As a nursing mom you barely have anytime for yourself, let alone enough time to care for your nursing bra. If you're not paying attention it will start to smell like rotten milk, become full of stains and irritate your skin. But you wear it all the time. Your nursing bra is your lifeline to sanity when your breasts swell from milk and make breastfeeding accessible every 2 hours, so you don't have to undress.
We got you covered with some tips to help you care for your nursing bra and keep you sane.
Tip 1: Hand Wash your Nursing Bra Overnight
If your nursing bra smells of rotten milk wash and scrub your bra by hand (no need to use a washing machine) before you go to sleep with baking soda, warm water and a touch of lavendar (for smell). Scrub and leave to soak over night. In the morning rinse and hang to dry.
Tip 2: Use Fragrance-free Baby Wipes
Wipes are your best friend as a nursing mom. As soon as you have a leak use wipes to wipe off the breast milk before your bra stains. Make sure you rub the spot real good with the wipe.
Tip 3: Carry breast pads with you to catch leaks.
While lactating and actively nursing, breast leakage is constant and can't be avoided. As such, always have extra breast pads on hand to catch leaks that otherwise soak and settle into your nursing bra promoting rotten milk odor.
Tip 4: Have an extra bra on hand when traveling or when soaking your current dirty nursing bra. The last thing you want to do is irritate your breasts when you need them to breastfeed. Change your nursing bras frequently.
Tip 5: If you do not have multiple nursing bras (they can be expensive depending on the brand) go braless on easy days when you're home and can keep track of your nursing schedule. A great replacement is a nursing tank or tank with a bra top that will still give you support. Express your extra milk, to store, when you start to leak and your baby is not hungry.
Tip 6: When traveling without your baby, breastfeeding bras can still be a comfy option to unlatch and breast pump. Try to breast pump as often as you can to prevent leaks and stains on your nursing bra. Find a private, clean, comfortable spot such as a dedicated nursing room where you can conveniently pump then store your breast milk. Use Moms Pump Here's nursing room locator on your mobile phone to find a nearby spot to express breast milk.
Tip 7: Machine Washing a Nursing Bra
When washing your nursing bra in a washing machine place it in a mesh bag for undergarments. Mesh bags are specially made for bras and underwear. They can be found in your local Walmart or Target. This will prevent zippers from jamming and the bra from being mangled or ripped in a heavy wash.
Here are the Specific Steps to Machine Washing a Nursing Bra
- Remove the nursing pads and tighten any clips, then put the bra in a fine mesh laundry bag to protect the bra's delicate and sensitive material.
- Use a detergent that's great at removing dirt and stains yet hypoallergenic for gentle and sensitive skin. Hard chemicals and fragrances will irritate a nursing mom's breasts and baby's sensitive skin.
- Place the mesh bag in the washing machine without bleach or fabric softeners and wash on "delicate" cycle in warm water.
- DO NOT use hot water, it could deteriorate the delicate fabric.
- DO NOT put nursing bras in the dryer, instead hang and air dry them in a warm open area such as a drying rack.