Some of my pals have debated the safety of nursing bras with underwire, because some women do have issues with underwire. Note, this doesn’t mean ALL women will have issues with underwire though, and it’s likely not the bra, but the fit that can create a problem.

Here’s the deal with underwire:

You CAN wear a nursing bra with underwire. In fact, if you have larger breasts naturally, or due to your pregnancy, underwire can provide better support than going sans underwire.

Underwire gets a bad rap because if you buy too small, the underwire area of the bra can put unnecessary pressure on your milk ducts which can cause pain and milk production problems.

What to do: Make sure you purchase a bra that fits snug, but not too snug. The underwire should fall well under your breasts, well-under as in it still provides support but won’t put pressure directly on your breasts.  The best plan is to go to a professional maternity clothing shop and get measured and fitted for a maternity/nursing bra. You can wear a nursing bra while you’re pregnant, so while a bra from a professional shop can cost more than say, a Target bra, it’s worth the cost, because you’ll be getting a lot of wear out of this bra. Also consider that while caring for a newborn, the last thing you need is underwire issues.

Are you an underwire girl or not? Actually I used to hate underwire, but after my son was born I learned to love it - go figure.