stopping breastfeeding-shopping for new bras!

[Deecee]

I breast fed my daughter exclusively for the first 9 months, and continued with her bedtime feed until 2 weeks ago. My pre-pregnancy bras are mostly horribly uncomfortable now.How long should I wait before I go shopping for some new ones?My boobs feel normal-though I dont think they look quite the same as they did 2years ago! Any reccomendations?I will get measured,fitted etc. and have quite a splurge, so dont want to waist money by going too soon.

[Nmd]

I'd wait a while for things to continue to settle down - in my case that meant shrinking to practically nothing, in some of my friends' cases that meant ending up with more than they started. M&S do some great bras to push 'em up (& fill 'em out if necessary) as they generally don't seem to have quite the same amount of life in them as before. New undies always make you feel great anyway - good luck!

[Lizzer]

Hi Deecee,
Yeah I'd wait. It's annoying I know and I really thought I'd go out and by a really expensive one as soon as I'd stopped, but I'm glad I didn't because I went down 2 cup sizes in about 3 months from stopping at 12 months, arghh... Just bought nice one last week though and it was worth the wait, feel glam once again!!

[Ems]

I didnt wait long, I couldnt bear to wear the zippy things anymore, especially when I was no longer a 'breastfeeder'!

I got fitted at M&S, 2 simple ones just incase things needed to 'settle'. But its all been OK and Ive been to buy some nice ones now! M&S have a bra/knicks offer on at the mo.

[Deecee]

Hi all and thanks! After 9 months in maternity bras and 12 months in feeding bras I was desperate to get back into 'nice'undies, you can imagine after trying on some of my old favourites, I was devastated to discover that the wires dug in under the armpit, or I couldn't even do them up!I have 3 tee shirt bras that are exellent for kidding you that your boobs are a perfect shape still! and they fit ok. Nmd- you have me worried as I never was very well endowed breast feeding gave me a cleavage to be proud of! Maybe I'll just get pregnant again!!

[Suew]

Pamina, I think it varies - sorry. And also depends on your weight too.

A friend of mine went from B cup to F cup and then to an A cup between pregnancies. She then went up to F again with pg and bf but is down to an A again now. But she is also now lighter in her body weight than she was when she married.

Another friend was a B cup went to DD and has stayed there - but she put on weight and hasn't lost it.

YMMV (commonly known as Your Mileage May Vary but AKA Your Mammaries May Vary)

[Chelle]

I was a C cup prior to pregnancy and feeding and went up to a DD cup while feeding (I also put on a lot of weight!). I breastfed for 11.5 months and about 2 months after stopping completely was back to a D cup. After another 3 months non-feeding I had lost most of my pregnancy weight (excpet for the 4 kg I have still to lose!) and was back to C cup. However, the C cups that fit me before pregnancy pinched a lot, so I ended up getting new ones anyway!

[Nmd]

Hooray!!! A very happy update is that after all this discussion I went to get remeasured in M&S and have gone back up/down to a 34A - post breastfeeding was 36AA (horrible) and although they're not exactly self-propelled any more at least I can heavily underwire and kid myself! 2nd daughter is now 15 months and I stopped breastfeeding at 5+ months.

[Eulalia]

I am still breastfeeding but after about a year I noticed my breasts had gone smaller, perhaps about the same as pre-pregnancy although difficult to tell as I am still wearing the same bras. They are getting a rather worn after 21 months! I was a D cup before and went to an F after the birth. They are much bigger during the period immediately after birth and settle down a bit after about 3 months and reduce more when baby goes onto solids and you are not feeding so much. They should go back more or less to normal pre-pregnancy size but will be differnet, softer and not so firm. Because of this a more supportive bra may be needed.

[Midge]

I personally think M & S have a different tape measure to everyone else. I was measured and told I was a (post feeding) 32D by M & S. I tried several bras on (they didnt have much choice at that size!) and they were the most uncomfortable things I have ever worn, far too tight, cups in the wrong place etc - assistant insisted it was my choice of bra rather than her tape measure that was at fault. So I got myself measured at two different stores who agreed I am a 34C and now have some lovely comfy undies!
I was a 33B pre baby but still have 10lb to lose.

[Emmy]

I would recommend John Lewis to, and I work for M and S so thats saying a lot. I got measured 2 weeks after last baby in JL and having thought I was a 36ee I found I was 34F!- lovely comfy bra. Im just stopping feeding now, down to last night feed and every time I have finished feeding I have gone back to the same size, yet strangely lower than before, sigh........Im thinking of getting a Bioform bra as they really push it up!I'm so grateful that bras are so good these days, I'm glad I wasnt born 100 years ago!

[Deecee]

I have been away awhile and just came on to check for any more advice, and discovered we'd moved onto the bra fitting debate! It reminded me of shopping for a 'sexy' number for under my wedding dress! M&S decided I was a 36b, house of fraser said I was a34a [ouch!], and good old John Lewis a 34c. Guess which was correct? And guess where I'll be heading for in how many weeks?---It pains me to think I may not have my new bras in time for my holidays.