4 Tips for Finding a Comfortable Nursing Sports Bra

For first-time expecting moms, all the breastfeeding moms are going to let you in on an unfortunate secret - finding the perfect nursing sports bra can be like a scavenger hunt. From size increases to decreases, it’s easy to get stuck when hunting for a good fit. But it doesn't have to be that way if you follow 4 rules.

Here are SHEFIT's 4 simple tips for finding a comfortable and supportive nursing sports bra:

1. Limit Fabric Stretching - Look for material in your nursing sports bra that won’t stretch out over time.
2. No Underwire - Look for bras without wired support.
3. Easy On and Off - Pick a bra that's easy and convenient to put on and take off.
4. Quick Adjustments - Select a bra that can customize to your fit, but also let you quickly breastfeed without compromising support and comfort.

We told you it was simple and an even simpler solution is to go ahead and grab SHEFIT's Ultimate Sports Bra, which covers every single tip above and more. If you need more information or further reason to believe what we're about to tell you, keep reading.

SHEFIT Knows Nursing Sports Bras

We know nursing sports bras better than anyone; in fact, you could even credit the discomfort and hassle of nursing bras for being the reason SHEFIT exists in the first place. Storytime...

When Sara Marie, SHEFIT's founder, grew increasingly frustrated with trying to find a bra that "worked" during her first pregnancy, she tried everything just to be comfortable - wearing multiple bras at one time, modifying them with clips and bands, purchasing the best bras with the most reviews online - she turned over every nursing bra stone, but nothing did the trick.

As her pregnancy progressed, her frustration increased and ultimately hurt her mood and self-image. She felt that her chest was out of control, and the pain from bouncing and the weight of her breasts led her to walk away from workouts that she would normally complete with ease.

This frustration ultimately impacted her mood and self-image, and unfortunately, this is an issue that women have to face before, during, and after giving birth.

Sara knew that she wanted custom support where she was in charge of how it fit and felt. And it was at this point SHEFIT's first prototype was born.

The Ultimate Sports Bra Was First Built for Pregnant and Nursing Women

Sara's initial prototype wasn't pretty by any means. It was Frankenstein's monster of sports bras; a real hodge-podge of fabrics and parts from lesser bras and apparel. But that didn't matter because the first iteration felt a million times better than anything she had tried during her endless search.

Like many of the best ideas out there, she set out to solve a problem instead of starting a business. But she quickly realized that many women were suffering in similar silence, and she had a solution that could improve their quality of life when they may need it most.

Over time, SHEFIT innovated to support every woman of every size and fitness level at all milestones of life. A bra finally exists that transcends the confines of the traditional sports bra. The Ultimate Sports Bra was a birth of necessity that's revolutionized the way support functions and feels. So when we say that SHEFIT knows nursing sports bras, it's because the pain you may be feeling right now is what kickstarted Sara's creation of SHEFIT.

This concludes storytime. But hopefully, you have the context on why a SHEFIT nursing bra is the real deal. And although our story starts with a sports bra that's built for high-impact situations, the attributes that make it perfect as a nursing bra can be found in every single SHEFIT bra.

So whatever type of support you need at any moment of your journey, SHEFIT's there with you every step of the way.

• Ultimate Sports Bra: Built for high impact.
• Flex Sports Bra: Designed for medium impact.
• Low Impact Sports Bra
• Exhilarate Sports Bra: Created to be the perfect blend of form and function, the Exhilarate line of sports bras will help women with smaller chests get exceptional support and control.

Pulling the curtain back a bit, let's take a closer look at 4 tips that are going to make you feel more comfortable and supported in a nursing sports bra.

Breastfeeding and Bras: 4 Tips to Find the Perfect Match

We've asked Heather (SHEFIT squad member) to help walk you through each tip for some additional perspective.

Heather's ideally suited to be your tour guide to a better-fitting nursing bra for many reasons, perhaps the most important is that she can relate to Sara's initial experience, and perhaps what you may be facing at the moment.

Heather also knows the power of the Ultimate Sports Bra not only for going to the gym but also because she used it while breastfeeding each of her three children.

So whether you're trying to stay active, breastfeeding, or trying to stay active while still being a nursing mom, these 4 tips will help you find a comfortable and supportive bra.

1. Limit Fabric Stretching

There's nothing more frustrating than investing in a new nursing sports bra, or any sports bra for that matter, thinking it's finally the one, only to find out that it won't keep its shape after a few wears. We've all been there, and it can be extremely annoying (to put it kindly.)

Your body can change at the drop of a hat, so if the fabric doesn't maintain its shape and integrity, this is either going to leave it feeling too tight or too loose. And you know what that means... Yes, you'll have to purchase another one, continuing the cycle of waste and discomfort.

This is the exact experience that Heather went through too.

Heather's Take:

"I purchased the Ultimate Sports Bra a few months after I had my first child. I struggled to find a bra that would not stretch out, and that drove me crazy. It would be tight in all the wrong places, and then loose in all the areas where I desperately wanted it to fit tight.

One of my friends at the gym was able to relate to my life since she was also active gone through the experience of breastfeeding her child. She kept telling me about SHEFIT and how she wears it to the gym every day. But she also shared that she wished she'd had SHEFIT in her life while breastfeeding. Her regret became a recommendation to me.

I decided to take her word on this and try the Ultimate Sports Bra. I planned to wear it for my workouts, but also to breastfeed with.

Needless to say, there has been no stretching out. There also has been no need to buy a ton of bras all in different sizes, that work for a short amount of time, and then have to be tossed once they do not fit anymore!”

What To Look For:

Try to find a sports bra that uses high-quality fabrics with purposeful stretching. What does that mean exactly?

First, using a higher quality fabric will prevent stretching that shouldn't happen in the first place. But that doesn't mean fabric shouldn't stretch at all - instead, your fabric should stretch in certain ways but also bounce back to its intended shape. What does that mean exactly?

Well, take SHEFIT's use of two-way stretch fabric. It's able to purposefully stretch in one axis, but not in the other. This means that shifting breast size within reason will be properly taken care of, but it also means that along a separate axis the fabric isn't built to stretch, this keeps your support intact.

This is the reason SHEFIT doesn't use four-way stretch fabrics for the Ultimate Sports Bra, doing so would just be a free for all, allowing breasts to move and stretch wherever they want.

2. No Underwire

It's an age-old conundrum - you can either have comfort or support but not both, right? Most of us know the feeling of buying a bra with no underwire only to find it doesn't supply enough support or the agony of an underwired bra that is super uncomfortable.

Going wireless gives us freedom of movement and the ability to stay comfortable whether we're lounging around, working, running errands, hitting the gym, or nursing our little ones.

Who knew finding a bra without an underwire that still offered enough support could be so difficult? It can be tricky to find the perfect balance of comfort and support, but it's not impossible.

Heather's Take:

“My boobs are significantly more comfortable in SHEFIT's Ultimate Sports Bra. I truly think that one of the main reasons why this is the case is because there isn’t an annoying underwire in it! I feel like it’s definitely a challenge to find a bra these days that is even remotely supportive if it doesn’t have an underwire.” 

What To Look For:

Don't compromise here, you need a wire-free bra. If you want the best option, look for wire-free seamed cups. This is going to preserve your natural shape, helping you stay comfortable.

Real support is going to be found throughout the entire sports bra system, meaning the overall support isn't the result of one component but more so how all the components work together.

Things like two-way stretch fabric, and adjustability, in partnership with a wire-free seamed cup will ultimately create a comfortable and supportive nursing sports bra.

3. Easy On and Off

Unless you're double-jointed, getting into and out of a sports bra during and after pregnancy is incredibly challenging. It gets even trickier after sweating it out at the gym.

Who decided to hide the on-and-off switch in the back anyways?

Regardless, your body is already going through a lot, and flexibility isn't your forte in this life stage. So you need a sports bra that doesn't take a Ph.D. and half an hour to get in and out of.

Heather's Take:

“I am not a contortionist by any means. I used to dread having to wiggle a sticky, sweaty bra over my head after a workout, and I absolutely love knowing that I will never have to deal with that pain again because of how easy the Ultimate Sports Bra is to just unzip or re-adjust. ”

What To Look For:

Zipper in the front. Yes, it's that simple. It's great for any moment of life, but during motherly moments the relief of being able to get into and out of your sports bra with a simple zip in the front during the motherly moments of life is a game-changer.

There's no easier way to conveniently wear or take off your sports bra, so don't settle for anything less here.

4. Quick Adjustments

We're convinced that successfully navigating pregnancy and breastfeeding is all about being flexible. You're expected to keep up with constant change, from your body to life's moments you have to be flexible even when you may feel brittle.

Your sports bra needs to be just as responsive as you are.

• One minute you may want to feel looser as you work around the house or office (wire-free bras).
• Then your baby just woke from a nap and it's feeding time. That means you've got to free one of the girls pretty quickly then get right back to whatever you were doing (maternity bras).
• Shortly after you want to hit the gym and today is HIIT for your chest - so you need serious support (sports bras).

You get it - quick adjustments are the name of the game, and the struggle is real. For most women, just this little glimpse would mean three separate bras. But that's just far too impractical, or at least Heather thinks so.

Heather's Take:

“Let’s talk about the adjustable straps and rib cage. These two things are probably my favorite features of the Ultimate Sports Bra.

I always have the shoulder straps loosened if I'm around the house or just doing everyday errands, it’s super comfortable this way. I can also quickly undo one side of my bra to be able to breastfeed.

Once I'm ready for my workout though, I can then just as quickly tighten my straps right back up and take on anything that’s thrown at me without any type of bouncing involved.

Also, my poor boobs have gone through a lot, okay? After three kids, my breasts have seen all sorts of growth and shrinkage.

MyShefit Ultimate Sports Bra keeps up with every change that my breasts and body have experienced.”

Melissa's Take:

We called in some extra help for this section because it's too important to gloss over. Meet Melissa, a SHEFIT team member by day and an extraordinary mom by day and night.

"I lived in the Flex Sports Bra while nursing" - that's a direct quote from Melissa, and just goes to show you that any SHEFIT sports bra is going to be exceptional during the breastfeeding life stage.

For all the new moms out there, take 2 minutes to watch Melissa's nursing sports bra hacks below. She'll show you how you can use a SHEFIT sports bra to hold your shirt out of the way of your baby, because there's nothing worse than distracting your baby from feeding, and few issues are more common than your shirt being the cause of this interruption.

What To Look For:

You need easy access to your straps - unless your arms were installed backward, your straps should be accessible from the front. And of course, it's going to be way easier if you can set them with velcro or a simple solution for getting your adjustment to stick. Also, having a zipper in the front has a role to play here with adjustments.

Straps that you can reach and set quickly, and a way to open and close in the front... They sound like simple solutions, right? They are for us, but we challenge you to find a sports bra elsewhere that gets it right.

As far as we're concerned, adjustability boils down to three words: Zip. Cinch. Lift.®

You Deserve the Best Nursing Sports Bra

Whether you're a new mom, or a mom-to-be expecting and wanting the best, you deserve a great sports bra that's comfortable and supportive, one that's capable of handling all of your needs.

We know where you're at, and if you're reading this, we also know you're close to solving a major hurdle to comfort and support in your life right now.

A nursing sports bra shouldn't be an obstacle to your goals, it should be a tool to help you reach them. We believe in the power of a good sports bra and our goal is simple: to make sure that you have everything you need.

Since day one, we've used these 4 tips mentioned above to create every SHEFIT sports bra so you don't have to worry about compromising comfort and support.

You've got this, and we've got your back (and front too)!