I have a serious problem with most nursing lingerie. Particularly since I've been wearing it for about 4-1/2 years. And, aside from the beautiful options S. has made it her quest to find, this stuff is ugly, and not all that functional in a non-puritan's wardrobe of drapey, bosom-baring and otherwise skimpy in some way, tops.
I mean, why do most nursing bras cover you to your collar bones? Is a little jiggle not okay once you're a mama? Is showing cleavage, even if it is lactation-induced, a no-no? (BOOOO! from the Hub's peanut gallery.) And why is it so difficult to find a nursing bra that can be worn with (gasp!) tanks and racerbacks? I mean, these are--ahem--assets, purchased not with cash, but (literally) with blood, sweat and tears, so I think we mamas have earned a right to work it for all it's worth while we've got it, which is why I was THRILLED when I gift card power-shopped the Motherhood Maternity section of a Babies-R-Us a few weeks ago and found this cheapy little gem, which, for some crazy reason, is not even advertised as a convertible nursing bra.
Up until now, I've been pulling down (and ruining--with multiple pulls, the edges start to bulge and create a distinct line under t-shirts and tanks) non-nursing Target t-back and racerback bras. But with a nice, not-too-bulky, smooth, molded lining; demi cup; supportive, three-hook band; slim straps, and the ability to convert the bra to a racer back by hooking one strap to the other with a hook and o-ring setup (it does not convert to a strapless, but I was at a loss to explain the mechanics of it), the Motherhood Maternity Demi Underwire Nursing Bra - $22, has become my go-to nursing/t-shirt and tank bra as the weather warms up. If you don't believe me, look very closely at the model shot from the back--on the left-hand strap, you can see a hook on the left-hand o-ring, which you can clip to the right-hand o-ring, creating the best (and only, actually) racerback nursing bra I've found.
Check it out in the pic above--not a sign of bra line, even in a super-generously cut C&C California racerback. Whilst watching a storm roll in and nursing the babe to boot. Snap it up mamas, but be sure to try it on in-store or order multiple sizes to return--the bra is truly fabulous for summer, but sizing is wicked-wonky and runs small.
xo,
- M.
