TLB Reviews: Virtual Bra Fitting

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The Goods: Virtual Bra Fitting by Judy Masucci-Owner of A Mother’s Boutique

The Reviewers: Elise and Kileah

The Good: 

Elise says… Judy was a great communicator. We emailed back and forth several times so that she could get all of the information she needed to virtually fit me for a bra. At the time I was about 8 month pregnant so I was facing the challenging transition from the end of pregnancy to the beginning of breastfeeding. We discussed measurements and she asked about the fit of my old bras. Judy knew exactly what size of bra to recommend that would fit me during this transition. She recommended 8 different styles that would suit me. I chose the Anytime Bralet and it is currently one of my favorite nursing bras. 

Kileah says…Judy emailed me the list of questions to answer with as much detail as I could give on what I did/didn’t like about my prior bra experiences. My breastfeeding size is a LOT different than my “dry” size as far as bras go, and I had a TON of “I hate bras” information to give her (seams, uncomfortable squishies in weird places, near-death-by-underwire…you get the picture). She was so knowledgable, prompt in her responses and had several options she recommended! I ended up choosing the Toffee nursing bra from Cake Lingerie. It fit like a DREAM (also looks FABULOUS under my shirts and tops!).

The Bad:

Elise says… This was my first time doing a virtual fitting and I was not sure how it would work. I was skeptical that someone could fit me for a bra without actually seeing me. Judy was very clear in her requests for information and I trusted that it would all work out. When I received the bra at 8 months pregnant it only fit on the very last closure and I was unsure it was going to be a good fit for nursing postpartum. However when I began nursing it fit perfectly. Although it may be a challenge to trust that someone can fit from afar, Judy does know what she’s talking about!

Kileah says…So per the sizing recommendations (I measured at a “36D”…but hearing my issues with current bra situation…she recommended a “34G”) which ended up slightly too big in the cup. I emailed her and she quickly sent the next cup-size down and it was MAGIC.  I am, as you have all read in previous reviews, the skeptic when it comes to online clothing shopping (especially for undergarments!) and boy did Judy prove me wrong. She IS the bra-whisperer. All women should absolutely get professionally fitted for undergarments like this, especially nursing moms! Having a bra that is well-fitting can be such a confidence-booster and helps you feel fabulous in your own skin!

The Ugly: 

Elise says… Judy requested a description of how my pre-pregnancy bras fit me at 8 months pregnant. I had just moved so they were packed away and I had to do a few searches to find them. Some mothers-to-be may get rid of their old ill-fitting bras during pregnancy and this step could be difficult to complete. It is also a little uncomfortable to try on old bras that don’t fit anymore, but in the end it will help Judy figure out your virtual fit.

Kileah says…To compare the different virtual bra choices on the website was a bit tricky (but definitely doable!). The website itself can be a bit difficult to navigate on mobile phone but it’s definitely worth it!

*One of my favorites about this fitting: the $25 you use to purchase the bra fitting gets given right back to you in a $25 coupon towards a purchase of a bra on A Mother’s Boutique after you get your custom fitting! I’d get on that ASAP, Leakies!

We love you, Judy Masucci! Thanks for being our Bra-Whisperer!

The Leaky Boob Launches Product Review Program

by Jessica Martin-Weber

One of the best parts of The Leaky Boob community is the diversity of experiences.  No two stories or perspectives are exactly alike.  From breastfeeding to returning to work to our birth stories and introducing solids, our journeys are varied and complex.  When it comes to talking about products, this is even more apparent.  One person’s trash is another’s treasure.  What my family couldn’t live without, yours may find completely worthless.  It’s not unusual for me to be asked for my opinion or if I have written a review about a specific product.  The truth is I don’t really like writing reviews.  Some are a lot of fun and some, well, aren’t.  If I actually get the chance to write though, I don’t usually want to write about a product, it’s just not a creative or inspiring outlet for me.  Yet within our community be it here, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, we often discuss topics that extend way beyond breastfeeding including various products and I discovered I am often giving casual, on the spot reviews anyway.  That doesn’t bother me, it’s just a conversation, but it hit me that even though I don’t care to write reviews, people are looking for them and because they already trust TLB as part of their community, it makes sense for them to seek that resource here.

Plus, there are so many great products out there from companies that truly support and value families.  Wanting to connect the parents looking and the companies with the product through honest, unbiased perspectives, we began discussing what it could look like.  With that, The Leaky Boob Review Program was born.  Believing that for a review to be unbiased, the reviewer needed to not fear that they would receive backlash from the company if they were critical.  Talking with Jeremy and then Amy West, we determined that we wanted to pay our reviewers independently so not only would they receive the product, they would be compensated for taking the time to evaluate and write a thorough review of the product, free of any pressure to make the company happy.  Continuing the approach to reviews already established on TLB, reviewers would go over the good, the bad, and the ugly of each product, to be as objective and trustworthy as possible.  Our reviewers were hand-selected by Jeremy and me and represent some of the diversity we see within The Leaky Boob community, communicate clearly in written word, and are able to give objective feedback on their experience with a product.  Being parents first, all of our reviewers are able to evaluate a product as any other parent would, not based on insider knowledge of the baby industry (both a handicap and an advantage) and would use it as any parent new to a product would.  Each new review launched in our review program is covered by at least 2 of the writers to provide 2 perspectives right off the bat and we encourage anyone to ask questions in the comments section of each review and anyone with experience with that particular product to comment on the review sharing their own personal experience review as well.  Together we will grow a resource of trusted, diverse reviews reflecting a wide variety of opinions and experiences.  Our review writers include a mom of 2 (preschooler and infant at the time of this writing), a husband and wife with 4 children (ages 6, 4, 2, and infant), a new first time mom of an infant, and occasionally parents of 6 and creators of The Leaky Boob, Jeremy or me.  Check out their bios here and get to know them through their reviews.

We’re going to continue our primary focus on supporting families in feeding their children, specifically when it comes to breastfeeding and breastmilk.  This new development won’t be taking anything away from our core purpose, merely adding to it.  In true TLB style, it’s more than just us, this new extension of our community will greatly depend on the input and connections shared in your own personal stories and support.

Help us make this a useful resource for you and others.  What products would you like to see reviewed?  How would you like our reviews to be different from others you have seen?  Please tell us what is important to you in a review.

I’m excited to see TLB grow in this way.  We’ve already been doing it, we’re just making it TLB official.

~Jessica