Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Getting ready to nurse...

Days left to my due date: 29!!!

My parents have been in town which is wonderful!! I am so loving my time with my mom. It means the world to have her here with me!! Yesterday she went shopping with me for nursing bras, tanks, nighties and tops. I am so glad she was with me because it turned into a wild goose hunt that I may have not handled as well without her.

First we went to Macy's and found a sales consultant and asked her where we could find the nursing section. She sent us downstairs. I waddled all the way down and we ran into another consultant in the lingerie department. When we inquired about the nursing bra section she sweetly told us that they didn't have any in this season. Seriously??

My first thought, "Apparently it's not Vogue to nurse. Perhaps next season it will be back in style." How could this be? She was very nice, but repeated that there just wasn't any nursing clothes available in the entire store and suggested that we try Dilliards. Ugh...on to the next huge department store to waddle through...my back is starting to feel very sore after only 5 minutes of standing these days.

So my mom and I walk into Dilliard's and find the nightie and lingerie department and ask one of their sales people for the nursing section...she just looks at us and plainly says while shaking her head, "we don't carry any of that."

WTF!?!? I didn't realize that it was going to be so hard to find a store that sells this stuff. My biggest concern was finding a bra that fits since I'm way above average in cup size, but this was even more frustrating than that!

As we hit the road to go to yet another store I was thinking, "no wonder so few women really nurse their babies anymore." It makes sense when the two biggest stores at the mall make it seem like nursing is for freaks! I really didn't expect that this part would be so hard!

My goal is to nurse my baby for 9-12 months so finding some nursing bras and tops is pretty important to me! We arrived at Motherhood Maternity and finally they had the right stuff! I purchased their biggest bra in the store....size 44F!! (That F stands for holy F*CK my boobs are big!) And I was able to get 5 shirts that look half decent too!! I also got a nursing nightie that I plan on packing in my hospital bag.

Phew! I did it....thanks to my mom's help and perseverance! Nursing is already proving to be ONLY for those who are seriously committed!!!

11 comments:

  1. I sooo need to get some things like that too! I have the bra (from Motherhood - and it might even be the same size!! I've been wearing it for the past month or so and while there's some room in the cup, there ain't much, but it's the biggest cup they sell!) I need some cami's though, a gown and I guess some tops, right? More stuff to think about buying...ugh, I'm tired of that!!
    Did you get a breast pump?? We registered for one but didn't get it. We plan to rent from the hospital just to be sure it all works out before buying or opening one anyway since they're so pricey. Breastfeeding class is next week.
    That you are less than 30 days away scares the pants off of ME! Haha!! I guess it will be here whether we're ready or not, right?? But we're ready. =)
    XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  2. I also got my stuff from Motherhood, but also found a nursing tank at Target. You might try there too. It is absolutely crazy how tiny the maternity sections even are in stores, if they have one at all. But nursing is RIDICULOUS! It's much more common right now than it has been previously, so it looks like they might see the need for supplies!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Target has nursing bras in the store and on-line. Their nursing tanks are GREAT espically for night time feedings. Nursing shirts can be a PITA, try wearing a stretch cami under a normal shirt (pull the shirt up and the cami down, much much easier to nurse in public). With larger breasts keep the football hold in mind made it a lot easier and I felt less like I was suffocating my baby. Good luck and it is hard, but harder if you stress about it so sit back and enoy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Like the 2 previous posts mentioned Target has (or rather did have) nice nursing bras when I was nursing my son. In regards to Tracy's question about the breast pump...I LOVED the Avent Manual Pump. I actually purchased 2 and was able to work both at the same time producing a lot of milk in a short period of time (not to mention they were very inexpensive.) I had a Medela pump but hated the extra cords and tubes. Good luck nursing it was an amazing experience that I was fortunate enough to be able to continue for 12 months and will never regret. Julie

    ReplyDelete
  5. I had a hard time finding nursing stuff, too! I only found a couple things at Target. I had the opposite problem. I was an A cup (yes, sigh, STILL) and finding an A cup nursing bra was impossible!! I had to settle for a B cup. I guess they assume you must have at LEAST been an A and surely you grew ONE size while pregnant. Alas, no! haha. But listen, if you plan on pumping at all (that's what I'm doing) check out the hands-free pumping bra on amazon.com. I LOVED that thing. I could literally do whatever else I felt like doing while pumping both sides at once. Huge time saver!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is really a shame that more places don't carry nursing apparel. They make women feel like odd balls for wanting to breast feed. I've actually ordered a lot of my nursing stuff online...of course it is hit and miss when you can't try it on! Glad you found some stuff though!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gosh I had no idea it would be so "un-cool" to carry nursing garments. That is crazy! I am glad you finally found the goods and that your mom was there to support you. Only 4 more weeks!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Target now has a bigger selection of nursing bras, but for girls like us, Priscilla, they don't have our cup size. and let me caution you (as I've been cautioned), your size will change when your milk comes in. I have two sports nursing bras and two nursing tanks. I was advised to not buy any more nursing bras until my milk has been in for two weeks. Then, I can have an accurate idea of size. I was also advised to go to a specialty bra store, get measured, and then order through them. I have an underwire one now that's a G up. Seriously...G!

    Oh, and congratulations on 29 days left! Although I technically have less than 21 days left, I will either have a c-section (if this child can't make up her mind by then to get in the right position) or I'll be induced July 28th. Can you believe it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. if you're at all vain (like me!) go with an underwire nursing bra - anita microfiber nursing bras are great ,and make your boobies look marvelous. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I had a nutso nursing shopping experience too! When I went to the local lactation specialty store, one of the first things the creepy old male salesman asked me was, "Do you have flat or inverted nipples?" It was like he was asking if I drove a Honda or a Nissan, no big deal, not personal, not something you wouldn't want to answer in a retail store. I was SHOCKED!! Luckily a nice lady nurse worked there as well and saved me from him, but I was ready to bolt. I bought two sleeping bras and one good regular bra and plan on going back for most everything else later once I become the size I will end up being. There are SOOO many accessories and things you need to nurse, wow! I'm not so sure it's cheaper than formula ;) jk But glad your mom was there to help!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I usually am a 40DD and have to get my bras at cacique/lane bryant. I was a bit worried though because my boops didn't get any bigger during the pregnancy so I didn't know what was going to happen after birth. They did get bigger but not by much and after a couple of days went back down. I bought one bra and a few tanks from Target. The tanks are fabulous for home and sleeping. I eventually got some bras at a lactation center. They were Bravado bras, awesome. I did measure a 40H though. Wow! BTW, my 40DD pre-pregnancy bras still fit me. Good luck with your search!

    ReplyDelete