Why do we wear bras?
Why do I need a nursing bra?
Why shouldn't I wear a regular bra?
What makes a Honeymilk nursing bra special?
Why are Honeymilk nursing bras manufactured in Canada?
I know my size, why should I be professionally fitted for a nursing bra?
What is having a professional bra fitting like?
Another store, another bra fitter. Is every bra fitter qualified?
Why should I invest in a professionally fitted nursing bra?
When should I buy my nursing bra?
How many nursing bras should I get?
I already bought nursing bras when my first child was born. Do I need new ones?
Is there a connection between mastitis and nursing bras?
Is it OK to wear an underwired nursing bra while breastfeeding?
Underwired nursing bras vs. stretchy soft cup nursing bras?
Don't all underwired bras poke into you and pop out?
Should I have different nursing bras for day and night?
Why aren't Honeymilk nursing bras sold on your website?
Where can I go for a nursing bra fitting?
How do I care for my new nursing bra?
I've finished breastfeeding, now what?

Q. Why do we wear bras?
A. Breasts consist of glands, fat and tissue. The glandular component enlarges during times of hormonal change, such as during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Fat will increase and decrease with weight changes. The breast tissue found just underneath the surface of the skin is very elastic and can change size to accommodate enlarged glands and increased fat tissue, and then contract again as necessary. However, Cooper's ligaments, which are the fibrous tissues that serve as an anchor, will stretch out but will not go back to their original length. Use of a well-fitted bra can provide external support, taking pressure off of these fibrous tissues, which helps keep breasts from flattening and stretching.
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Q. Why do I need a nursing bra?
A. It is important when breastfeeding a baby that your bra provides comfort, support and easy access to your breasts. The main feature of nursing bras is that the cups open up to allow access to the breast so feeding your baby is convenient and comfortable. A high quality, professionally fitted nursing bra will also provide the extra support needed for your larger, heavier breasts.
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Q. Why shouldn't I wear a regular bra?
A. A regular bra does not allow easy access to the breast. It would need to be pulled over or under the breasts. Doing so can cause compression on the breast tissue, which can lead to mastitis-a painful breast infection, and it will also eventually ruin your bra
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Q. What makes a Honeymilk nursing bra special?
A. Many nursing bras on the market are unrealistically sized, do not fit properly, feature cup openings that compress breast tissue: potentially contributing to breastfeeding problems, and flimsy straps and weak fabric that don’t support your breasts, put strain on your back and don’t wear well.

Honeymilk nursing bras have:

• Stronger elasticized fabric and wider straps, designed to support your working breasts, ease the strain on your back and wear well.
• Cup openings situated so as not to compress your breast tissue.
• Molded foam cups that cover enlarged nipples, breast pads and small leaks, and provide greater definition to the breast.
• Underwire, which provides necessary support for your larger breasts.
• Extra adjustability allowing you to go down in band size as your milk supply decreases, without purchasing a new bra.
• One-handed clasps providing easy access to breast without putting baby down.
• Attractive design features, a double-lined band and lace inserts; just because you are a nursing mom there’s no reason to leave fashion behind.

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Q. Why are Honeymilk nursing bras manufactured in Canada?
A. Manufacturing in Canada is something founder Brandee Anderson feels strongly about. She says: "Two words: conscience and quality. First, my social conscience • taking manufacturing offshore significantly increases the chances that my product was made in poor conditions, by underpaid workers, mostly women. Honeymilk is about helping women, not contributing to their exploitation. Secondly, quality control•in Canada, I am involved in all aspects of design, material sourcing, and manufacturing. This control allows me to guarantee that I am delivering a high quality, realistically sized nursing bra"
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Q. I know my size, why should I be professionally fitted for a nursing bra?
A. There are no internationally recognized standards for bra sizes, which means that you could be a 34 C in one brand and a 32 D in another. It is hardly surprising that 80% of women wear the wrong sized bra! During pregnancy and breast feeding your breast size fluctuates considerably. Given the impact a poorly fitted bra can have on breastfeeding it's the wrong time to be experimenting!
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Q. What is having a professional bra fitting like?
A. Standing naked in front of a mirror while strangers assess your body appeals to very few of us•luckily getting professionally fit for a bra is not like that at all. Bra-fitters will often begin with a consultation to determine the client's needs; some fitters then might take a quick measurement to find a starting range•although many experienced fitters will be able to determine that just by looking at you. The bra-fitter knows the various bra lines, how they fit and what body types they compliment. She will select several styles that she thinks will best work for your body. You try them on in the privacy of a fitting room. The fitter will come in to make necessary adjustments and to ensure that you have the right sizes. Some specialty lingerie shops will even alter the bras in order to completely tailor it your body, although in most cases they should be able to find something that fits you perfectly in store.
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Q. Another store, another bra fitter. Is every bra fitter a professional?
A. If they consult that little colour coded bra chart or any sizing "chart" for that matter…run away. They aren't the person to entrust your breasts to! Bra-fitting is about more than being able to use a measuring tape. It is about knowing how breast shape and density will affect fit. Different brands of bras have different features - Some minimize while some focus on lift or rounding out the bust. A professional bra-fitter will know each bra's characteristics. No brand will work for every woman. A professional bra-fitter will usually offer a selection of bras to try for comparison. Some nursing mothers may have quite a bit of breast size fluctuations during the day and some women may not notice a change at all. A professional bra-fitter will take into account your fluctuations. Professional bra-fitters are usually only to be found in specialty lingerie stores or departments and rarely in maternity stores.
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Q. Why invest money in a professionally fitted nursing bra when I'll only use it for a relatively short time?
A. If you intend to breast feed for a year you'll be wearing your nursing bras for almost 5,000 waking hours, if you follow the World Health Association's recommendation to breastfeed until the age of two that's 10,000 hours. Your breasts will be working 24 hours a day. Give them the support they deserve. That means a professionally fitted, high quality nursing bra. You won't get that support from a basic $40 nursing bra.
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Q. When should I buy a nursing bra?
A. It is always hard to tell what size your breasts will be until after your milk has come in and your supply has “normalized”. Even from one child to the next, your milk supply can fluctuate. Purchase two stretchy soft cup nursing bras for nighttime use around the 38th week of pregnancy, and use them exclusively for the first week of breastfeeding. Wait several days after your milk has come in and then get fitted for your daytime nursing bras
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Q. How many nursing bras should I get?
A. The answer really depends on whether you want to hand wash only once a week or as needed. You should only wear your bra 2-3 times before washing. Three or four daytime bras would get you through the week, however if you mean to wash as you go then two daytime nursing bras would suffice. Always wash Honeymilk nursing bras by hand and hang to dry.
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Q. I already bought nursing bras when my first child was born. Do I need new ones?
A. It is always hard to tell what size your breasts will be until after your milk has come in and your supply has “normalized”. Often a woman's milk flow is quite different with subsequent children so you may find that your old bras no longer fit. Collectively they may have passed the 5,000-hour mark•that's a lot of support, so it would certainly be a good idea to get professionally fitted again.
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Q. Is there a connection between mastitis and nursing bras?
A. An ill-fitting bra compresses the breast tissues, which is one cause of mastitis (a very painful breast infection). Other possible causes include: rigid feeding schedules, not fully draining the breast while breastfeeding or simply being predisposed to mastitis. A well fitting bra will not compress your breast tissues thus reducing, but not eliminating, your chances of getting mastitis.
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Q. Is it OK to wear an underwired nursing bra while breastfeeding?
A. You may hear lots of myths blaming underwire for everything from mastitis to plugged milk ducts and breast cancer. There is no proof that wires cause any of these conditions. Poorly fitted bras, wired or otherwise, can compress breast tissue causing mastitis or plugging milk ducts. Lactation consultants and doctors, not being professional bra fitters, will see the problem, but will falsely attribute the cause to the underwire, whereas the real villain is the poor fitting bras. Honeymilk chose to use underwires because it provides necessary support for your enlarged breasts. We highly recommend that you get your bras professionally fitted to avoid unnecessary discomfort and breast tissue compression. If underwires are digging into breast tissue, you are wearing the wrong cup size.

Never sleep in an underwire bra as the wire was designed to give support while in an upright position, and cannot flex to accommodate your sleeping body
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Q. Underwired bras vs. stretchy soft cups
A. Lactation consultants and doctors will often recommend soft cup bras. Poorly fitted bras (worn by 80% of women) can compress breast tissue causing mastitis or plugging milk ducts. Breastfeeding consultants, not being professional bra fitters, will see the problem, but will falsely attribute the cause to the underwire. But avoiding underwire to address the problem caused by the fit, isn't sensible bra advice, its damage control. If you get your bra professionally fitted you can choose a bra that works for your body without putting any unnecessary pressure on your sensitive breast tissue. Many breastfeeding women find they need that extra support provided by an underwired bra during the day.
Never sleep in an underwire bra as the wire was designed to give support while in an upright position, and cannot flex to accommodate your sleeping body. However, stretchy soft cup bras are ideal to sleep in.
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Q. Don't all underwired bras poke into you and pop out?
A. Many women tell us they don't like underwired bras because they poke into them and the wire pops out. Low quality, too small cup sizes and trips through the dryer, are all factors that can make your underwired bras poke and pop. A well-fitted, well cared for bra will not poke into you. And, manufacturing Honeymilk nursing bras in Canada allows for our exacting quality control standards • that means firmly anchored wires that don't pop out. No poke, no pop, just fit, function and fashion.
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Should I have different nursing bras for day and night?
You should never sleep in an underwired bra as the wire was designed to give support while in an upright position and will not flex with your sleeping body. Stretchy soft cup bras on the other hand are ideal for nighttime, but do not offer most women enough support for daytime use. In addition to your Honeymilk nursing bras, purchase two stretchy soft cup bras for nighttime use.
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Why aren't Honeymilk bras sold on your website?
There are no internationally recognized standards for bra sizes, which means that you could be a 34 C in one brand and a 32 D in another. Buying without trying is a bad idea. Especially when nursing, as a poorly fitted bra can have a negative impact on breastfeeding and increase strain on a mother's back.
Honeymilk Designs wants nursing mothers everywhere to be wearing the right bra, in the right size for them. That is why our nursing bras are only sold in specialty lingerie stores where the staff is knowledgeable and trained to fit bras properly. Although Honeymilk Designs has taken every step possible to ensure our nursing bras will work for most women, no brand will work for every woman. In the event that our bras don't work for you, we want you to have the benefit of a professional bra-fitter who will find another quality brand that does fit your body.
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Where can I go to get a nursing bra professionally fit?
Go to the Honeymilk Designs store locator to find specialty lingerie retailers that carry Honeymilk nursing bras and other breastfeeding lines. The professionals in these stores will help you find the perfect fitting nursing bra for you.
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How do I care for my new nursing bra?
Washing your bra frequently will extend its life. As the fabric and elastics become saturated with natural body oils and toiletry products, fibers lose their integrity, breakdown and stretch out. You should never wear your bras more than 2-3 times before washing them. Molded foam cups must be hand washed or the cup will become distorted and you may find that your girls are pointing in two different directions rather than eyes forward.
Fill up your sink with warm water and a good fine fabric wash, such as Forever New (hyperlink), leave soaking for 5 minutes, agitate water for a minute or so, rinse and hang to dry. Do not use wool or silk wash, or shampoo to wash your bra, as they will cause its elastic to become brittle and eventually snap.
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I've finished breastfeeding, now what?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding can change your breast size and shape significantly. When you are ready to hang up your nursing bras, do yourself a favour and, you guessed it, get professionally fit for a regular bra. Your breasts worked hard, they deserve to be looked after.
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