Breastfeeding can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s also physically and emotionally demanding, especially when you’re running on little sleep. Many people don’t realise how much a nursing bra can influence the whole experience. If a bra isn’t comfortable, functional, or flattering, you won’t choose it. A high-quality nursing bra isn’t just about style; it becomes the foundation for comfort, confidence, and a smoother breastfeeding journey.
Why Comfort Affects Breastfeeding Duration
Comfort has a big influence on how long breastfeeding continues. When your body feels supported and relaxed, it’s much easier to settle into feeds and stay consistent. But discomfort, whether it comes from your bra, posture, latch, or even your surroundings, can quickly make feeding something you want to avoid.
When you’re comfortable, your milk flows more easily because your body can release oxytocin to trigger let-down. A relaxed mama also helps a baby relax, leading to a better latch and smoother feeds overall. Research consistently shows that when breastfeeding feels good, parents tend to keep going. A supportive, well-fitting nursing bra, like those from Cake Maternity, helps provide that comfort so you can focus on feeding and bonding.
How a Maternity Bra Helps You Breastfeed for Longer
1. Superior Comfort That Adapts to Your Body
A good nursing bra will be made to accommodate the changes that occur to your breasts and ribcage for each stage of pregnancy by using soft, breathable fabrics that stretch with you while still offering steady support.
2. Support That Protects Healthy Milk Flow
Thoughtfully structured designs give you lift and stability without compressing breast tissue. By keeping everything supported, Cake bras help maintain comfortable milk flow and reduce the risk of blockages.
3. Convenient Feeding Access
Cake Maternity’s easy one-hand clips, drop-down cups, or high elastane content fabric for pull aside access, make feeds quicker and smoother. Especially to avoid fiddly, tired nighttime or public feeds. Less fumbling means less stress.
4. Improved Positioning and Latch
Cake bras keep you lifted and supported, even when you’ve dropped your cup down, due to their folded edge side slings, platform slings or a-frame slings. These additions keep your breasts in position for nursing, which can help your baby latch more effectively, reducing nipple soreness and making feeds smoother for both of you.
5. Confidence You Can Feel
Cake Maternity is known for combining functionality with beautiful designs. When you feel stylish, supported, and put-together, even on tough days, it can boost your confidence and encourage a more positive breastfeeding mindset.
6. Durable Enough for Daily (and Nightly) Wear
Breastfeeding involves pulling, tugging, leaking, washing, drying and constant wear. Cake bras are designed to withstand all of this, maintaining their shape and supporting you with high stretch retention. This means you can depend on them to fit you around the clock for months of wear.
7. Thoughtful Designs for Every Stage
Whether you need seamless comfort, fuller-bust support, wire-free flexibility, an everyday t-shirt bra or something lacey, Cake Maternity offers bras that meet your needs at each stage of growth. The right bra at the right time makes all the difference in how long breastfeeding feels manageable.
What Makes a Good Nursing Bra
· Stretchy, adaptive sizes that adjust to breast fluctuations and ribcage changes
· Soft, breathable fabrics
· Nipple friendly moulded cups
· Folded edge sling to support breasts when nursing
· Supportive band
· Wide, comfortable straps
· No hard underwire (or flexible wire)
· One-hand nursing clips or easy pull-aside access
· Multiple layers for durability and support
· No compression that can restrict milk flow and block ducts
· Multiple hook-and-eye rows for changing ribcage size
· High quality materials that retain their shape after frequent washing
· Many different designs for all types of bodies, size and style
· Check the reviews and return policies from a specialist brand like Cake Maternity
Nursing Bra Myths: Busted
Myth: “Any stretchy bra works for breastfeeding.”
Truth: Regular bralettes or sports bras often compress breast tissue, which can affect milk flow.
Our Insight: Our bras are engineered specifically for lactation and have capacity where it’s needed. Flexible enough for size changes, structured enough to be supportive, and always gentle on sensitive skin.
Myth: “Supportive bras are uncomfortable.”
Truth: Support doesn’t have to mean stiff, pokey, or tight.
Our Insight: We design with superior quality yarns, ultra-soft, breathable fabrics and clever engineering so you feel lifted, not restricted.
Myth: “I only need a nursing bra once the baby arrives.”
Truth: Your breasts and body change dramatically during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as your milk ducts start gearing up for milk production as soon as you become pregnant.
Our Insight: All of our maternity bras are also nursing bras and can take you from bump to baby, adapting to each stage without needing multiple size swaps. And this also means you can master your one-handed cup drop-down.
Myth: “Underwire is bad for breastfeeding.”
Truth: Any poorly fitting bra can cause breast health issues. Well-designed, flexible underwire can be perfectly safe.
Our Insight: Our wire-free styles are loved by many, but we also design safe, breastfeeding-friendly flexi-wire options for those who want extra shape and lift.
Myth: “A nursing bra is just a bra with clips.”
Truth: A truly good nursing bra manages fit changes, protects breast health, and supports feeding on demand.
Our Insight: Every component, from straps to linings to cup construction is intentionally engineered through a careful design process to support comfort, function, and the real demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding life.
Breastfeeding can be beautiful and genuinely hard work at the same time, and your comfort isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. When you feel supported, both physically and emotionally, everything about feeding can seem more manageable.
That’s why choosing the right nursing bra matters so much. It should bet supportive, adaptable to your ever-changing breast size, comfortable and functional. If you’re in the right bra that does all of these things, it can help make breastfeeding something you can continue for as long as it feels right for you.
Above all, remember this: you’re doing an amazing job. Whether you breastfeed at all, for a little or a long while, you deserve comfort, confidence and care at every stage. You’ve got this.
Katie is the proud mum of two beautiful girls and has been responsible for all the designs, style and fit at Cake Maternity for over a decade now.
Katie is a nursing bra specialist and a fit, pattern and grading technician. She is passionate about breastfeeding and the many benefits it offers to both mum, baby and the environment.
She is determined to make the breastfeeding journey a comfortable, supportive and beautiful one for all mums, understanding that it doesn’t always come easy to everyone. That’s why she has made it her mission to empower women as they mindfully navigate the world of motherhood and help make breastfeeding easier, through experience-driven innovation.
