Nursing Bra: Basic Things To Know About a Maternity Brassiere

Spring Maternity Microfibre Nursing Bra

(Spring Maternity's Microfibre Nursing Bra)

Spring Maternity laid out some of the basic topics that you would want to know about nursing bras.

Are you expecting a little one? Are you a new mommy? If you are, chances are you're still a bit unfamiliar with a maternity wear called "nursing bras". Some of you are probably wondering; where were nursing bras originated from? what differentiates them with regular bras? and what kind of types available in the market? Let's address these questions one by one.

What is a Nursing Bra?

What is a nursing bra? Nursing bra is actually designed to accommodate nursing moms, breastfeeding their babies without removing the bra. It provides additional support and comfort; and usually come with flaps that can be opened for breastfeeding. Nursing bra is also commonly known as maternity bra, pregnancy bra, and breastfeeding bra. Similar like regular bra, it’s also can be worn under regular outfits.


Short History of Nursing Bra

As regular bras was developed for women, nursing bras were developed for nursing moms. The first US patent for bra, or brassiere, was granted in 1913, whereas the first design for nursing bra was patented in 1943. In the 1930s, rubber latex was being able to be transformed into elastic sewing thread; this led to a newly developed fibres that can be used to create bras. It was adopted by the industry right away because it was easy to treat and wash frequently, a factor that was and is very important for bras.

Brassiere itself came from the French word brassière /brəˈzɪər/, which means a “child’s vest”.

Why Do You Need a Nursing Bra?

The woman’s body will experience changes during pregnancy, especially the breast size. The dormant breast tissues will become functional, preparing the breast for breastfeeding activities. The breasts will become larger, and later will start producing milk, once the estrogen and progesterone hormone levels are decreasing after giving birth. Record says that on average, many women start experiencing breast development as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy.

Nursing Bra vs Regular Bra

What are the differences between nursing bras and regular bras? Let us review several differences and why women should prefer nursing bras during the pregnancy journey.

  • Convenience. Nursing bras are designed for convenient nursing, whereas the regular ones won’t be able to suit your breasts physical condition during pregnancy.
  • Easy nursing. Nursing bras mostly come with nursing access; flaps, detachable cups, for easy nursing. That way moms can save more time and energy before and after breastfeeding.
  • Coverage. Again, nursing bras are designed specifically for this. Nursing bras provide more coverage suited to the women’s breast physical condition during pregnancy.
  • Support. Pregnancy is also a period when women’s breasts need good support for the milk glands to function properly. Regular bras can’t provide this kind of support.
  • Comfort. Many types of nursing bras feel soft on women’s skin because it’s mostly made of cotton and spandex. Regular bras on the other hand comes in many different materials that might not suitable with pregnant women’s skin. Spring Maternity has various collection of comfortable and stylish bamboo fabric nursing bras, take a look.
  • Style. Surely regular bras are mainly focused on style rather than comfort. Nursing bra usually designed for the purpose of easy and flexible breastfeeding. However nowadays, many nursing bra manufacturers also incorporated style on their products.

What Are The Types of Nursing Bra?

Types of nursing bra. In general, there are around 6 types of nursing bra; drop cup nursing bra, wirefree nursing bra, lightly padded nursing bra, lace neckline nursing bra, sports nursing bra, and strapless nursing bra.

  • Drop cup nursing is the most convenient type of nursing bra, it usually helps for women who are transitioning between regular bra to nursing bra. It comes with flaps on the cups that can be hooked and unhooked easily.
  • If women feel that underwired nursing bra are too pressing on their skin, then they should try the wirefree nursing bra. It’s quite comfortable, and feels light on the skin.
  • For women who are used to wear padded bras to support their breasts, then lightly padded nursing bra is the way to go. Just like its name, it’s slightly padded, without putting too much unnecessary pressure on the breasts.
  • Looking for something fashionable and functional? Lace neckline nursing bra and sports nursing bra are the best options out there. They are perfect to pair with elegant and chic dresses, and also great for simple working out to keep the body active during pregnancy (for the sports nursing bra, of course).
  • There is also an option for strapless bra, if women would like to wear backless or off-shoulder tops.

 Check here for Spring Maternity nursing bra collection.

Getting a Nursing Bra

So what do you think? If you’re still confused about what and which type of nursing bras to get, go check our nursing bras collection here. Spring Maternity offers a wide range of maternity and nursing clothing for your needs, especially nursing bras.

Please check our collection, or you can visit our store at Wisma Atria @ 435 Orchard Road, or you can call us at +65 8686 0778 or text us +65 8600 7716.

Visit our Spring Maternity store @ Wisma Atria.


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