Thank you, Belibea, for sponsoring this post, The Joys of Pumping and Nursing with Belibea. I was selected for this opportunity by Belibea; the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Nursing. I have such a love-hate relationship with it. And here's why...
It's beautiful. It's painful. It creates this ridiculous inseparable bond that I never knew existed. A bond that makes my body required to drop everything when it is time to eat regardless of sleep. It's hard work. It creates resilience. It builds perseverance. It takes commitment without wavering. It provides so many hours for just me and my baby. It's requires to carry a pump... and all of its parts... and all of that milk through life whenever I'm not with my baby (vacations, work travels, date nights, everywhere). It makes me feel like super woman.
There are so many ups and downs with nursing, but the one thing that I did not invest in my first time around with Ollie was some good nursing bras.
There was so many different new things to buy with the first baby. Diapers, wipes, cribs, those really important milestone blankets... So I just put myself on the back burner and assumed I could return to my normal bras soon. I was so wrong.
So when I went out to grab a few nursing bras, I found some that fit "okay" on the clearance rack at Target and was done. I also thought nursing bras were all pretty much the same -- if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. But now I know different. I created a great relationship with Belibea Bras during my last month with Ollie. They sent me a nursing tank and I instantly fell in love. So with Lillie, BeliBea sent me their the nursing bra, and oh my goodness, it is so different than others I’ve used.
To start, it fits. Ha! Like, it really fits well. My "last minute fix" bras from the clearance racks did not. They were too small at first, and then as my milk supply dropped, they were obviously too big. They also all had underwire, which left me with clogged ducts and in fear of getting mastitis. So the first thing I noticed when I put on my Nourish bras were how well supported I felt and how snug it felt regardless if I was about to nurse or had just finished nursing. Even without underwire, these bras feel secure and comfortable.
I’m also not a fan of the way nursing bras tend to look under shirts. Many of them have a similar feel to sports bras and have little to no padding in them. I'm smaller chested so I just feel better with a bit of padding myself. While these bras do not necessarily create the same look as the bras I wear when not nursing, it is a big step up from most of my nursing bras. I feel like I can wear it when I’m going out to any sort of event without feeling like my bra looks deflated in my underwire ones or like a sports bra in my other options.
As a working mom, the thing that I love most about these bras is their unique functionality. At first look, Belibea Bras are just nursing bras; however, they also provide a built-in hands-free pump layer as well. The layer most immediately against my skin has an opening to hold the breast shield when pumping. This is huge for me. As I work during the day, I can easily use it as a pumping bra as I continue with my emails or whatever. Then at night, I do not have to change bras into a regular functioning nursing bra to nurse Lillie. It does all of these without adding any additional bulk! It’s also possible to unhook each side differently so you can nurse on one side and pump on the other. Super handy!
These are the first bras (or tanks) I reach for when I finish the laundry each week. They are comfortable and make it so easy to nurse in. I live in these things, and feel like they are a staple for any new momma that plans on nursing!
To Learn More About Belibea Bra
If you would like to learn more about Belibea bras, tanks, or their other products, definitely check out their website or social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. They also run a ton of giveaways with other amazing brands quite often -- like the one running on my Instagram starting tomorrow! Go check it out!
To Purchase
If you’d like to order one for yourself, they can be purchased directly or from Amazon. Gift cards are also available for shower gifts, which is super handy if you don't know somebody's size but still want to gift them something unreplaceable!
