Nursing was something I took for granted. It came easy with both boys – then Evelyn was born, and things changed.
It no longer was a no brainer. Suddenly nursing became a chore – one that was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. For those that haven’t followed along, Evelyn was born 3.5 weeks early. A strong 7 lbs 10 oz, baby girl lost that weight quickly.
Having always produced ample milk, I didn’t worry at all. My milk came in as expected and then what I thought was unthinkable happened – it almost just as quickly disappeared. Why? How could the milk that just came in in full force up and go away?
Turns out that my sweet little princess didn’t have a strong enough suck. So she wasn’t stimulating enough milk production. And as all nursing mothers know – it’s a demand as supply relationship. No demand – no supply.
After a week of nothing but nursing, agonizing weigh-ins at the lactation consultant, nursing then pumping, then feeding E with a syringe – like my own baby bird – she finally started to gain. It was a team effort to be honest. EM would bring me a Guinness in bed first thing in the am with a bowl of oatmeal. Trying to help stimulate more production. Then thanks to the amazing encouragement and advice from one mom in particular I learned about power pumping!
Hilary of The Ruff Life, sent me messages of solidarity, as did many other mamas. Hearing that others have gone through the same thing and have persevered was exactly what I needed to hear. Hilary suggested I power pump – something I had never heard of. She mentioned that it helped her in her own bumpy start and that she was now close to a year of exclusively nursing!
(Shoutout to Sebastian for the photobomb via stick)
For those that don’t know – power pumping is a great way to kick-start your supply. For one hour, you pump 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. So it ends up being 30 minutes of nursing and 30 minutes of a break. This was like a nursing jumper cable! The next morning my supply was already close to being fully back. Which for a girl who is used to having oversupply issues, is a great feeling! The milk I once unintentionally took for granted was coming back! I for once was VERY thankful for the feeling of engorgement.
It was smooth sailing from then on out…well sort of.
Nursing is hard enough – natural doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Add the fact that 99% of the nursing bras out their totally and utterly suck – and you have a recipe for MAJOR frustration. Ok, so I can’t say I’ve tried 99% of the nursing bras out there, but I have tried a good amount. Small band and bigger twins = tricky enough to find regular bras, let along nursing bras.
Martina’s biggest bra issue complaints. 1) They NEVER fit right. 2) It’s practically impossible to find my size. Small band and bigger cups – not easy my friends! 3) When you find one that works-ish, it quickly STOPS working. What do I mean? Well, they stretch out. The structured bras gap causing a highly unattractive look under clothes. The unstructured bras stretch out adopting a nursing boob parabola shape. Adios to the days of nice pregnancy boobs. Hello orangutan. 4) Wire bras dig in. 5) Straps are ALWAYS falling.
Enter ThirdLove. A brand created by women FOR women! The first time I heard about this amazing new brand I was in the car with EM. He was listening to Bloomberg when a ThirdLove radio ad came on. It mentioned how women aren’t standard sizes. Revolutionary right?! Well in the bra world it was! What ThirdLove came out with was a solution. HALF BRA SIZES! You heard right ladies! HALF sizes! How many of y’all struggle to find the perfect bra because one size is just too big but the other is just too small. *raises hand*. Now add the dilemma of the nursing bra and we ladies are in a pickle! But being the amazing women that they are, Heidi Zak and Ra’el Cohen came out with a nursing bra! A non ugly nursing bra!
This nursing bra has been a game changer! Honest review. Is it perfect – for me? Not quite, but it is also the best I’ve found!
Now let me expand upon that. The reason it isn’t quite perfect is because, being a small band big boobed mama, I need a half-size that currently doesn’t exist. I personally would need a 34 F1/2. Hopefully as ThirdLove expands their sizes (as they are) they will add this size. For now I will rock my G proudly! The comfort it has given me is truly amazing!
The bra closes in the front, something that is quite nice as the back is then smooth. The straps don’t slip and the bra doesn’t sag. No more parabola boobs! It comes in wire and wireless options. Personally I’m a wire fan, however they don’t yet have my size in the wire option, so wireless it is!
One of the benefits of ThirdLove bras is that they allow you to try them for 30 days. Love them? Keep it! Not quite right? Just return. Easy peasy! A feature I myself have taken advantage of since I had to size up. *note to self – ship back bras!*
I know to some it may seem like a small thing – but a well designed nursing bra is EVERYTHING! It allows for ease when trying to nurse a squirmy little one, but what it has done for me is something far greater. It has allowed me to feel normal. After having a baby a mother can experience a period of time when she doesn’t feel like herself. Her body is going through major hormonal and physical changes rather quickly and something as small as a bra can have a huge impact on her morale. It allows a woman to feel like a woman, not a dairy cow. It is that hidden sense of comfort that boosts her confidence and allows her to feel a bit more like herself.
All in all – nursing is a journey, one that can be met with unexpected bumps along that way, so if a bra can help make that journey even a bit smoother it is worth the investment! I live in mine! I sleep in it and let me tell you, it’s better than any sleeping bra that doesn’t keep anything in place! I’m officially a ThirdLove convert and will continue to buy their bras even after I’m done nursing E. Now to get the nude and black to add to my wardrobe!
Shop The Post
Classic Nursing Bra – Wire
Soft Pink
Nude
Black
Classic Nursing Bra – Wireless
Soft Pink
Nude
Black
(Disclaimer: Parts of this post are sponsored. All images are my own or that of the company in which I’m representing. All thoughts are my own and my honest review of the products. Thank you to ThirdLove for sponsoring this post!)
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