While several things have been similar postpartum after having Bjorn compared to Cullen, the one thing that I wasn’t expecting was that my boobs were going to be a lot bigger the second time around after having a baby.
After Cullen, I still wore my regular slip-over-my-head sports bras with medium support with no problems. This time around, my boobs are considerably bigger, and I’ve had to buy new sports bras. I’ve also chaffed quite a few times on the underside of my boobs, so I’ve resorted to using Body Glide on a lot of my run and especially ones where I sweat more (treadmill runs, indoor track workouts).
I purchased four new sports bras this time postpartum since all of my other ones were designed for an A/B cup and not very supportive. All but one that I purchased is much more supportive and sized with a cup and band size rather than your traditional S, M, L. I wore all four of them on various runs to test out how each one performed. They all had their pros and cons: one allows me to nurse and pump in the same sports bra, some are easier to get on, and there has only been one that didn’t cause any chafing.
lululemon Enlite Sports Bra
The most supportive sports bra.
This lululemon Enlite Bra was by far the most supportive sports bra I tried. The thickness of the straps and the X and I I straps in the back provided a lot of support. Plus the molded cups didn’t just flatten my boobs against my chest.
The back has extra wide straps for a lot of support and a hook-and-eye closure helped customize the fit.
When I first wore this sports bra, it was incredibly tight. It took me a couple of minutes just to get the hook-and-eye closure shut. It has loosened up over time and now is just the right size and much easier to close.
The downside to this sports bra is the cost. It is pretty expensive, but this one is on sale if they have your size.
Brooks Dare Crossback Run Bra
The only one that didn’t cause me to chafe.
This Brooks Dare Crossback Run Bra was the only sports bra that didn’t cause chafing. It didn’t have a bonded/glued seam right under my boobs, so there wasn’t any “seams” in the material to cause chafing.
Technically this was a little small on me. It worked, but I could also tell it wasn’t quite big enough. I still wore it and will continue to wear it, but I would only recommend it if they make it in your size.
Brooks has gotten rid of the term ‘sports bra’ and now calls these their ‘run bras.’ This one (and many of them) are designed for high impact. And these have lined cups, so you don’t have to worry about the liners falling out in the wash.
lululemon Run Times Sports Bra
The cutest sports bra.
I personally think this lululemon bra is the cutest sports bra I tried from the ones I bought. I love the color, the perforation in the middle for ventilation, and the lined cups. It was also very supportive just not quite as supportive as the Enlite bra from lululemon.
The straps in the back can be crossed in an X pattern or in the traditional I I way. I have always worn it in the criss-crossed version since it seems more athletic. This one is the easiest to get on, especially if you left the straps in their parallel version.
This plum color is currently on sale if your size is still available.
Sweat and Milk Nursing and Pumping Sports Bra
I love that this is a 2-in-1 sports bra from Sweat and Milk that is suitable for nursing and pumping. This is the first time I’ve used a bra designed for pumping when pumping, and it is a life-changer not to have to hold the cups on.
There are two clasps on this sports bra–one for nursing and the other for pumping. It is very convenient and ten times better than having to undo a hook-and-eye clasp in the back like the two lululemon ones when I have to nurse Bjorn. I also love the back of this sports bra–such a fun strappy back.
The drawbacks to this sports bra is that it is not very suitable for high impact activities. I have worn it on shorter runs and surprisingly it wasn’t all that uncomfortable, but the band isn’t even snug around my rib cage which is where most of the support of a sports bra comes from, so I was surprised it actually worked okay. With that said, I would never wear this on a long run.
I also wasn’t very impressed with the quality of this sports bra. The material seemed to be a lower quality, and it just didn’t retain it’s shape like the others.
This brand does have several other more supportive options including this one for high impact.
Whether you are nursing or just gifted in the boob department, there are great options out there where you should never have to wear two sports bras. If you have any other recommendations, leave them in the comments below.
