Oooh, am getting so annoyed with Maternity Bras!

[MrsNoggin]

Why oh why does mothercare not have any bras in my size?! It is getting very frustrating. I managed to get to a mothercare store yesterday (no mean feat!) and get measured by a girl who tried to convince me it was too early to buy a maternity bra. Well, I don't fit in my normal ones anymore! And if I'm buying bras I may as well get supportive ones. And why don't you want my business? What is wrong with my money?!

Anyway, after all that they had none in my size. Not just the pretty one I wanted. I mean none. Not even the ugly mugly ones. 36F. Is that so much to ask? They had As-GGs for goodness sake. But no 36Fs. Or even 38Fs, which I would have accepted.

So I dragged DD all the way back home and looked online. And would you believe it?? There is only about three in my size and they are all ugly mugly and thin cups ( I like the slightly padded ones, you know, that support you, not just suspend you).

Does anyone know where I can get pretty but still supportive bras? Preferably for Mothercare prices, as I'm not even 2 months in, and at this rate underwear is going to get pricey this time round!

Murgle Gurgle!

I've never used them, but have heard "Hot Milk" are v.good

Have to say I have never found a well fitting or attractive maternity bra or nursing bra. Have a rather sad selection of saggy grey maternity/nursing bras that don't exactly brighten my day (or dh ).

Apparently Agent Provocateur do maternity bras though:

www.agentprovocateur.com/lingerie/maternity.html

Not exactly cheap (how much!!) or large cup sizes, but at least not the pink spotty thing I saw in Mothercare last time I shopped for bras there.

bravissimo? i didnt bother with the maternity bras as i just cant imagine staying upright without a lot of structural wiring but they did offer me some and im a 36hh (i picked up 36j in underwired to give me room to grow)

I have found well-fitting bras from Cariwell (buy online - I got mine from NCT), but I wouldn't describe them as pretty.
They are extraordinarily comfy, though. So much so that even though I stopped breastfeeding weeks ago the bras are still in service.

Whoops, not maternity bras that I've got. But I bet they do them too. They do some very stretchy ones which are excellent for the post-natal days when your breasts swell up bigger than your head.

Do any of these do anything for you?

Try this website

The hotmilk and cake bras are really nice; much prettier than normal maternity/nursing bras.

I have had loads of trouble finding bras to fit - it is a nightmare!

I bought me first Hotmilk one this week (nursing bra rather than maternity) and I have to say was very pleasantly surprised. It looks nice but, this is the amazing bit, it is supportive AND comfortable. I tried about six other brands which range from totally rubbish (Emily B very pretty but may as well not be wearing a bra) to mildly rubbish/ok (Anita underwired nursing bra) up to now so they defo get my vote. I'm a 40 F currently so there is a lot of supporting to be done.

I found the Anita underwired bras to be just fabulous... I am now wearing their bras when I am not pregnant too. I was bought the Agent Provocateur ones and couldn't wear them as the seams rubbed and they weren't very supportive (36F here too now at 24 weeks). I actually thought the Agent P ones they were pretty badly made...

Bravissimo - One amount of P&P costs and you can keep exchanging until you find one thats right for you.

Figleaves.com has a pretty impressive range.

Bravissimo. If you go get fitted (highly recommend it as Mothercare's training for fitters is pretty poor IMO) then you can either stick with underwired bras, or get fitted for a soft-cup bra with plenty of growing room (they have way more give).

Size 34E/F/FF - I got mine from John Lewis. They seem to have the best choice for larger boobs. Had a look at Bravissimo but not many non-wired ones.

An Emma Jane nursing one - a bit dowdy but VERY supportive.
A 2 pack John Lewis nursing bras - plain white & black/white polka dots - quite supportive.
A basic John lewis non-wired bra - bit grannyish but reasonably supportive and actually cut low enough so I can wear normal tops.

Won't be going back to Mothercare for bras - terrible range of sizes, styles & assistance.

Anita, Freya and see what your local Bravissimo can offer. Mothercare suck at bras, and bra-fitting. So do most department stores. I find that virtually all maternity and bf bras show about 2 inches above most of your (maternity) clothes, which drives me insane, so I'm just being checked often and wearing normal, supportive underwired. Am dreading going into my horrible old nursing bras when DS2 is born. Will look forward to the point at which I can wear underwired bf bras, but it's not a good idea for the first few months, as your boob size can change within a day.

I found getting a bra to fit a real pain in the arse.
Having trawled them all, the best advice and a fitting service that felt as if they knew what they were talking about was in Mamas and Papas..

I was desperate and deeply uncomfortable and the girls were great. I had two of them helping me.

I'm not sure were you live but I went to the store in London's Regent Street.I paid a little more but its been worth it. Buy one in black and one neutral. Good luck!

AT 19 WEEKS IVE GONE FROM 34D - 34G [BLUSH]
AND BRAVISSIMO WERE FABULOUS AT GETTING ME SOME PRETTY MAT BRAS THAT FIT PERFECTLY AND ARE COMFY AND ARE AGAIN PRETTY!! £28 AND WORTH EVERY PENNY!PANACHE ONES.
THE JL ONES WERE BADLY FITTED AND POOR SUPPORT IN COMPARISON

Early on in pg I like Shock Absorber sports bras as I find maternity bras too wide and they pinch me under arms. Have a mat bra from M&S that is ok too, quite pretty but again, very wide for my chest and boobs end up under armpits.

How vital are maternity bras? I'm still in my normal ones as boobs just feel fuller (they were a bit deflated after I lost some weight) rather than bigger and my normal underwired are fitting fine with wires fitting not compressing all the way round and flat against chest, enough support from band and cups without pulling straps up and no 4-boob effect.

Am 17 weeks so is this likely to change soon?

i wore normal underwired bras all through pregnancy and most of BFing time too (plus some underwired BFing ones from H&M).

If a bra fits, then underwired is fine. But you need to get properly checked regularly as any pressure from wires can cause blocked milk ducts later on.

I have also been miffed by mothercare's range, though with the opposite problem- I'm an A cup and they don't have ANY A cups in the shop or online!(felt like they don't care about us smaller chested women!) I ended up buying M&S non-wired t-shirt bras last time round and using them again. They're plain and boring but do the job...

I think any non-wired bras will do just as well- it's just a challenge to find a pretty one!

and yeah- I agree, what is it with the bras being cut so high that they show above the neckline of tops- very annoying...

I am a bra fitter (now at Mothercare, previously at Bravissimo) and completely 2nd what japhrimel says.
Particularly if you are large chested, soft cup bras just are not supportive enough. But its important you get the correct size in underwired. Problems can occur when you are squeezing into underwired bras which are badly fitting.

MrsNoggin I have no idea why the assistant would have tried to put you off buying a maternity bra at 2 months pregnant. That sounds very odd. The only time I dissuade people buying bras is when they come in too early for a nursing bra. Its not worth buying those until 36/37 weeks+ As the fit is a guesstimate until your milk comes in and you have established a feeding routine etc, its not worth buying them too early. Also your back size can increase dramatically in the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, particularly if you are having twins, or a large baby or if this is not your 1st pregnancy.

Also, FYI - a 36F is the same cup space as a 38E on the tightest notch. A 38F would be a bigger space in the cup than a 36F.

I am obsessed by bra fitting and more than happy to answer any questions! Or, I go on maternity leave from Saturday (thank goodness!) but, if you lived near me, I'd be more than happy to fit you up correctly.

You guys are brilliant! Came back after the weekend to find all this advice - cheers!

Ethel - some of those bras are lovely, never thought of googling, duh!

I also totally agree with the whole mothercare bras showing over tops thing! But I always trusted their fitters to be more knowledgable (sp!) about growth and stuff...

And lizzzombie - I wish you had been my brafitter! Women with a passion for other people bosoms are always in high demand . And cheers for the 38E tip - I never knew that!

And I figure I may as well pay an extra two or three quid and get nursing bras rather than maternity on the off chance that they will fit at some point when bfing and save me going and spending the same amount again on a whole other load of bras. I mean £2 vs £20, does that make sense?

Hijack!

When is best to get nursing bras? Is there any way to predict what size you're going to be? Are there stretchy nursing bras that cover a few sizes?

Is it better to be too big or too small? If you're going big one way should you go big in the back or big cup?