My Nursing Stories + THIRDLOVE Launches Nursing Bra!

“Motherhood comes in all shapes. As much as we’d love a how-to manual on raising kids, we believe the real magic happens in the unscripted moments, when in between all the doing, you find the time and comfort to just be.” #BYMOMSFORMOMS – THIRDLOVE

Oh how I LOVE that quote by THIRDLOVE! Becoming a mom is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. It is also THE hardest thing that I have ever done. There is no how-to manual. There is no “right way” for every single baby. Raising tiny humans is a huge job, but one that I am so glad I am blessed to do. From right when you become pregnant, you give yourself fully to this little human. I know from the first day I found out I was pregnant with Truman, I completely changed. Everything was for him. Once he was born we instantly bonded and it was love at first sight. I remember nursing him for the first time and I just felt so at peace with the amazing bond we were creating together.

My nursing journey started out rocky. I got mastitis right away and was trying to figure out supply issues, but I pressed on. One of the first suggestions that pops up when searching “mastitis” is to get in bed with your baby and try to nurse and rest as much as possible. So that is what we did. Fast forward 10 months- Truman had never had a bottle! He was exclusively nursed and I was SO proud of the hard work I went through to get us there. It was a struggle the entire time, but something that I worked hard at every day. At that time, I was not really working and only had Truman to take care of. When I had Tatum, my world was rocked.

I never once thought that I wouldn’t be able to nurse as long as I did with Truman. Well, week two into two kids and I got super sick. I remember being in bed and at the end of the day suddenly realizing I hadn’t played with Truman once. This totally devastated me. How was I going to pull this off? Well, I ended up nursing and supplementing. And guess what? That was totally okay. THAT was what was going to work for us. We slowly supplemented more and more, but what mattered most was that my baby was fed + happy.

With social media, I think you get pressured and feel the need to be perfect and do everything perfect. Every mom, every child, every situation is different. I know my children and I know what’s best for them.

I am so thankful for both of my experiences.

And I will never take for granted the times I get to spend feeding my babies and I will always and forever cherish those amazing moments. Even now, I always try and make it a goal to be completely present while feeding Tatum. No phones, no tv, etc. I try and soak it all up because it really does go by so fast. I think it’s so important to just do you and focus on what works best for you and your family! Don’t compare yourself to others. I know I have connected with so many women who have children the same age as I do and it has been so amazing to root each other on, give & receive support, and all around connect with these amazing, strong moms.

I partnered with THIRDLOVE on this post, because as a mom who has nursed two babies, I was SO excited to learn about their new nursing bras and to of course share all about it with my fellow mamas! So let me tell you about their new line. First of all they were designed #FORMOMSBYMOMS … I mean who better to design a nursing bra?! Women who have actually gone through the nursing process and who know exactly what we need in a bra.

The collection includes two bras: The 24/7 Classic Nursing Bra & the 24/7 Classic Underwire Nursing Bra. They are both made of super soft fabric, have easy open cups, front closure, and a smooth back (this helps smooth the silhouette). If you are also a mama, then I am sure you know how much your breasts change. From pregnancy to post nursing, this bra is perfect for it all. Let’s chat about the changes we go through:

Pregnancy

I know my breast are the first things that change when I am pregnant. They definitely get larger and more tender. THIRDLOVE suggests a wireless bra during this time for a softer support as your body goes through various changes during pregnancy.

Birth

Once your baby arrives, you produce milk within a few days. Your breasts will usually swell. I always always always get engorged the third day after giving birth. I know a lot of women actually love to not wear a bra during this time. This may be TMI, but I am usually so chapped and engorged and hate ANYTHING rubbing against me. So, I always love to use my nipple cream and have a nursing bra on to avoid anything else irritating me.

Nursing + Back To Daily Life

A GOOD nursing bra is key during this time!! I always think it’s good to have two or three nursing bras to rotate through. Right before feedings, your breasts will feel full and large, and then will soften and feel smaller. So the THIRDLOVE nursing bra was designed to feel comfortable and supportive throughout the day and feedings. (I know I always kept nursing pads in my bra to try and avoid leaking through my bra and shirts!) The cups in this bra are easy to open which is essential (I’m sure all of you nursing mamas know that easy access to feeding is SO, so important… I know I’ve nursed everywhere!

The car, while out to eat, church, you name it) I know I also went through my share of pumping and even donated milk with my first baby, so the easy open cups are realllly helpful with that, for sure!

Post nursing

Once you are completely done nursing, I am sure that you will notice your breasts and ribcage are a different size than when you were lactating. I know it took me a bit after pregnancy + nursing with Truman to completely change sizes, so it is helpful to wear the nursing bra while your body changes. After that, it’s important to remeasure yourself and order a bra accordingly. We will probably be at this step soon and I am excited to order another bra (I have one already that I wore in between my pregnancies) from THIRDLOVE! They have a super easy way to measure at home for ordering online here.

I know many of my followers and readers have reached out about nursing, and I’m not going to lie- I feel like it’s a very personal thing. But although I do feel it’s an incredibly personal subject, I felt it important to share both of my journeys with you guys. I take my partnerships very seriously and I am confident that any of you expecting or nursing moms will love this bra! It is a top notch design, amazing quality, and sooo comfortable! I’d love to hear about your journeys! Did any of you have similar experiences to mine? As requested, we will also be sharing how we are introducing solids in the next couple of weeks. Thank you all so much for stopping by + for always being the best support system! XO