanks and they have been my long time favorites. Now, I've added the new Body Silk Seamless nursing bra to that list and I love it. It has the same full drop away cup and great fit that I love in my other Bravado bras plus a few new additions that make it exceptional.

Bravado says that it’s “designed to melt into your body” and it does. I love wearing it because it is so comfortable. The fabric is soft and stretchy and the straps are just wide enough to be comfortable and stay put. It looks nice too. If it didn’t have the clips for the drop away cups, you probably wouldn’t know it’s a nursing bra. And it does have a seamless look too, aided by the removable molded foam pads that give a thicker cup to hide any bumps underneath, even breast pads. The clips really are one handed and easy to open and close. It is also shaped like a regular bra, so it looks good under clothing without showing (like the racer-back of the Original tends to do in some tops). Another thing I really like is that it is sized S- XL, which, like the Original, offers a wider size range per bra as opposed to regular bra sizing. It makes it so much easier to use the bra throughout pregnancy and after, as well as the size variations of nursing.

The new Body Silk Seamless nursing bra is just that -- seamless under clothes, silky soft and a joy to wear.  It’s so comfortable and invisible that nobody, not even you, will know you’re wearing it. Visit www.bravadodesigns.com to see more about this great bra, as well as all of the other wonderful Bravado products.  Also visit the site to enter Bravado’s $1000 prize pack contest through 11 AM  January 31, 2008.

La Leche League International Nursing Bras: I Love, Love, Love these bras!

I love the La Leche League International Intimates by Q-T’s Nursing Tank. It is now, by far, my favorite nursing tank and I have tried nearly every one there is.  I am actually wearing it right now because I wear it every second that I can. The poor thing is constantly in and out of the wash because I can’t bear to be without it. It is perfect in every category: fit, style, comfort and functionality. I can be hard to fit because I have a very long waist and very narrow shoulders, but this fits perfectly. It’s long enough to cover even my stomach without being too long. My other long tank constantly rolls up, but this stays put. The fabric is super soft and stretchy and I love the way it looks. It has a very flattering shape and cute elastic straps that are extremely comfortable. They never slip off my shoulders, which is a very rare thing for me.

Most important, of course, is function and this is what I love most about it. It is superb in use. It is my favorite top to wear, bar none. I really do wear it all the time. It is the very best thing I’ve found for nursing in public.  It’s great on the train, sitting in a restaurant and walking through the grocery store. The hooks are easy to fasten and refasten with one hand, but the best part is what’s under the flap. Instead of a full drop away cup, which I usually prefer, or a circular opening, there is an overlapping slit opening. This is such a great idea. You can open it all the way for more access or keep it open just enough so that your baby has access while you are well covered. I mean really well covered. In fact when my sons pops off and on, as he constantly does now, I can just pop one side of the inside layer back and forth easily while leaving the main cup unhooked. It avoids situations where I’m sitting on a bench or walking down the street feeding him in a carrier fully exposed or having to constantly hook and rehook because he’s decided something else is more interesting for a moment or two over and over and over.  I nurse everywhere and usually don’t feel uncomfortable, but on the rare occasion that I do, this solves the problem without having to resort to a nursing cover or blanket. I just can’t say enough good things about this tank.

I’ve also been lucky enough to try two other bras from their expanded nursing line, the Pullover Sports Bra  and the Strapless Nursing Bra. Both are great ideas, very comfortable to wear and easy to use. If I weren’t wearing the tank all the time I’d wear the pullover sports bra more often.  It offers the same easy clasp as the tank, but with wider straps, a racer back and tons of support.  It really is comfortable and I’ve never really been a big fan of sports bras.  The Strapless version is a pullover tube style that lifts up to expose the interior nursing opening and support. It comes with clear straps and has removable pads that give it a seamless look. It’s also comfortable and I haven’t seen another strapless nursing bra. I love strapless bras because of my narrow shoulders and the resulting strap problems, but even without that it’s great to have a strapless option. 

All three of these, along with a wide selection of other items, including many other nursing bras and sleepwear can be found at www.llliclothes.com. All LLLI Intimates by Q-T nursing bras come with a  nursing reminder bracelet marked with the La Leche League International logo that you can use to remind you which side your’re nursing on or just to hold your hair back. The fabulous selection of nursing bras offers something for every situation. Plus a portion of all proceeds goes to LLLI to support breastfeeding worldwide.

Especially for CBB readers: Go to www.llliclothes.com and use code 4d5916 to get 10% off all 3 items I've reviewed through February 15, 2008.

La Leche League International Introduces Nursing Bras & Intimates

When it comes to expectant mothers and exercise, many pregnancy women begin wearing nursing bras during their pregnancy as their breasts increase in size and comfort and support is of the utmost importance.  When it comes to the 4 F’s --- fashion, fit, function and fun --- the new line of La Leche League International Nursing Bras & Intimates (LLLI Intimate Apparel) is designed for the 21st century woman and her nursing needs. 

Today’s nursing mom has a busy “on the go” lifestyle, often combining work and an active schedule.  LLLI Intimate Apparel includes sports bras, hands-free pump bras, and plunge bras that offer day to night choices with great fit and ease in nursing. The line also includes matching panties.

La Leche League International is synonymous with breastfeeding.  For 50 years, the non-profit organization has been improving breastfeeding rates throughout the world via support groups and educational initiatives.  According to the CDC’s 2005 National Immunization Survey, 72% of all US infants were breastfed at some point.  With that in mind, breastfeeding mothers will benefit from the comfort and convenience of the latest nursing bra designs from QT Intimates, the manufacturer of La Leche League International Nursing Bras & Intimates.

LLLI experts recommend purchasing at least three nursing bras:  one to wear, one for the laundry, one to have ready in the drawer.  With the variety of styles available from LLLI Intimate Apparel, the choices are plentiful.

The new, stylish and affordable LLLI Intimate Apparel collection includes:

Wrap ‘N Snap™ Adjustable Soft Cup Nursing Bra
Snap Front Underwire Nursing Bra
High Impact Sport Pull on Nursing Bra
Low Impact Sport Bra
Mini-Rugby Stripe Soft Cup Nursing Bra
Seamless Microfiber Padded Plunge Nursing Bra
Santoni Strapless Nursing Bra with Removable Clear Straps
Soft Cup Patented Hands Free Pump Bra

A portion of all proceeds of La Leche League International Nursing Bras & Intimates will benefit La Leche League International in helping breastfeeding mothers and babies worldwide. 

To learn more about LLLI Intimate Apparel, visit www.LLLIbras.com.   

To learn more about LLL International, visit www.llli.org. 

Bravado! Designs: The perfect nursing bras

When I was first trying to get the hang of nursing, the last thing I needed to worry about was finding a good bra so I made sure to invest in an Original Nursing Bra from Bravado! Designs. 

Perfect for the first several months of breastfeeding when it seems like breasts are changing size every hour (and they are!), this bra offers super-comfortable support while you are still establishing your breastfeeding relationship with your baby. I had a severe oversupply and I loved that this bra never felt tight on me (which is something that you want from a nursing bra in order to prevent mastitis). I have been nursing for well over a year now and this, my first nursing bra ever, has withstood hundreds of washings. Bravado! sent me a new one of these bras in the cutest leopard print. I have to say I would never have picked this print out for myself but I love it. I feel very rocker mom when I am wearing it.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Britney Spears are both fans of the Original Nursing Bra.

Recently I also received the Essential Nursing Bra Tank. Until now I had only tried two other nursing tanks: the Target brand and the Motherhood Maternity one. I liked the Target one just fine but didn’t feel that it offered enough support for my large chest. I did not like the Motherhood Maternity one at all. It was way too tight and was a recipe for a breast infection.

The Essential Nursing Bra Tank is great. Not only does it have a molded, seamless bra on the inside that offers great support and shapes you nicely, but the design is really cute. It kind of gathers at the cleavage area and the nursing clips are really subtle (you wouldn’t even know they were nursing clips if you weren’t a savvy nursing mama yourself) but still easy to access. I can wear it as a shirt and no one is the wiser. I really love it.  My one complaint is that they don’t make it in sizes larger than an E (DD) but hopefully by the time I get pregnant again they will have come out with larger sizes. I do plan on nursing through my next pregnancy and I would happily wear one of these everyday (the sizing is flexible so it’ll fit a growing belly) if they have it in my size by then!

Angelina Jolie is a fan of the Essential Nursing Bra Tank. She has a few in white, and as you have probably already noticed, many in black.

I also received the Lifestyle Microfiber Bra (in hot pink – I love it!). This bra is great and I love wearing it to work. It’s seamless so you can’t tell that I’m wearing a nursing bra under my fitted shirts. Moms tell the people at Bravado! that this bra makes them feel sexy for the first time after having their babies and I concur.

Jennifer Garner is a huge fan of the Lifestyle Microfiber Bra having reordered it several times.

One more thing that I love about these bras is that it helps to know that I’m wearing a bra from a company that supports breastfeeding through year-round donations of products, gift certificates or money to various organizations and events that support breastfeeding. Product seconds (bras that are perfect to the naked eye but, for minor reasons, don’t meet the company’s strict quality standards for sale) are donated to women’s shelters, and fabric scraps are donated to elementary schools for craft projects. I’m a huge supporter of breastfeeding so I love knowing that some of the money I am spending on nursing bras is giving back to the cause.

All of these bras and more can be bought through the Bravado! Designs website at www.bravadodesigns.com or at various retail locations acrossNorth America. Check the store locator to find the one nearest you.