slightly silly question about large breasts in pregnancy

[kalidasa]

Basically I want to know if your breasts expand less if you are large breasted to start with? I am a 28E/30DD and can't see any difference at all so far though they feel a bit uncomfortable. It's only early days though.

Also, if/when they expand, is it just the cup size or do you put on weight round your rib cage too? If only my cup size increases it's going to get v. difficult to find bras that fit. Any input from other large-breasted/narrow-ribbed pregnant ladies would be v. welcome.

dunno about large breasts, but mine didn't expand much until my milk came in.
I'm normally a 32c, and i went up to 34c, so one cup size and one back size (I went up to 32d first, then up to 34c, so the back size cancelled out the cup size)

but your rib cage gets bigger because of all your internal bits moving around.

I don't think your original breast size makes any difference as to how much your breasts grow in pregnancy.

Some women start off small and get massive, some start off small and stay pretty small. Others start off large and get even larger. Some (like me) seemingly don't actually change that much at all (was a 38DD/E to start with...same now at 39w, but first time round I went up a couple of cup sizes and a back size)

It's generally both that expand, because your rib cage gets pushed outwards to accommodate your uterus at the end.

I am a 30gg normally. Towards the end of pregnancy I was wearing a 32gg but i was tight round the back. When the milk came in they were more like 32j/k and after I stopped feeding at 8 weeks they went very quickly back to normal size. Had I fed for longer they would have probably decreased in size and I think my back size would have got smaller too except I was still carrying extra weight for those couple of months after birth. My best tip is learn to conver normal bras to feeding ones- much easier than you might think and there's a few tutorials out there on the web.

I don't think you can say how much you'll expand cos of how big or small you were to start with - I think it's just one of those things that varies entirely from person to person. One of my sisters was 34F to start with and ended up a 36K, the other was a C and ended up F. Both returned to normal afterwards.

I was a 30F and am a 32G already (9 weeks) and bit alarmed at how big they might end up.

I started pregnancy with 30G. Two pregnancies later and I am 30J. Hate it. So yes, quite possible for breast tissue only to expand.

I was DD, went up to F/G whilst pregnant and was I when breast feeding (at least). They got noticeable larger quiet early on and some of my friends guesses I was pregnant. They are now F/G but still surprisingly pert.

I was very worried and uncomfortable at their humongous size. I remember ringing La Leche (breastfeeding support) in tears just after my baby was born. . Lady was very nice btw.

It varies from person to person and with different pregnancies too. I was a 32f and went up to a 32G in my first pregnancy and a 34H in my second. Back to a 32f now but it's unfortunately a case of what goes up, must come down here.

I was a 34FF before pregnancy and went up to a 36G-I was very relieved as I was worried they'd get ridiculous.

I was a 34dd before pregnancy and have gone up to a 36f so far (28 weeks) my rib cage is still expanding I think. I do feel humongous...

I was 34DD before the pregnancy and was horrified when within the first trimester they went all the way up to 36GG. I am 37 weeks now and in the last week have noticed that my bra is becoming tight. Not sure how much more they have to go, am finding it a bit of a scary thought. As for bras, have a look at the hot milk range, they do great ones in larger sizes

I went up a cup size fairly early. My ribcage expanded at the end of the pregnancy when the bump was way up in my ribcage.

I started as a 34 E/F - I'm 38 weeks now (eek!) and am 34/36 G/GG depending on the shop. Generally the bump is what stops me wearing some of my 34s now.

I was 30g and went to 40e. I did put on a lot of weight though. Back to normal now though and about to start again...

I went up one cup size total (from DD to E) within the first trimester with DC1 and have never changed from that "new" size through two subsequent pregnancies, breasteeding three children or taking a breastfeeding break.

I'm normally a 32b during pregnancy, I bought 34c bras (non-wired, non-maternity). They lasted the duration.

I am still a 34c now, 15 weeks after pg (not breastfeeding). Makes up for the horrific strechmarks.

I was a 32dd with ds1 I went upto a size e and stayed there after breast feeding, after ds2 I went upto a 32f and stayed there despite breast feeding again.

Now pregnant with dd and 24wks gone and really hoping I don't get bigger again, I was always told your boobs will get saggy and small after breast feeding. But I've just got bigger and bigger.

Thanks everyone! I'm reassured that most people's expansion wasn't too enormous. I do like my breasts but I really wouldn't want them to be much bigger!

Interesting point about the rib cage being pushed out towards the end, I hadn't thought of that.

I'm an F cup normally, 8 weeks tomorrow and already a G cup

Normally a DD or E cup. Currently 32 Weeks and GG, sometimes a H depending on the bra. Back size also gone from 34 to 36, some days a 38 is more comfortable. Have invested in lots of bra extenders. Very handy.

I have found it to be different with each pregnancy. Now expecting DC3, with my first 2 pregnancies I was a 30H and my boobs didn't grow at all, my rib cage did expand however to a 32 and at the end with DS a 34. This time I am only 13 weeks and already in a 32HH and I think I'll soon be in a 34HH or 32J!

I always stuck to underwired bras though and also use underwired feeding bras and I've never found it to be a problem with milk supply.

I used to be a 32d...now at 31 weeks with dc1 my only stretch marks are all over my breasts and I'm now a 34e...and the band on that is feeling tight...oh, and the right one is rather larger than the left hoping they don't get too much bigger when my milk comes in and that eventually they do go back down again...DH thinks it's great that they're so much larger but I am far from convinced!!

Kalidasa - the rib pain, well, it was unbearable for me. I used to practically run home just to take my bra off. For me, it hurt more than the contractions, but I imagine it's not that bad for everyone.

I was a 32f went up to a 32g in first couple of weeks of pregnancy then to 32gg now I am in my third trimester rib cage has expanded and now 34 g or 34gg hoping they don't go up to much more when my milk comes in.

I started 34G and expanded fast -- I jumped 3 cup sizes to 34HH in a matter of weeks (I bought and wore a 34H for just a week!), then somewhere around 20 weeks went up again to 34J, and, in fact, my band size seemed to go down, as I was tightening the band more until the late 30-weeks. Now overdue and the band seems back to where it started, cup the same. I hope it doesn't go up too much more when the milk comes in!

Would recommend Bravado bras...