Big busted and in desperate need of bra advice!

[Fermina]

Please help!

I already had big boobs pre pregnancy (32FF) and am really struggling with bras (am 6 months).

I have gone up in the back with my underwired bras but they are still hurting me as my bump is quite high and the underwire digs in. However, if I go any bigger in the back then the bra just sits too low down and hurts even more. And also, having a tight back is where the majority of your support is going to come from.

I went to Selfridges and they advised a maternity bra (just out of interest, how does the underwire effect the milk ducts? Where are the milk ducts even?? I am clueless). I bought a Freya polka dot one but it offers no support cos of lack of wires. Not only is it not comfortable for very long, my boobs look depressingly saggy, like I'm not even wearing a bra!

Can anyone help?? I am desperate

Thanks!

[MamaG]

Have you tried Bravissimo? I understand their measuring service is very good. My SIL owns a lingerie company and when I was pg, she ensured that my bras were correctly fitted and I wore underwired bras right up until birth - if they are correctly fitted it won't affect your milk ducts. I was lucky though, having her to regularly check me and supply the bras!

I do think you need to go be re measured and fitted somwhere

[TheApprentice]

I don't know what Selfridges is like at fitting bras, but if you are fitted properly then you shouldnt be having these problems. Have you tried Bravissimo? I have always found their fitting excellent. Also the NCT do lots of maternity bras and they have local people trained up to do the fitting. (might be in someone's house though!) The maternity and nursing bras I have had have all been very comfortable and supported me well (I am someone who would normally wear underwired as I am quite large in the boob area!), but they have all been hideously ugly it has to be said!

[TheApprentice]

Ha, crossed posts MamaG!

[OurLadyOfPerpetualSupper]

I left London years ago, but Peter Jones always used to serve me well. I know what you mean about the underwires - but you aren't supposed to wear then in pg, which is a pain.

Thing is, any shop is only as good as the person fitting you (this also applies to the NCT as I found to my cost) - but I think Bravissimo is pretty reliable on this score, so is probably worth a try.

[rainbowdays]

Fermina - as someone who started before her first pregnancy as 32G. I do understand what you are going through, but you should ditch your underwired bras now. The milk ducts are not just in your breast tissue, but further around, and the underwire can put pressure on the ducts and you could end up with issues with this if you continue to wear an underwire.

For me the only ones that worked were the NCT ones, due to having a very small back like you. I found that the people fitting me were not that great, and it took trial and error to find the ones that fitted at different times. I ended up going up to a 36J to the end of my pregnancy and a 34L when breastfeeding. Your rib cage expands as the baby grows up under your rib cage, and you will find that you need a larger back size as well as cup size.

It is a matter of trial and error to find a good fitting bra, different styles suit different people. I had become used to working out if a bra fitted and having lack of choice with the starting size that I was before pregnancy. With pregnancy it limited my choice even further. Having been through three pregnancies now, I have to say that what I find easiest is to order a wide range of sizes from the NCT, try them at home myself and work out which fits best, and return those that don't fit. I found it hard to find anyone that is good at fitting larger busted ladies in pregnancy. But I know when a bra is fitting or not on myself and go with what I think fits best giving me the most support (without underwire).

I hope this helps?

[Fermina]

Thanks everyone, lots of good advice. Heading up to town now so will try again. And will also get onto NCT shop

[Louise2004]

My colleague recommended the Peter Jones fitting service to me a few years ago and I've never looked back. They were spot on with their advice and bra suggestions when I was pregnant, after pregnancy and after an operation I had, and I still visit them when I have time in London. (Instead of an underwired bra or maternity/nursing bra I sometimes wore/wear a sports bra, which are not very elegant or pretty but they're functional and comfortable!)

[OurLadyOfPerpetualSupper]

Trouble is, sports bras are difficult to find if you're small of back and large of cup, but you're right, they're fine for more 'normal' sized people.

[bananapeanutbutter]

I was a 34D now a 34F. Underwires were really uncomfortable for me from about 12-13 weeks.

I got really fed up with bra shopping (ugly bras which only went up to a DD and offered no support - including those awful Freya ones!!!) so I ordered a few bras online. None of them fit and I had to return them. So totally p*ssed off, I went to Debenhams and just tried on 101 bra sizes until I found the best fit (I know I should have had a proper fitting blah blah but I've hated the whole concept after a bad experience where I ended up with the most hideous, most expensive bra available). The mat bras were so cheap in there (I can't remember what brand I bought - Miriam Stoppard maybe?) that I thought I might as well buy one and have now been back to buy a few more. They are non-underwired and don't give as nice a shape as my usual underwire bras but are the best I've tried on, comfy and my DH says they look nice! I did buy a hot milk bra online which I love the look of but is way too big in a 34F. I've kept it though as I may need it by the end!

[thehuntress]

I went to Rigby and Peller and got fitted recently and am very happy. I was a 36E before pregnancy, and have definitely gone up in back size and cup size. They are very expensive but probably the most comfortable bras I've ever had (and I've gone to Selfridges and Bravissimo). What feels different about them is the wire bit under the arm sits very far back, and so doesn't dig into your breast.

I would highly recommend them, although admit they are very expensive for a bra you will only wear for a few months.

[blushes]

Oh, this is a topic close to my heart (quite literally)

I was 30F-G before being pregnant, now a 32FF at 25 weeks.

I bought a couple of non-underwired M&S maternity bras in a 34E. Downsides are that they don't seem to do a 32 back in mat bras in M&S (ridiculous!), plus they're a bit... meh in appearance.
Upsides are that they are comfy, made of nice soft cotton jersey, don't feel too loose around the back, give good support and aren't unflattering. Plus they are £20 for a 2-pack. I usually favour the fancier/pricier type of undies- but these do the job.

I also bought a non-underwired Hot Milk maternity/nursing bra, which is fancy and fairly pricey (though not hideously so- £32.50) in a 32FF. It is really pretty and has tons of hooks on the back to adjust to fit changing shape. Shape/support wise, though, I have to say that there's not much between Hot Milk and M&S.

I did go to Bravissimo but found their range of mat/nursing bras totally depressing and matronly.