Bras - I'm so depressed

[splatt]

Am 18 weeks tomorrow. Big busted anyway (40E). I don't think they've really got much bigger (not popping out or anything) yet, but are feeling a little tight.

So went into M+S today and my god, the maternity bras she produced were awful. Really uncomfortable and almost up to my neck. I was depressed enough about my dwindling avaliable wardrobe (have resort to hair bobbles now to keep my jeans up). I'm just fat at the moment, not obviously pregnant and don't want to buy any maternity clothes til after 20 week scan, just in case. But really, is there no nice underwear? I always feel better in a nice bra, these made me feel like a 70 year old. Needless to say I didn't buy any of her recommendations!!

Anyone any ideas?

[EldonAve]

go to bravissimo
you can continue to wear underwired bras in pg provided they fit properly

[fillybuster]

I'm also big busted and didn't find out until far too late on in my first pregnancy (at 41 weeks!) that its fine to wear normal underwired bras all the way through.

Yes, you heard me correctly.

I was !!

The important thing is to make sure your bras fit you properly throughout and aren't pressing down on your developing milk glands etc as you progress. So with pg 2 and 3 I've popped into John Lewis every 8-10 weeks to be measured properly and have bought one or two new bras as needed along the way.

John Lewis are particularly fab at measuring, and Bravissimo tend to have the larger sizes in stock of nicer styles, so I use a combination of those 2 services

Good luck

[mosschops30]

Another vote for Bravissimo here, I would never go anywhere else pg or not.
I bought my maternity bras there and have just splashed out on some new post natal bras.
I love it there, the way they 'measure' you is magic

[splatt]

I had thought about Bravissimo but have it in my head they do huge cup sizes but not necessarily the bigger back size. Am I wrong?

To give her a bit of credit the M&S woman said it was against company policy to allow her to recommend an underwired bra to a pregnant woman. I did say that my understanding was that as long as the wires were on the rib cage (as they should be) and not on the breast tissue that was OK and she kind of agreed. She also said that the bra I was wearing fitted well so I clearly knew what to look for myself!

[Kazkabs]

Absolutely vote for Bravissimo - I was big to start with 32h, went to Bravissimo at 13 weeks and she gave me two 34j (gulp!) to try. they are lovely, pretty too and i wear nothing else (as t'were). only down side is the matching knickers are starting to roll down a bit (now 16 weeks) but there is always M&S for knickers!

[EldonAve]

they do a 40 back size at bravissimo

[WickedWitchSouthWest]

I'd agree with fillybuster, John Lewis are particularly good at fitting! I'm not normally busty (have just hit the dizzying heights of a D cup, normally a B) but my mum is mahoosive and swears by Bravissimo and Freya.

[JFly]

Try Anita bras. I don't know if the maternity version in underwire is still sold on Figleaves, but if you google it, you should be able to find it somewhere.

Blast, I just googled and it's only available up to 38 back size. Well, their other non-underwire mat bras go up to 48, so you will certainly find your size there. I would order up a cup-size, though as I found them a bit snug in the cup. Otherwise, very comfortable and well made.

[JFly]

Just realised you're looking for something pretty. Well, not sure about that!
If you don't mind buying them now, there are more options in nursing bras for pretty things (like Hot Milk) although sizing might be an issue there again. Could be worth a try.

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

I wouldn't be surprised if the M&S woman said it was company policy not to sell pregnant women their underwired bras - their maternity fitting service is a joke (well, so is their regular fitting) and I wouldn't trust them to get me into the right cup size. According to Rigby & Peller (when I wasn't pregnant), M&S had me three cup sizes too small and at least one back size too large!

I was going to suggest Anita too. I'm currently wearing a lovely, non-wired Anita bra, 36 E I think, from my last pregnancy, and the support and silouette is great - just as good as underwired. And they do underwired maternity and feeding bras too.

[dairymum]

Try Simply Be website. they have quite a few unwired bras.

[JamieJay]

I'm 28 weeks and still in underwired - just have to make sure you have them properly fitted on a regular basis during the pregnancy.

I can vote for Bramissimo as well - went to M&S and had actually ended arguing with the women there as she claimed she wasn't allowed to sell a pregnant women an underwired bra!!

Also, I know you don't want to buy maternity yet but I can recommend buying clothes a size bigger (just ignore the new size!) as it did make me feel a little better about my self when the clothes actually fitted!

[rollerbaby]

Nursingbrashop.co.uk have Hotmilk bras. Also Cake from Oz are very nice and do up to F. I was exactly the same. Weeping in a John Lewis cubicle!

[fillybuster]

By the way, I've found John Lewis are very supportive of 'allowing' pregnant women to wear underwired bras, as long as you promise to get re-fitted regularly

As per before, I tend to use JL for their fitting service, then order everything online from Bravissimo as its cheaper and they have a better range of sizes

[cardamomginger]

Another vote for Bravissimo and another vote for underwired!

[ktwiltshire]

mothercare do some pretty ones, your better off with somewhere like bravissimo, or debehams where they have a good stock of the Freya brand etc.

For the record, im with the other mums, the m+s bra fitting service is a joke and their bra sizes are quite different from everyone elses, your better off gettinng measured in each shop you buy from because things differ.

[tethersend]

Agent Provocateur

[tethersend]

BTW,are you sure you're a 40E?

Get properly measured, and I'm sure you'll find out you're a 36G or something

[herewegoloopyloo]

Another vote for 'Cake' and 'Hot milk' maternity/nursing bras. Pretty and don't scream Maternity (or give you the monoboob effect). Cheapest place for these I found was nursingbras.com who also deliver free in UK.

[bramblebooks]

Bravissimo! Went in 34d and came out 32f!!! Comfy at last

[LaTourEiffel]

I'm a big busty girl - currently still BF DS2 and this time around finally managed to find underwired BF bras - I know you're after maternity bras but I'm so genuinely relieved to have supported norks, that I thought I'd post a link here....

Nursing Bra Shop

Had good service myself - ordered two sizes and returned the one that didn't fit, got credit back no problems.

Am also a huge fan of bravissimo for all the reasons mentioned above and sadly, not a fan of M&S since some helpful assistant told me that I'd never got a bra to fit me because I've permanently damaged my breasts.

Thanks for that M&S lady - you really made my day - and I've never bought underwear from M&S again.

[jollyma]

I'd also recommend hotmilk. I've worn and washed mine loads in the machine and they're great.

[splatt]

Wow,
Lots to think about, thank ladies.
There's a Bravissimo not too far away so think I might go there when I get a chance in a couple of weeks time. On the off chance that a 40 back size from there will do and I don't need the 43 that M&S now suggest!!!

[estya]

I am 15w preggers and my boobs are making me feel horrible, I am completely in the same boat as you, splatt.
I'm normally a tight 34f (could be 36 but i like/need to take the boob weight on my rib cage, not my shoulders). At 5 weeks preggers i bought a 36gg underwired but its too tight by the end of the day
A few weeks ago I ended up in tears in M&S at the options available to me. I bought a 38g at john lewis but its not really comfortable. The bra doesn't sit on my ribcage between my boobs. the woman said this is normal for non-underwired but its not comfortable. Does anyone know if it is normal?
And I swear its exactly the same style as my 88 year old grandmother wears.

As a big freya fan I'm not sure why i never checked out whether they do maternity bras. I'm very happy i saw this thread. Gonna order one today.

[estya]

Also - does any one know:
The woman in john lewis said i should't get nursing bras as they aren't designed to provide the support I need at the moment.
But it seems difficult to get actual maternity bras. Done some googling, and the freya ones are actually nursing bras, not maternity.

What actually is a maternity bra? is it just non-underwired? So really we can just buy any normal non-underwired?