As a long time pumping mom who has recently started nursing with my third baby, I am very familiar with nursing and pumping bras that are comfortable for all day wear. I've tried some cheapies from Amazon and was not comfortable in those for very long!
Here are my reviews on the very popular styles like the Amelia Cami and Riley Bralettefrom Davin and Adley!
I have a very clear favorite, but I do have others that I rotate through. I don’t often leave the house so when I’m at home, I just wear my crop Cami nursing/pumping bras by themselves with high waisted pants and it is a very comfortable "stay at home mom vibe!"
As busy moms, when we add pumping to our routine, it complicates things a little bit. The last thing we need is to add another step like changing into a special pumping bra every single time, this is why I think it’s very important that the pumping bra that you have is comfortable for all day wear.
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When I first started pumping with my second baby, I had bought the cheapest bra I could find on Amazon because I didn’t want to spend very much money. I knew for sure I needed one because when I had my first baby, I did not buy one, and I sat there holding the flanges with my hands, and it was so frustrating. It was one of the many reasons I gave up pumping.
Now, let me tell you about that cheap Amazon one that I bought. It was not very comfortable, did not look very flattering, and had really ugly seams, and actually wore out surprisingly quickly. Not comfortable for sleep, and had spillage if I laid on my side (I'm a side sleeper!) The elastic stretched out, and it did not have the same secure flange hold that it did when I first bought it. I won’t name the brand, but I will say that it was from Amazon and only cost about $20. I did buy three of them right off the bat thinking It was a good deal and I would need to have one to wear, one in the wash, and a spare.
Not too long after, I decided that I would spend a little bit more money on something that was better quality and lasted me longer. I spent a good amount of time looking around and one of the top recommended bras at the time was the Amelia Cami by David and Adley. Full price they are about $50, so I was originally really hesitant because I didn’t have much money. I ended up buying one from their sale section of the older 1.0 version, just to test the waters.
I ended up loving it so much that I turned around and bought two more right away. As a busy mom and exclusive pumper, I needed to have a spare bra at all times in case mine was too dirty to carry on. I have since purchased every new color that has been released because they are truly what I wear as a shirt all day every day. Here is a photo of what they look like being used with flanges for pumping! There are currently 10 color options of the regular 2.0 Amelia Cami.
This color is "Mocha"
The main feature that I love is that the material is very soft, but also has a gentle compression for support. It’s comfortable enough to sleep in without feeling constricted, but supportive enough that you’re not falling all over the place. There is no spillage at all if you sleep on your side!
These are excellent for nursing, you can pull down the slider with one hand, with easy access for baby to latch on. They are also amazing for pumping because all you have to do is lift up the flap, insert the flanges into the slits, and pull the flap back down for a secure hold. When I used these after my second baby, I was an exclusive pumper so I only had experience pumping in them. I have since had my third baby and nurse him, so I know they're great for nursing as well! Here's a photo of the Amelia being used for nursing.
This color is "Cream"
For nursing, you use the slider (located on the strap) and pull it down to loosen the side you want to nurse on, and just literally stretch it down. It's so easy you can do it one handed, there are no nursing clips!
They have a few different styles available in the Amelia line, my favorite is the standard 2.0 Cami version above, followed by the swim/active versions in both printed patterns and ribbed. I like the active versions because the material is just a little bit thicker than the standard 2.0 version and feels almost like a sports bra. The swim/active camis are available in 3 prints, and 2 colors of ribbed racerback.
This is one of the printed swim camis, in "Leopard".
This is the Ribbed version, that has a racerback. This color is "Hot Coral".
I would also like to note how convenient it is that the active Amelia Cami version has chlorine protection so you can wear it in the swimming pool, and then pump right after if you needed to. I don’t see very many breastfeeding/pumping friendly, swimming tops, that have pumping access, so that is really cool to me.
There is one more version that is a full length tank if you don’t like a cropped cami, and I do like those ones a lot as well they all of these fit me through my entire pregnancy with my third baby, and have held up over a year of regular use with no signs of wear and tear. The tanks come in 5 different neutral colors.
This color is "Stone".
In addition to the Amelia, the recently released Riley Bralette is another favorite of mine underneath a regular shirt. It has very beautiful lace detail, and that same easy nursing access with the one-handed slider, and very secure flange slits. This is another one that is so comfortable you can wear it all day without feeling constricted at all. The Riley is a collaboration with one of my favorite brands, Mimi and pal. Available in two colors, here's how the Riley looks:
During my third pregnancy, on days where I would wear a dress and it was really hot outside (and I did not want to wear a crop Cami underneath) I would wear the Ella Bralette. That one also features gorgeous lace, and is a nice sort of T-shirt style bra, this does not have those one-handed sliders, but it does have magnets that are easy enough to open one-handed with some practice. This is mostly intended for nursing, but is also compatible with flanges, but is not my personal first choice for pumping. I much prefer the Amelia cami flap to pull down. This is available in three colors, here's how the Ella Bralette looks:
This color is "Black"
This is me, 8 months pregnant wearing the Ella under a dress because the double layer of cami and clothes and Minnesota summer humidity was too much! Bump mostly obscured by fanny pack, sorry!
Overall, I believe it is very important to stay comfortable and feel beautiful in your postpartum body, while also having practical access for what you need, whether that be nursing or pumping or both. In my experience, the investment into a more costly bra has been well worth it. I bought three of those very cheap Amazon bras, and they all wore out very quickly all of the same time. I could’ve had one (and a half!) nicer bras for the cost of three cheap ones that ended up in the garbage. I would have donated them but they were literally useless with stretched out elastic and falling apart.
My final two cents, if you have the money to buy a nicer bra, do it. You truly get what you pay for in quality with some of those cheaper Amazon brands, and I would personally rather have something that will last that cost a little bit more money, than something that will fall apart shortly after I bought it and you can’t return it or get a refund.
One of my favorite things about the brand that I shop from is that she offers one-on-one size consult if you need help. I wear a large in the Amelia Cami and a medium in other styles and she has helped me with my measurements every time I need to buy something new. I highly recommend reaching out if you’re not sure about your size, that is another thing that the Amazon bra will not do for you.
If you want to check out any of my favorite bras from Davin and Adley, you can use the discount code TEACHINGMOTHERHOOD for 10% off!
Check out some of my related posts for more info on milk supply and exclusive pumping!
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