One of the earliest signs of pregnancy for me was sore breasts and sensitive nipples. Naturally, one of the very first items that I had to shop for was maternity bras. However, I quickly found maternity bra shopping overwhelming. What a pleasant and timely surprise when Mamaway sent me a maternity bra to review!
Let me start off by explaining why I found maternity bra shopping overwhelming.
First of all, like a good pair of (normal) bra, maternity bras are expensive! I really didn’t want to spend so much on something that I’d only wear for months (maternity only) thus I decided that I wanted a 2-in-1 maternity and nursing bra.
However, as a first-time mother, how would I know how to pick one that’d suit me for nursing when I have no idea how my breasts would be during that phase?
In fact, I was wondering if a nursing bra would even be necessary with my itty-bitty breasts; I didn’t expect them to grow dramatically postpartum.
With that, I ended up not getting a maternity cum nursing bra 😅. So much fuss for nothing eh? I ended up wearing my Uniqlo seamless bras throughout my pregnancy. It was a blessing in disguise that my pregnancy happened during a period of social distancing so I had been staying home mostly — no occasion to dress up in nice outfits that require pretty intimates.
Now, many months have passed and I’m finally in the postpartum and nursing phase. I started my breastfeeding journey in the comfort of a confinement center, cocooned in my own air-conditioned room. I opted to go bra-free…until I leaked milk in “public” 😂. I was attended a talk in the confinement center when my boobs started leaking 😳.
I finally decided to put on a bra even when I’m just staying in the privacy of my confinement room because I’m tired of drenching my shirt! In other words, I decided to drench my bra 😂.
During pregnancy (in the age of pandemic), I thought the Mamaway maternity and nursing bra was an overkill when worn at home. I didn’t need the nursing function and hook for support because #ittybittybreasts. The bra certainly felt different during this nursing phase because of sore nipples and breast engorgement!
I’ve heard of these two terms: sore nipples and breast engorgement. But you don’t know what they really mean until you have them. Ouch.
When nursing started (and sore nipples and breast engorgement followed), I really felt the difference made by the expandable band and cups. It’s not just about whether or not the boobs got bigger but more importantly (for me personally) about whether or not it’s tugging the nipples and breasts uncomfortably. I find breastfeeding very uncomfortable so more discomfort from bra wearing is the last thing I want.
I believe most nursing bras are wireless so it’s great that Mamaway’s is wireless too. I cannot imagine having to deal with discomfort from wires on engorged breasts. Have I mentioned that engorged breasts are nightmare?
Another thing that I truly appreciate about Mamaway maternity and nursing bra is that the cups are sewn in with soft pads. I absolutely find sports bra and bikini top annoying to wash because the bra pads always need extra attention and care. Once, my mom actually sew the bra pads securely (and unsightly) to my sports bra because she couldn’t stand seeing the bra pads going astray. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about this laundry pet peeve with Mamaway’s bra.
Lastly, I always wondered if it’s necessary for nursing bra to have clip on-and-off bra cups. That seems to be the most obvious difference between normal and nursing bras anyway. After experiencing sore nipples, I vote YES to clip on-and-off bra cups vs normal bra cups because the former doesn’t pull the other breast while you access one breast. Besides that, it’s actually pretty fun to clip the cups on and off. LOL. It made me feel more legit in my new role as a breastfeeding mother.
Truth be told, I haven’t worn many nursing bras to make any comparison so my review is based on my experience wearing the Mamaway Ultra Light Antibacterial Seamless Maternity & Nursing Bra only. So far, I haven’t encountered any issue wearing the bra postpartum even though I did have one issue with the bra during pregnancy — my breasts started itching by mid-day. I was worried I’d get the same issue postpartum but I didn’t, even after a full day of wearing indoor and outdoor (I wore to JPN to register birth certificate and hospital for check up).
I’d definitely update the review if I have anything else to add. Hope you find this review from a new clueless mother somewhat insightful 😅.
Find out more about Mamaway on their website: Mamaway Website
Learn more about the Mamaway seamless bra range here: Mamaway Seamless Bra
Last but not least, here’s a Mamaway discount code for you: MAMABLOG-STACI for RM25 off purchase over RM200!