The following product was sent to me at no cost to facilitate my review. All opinions remain my own. For more information, see my full disclosure policy.
Before getting pregnant, I had a rotation of about 3-5 bras that I would wear. They were of course, pink or teal, lacy, with various frills and buttons on them to really take them up a notch from underthing. Almost all underwire, since I walked the line of not small, yet not large breasts. When I got pregnant with my son however, this was the first thing to change. My breast hurt almost constantly, and having to wear any sort of bra was a weird form of torture – one that I put myself through everyday while going to work. As soon as I was home, however it was another story as that was the first thing that came off. That underwire was uncomfortable – even when I was wearing a professionally fitted size.
The following weeks after giving birth, my problem was compounded. I wanted to wear a bra since not wearing one hurt, but the underwire was often uncomfortable, particularly since I had a baby laying on me almost 24/7.
How I wished I had had the Mamaway nursing bra then.
The Mamaway seamless Maternity bra is a versatile and comfortable bra suitable for both pregnancy and nursing. The unique stretchy design allows it to stretch up to 3 sizes accommodating a pregnant mother’s growing breasts. It features removable padding and a one clip nursing system, allowing the bra to snap in and out of place to make nursing easier. The UltraComfort Seamless Bra comes in 4 colors, nude, pink, black and purple and is available in small through xx-large. I received the nude bra in XL (for reference, pre-breastfeeding I wore a 38C, currently I am in a 40DD).
I was a little skeptical of the sizing when I ordered. I hate the ‘one size fits all’ type of clothing, so I was a bit worried about the lack of a cup size on these bras. Mamaway does have a size chart they suggest following so I matched up what I currently wear to the sizes Mamaway suggests. I was pleasantly surprised as the bra fits pretty true to size. I can’t speak on the expanding of the cups during pregnancy, however the bra is very stretchy so I have no doubt the cups could expand more. This bra is extremely comfortable, and the description by Mamaway is right… there’s been a few times I’ve forgotten I was wearing a bra.
The cups are removable, although I find the bra looks better when the cups are in. I have noticed the padded cups tend to wrinkle or fold over when they are brought back up from the down position either from pumping or nursing. It’s a quick easy fix as the bra features a nice wide space to insert and remove the cups. Since the cups are removable you can also just take them out completely if you prefer and for washing the garment.
Although I find this bra provides pretty good support, it’s not a bra I would wear if I needed to look professional or if I needed to dress up. It’s more of a bra that I wear around the house for lounging around, running errands, laid back days at work (when I’m not meeting with my clients) or for light exercise such as walking or yoga. The straps can be adjusted for a tighter fit, although ladies with prominent shoulders might have difficulty finding a comfortable fit. Normally I wear my straps about 1/2 tightened, while with the Mamaway, I have my straps fully loosened.
One complaint with the bra I have is where the nursing clips are located in proximity to the straps. The straps directly hook into the clip making it a tight fit. If you have the straps fully loosened it makes it quite difficult to clip and unclip the bra into a nursing friendly position. I figured out this was a problem right as my son was going to bed, so he was less than patient as I fiddled to get my breast out. Fortunately, this is easily remedied by pulling the straps ever so slightly tighter to allow room to clip and unclip.
Overall this is a wonderful bra that will last women from pregnancy through breastfeeding and beyond. The cups are expandable to accommodate a growing body, meaning you won’t have to purchase multiple sizes as you continue to grow. It’s the perfect bra for everyday use, although women in a more professional environment might appreciate the support of a traditional underwire bra.
The Mamaway UltraComfort Seamless Maternity & Nursing Bra is currently available on Amazon.com (affiliate).
