I have quite a few friends who have recently had their babies and have been asking me for recommendations when it comes to nursing and postpartum wardrobe essentials. I like to think of myself as a little bit of an expert at this point, because I experienced a lot of trial and error with my first nursing and postpartum experience. I must also admit that I am not a minimalist by any means, but I do truly think that all of these item are essential.
ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT
ONE – I did a lot of reading up on postpartum must-have’s prior to having Charlotte and so many people recommended the Belly Bandit. I put it on immediately after leaving labor and delivery and it provided so much support and compression. It helped to slim my belly immediately and was so nice to have for support because my core felt like jelly. It is a MUST- HAVE! Use the sizing chart on the Belly Bandit website to find your correct size!
TWO & THREE – Once the BellyBandit got too large for me, I transition into using this compression tank top and panty. These two items do essentially the same thing as the belly bandit. They help with circulation, slimming the belly, and providing compression. The tank top is wonderful to wear around the house not only because of its many benefits for the tummy, but also because of its nursing bra straps. I liked to use the panty when I went out and about, because with the tank top and a regular shirt, it got bulky very quickly. Both the panty and the tank top were so helpful in slimming the tummy and providing me with confidence and compression until my stomach went back to “normal”. If I had to pick between the two however, I would say go with the tank top.
FOUR – This Kindred Braverly Sleep Bra is by far the most comfortable one I found. I tried the Motherhood Maternity ones and despised them. The thick band around the rib cage is EVERYTHING. It makes the bra so much more comfortable and provides so much support. The material is super soft, the bra is made to work with fluctuating breasts, and there are so many options when it comes to sizing- it is perfect. I highly suggest using the size chart to determine your size.
FIVE – This is the best sports bra I have found when it comes to high impact and high support. If you are doing high impact exercises and nursing, this is the bra for you. It is not “technically” a nursing bra, but because of the adjustable straps, but it works. The velcro can be kind of a pain, but in my opinion the support it provides during my workouts outweighs the velcro issue. I still use this bra, although I am no longer nursing and feel that it too, does a nice job adjusting to fluctuating breast sizes.
SIX – I really liked this bra for everyday wear once I was done with the nursing tank tops and the compression pieces. It is the perfect everyday bra and is super comfortable and affordable. It works great under tee shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts. I have it in black and tan.
SEVEN – This is my second favorite underwire bra. It has very full coverage which was very nice to have during the first few months of nursing and was pretty comfortable. The one down side of this bra, was that the fabric was on the thicker side so it made pulling it down to nurse a tad more difficult. Upside, it’s very affordable.
EIGHT – This is the BEST underwire bra I have EVER worn and that is NOT a joke. The material is very forgiving and super soft but still supportive. The bra is very beautiful and come in a ton of colors. (I prefer the color CAFE) It has medium coverage and fits true to size in my opinion. Because the material is so forgiving, it makes pulling the cup down for nursing a breeze. This bra is seriously worth every penny. Mine is too big on me now, but I plan to buy the regular version, linked HERE if you are interested.
ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN |EIGHT
ONE – I do not own this exact cardigan yet, but it is in my cart at Nordstrom as we speak. I have a Barefoot Dreams blanket and the material is unbeatable. I am a cardigan wearing girl through and through when I am hanging out at home, so I have a feeling this thing will be my next favorite piece of clothing. Anyways, I linked this because I really did wear cardigans 24/7 the several weeks postpartum and think this one would be perfect! If you don’t want to spend the money, here is a similar version from Target.
TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE – Along with number ONE, these items were my uniform right after having Charlotte. The nursing tank is so convenient because it has a built in bra, makes nursing at any moment or any time convenient, and fits nicely over the BellyBandit for those first few weeks. I would recommend buying is in a few colors. My target joggers were comfortable and loose in the areas they needed to be if you know what I mean, and slippers were a must. Again, I wore a cardigan over the nursing tank, because I had Charlotte in the middle of winter and it honestly kept me so warm and comfortable.
SIX & SEVEN – Button-up sleep shirts are a MUST. They are convenient for not only nursing but for using the restroom in the middle of the night and for taking care of business “down there”. After having Charlotte I bought the Target version of these and experienced trouble with one of the two colors I purchased. In the black and white color combo, the fabric stretched out so much to where the buttons would not longer hold, but the navy color combo did not have the same issue. I linked the Nordstrom version because I will definitely splurge in the future in order to avoid the same problem happening again. I’ve heard from more than one person the Nordstrom sleep shirt is wonderful and it has great reviews! I also linked the UGG version. Splurge, but again great quality and reviews.
EIGHT – These shirts from UO were seriously all I wore to in public for the first 6 months. The buttons are fully functional, the fit is oversized and super flattering, and it can be worn with jeans or leggings. It comes in several colors, I own the black, white, tan, and grey. It runs large, so size down one size!
Happy Shopping!
Dealing with postpartum hair loss? I have a blog post giving detailed info on how I grew my hair back during my postpartum journey, HERE.