Underwired Bras?

[Impatientwino]

Hi all

I went to M&S to get measured yesterday and the old witchhelpful assistant gave me a right rollocking about having an underwired bra on!

'well, you can lose that for a start' she said as she shook her head and wagged her finger.

Now, given that I am a 38G when not pregnant I can safely say I have not worn a bra that isn't underwired since the age of about 14! I am only 12 weeks.

Provided my bra is well fitted and is not resting on my boob then surely the wire is irrelevant? Or am I wrong?

Where does the old mumsnet opinion rest on this?

Ta muchly!

Underwired is fine as long as properly fitted and you're regularly measured throughout the pregnancy. They even do underwired nursing bras now which I wish I'd known first time around.

I would recommend you don't use M&S though. I went to a local independent shop who were great but have heard others on her rate bravissimo. I've gone from 34E to 38G so far, I went up to an 36H last time, once the milk came in. Be warned that few maternity shops cater for the bigger cups which is completely ridiculous, so if you're planning on breast feeding I'd order a couple near your due date so you're not sending your OH on a wild goose chase on day4, whilst at home in shock starting at the fembot bazookas that have suddenly appeared on your chest. (this is my plan this time round)

Also when/if you make the jump to non-wired and planning on bf go straight to nursing bras as the pregnancy ones are a waste of money.

www.nursingbra-shop.co.uk

this site has more of the bigger cups than I ever found on figleaves

Thanks so much for this! Will check out that website.

I intend to BF so thanks for nursing tip!

I usually get my bras from bravissimo but thought I'd just get measured at m&s to see what sort of size change has happened already!

I appear to have gone up a back size but down a cup! Random! They bloody hurt though, I know that much!

As long as the bra is properly fitted ie not by M&S and isn't pressing on breast tissue it will not cause you any problems.

I'm not surprised M&S are uneasy about selling underwires to pregnant ladies as they don't seem to be able to fit a bra for toffee.

I'm 34 weeks and still in normal bras. They feel comfy enough so I haven't bothered to change... Have got plenty of maternity and feeding bras knocking around in the drawer.

Will wear feeding bras when the baby is born for ease of unclippiness.

Wow olefina that website is great! I have been looking for nice maternity bras and can't seem to find many but they look good. That's a good tip as well about going straight to nursing bras rather than just maternity ones as I'm planning to breastfeed.

Freya that you can get in Debenhams do underwired maternity bras I think!

SilentBoob Me too. This time round I have (so far) refused to give up the wired bras and embrace the whole unsupported look that non-wired bras give me. I may as well not bother wearing a bra if I have a non-wired one on, it looked as if my bump ended up doing the bulk of the support at the end of my first pregnancy

I'm not looking forward to nursing bras, but can't really afford to shell out on wired ones - although I suppose that seeing as I'm unlikely to be the same size bra with DC2 as I was when feeding DD, I'm going to have to buy some anyway, and they may as well be ones I want to wear.

The anita underwire nursing bra was amazing!

I looked like a human woman!

Like SilentBoob I am still in normal bras (23+0) though I think I might have to get a couple of new ones... but is there any point in buying maternity bras? Should I just go straight to nursing bras and save the money? But then how do I know how big I will be when my milk comes in? (if it helps I was a 30F before pregnancy)

Questions, questions...

M and S are notorious for giving bigger back sizes/lower cups than is right, so I wouldn't trust their measurement. But you can measure your own ribcage.

marks and spencers often put women in a bigger back and smaller cup than they ought to be. Getting fitted properly at Bravissimo is the best advice. They will not tell you to ditch the wires, they fitted me when I got to 4 months and got me in a nice comfy wired bra. I had to ditch the balconette and go into a full cup style to get a bit more support, but the bra itself fitted fine.
And then I went and got some cheaper ones online and in supermarkets once I knew my new size.

Olefina, that's a lovely website! I fear you may have just cost me a pretty penny :)

It might be just me but one of the brand names is hot milk?? That creeps me out a little!

The bras are really pretty on here, thanks very much - bravissimos choice is limited by comparison!

Underwire is fine sonlong as your fitted and comfortable. Got to say I've got all of mine this pregnancy from M&S and not had any problems/questions asked

Hmm, this is really interesting. I went to M&S for pregnancy bras thinking I was a 34B and they told me I was a 34G and sold me this harness like thing with no underwires. I thought they had to be wrong at first because a) it looked like no bra on earth that I had ever seen before and b) it felt way too tight, but now I've been wearing it for a bit it feels OK. I might try another shop to compare.

I've been told not to wear underwires as they can press on milk ducts and cause mastisis!?

Underwires are fine as long as they fit. I second the recommendation for the Anita nursing bras, they are a world away from the hideous boob slings I put up with with my first dc. Mothercare and M and S could make a killing if they actually designed decent nursing bras.

I use Bravissimo -- they are also very good about returns for online/phone orders and replacing with a new size if it doesn't fit. You just send it back in the box with a sticker they provide for postage and a new bra shows up a few days later.

I'm not so sure how much money-saving going for a nursing bra early is I've gone through three bra sizes already (prepregnancy was 34G, and I got a 34H in week 12, 34HH in week 14, and am now in a 34J since week 24 although I really needed it a few weeks before that!). I'm just wearing one bra every day now, as I can't afford to buy multiples at each size! I figure I'll get a nursing bra a few weeks before the due date and hope it still fits when the baby comes.

indicababy - you are right, this is the risk with an ill-fitting underwire bra. However, if it fits well (not pressing into breast tissue) it should be fine.

Ditto avoid M&S (there was a HUGE thread a while ago on style and beauty about how rubbish their fitting service is).

I'm too small for most maternity bras, so bought a gorgeous underwired bra, much to the horror of the JL bra fitter. It's the best fitting bra I've ever had, although it's days are numbered as I'm still growing.

Btw, how the hell are you supposed to wear a non-wired bra under cross-over tops without the bra 'bridge' between the cups showing?! I can't figure it out. Maybe my bust just ain't big enough!

I agree on no longer buying multiples. I'm going to wait 'til near due date then order a couple of cup sizes up from last measurement, hoping I can return what doesn't fit. If my body behaves similar to last time I'll get some wear out of the the smaller sizes on the way back down. I maxed at an H cup and then alternated with G and F. I bf for nearly a year gradually dropping feeds so bras changed too. I finally found old stash but as already bigger guess it will only be after birth that they'll get a look in. Nicest non-wire I found last time was Elle Mcpherson, La Mere but only went up to an E cup so soon outgrew it.

Currently I'm still in underwired for day but change into non-wired when I get home of an evening and for sleep. I'm going to get measured again soon as seem to have ballooned with DC2, only 23 wks but feel like I did at 33 with DD.

I agree the anita ones caught my eye, there is something slightly off putting about hot milk but some of the dubious named ones looked pretty nice. I've not used the site just found them on google.

Ditch M&S as they're bloody useless. Especially above a D cup.
Bravissimo have usually got it right with me. You're not obliged tp buy, but if you can get to a store, it's well worth a fitting. You can then hunt about online for the best bargain IYSWIM.
Currently 38wks and am still in underwires (nothing much has changed for weeks either), though I have gone for non-wired for nursing (they don't really do wired JJs). Bravissimp have come up with a plan. If it doens't work, I can return all the bras, no hassle, and swtich for plan B!
You can just ring them and do an over the phone guide based on your current bras and how they're fitting.
John Lewis aren't bad either, though they do tend to be tape measure happy...rather than listening (sometimes) to what you're telling them. For eg I'm very round-breasted and need a slightly smaller back and larger cup than measured to not end up with bruised ribs...but once I tell them I want the smaller back, they're usually happy to go from there.