Buying Nursing Bra Before Birth - What Size?

[LearningFast]

Hi Ladies,

Do any of you have any experience of buying a nursing bra in advance of having the baby? If so, how did you know / estimate what size to get?

I'm guessing it depends on whether and how much my boobs are likely to grow more once the milk comes in?

Thanks in advance...

How far along are you now? I'm 36+3 and I've just bought mine now. From experience that's about right for me.

FWIW I've never gone up a back size, but always 1 cup size (and this is #4). Other people are different!

I'd get flexible cup sizes (Bravado do good ones), original back size and an extender.

The woman who fitted the bra at Mothercare for me advised me what to get. I got a cheap two-pack and then some nicer ones off the internet once the baby was here and I had a better idea about size.

I have always needed nursing bras in my usual size until this time. (DC6) So I bought some in my usual size pre-birth, only to find they were too small post birth so stopped on the way home from the hospital to get a couple more. Baby was two days old then and they fitted.

By the time baby was 5 days old those bras were much too small too, so I had to get some more. Overall, I have gone from a 36G to a 38H.

I bought bra's that were 2 cup sizes up. Before my milk came in they were a bit big, but on day 3 and for the next 6 months they were just right :)

general advice is to go down one band size (or buy a bra that fits on the largest hook, so that you can tighten it up as your ribs go back to normal), and up one or two cup sizes.

So a 36dd at 38 weeks would probably need a 34f post birth.

I got this one online from boots.

gives you a horrible shape and its pretty ugly, but I was very glad to have it when my boobs did this weird, barely believable magic trick of ballooning and then shrinking again. It can handle 3 or 4 size changes as its very elasticy and comes with back extenders. I wore it a lot at night for comfort too and it was great. The clips are really easy to open and close one handed too.

Once things have settled you can get some prettier ones, but go for something stretchy or cheap (or both!) at first.

I bought 2 before then grew enourmous a week after dd was born so had to buy new ones. Maybe get one to get you going then give it a few days for milk to come in.

I found that for the first few days I wasn't that fussed about being dressed "properly" - I had some pretty pajama things to lounge around in that facilitated feeding if we were expecting people, or I'd go for comfy trousers (I felt like my stomach had been run over by a bus!) and a baggy T-Shirt. (My attitude might have been linked to the way I'd lost a reasonable amount of blood so wasn't feeling very energetic - there was no way I was going out doing anything for a good few days as I couldn't reliably say I wouldn't fall over, so not having a bra on really wasn't an issue)

I then ordered a fairly substantial selection of feeding bras from Figleaves that, conveniently, arrived just as my milk came in. IIRC about 2 our of 12 bras fitted well enough, so I kept those and sent the rest back (free returns if any full price items :o).

The 2 bras I bought before DD was born both turned out to be too small (substantially - even though both sold by trained bra fitters) and uncomfortable (for reasons additional to being too small). I tried a multi-size bra (I think it was the Bravado Original) but it didn't work for me - I did wonder if it was because I started out as a 32F, so right at one "end" of the range for the suggested size, but whatever the reason it just felt completely un-supportive.

I was advised to be measured regularly during pregnancy and to wear soft cup bras as underwire bras can damage your milk ducts. I know my boobs got enormous and did not stop growing until my milk had come in.

DOnt know if this is of any help but I have become aware of a company called bras4mums www.bras4mums.co.uk/ that i have been introduced to by a friend, they have a fantastic service they have bra ladies trained throughout the country and they come to your home to measure you now that is what I call service! and I know from my friend that they were fanctatsic and made her very comfortable and when I have my next one I will be taking full advantage of such a great service! Hope it can be of some help to you to???

I did contact Bras4Mums - they were very helpful and had a good range, but IIRC (and from looking at their website) they only have bra fitters in the NW. I talked to one of their bra-fitters over the phone, but the bras they suggested were nowhere near. I'd focus on developing your own skills in terms of whether a bra fits such that you can do mail order and trust your own judgement.

(That said, the fitter I talked to did sound very knowledgeable and helpful and I'm sure she'd have done an amazing job face to face - I just don't feel that bra fitting is something that can be done remotely)