What to look for in a Nursing Sports Bra?
Gone are the days of having to squeeze a boob out of the bottom of your super tight sports bra to feed your screaming baby in the middle of a workout…and thank God for that!! We’re living for the awesome range of nursing sports bras that are available these days.
Just like regular nursing bras, we know how tricky it can be to find the right sports bra. So what are you after? A high impact bra? Something for a Mums and Bubs yoga class? A bra that’s great for bigger busted women? Something to really hold the girls in place? We’ve got you covered...both in terms of options and literally, having you covered!
The Differences.
If you’re contemplating just wearing your regular bra or your pre-pregnancy sports bras rather than investing in a maternity sports bra that’s okay too. But let us break down the features of a maternity sports bra for you. Firstly, most of the sports bras we stock don’t have any underwire so they’re about one thousand times more comfortable than a regular bra! Don’t stress though! That doesn’t mean minimal support. You’ll actually find that the band under your bust is quite thick. This gives your bust all the support you need.
If your breasts have grown what feels like ten-fold during pregnancy, you may be feeling all the feels, aches and pains that come with that extra weight. So, to combat this, most of the sports bras also feature wider straps and bands than regular bras. Trust us, this is totally what you need to help evenly spread the weight and strain on your back and shoulders.
And, like all maternity bras you have more hooks on which to do your bra up on as your rib cage expands. All of the bras also feature clips that make breastfeeding discrete and easy. So really, it’s win/win all round with maternity sports bras!
Why and when should I get a nursing sports bra?
There’s no hard and fast rule here. If you’re continuing to exercise during your pregnancy and your regular sports bras aren’t keeping up with you, this might be a good time to have a look at sports bras. Likewise, if you’ve had bub and want to get back into exercise – even just for walks – then now is as good a time as any to get you a new bra. Plus, it’s probably, definitely scientifically proven that new active wear motivates you to exercise…or something along those lines, right?!
The last thing you want while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding is a bra that’s too tight and squashes the girls flat, isn’t supportive, doesn’t decrease bounce and doesn’t help alleviate back pain. If your current bra happens to fit in any one of those categories, bin it, burn it or if you’re not feeling that dramatic, just tuck it away in a draw for another time and check out the range of maternity and nursing sports bras that we’ve got for you.
How do I know which sports bra is best for me?
This will depend on what size bra you’re currently wearing. If you’re not sure, you’ll need to measure yourself.
- Start by ensuring you aren’t wearing a bra with underwire or padding.
- Grab a tape measure, a pen and paper, a mirror and get acquainted with yourself.
- To measure your band size, firmly wrap the measuring tape under your bust. You’ll want this to be nice and straight all the way around your ribcage.
- To work out the correct cup size, use the tape to gently measure around the fullest part of your bust – usually that’s from your nipple line, all the way around you. If you’re bulging over the top and bottom of the measuring tape, it’s too firm. You want a relaxed measure on this one, not a firm one.
Also importantly, pay attention to the sizing info specific to each bra. Where we find that people generally size up or down in certain styles, we’ll make a note of it so look out for those handy hints.
Now that you’ve got your size sorted, check out the comparison table to make sure all your boxes are ticked.
So whether you’re wanting something for yoga and then a coffee catch up with friends, a bra that’ll support you when you go hard at the gym or simply a seriously comfy bra that’ll act as the best wing woman to your boobs, you can’t go past the range we have online and in store.
Click the images to see some of our favourite sports bras.