DIY Nursing Bra

Finding a good, supportive nursing bra can be a big challenge. That's why I decided to make my own. I never felt supported in any of the nursing bras I had gotten and did not want to get one with an underwire since those can often cause blocked milk ducts... Ouch! I found a bra several months back that I liked and fit well during pregnancy. To make it into a nursing bra,  I removed the underwire (which surprisingly made it a lot more comfortable without losing support!) by making a small slit in the fabric and pulling the wire out. (Don't toss the wire, it can be used as boning when making your nursing cover!!) 

I then ordered some nursing bra clasps from this website and decided to try my hand and converting the bra I liked into a nursing bra. The first step was to cut the strap of the bra about an inch above where it meets the cup. Believe me, it was not easy taking that first step and cutting apart a perfectly good bra!

Be sure to look at the backside of the bra strap. I made sure to cut about an inch above where the seam is. I then took the bottom part of the clip, put the fabric through the slot and stitched the clip in place. 

Next I attached the top clip the same way. When doing this step, be sure that you attach the top clip in the correct direction since there are 2 slots for fabric. You'll see why in just a little bit. 

Now that you have the clasp in place you think you'd be done, right? Nope! Unless you want your bra strap to fall back over your shoulder, there is one more step. Take a piece of elastic and sew it on the other slot on the top clip then to the bottom of the bra. If you stitch it a little more off to the side on the bottom of the bra the elastic will just slide to the side when preparing to nurse. I opted to stitch it just underneath the cup to avoid irritation and rubbing. During this step, it's very important to make sure that your strap and the elastic are not twisted. Feel free to claps the bra in back as well as the nursing clasp to make sure everything is in line. 

The elastic I used was very narrow since that is what I had on hand from making my maternity shirts. You can use a wider piece of elastic if you prefer. It really won't make a big difference. You basically just need something there to keep your strap from falling back when you un-clasp to nurse. I wouldn't use anything too thick though, you still want to be comfortable. Once that is done, just repeat everything on the other side. 

With just a few simple steps and about 20 minutes of your time, you can easily turn a regular bra into a nursing bra! 

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