Review: Bravado

Clare over at Babyworld offered to send me a brand new product to review. A maternity/nursing bra, a Bravado body silk seamless. Available in two new colours, teal blue or poppy red.

It arrived safely in a neat box and wrapped in some lovely tissue paper :) The box is excellent for storing the padded inserts or even some breast pads in. A very clear size guide and product information on the reverse, and included spare nursing clips/loops in the shape of a 'B'. I thought that was excellent, as if one breaks you'd normally have to go and buy a whole new bra. Not with these ones!





I find it to be the comfiest maternity/nursing bra ever! Or so i think :) And i was the first person in the UK to get one! I went for the teal blue 1401, size Large. Being a size 38DD/40D i was in between minds whether to go for the Medium or Large, i choose large to accommodate my growing shape whilst pregnant. Also i ballooned from 34D to 36G whilst breastfeeding my other daughter so i am pre-empting!

I love the fact that the foam cups are easily removable, great to use for a cold day or to hide breast pads. Or wear it without in the summer or under slinky outfits. And the cups shape your boob nicely for a lovely figure.




The fabric is so soft and feels lovely against your skin, ultimate comfort. The straps are a good width, not to thin that they dig in and not to wide to ruin the look of strapy outfits.
With four rows of hook & eye fastenings you can be sure to get a good fit, loosening for comfort or tightening for support.



The fit is perfect as its cut low enough for low cut tops, but not being to risky. The cup leading into the side of the bands are shaped and cut just right as to not dig into your skin or rub you under the armpits. The thick waist band keeps the bra in place through the whole day offering support and comfort without any adjusting!
I can see myself living in this bra throughout my pregnancy, new baby's nursing life and beyond!

For around £30 the bra is on the expensive side for just one, maybe a pack of two would fit the bill better. Or even staying around the £20 mark would be great. I'd definitely purchase more at a lower R.R.P, in the mean time i will be keeping an eye out for any deals and offers they may be included in.

Otherwise if you want style, comfort and ease of use from your bra then you need this bra!

Available in black, white, red, teal, nude and more means that there is one for everyone!!!

To read other reviews on this item or any other Babyworld products then follow these links....

This bra ~ http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/reviews/product.asp?id=1801
Babyworld ~ http://www.babyworld.co.uk/
Meet Clare ~ http://www.babyworld.co.uk/aboutus/meet_the_team.asp


 

Review: EnVie nursing bras 36G, under-wired vs non-wired

Since the journey began of breastfeeding Lydia, I've found it very difficult to find nursing bras in my size (36G) that were a comfortable yet supportive fit. Within my search i discovered EnVie Lingerie.

The lovely Jane over at EnVie Lingerie was keen to help me. She sent out two bras for me to try. One under-wired and one non-wired.

The first bra, Anita Nursing Bra with underwire 5035 

Considering i had not worn a wired bra for nearly a year, i found this one to be rather comfortable. It was a great fit, very supportive but not restrictive, and the microfibre fabric was soft & silky against my skin.
With secret support whilst un-clipped, your breast stays shapely and supported whilst breastfeeding.

The bra has a pretty jacquard pattern, and the cups were a generous yet supportive and comfortable fit.

I find the wire in some wired bras to high up or sewn in to tightly, not with this bra. The naturally forming wires in this bra were in the correct place and didn't dig in uncomfortably.

The thick, soft and comfortable band fastens with hook & eyes, three wide and three deep.

With extra wide shoulder straps and a little cushioning on the underside of them, i felt very comfortable and safe. The straps stayed where they're supposed to and didn't leave nasty red marks like other larger sized bras tend to do.

Fabric Material: 80% Polyamide 20% Elastane. Available in black or white.

Bands from 34-44, cups B-H.

Some people are against wearing wired bras when nursing for fear of damaging their milk supply or getting blocked ducts, however if you have one that is a true fit then no problems should occur. (i wouldn't wear one in the early stages though, more for comfort reasons really) You could save this as a going out bra, or a work bra. For times when you feel you need a bit more support.

Read EnVie's letter from Dr Miriam Stoppard about wearing under-wire whilst pregnant.

Priced at £39.99 (rrp £41.99) this bra is more expensive than others, but its the comfiest, prettest, yet practical under-wired nursing bra that i have found.

The second bra, Anita Nursing Large Cup Bra nonwired 5051

When i first saw this bra my thoughts were, 'oh-no, its a granny bra!' As it was not the most attractive thing to look at, but when i put it on i changed my mind. It was really comfortable, fit well and didn't look so bad at all. This bra was designed to help you and do its job as a nursing bra, not to be sexy in. It has light flower embroidery across the bust, pretty,cute yet sensible. Fabric Material: 45% Polyester 20% Polyamide 20% Cotton 10% Viscose. Only available in white.
Bands from 32-44, cups C-I.

With four sets of hook&eye fastenings, each row has three fastenings to give a comfortable and supportive hold. The extra thick shoulder straps give a great secure and supportive feeling that your boobs are in the right place, without the usual fear of them being loose and un-supported.

The sides are just high enough to give you a little more support, yet not to high as to rub your skin/armpits and make you sore.
I found the bra very easy to nurse in, with its large clip fastenings to allow quick (one-handed) access to your breasts. With extra built in hidden support, it almost looks like a sports bra within.

Over all i found this to be an excellent everyday bra!
If i was to change one thing, it would be to lower the front a centimetre or two. As with most nursing tops, and regular t-shirts, you could see the bra popping out over the top. Alternatively a little decor could be added if it is to be seen? A little bow perhaps?

With a price tag of £39.99 (rrp £45.99) this bra is not one of the cheapest options, but its definitely one of the comfiest. A good investment to see you through maternity and nursing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jane had told me that these bras are two of the most popular amongst their collection. For comfort reasons i can see why, however if your looking for prettier/sexy bras i would choose from their other styles/collections.

Both of these bras washed very well (wash at 40) with no misshaping or damage to the fastenings, quality products that were made to last.
Also both bras have little ribbon hoops/loops just below the clip fastenings, i am still trying to work out why or what they're for?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To purchase these bras or to browse the other styles and ''normal'' underwear, swimwear and see the *mens only* section by EnVie, visit their website here; http://www.envie4u.co.uk/

Lydia like's the under-wired one best

Review: YummyMummy Materity wear, Mama-licious Feed Me Long Sleeve Nursing Top (Green Floral)

The lovely Zoe from Yummy Mummy Maternity in Hove, sent me one of their long sleeve nursing tops (in green floral) to review. They do nursing and maternity wear.

I first saw this top on their website and thought how lovely it looked, then it arrived and i was not let down. Its GORGEOUS! Normally i don't wear anything floral or green, but this was so different and lovely.

It arrived wrapped up nice and neatly, displaying the product well and keeping it clean & safe. I particually loved the tag thats says '' FEED ME'', very cute and funny :)

The only off-putting thing was that is says 'XL' on the packaging.
Yummy Mummy's 'XL' is sized for 14/16, the UK's average womans size, so its not really a huge size at all? Lol :)

I found this size fit me perfectly, roomy enough around my 'mum-tum' and snug enough around my boobs for a great fit and chance for a bit of cheeky cleavage!
I am usually around a 14 for tops, but with these huge 36G milkers this top was an amazing fit! I felt very comfortable, trendy and like a yummy mummy in it :) If in doubt over sizing and ordering online, go for the next size up to ensure enough space for nursing sized boobs!

This top has pull-down flaps for nursing access, which allows just enough 'boob' to be out to feed comfortably and descretly (if baby does'nt pull it down like mine, see picture below! lol ). It pulls back up and into shape after feeding without leaving the top saggy or misshapen in that area. Just what every yummy mummy aims for :)

I loved the softness of the fabric and the versatile sleeve's. I like to push my long sleeve tops upto my elbows when busy, trying to feed my daughter lunch for example (picture below). The sleeve's have beautiful detailing around the wrists that tailor it slightly, however leave enough room to gather up comfortably.
The length of the body was also fantastic. I have found that some nursing tops are to short and gather up at the back when sitting/nursing. This has a bit of extra length that covers any sign of 'muffin-top' or 'builders-bum!' (talking about myself here!) Its just great!

As you can tell, i loved reviewing this top and i'm going to wear it to death!

So if you or someone you know are looking for some comfy, descrete, stylish yet affordable nursing tops then i highly reccomend this one.

Also i have some good news for you! The lovely Zoe has shared some discount codes with me, that i can pass onto you to buy this top, similar tops or some of the other gorgeous items from YummyMummy's online shop! (or direct telephone orders on 0844 8094424)

NN10 - will give you £10 off a £25 spend (excluding Sale items)

~~~ Or ~~~

AMB10 - will give you 10% off of ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!!! (any order, any amount,including Sale items)


Or you can visit the shop in Hove and see what other lovely things they have! Open 10am-5pm, daily (aprt from Sundays when they're closed)

Yummy Mummy Maternity

161a Portland Road
Hove
East Sussex
BN3 5QJ

Telephone: 01273 327892
Thankyou for reading my review, and i hope you treat yourself to something gorgeous from Yummy Mummy soon!