The Bravado Essential Nursing Bra Tank: The only bra that understands me

This post is a part of the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog's November Carnival! The theme this month is breastfeeding product reviews. Visit the links at the bottom of this post to find more great reviews.



When I was pregnant with Suzi, I questioned the wisdom of spending $45 on a nursing bra. We sold bras at work, and I tried them all on, but none of them fit just right. I had a different complaint for each bra: It came up too high under my arms. The cups crinkled. The fabric wasn't supportive enough. I fooled around with cheap bras from I-Won't-Say-Where, but they didn't last.

Then, while I was on maternity leave, Jennie G's got in a shipment of this little beauty...

(I know the baby is a little beauty, but right now I am talking about the nursing tank behind her!)

It's the Bravado! Essential Nursing Bra Tank, and I own five of them. When I put it on it was like the stars lined up, the clouds parted, and my perfect nursing bra fell from heaven. Here's why.

1) It has an actual built-in bra, not just a flimsy "shelf." I have other brands of nursing tanks, but they haven't left my closet in over a year. A tank with a shelf bra squishes flat what little cleavage I have. On women with large breasts, shelf bra tanks can create an equally unflattering uniboob effect, and usually don't give nearly enough support. I need something that will lift and separate and that is what my Bravado tank does for me.

2) The clasp doesn't scream "HELLO, I'm a nursing tank!" It's more subtle than most other tanks, and I also think it's easier to maneuver with one hand. When the weather is warm I frequently wear jeans and the tank with no shirt over it. It's pretty enough to wear by itself!

3) It's long enough to cover my belly. Remember the shirts you wore in high school--the ones that barely met with the top of your jeans? Well, after I had my daughter I gave all those shirts to high school girls who could use them, because I sure couldn't. For several reasons (which I'm sure you moms know) I no longer fancied going around with my belly peeking out from under my shirt! This tank will keep you covered, even in those first few postpartum days when you are still finding your old shape.

4) The nursing opening promotes skin-to-skin contact. Nursing openings in some bras consist of a round hole that reveals only the center of the mother's breast. I dislike this because, and the IBCLC at our hospital told me this, it isn't conducive to skin-to-skin contact. Aside from being aggravating when your breast isn't quite centered and the material gets in the way, those round openings aren't always best for your nursing relationship. The cup of the Bravado tank drops completely away from the breast, allowing a clean latch uninhibited by excess fabric.

5) Since it's a tank top, it keeps you from exposing your belly in public. For me, the hardest part of public nursing wasn't the fear of exposing my breasts, but the fear of exposing my belly! Especially early on, I had stretch marks all around my midsection, and with my nursing bras I had to pull my shirt up and expose them. This nursing tank keeps me covered--front, back and sides. The tank also makes it easy to nurse a baby in a pouch sling, because you don't have to bother pulling your shirt free before the nursing session.

If your comfiest bra and prettiest tank top had a baby together, it would be the Bravado! Essential Nursing Bra Tank. I wear one every single day and recommend it to all our customers. With sizes from 34 B/C to 44 F/G, it is perfect for women with large and small breasts alike. We have women buy one tank, fall in love, and come back for one in every color! It costs $45.00 and is worth every penny. Work in it, play in it, and then sleep in it. You'll love it.

Other Blog Carnival Participants (links added as they become available):

Breastfeeding Mums Blog

Half Pint Pixie

Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Mama Knows Breast

Blacktating

Mama's Magic

Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Breastfeeding.com

Hobo Mama