Hello Hourglassy! I’m Becca and I’m excited to be the newest contributor, focusing on nursing bras and clothing. 

It feels especially exciting because I am a very long-time reader of Hourglassy, possibly almost from the beginning! Back in 2007-08 I was a birth doula, and got a job working at a (now closed) boutique on the Upper West Side of NYC that focused on nursing bras and clothing. I started getting interested in big bust bras and clothing once that job made me realize I was a 30F…not a 36C. I then went to graduate school, became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and have worked in the lactation field ever since. I have followed Hourglassy the entire time and loved the expo roundups and the bra and clothing reviews. My only problem with Hourglassy’s content is that I’m always learning about gorgeous new bras when I already HAVE a drawer full of gorgeous bras that fit!

After over a decade in the birth and lactation fields, I recently had my first baby and got to breastfeed for the first time myself…and once my milk came in fully, I found myself with exactly one bra that really fit and a handful of hand-me-down nursing tops. I reached out to Hourglassy asking if they’d be interested in reviews of nursing bras and clothing as I search for some better fits. I know I wish those reviews were already out there as I browse online during 4am feedings trying to stay awake AND find more things that work for my new body shape. I am so happy to be able to add that content to Hourglassy’s posts.

Along with bras, I’m hoping to take a look at nursing tanks with built-in bras, nursing clothing styles for big busts, hands-free pumping bras, and nursing-friendly bathing suits. Have something you’d like to suggest? Please let us know in the comments! I’m always on the lookout for brands and styles I may not have heard of.

If there’s interest, I’m also hoping to write a post about the concerns you might have as a larger-busted person with chest/breastfeeding a baby. I commonly hear questions about the effects of a breast reduction on lactation and how to get comfortable with positioning a baby for feeding with a larger bust. Many, although by no means all, challenges can be met and managed with skilled support. When my baby was born, we encountered just about every challenge in the book, from low supply to tongue tie to plugged ducts, and I was lucky to have the resources, support, and persistence to work through those issues. I want to empower others to seek out those same resources if you encounter difficulties of your own.

The name of my column will be “Milk a la Mode”—in French, “à la mode” means “in style” (though I’ll be forgoing the accent for ease of typing). I want this to be an inclusive name and an inclusive column in general. I recognize that you can have a large bust and be making milk for your baby while identifying as a mom, parent, dad, zaza, or whatever else fits you and your family. You might also identify as someone who is breastfeeding, nursing, chestfeeding, bodyfeeding, pumping, or whatever else fits your body and your circumstances. I hope to use inclusive language with the recognition that parenting and lactating can take many forms! Please let me know if I miss the mark—I’m always trying to improve.

Thanks for reading, and I’m looking forward to getting started!