I had the honor last month of reviewing some fabulous products from Bravado Designs, including their new Clip and Pump nursing accessory, and now I get to do it again! Bravado is known for their incredibly soft maternity/nursing bras. Go figure. The company was started by two women, ones who actually wear bras, so they seem to know what moms really want.
*Discloser: I was given a Bravado Buttercup nursing bra, and a Ballet nursing bra mentioned in this post for free in exchange for an honest review.
On March 1st, Bravado launched their Petal Soft Collection: two new maternity/nursing bras, designed with a lingerie like feel: the Buttercup, for daytime; and the Ballet, for night. I love this company, so I’m sharing this review with you, and Bravado Designs is giving away both of these bras to a lucky winner (see the end of this post for details)!
When I was pregnant with Olivia, I bought a few maternity bras from Motherhood Maternity, and then was given some hand-me-down nursing bras right before I delivered her. And they did their job. But then I was able to try out some bras from Bravado’s new Petal Soft Collection and OMG where have these been all my life? (Or, er, at least in the last two years…) I’m giving you some images verses actual photos taken by me because 1) contrary to my classic oversharing on the Internet, I am a bit shy about chest shots and 2) it’s not nearly as flattering taking photos of yourself in a bra when you have ginormous post-IVF, post-pregnancy boobs. Trust me on this.
Buttercup nursing bra
Ok, I admit when I first took this bra out of the package, I was like, “Wha?? Is this going to fit me? Are my boobs really this big?”
It turns out, yes, yes they were. And did fit. (Should we keep track of how many times I mention how big my boobs are?) But true to their word, this bra is super soft. Like a pillow. For boobs.
I received one in Bare (pictured above), but they also come in Black and this gorgeous Watercolor. The Buttercup nursing bra has a wire-free frame, but it’s definitely not lacking in support. In fact, when I first put it on, I kept feeling the sides of it, because I swear it seemed like there were support wires holding everything up, but nope, no wires. Bravado states these bra cups have the ability to gently stretch to accommodate changes in your body. Obviously I didn’t get to see this in action, but being that my cup size changed during pregnancy, this is definitely a perk. There are no removable cups, so everything stayed in place when I would unclip the B nursing clips to nurse the baby. The only difficulty I noticed was that it was a bit more difficult to reattach the clips with one hand when I was done nursing, probably due to the whole bra being more stiff compared to Bravado’s Body Silk Seamless nursing bras. Maybe it takes some getting used to. I’ve been wearing it for a few days now, and I seem to be getting the hang of it. It did pair perfectly with my Clip and Pump nursing accessory whenever I pumped.
The Buttercup nursing bra straps also convert to a criss-cross position, making it ideal for those racerback tops. It was pretty simple to convert it. The bra also comes with a complimentary bra extender, which I ended up needing to use.
Overall, I like it. Until I used the bra extender that it came with, I found it uncomfortable getting used to the added support of it, but that was clearly because it was squeezing me too much. Once I had the extender on, it fit perfectly and was really easy to use when nursing. One of my favorite parts was the fact that no nipple showed through my shirt. Seriously, it’s a permanent problem, and my old bras used to do this.
All Bravado products are Oeko-Tex certified; free from harmful substances and safe for babies and children. And get this, Bravado bras that utilize a B clip can convert over to a regular bra, using the included Bra Conversion Kit. So, correct me if I’m wrong, but that ends up saving some money, doesn’t it?
Ballet Nursing Bra
In the early days of breastfeeding, I slept with a nursing bra on because I leaked spectacularly every night. Now I don’t need to because my body’s adjusted and I’ve never been one to want to wear bras to bed. I wish I had this Ballet nursing bra back then. It’s incredibly comfortable. And soft. In fact, when I first received it, I kept cooing to my husband about how silky it was and made him touch it five times a day. (He didn’t object too much whenever I was actually wearing the bra.)
Besides for the extreme comfort this bra offers, it’s also really easy to nurse in, especially for this middle of the night feedings when you’re half asleep. You need a bra that can quickly be moved aside for a hangry infant or toddler. There are no clips, no back closure and it’s perfect for lounging around the house and for some added support while sleeping (as bras with wires aren’t recommended at night while nursing due to the risk of clogged ducts).
Here it is in action. Although don’t be fooled. No one looks this rested with an infant.
Overall, I’m in love with this nursing bra. It comes in Dusted Peony, shown in the photo above (since this is the one I received, I can attest that it’s beautiful), Bare and Black.
Check out all of the styles and colors that Bravado offers by visiting their website at bravadodesigns.com as well as their Instagram and Facebook pages.
||| Giveaway Time |||
We would love to leave you with the chance to win a Buttercup nursing bra ($52) and a Ballet Nursing Bra ($34). A total value of $86! Enter by visiting the Rafflecopter link below! Winner will be contacted by email next Tuesday morning!
