If you spent hours researching breast pumps before your baby arrived but only a few minutes choosing your pumping bra, this blog is for you. Most moms dedicate their time to finding out which breast pump they should buy. Reading reviews and deciding between a traditional flange pump or a wearable breast pump. The hands-free pumping bra purchase is usually an after thought. As a mom of three who nursed and pumped for a combined eight years, I have learned that your pumping bra and your breast pump MUST work together as a team.

A bra designed to hold traditional breast pump flanges has a very different job than a bra designed to support a wearable breast pump. Understanding that difference will make pumping much easier.

Do All Pumping Bras Work With Every Breast Pump?

This is one of the biggest misconceptions I see when moms shop for pumping bras. No, all pumping bras are not the same and they do NOT work with every pump. A pumping bra may technically be marketed for pumping, but that does not necessarily mean it is designed for every style of breast pump.

Before choosing your pumping bra, look at the shape of the breast pump you selected. Are you using traditional flanges with bottles that hang from your breasts? Are you using round shaped collection cups connected by tubing to a portable breast pump? Are you using a round shaped wearable breast pump that sits inside your bra with a motor on top? Each setup requires something different from your pumping bra. 

What Is a Flange Pumping Bra?

Traditional breast pump flanges sit directly on the breast, and the connector and bottle stick away from the body as milk is collected. If you are using this style of pump, your pumping bra needs an opening to allow the flange to pass through and securely hold it against your breast. This is what makes hands free pumping possible.

Without a pumping bra, you would need to hold the flanges against your breasts with your hands for the duration of your pumping session. If you are pumping both breasts at the same time, that means both hands are occupied. A well designed flange pumping bra takes over that job for you.

The fabric surrounding the pump opening needs enough tension to keep the flange positioned against your breast as the bottle fills with milk and becomes heavy. If the opening stretches too much or the bra does not provide enough support, you may find yourself constantly readjusting and the flange leaking. This is especially important if you use 9 ounce bottles or glass bottles, which can become extra heavy during a pumping session.

Do Wearable Breast Pumps Need a Pumping Bra?

Wearable breast pumps completely change the job of the pumping bra, and yes, we highly recommend an actual pumping bra for them. Instead of flanges hanging outside of your bra, a wearable pump or collection cup sits inside of your bra, directly against your breast.

Now your bra is no longer supporting a flange hanging from your breast. It is supporting the weight and depth of a round shaped pump or collection cup. That requires a different type of pumping bra fit. A great bra for a wearable breast pump must have enough stretch and interior space to accommodate the size of the pump while still providing enough support to keep it securely positioned against the breast.

The balance between too soft and too structured is extremely important. If your bra is too loose, your wearable pump may shift away from your breast as you move around. If the bra is too tight like a standard sports bra, you may feel uncomfortable pressure of the pump digging into your breast tissue.

We typically find there is not enough room inside the cup of a standard bra for both your breast tissue and the breast pump. Wearable pumps add a lot of volume to the chest. A nursing bra that fits perfectly without a pump, will suddenly feel completely different once you add a wearable pump to each side. This is why I do not recommend assuming any stretchy nursing bra will automatically make a good wearable pumping bra.

Can You Use a Nursing Bra With a Wearable Breast Pump?

Sometimes you can, but not always. A nursing bra's primary feature is to give you access to your breast for nursing. Pumping bras are designed with the intention of pumping, and these are 2 very different things. There are some combo nursing and pumping bras that are compatible with wearable breast pumps, but not all nursing bras on the market are compatible. 

The bra you wear with a wearable pump matters more than many moms realize. Remember that your bra is not only supporting the weight of the breast pump. As your pumping session progresses, it also needs to support the additional weight of the milk being collected too.

How Tight Should a Pumping Bra Be?

Whether you are using traditional flanges or a wearable pump, your pumping bra should feel supportive and secure without feeling excessively tight. Too much compression can restrict milk flow and cause plugged ducts. Too little compression can cause poor suction and leave milk behind, resulting in supply issues or even mastitis (a very uncomfortable breast infection). 

For traditional flanges, you want enough tension to keep the flange and bottle positioned upright and securely against the breast without needing to hold it with your hands. You don't want to see the flange tipping away from the breast or be so loose it could slip out of the pumping bra. For wearable pumps, you want to see the pump cup parallel to your breast tissue. Not so tight it's digging into your chest and not so loose the cup is sitting away either. 

Your bra straps play an important role here too (which is why we do not recommend strapless bandeau pumping bras). Being able to adjust your straps allows you to change the amount of lift and tension depending on the breast pump you are using. This is particularly helpful with wearable pumps because adding a pump inside the bra changes the volume and weight being supported by the garment.

What If You Use More Than One Style of Breast Pump?

This is my favorite question as a pumping bra designer. Other brands would trick you into buying 2 different styles of pumping bras. At Davin & Adley, I design pumping bras to fit both wearables and flanges. You might use traditional flanges for your pumping sessions at home, collection cups while you are working, and a fully wearable breast pump when you are commuting or running errands. Davin & Adley hands-free pumping bras are compatible with both styles of pumping, so you never have to change your bra. No new mom has time for changing bras all day long + it saves you money from buying different bras. A win for every new mom.  

Did You Choose the Right Pumping Bra?

If you haven't started pumping yet but you have both your pump and pumping bra, I recommend you do a try on of them together. Test how the pump fits inside. Do the flanges feel secure or loose? Does your wearable pump fit inside or is it too tight? Is there extra room if your chest gets larger with your milk (because in most cases it will!)

Pro tip: You can fill your bottles with water to see if the bra fit can support your pump even with extra weight!

If you are actively pumping and fear your pumping bra is the problem, I can help. As a pumping bra designer, I offer free bra sizing support for moms in email. We can review together to determine if your sizing is wrong and the fit of your bra needs to change, as well as the compatibility with your pump. Schedule a free size consultation with me and I can help you pick the correct pumping bra for your breastfeeding journey.