Welcome to our best-selling Nursing Bra!
Our Nursing Bra is now our 3rd best-selling bra, and we launch a new Black Tencel version next week, so I thought it might be time to sing it’s praises!
Reading revelations late last year on the levels of BPA in synthetic clothing and particularly sports bras, prompted me to speed up the development of a 100% plastic-free nursing bra.
While there are many well-recognised brands providing a range of supportive and comfortable maternity and nursing bras, our product sets itself apart by being 100% plastic-free and organic, catering to those who prioritise environmental sustainability alongside comfort and support.
Calling all pregnant women aiming to avoid plastic! Read on if finding the best breastfeeding bras available in Australia that are 100% organic cotton and natural fibres is your goal.
Natural fibres for breastfeeding women
Recent research in the US confirmed high levels of BPA in many big-brand sports bras. Even low levels of exposure to BPA during pregnancy have an impact on the unborn child and the mother.
So why do women have no other option than to wear plastic maternity bras which impact their health, the health of their baby and the planet???
Almost all maternity bras made with ‘natural’ fibres like organic cotton or bamboo also contain spandex and potentially BPA, a plastic, so they can’t be recycled or composted and will also end up polluting our planet
Conventional synthetic maternity bras have a massive impact on our environment. The petrochemicals used to make them pollute our air, they shed micro-plastics into our oceans and seafood when we wash them, and at end of life, they will end up in landfill giving off methane gas for centuries.
Although many products in the maternity lingerie category, including maternity and nursing bras, are typically made of synthetics - polyester and nylon mainly, our focus has always been on creating breathable maternity bras from natural fibres. This emphasis on natural fibres highlights the importance of comfort and functionality, whilst also addressing the extreme waste generated by the maternity bra sector.
On your motherhood journey, it makes sense to eliminate synthetics as early as possible, and where better to start than with your nursing bra!
Why organic cotton?
A cotton nursing bra is highly breathable and helps you feel comfortable even on hot sticky summer days. We aimed specifically to create a breastfeeding bra made solely with 100% organic cotton and natural rubber. Maternity bras like this are sadly not the norm. The organic cotton we use in both the body of the bra and the elastic is also un-bleached and un-dyed, so made with minimal processing for lower environmental impact.
Which style of maternity bra or nursing bra is best for breastfeeding?
We opted for a pull down style makes breastfeeding less complicated with no nursing clips, allowing you to easily operate with one hand. We also found that most maternity clips are made from plastic, and even custom making one in metal required the insertion of a flexible plastic spring - not for us then!
The Australian Breastfeeding Association advises wearing a nursing bra where the whole cup folds away, rather than rigid ‘trapdoor’ styles which can also put pressure on a full breast while feeding. Our pull down cup is silent, and takes you from pregnancy to breastfeeding and all the way through postpartum. It can also double as a sleep bra if you feel you need it.
Wirefree Nursing Bras
Wire free is our mantra, so clearly a wire free nursing bra was always on the cards. Again, The Australian Breastfeeding Association confirms that due to your changing size of your breasts whilst breastfeeding - as milk is produced and removed - underwire bras may put pressure on your breasts when they are full and your breast tissue may become inflamed, increasing your risk of mastitis. Wirefree bras all the way please!
A highly adjustable nursing bra
Understanding the importance of cup size and cup sizes during pregnancy, we designed our wire free maternity and nursing bras to accommodate the significant changes in breast size during pregnancy and nursing.
It took many failed attempts with our new Portuguese factory to perfect a supportive design with good coverage and using no spandex or polyester, but everyone worked on in good spirits. There was lots of laughter, coffee and custard tarts!
Recognising that a woman's breasts can grow several cup sizes during maternity, we created a highly adjustable nursing bra with 6 fastening loops on each side, ensuring it can stretch comfortably to go up a cup size or two and increase band sizes as needed whilst you breastfeed. This adaptability in our maternity nursing bras provides the ultimate comfort and support as you grow and contract, in line with the advice to choose bras that can accommodate these fluctuations in size.
How many nursing bras do you need?
Almost 75% of our customers researched went through over 3 maternity bras during pregnancy and nursing.
There were 310,000 babies born in Australia last year – if each mum had 3 nursing bras, that's 31,000kgs of plastic bras to landfill and 270kgs of micro plastics into our oceans in just one year!
In the US you can multiply this by 10! The figures are staggering. It's just too much!
Above all, uniquely compostable nursing bras!
Bras made with ‘natural’ fibres like organic cotton or bamboo also contain spandex and potentially BPA, a plastic, so they can’t be recycled or composted and will also end up polluting our planet.
The Very Good Nursing Bra is made with 100% plant-based, natural materials, unbleached and undyed, sourced from our trusted partners.
The Very Good Nursing Bra elastic is made with 100% natural rubber and organic cotton by a German company, and is again, undyed and unbleached
We also use 100% cellulosic sewing thread instead of polyester which is also compostable.
If we captured jut 10% of Australian nursing bra sales, we'd save 3000kgs of conventional, plastic nursing bras from landfill, and 30kgs of micro-plastics from our oceans, imagine that?!
Also nursing bras ethically made by super-women!
Yes, we make in certified factories in Portugal and Sri Lanka, which offer safe and dignified places to work, as well as a living wage.
Also check us out in Mouths of Mums Baby Shower Gift Guide,
What do our customers think?
Nursing Bras in larger sizes - Allison USA
‘I searched carefully for a bra made with all natural organic materials. Something that I would feel comfortable putting on my body, that wasn’t shedding microplastics on my or my baby when he nursed! This bra easily met that requirement. Secondarily, as someone who fluctuates between an H cup and a J cup, finding a bra that offers both comfort and support without compromising on style is a challenge. This bra not only provides the perfect fit for larger cup sizes like mine but also ensures I can wear a nice dress without worrying about sagging. I am pleased to say that this bra meets that expectation as well! I can also bend down and touch the floor and upon standing, my breasts are in the same place. Many of the nursing bralette style bras don’t hold my breasts as well or offer much support. Honestly, if the bra met only those expectations and wasn’t comfortable, I still would be relatively pleased, because of how difficult it is to find a good bra that caters to larger sizes. But on top of all that this bra is also COMFY- I wore it for the entire day today and it wasn’t itchy, it’s easy to pull down to nurse, I didn’t feel the need to try to adjust the bra or my breasts more than maybe once or twice. I am very, very happy with this bra and I plan to order another immediately!’
High quality, super comfortable, and plastic free! - Megan USA
I wanted to try The Very Good Bra, as they're one of the only companies to make a plastic free bra in cup/band sizes, but with the cost of shipping to the US it was a bit cost prohibitive for me. I'm so glad I finally ordered a bra from them, with the Kickstarter discount! The nursing bra is so soft and comfortable and looks like a regular bra under clothes, rather than like a sports bra. I prefer the cross over style, as it suits my shape well, and love that there's multiple loops to adjust the band size. With s/m/l bralettes and bras I have to size up for my bust and end up sewing the band tighter for support. The wider strap is nice, and I never have problems with them sliding off my shoulders. And of course, love that it's completely plastic free! I'm 11 months into nursing my second child and previously settled for a couple nursing bras that are just ok. So happy I now have these!
The only bra that meets my very high bar - Divya USA
I love everything about this bra. It is completely natural and non-toxic, fully adjustable (both straps and band), extremely comfortable and produced by a company that actually cares about end to end sustainability and foot print. Recently I went to a big store here in the US where I am and was positively depressed unable to find a single bra that was not plastic. And then I found this company online and although it is in Australia, totally worth it considering all of the benefits. To the company: Please don't ever give up and keep up the good fight. We are in dire need of more of such companies on the planet. I hope you expand to other fabric based products and wish you the very best! I'll definitely be spreading the word.
