a (light-ish hearted) bra thread

[izchaz]

I've posted this in style as well.

Ladies, I need help. I've always kept "on top" of my boobs as it were, and got measured regularly. I've spent most of my adult life hovering around a 30D, very occasionally a 32C when particularly muscular. Anyway, I now find myself knocking on 20 weeks pregnant, with ginormo knockers. So, off I went to get measured, 30FF if you please!
The wires on these bad boys are more than half the total circumference of the band. Whilst offering some relief from the dragging shoulder ache I was getting, I have to sit like a Victorian lady to avoid bruises (yes actual bruises) under my breasts where the wires sit against my rib cage. Even a slight relaxation in posture: (sitting down for example) causes excruciating pain across the front of my ribs and sternum.
My initial thoughts were that my back measurement had increased, but no, the measurer and I both agreed that my tiny ribcage is still tiny, and when I tried a 32 it instantly rode up at the back.
If it makes a difference I am a very slender size 6 (pre-pregnancy), have put on around 7 kilos, all of which has been breast and butt as far as my clothes tell me, so am now an 8 for comfort's sake. But I can still see the definition of every single rib, so there's not a huge amount of padding.

Be honest with me, must I strike out into the uni-boob world of soft bras? Am I doomed to a shelf chest?

try faithful figleaves and bravissimo. I have a similar combination - although a teeny bit larger than you :)

I am usually a 34FF which is impossible to buy "sexy" in the shops. I mean, if you have it flaunt it, but stay tucked in!

Now I am 20 weeks, my back has gone up to a small 36 (one of the tightest fasteners) but my boobs have followed suit and I have just brought a 36GG! it is a maternity bra, so has extra fasteners and all the clippy down bits I will need to bf - assuming I don't grow out of this bra too! I just can't believe how heavy they are. And to think of all the times I used to moan about how big they were! I never really thought about the weight - and it is bound to get worse when the milk comes! Anyway, less dwelling, more living...

...I also learnt that you should keep away from traditional wiring while pregnant as it can damage the breast tissue where it sits, while you are morphing into mummy material.

If you, like me, need underwiring, go for maternity underwired which have flexible underwiring. It doesn't sound like much, but I am wearing one today and feel very supported. and not like my boobs are being stabbed with blunt knitting needles.

I also bought a multi pack (£32 for two bras) of maternity bras without underwiring, and although there is a little element of mono boob, it is better that polishing my shoes and being a hazard, of experience the pain.

Unfortunately, we have to make some small sacrifices when "blessed" with big knockers and preggo. But my time will come when I go back to "small" again. Fingers crossed anyway.

I hope this helps.

Cheers for that Carole, excellent advice. I think what made me really despondent about these new bras post fitting is a) they were over £20 a pop (fine but keep reading), b) they hurt, and rub my armpits (something totally new to me) and c) I still don't feel that well supported and have to "hold them" when I run or use the stairs at speed. All in all pretty shit really.
I had cottoned the underwires/lactation damage issue, but had thought it only applied to wires that did fit the breast dug in to the tissue as opposed to sitting around it.
I will go to Bravisimo, as I know there's one nearish to where I live, although I shiver at the further expense. Still anything to avoid future knee-warmer nips!

I also have "high maintenance" boobs and much prefer underwired. But once I went up to a 32F while pregnant I gave up. The most comfy things were a shock absorber sports one (high impact with seams in the cups and a proper back fastening) or wearing 2 very soft crop tops over each other, I had one racer back (they tend to have a hight front) and one normal back. You do get uniboob with this though. You can get them very cheap, often in packs of 2 at m&s, h&m and sports direct.

I'm a bit more "chunky" than you but pre-pregnancy have been wearing underwired 32G bras for about 20 years. I'm now a 34 HH and I really struggle with underwires. Despite having worn them for so long quite happily I just can't deal with them at the moment so at 10 weeks moved to non wired. Have taken a bit of getting used to but I'm so much more comfortable!

Fully expecting that if things continue as they are I will be giving up bras at about 30 weeks and graduating to a wheelbarrow

I was going to look into sports bras. I still try to get to spin a couple of times a week as well as body balance (which is getting increasingly amusing as I seem to fall over sitting down, but hey)

izchaz - you are right about the wire being fine if it fits. but as you are experiencing, when you are pregnant that "perfect" fit will only be for about ten minutes.

You are constantly changing shape and will only know what has changed when it reaches a point, such as incredible discomfort, which might be too late

I also wanted to avoid the great expense and have been using freecycle and ebay to get maternity clothes and baby things. but a good bra is a good bra and I couldn't get away with any cheaper alternatives.

I do get a little peeved that maternity stuff costs so much more, even in sales. It is like they know they have you over a barrel.

But just so you know, when you go back to normal after your pregnancy, keep checking the figleaves and bravissimo websites. My preferred is figleaves where I have been able to buy proper boulder holders, that look nice, support well and show some cleavage for as little as £15. -for a bra, that is good in my opinion.

Also, once you have an account, it will keep on file what you have bought in the past, including size. So if you liked a particular bra and want to replace it or get more, all the information is just there, waiting for you.

One last thing that sells it for me is that the bras have real honest reviews from real honest people. So it helps to decide which bras to buy.

BTW - I don't work for them, although it might sound like it. but I hate bra shopping almost as much as jeans shopping and this makes the whole process easy and painless, plus you get post that isn't a bill!

Space I just spat tea everywhere at the mental image of the wheelbarrow! Hilarious! Also good to know I'm not alone in the boobal-region discomfort stakes. It's shite, I can cope with achey feet, wibbly sacro-ilieac joints, sore knees, dry skin, shit hair, puking, frankly embarrassing cravings, and bursting out (literally) of my favourite jeans. But I draw the line at tender tits!

Bonzo I've tinkered with sports bras - I wear them for rock climbing - but find they come up way too high for normal clothes, and all my shock absorber ones come in frankly terrifying colour combos that show through all my clothes anyway (anyone for electric yellow and purple? No? How about deep green and orange? No?! Have you no eyes?!!) I might try the cropped tops in layers thing though, I'm most comfy in the seamless bratop things I sleep in, but they don't offer much support, so maybe layering up is the way to go...

carole you are earning your brownie points today! I will have a gander at figleaves. Now that I've an uptodate fitting I feel more comfortable about buying without trying (I much prefer to try them on, jump about, wriggle, pretend to do the washing up, then if they still sit well and are comfy I buy them - Debenhams caught me out by being comfy for 20 mins, then turning into the evil spikey, pinchy, rubby, death cups from hell).

OP this is the one. Comes in plain black and white, won't do under anything really skimpy, but not bad. I find the back comes up small, would go up 2 back sizes to allow for growth / breathing.

izchaz if one of your items was full price at time of purchase, figleaved do have a free returns or replacement service.

p&p is £3.50, per order, not item.

So you can bounce all you like and actually do the washing up before deciding that is the one for you.

I'm observing this thread with caution. I'm not pregnant but am ttc.

I'm bigger than most (size 16-18) but I have non-pregnant 34gg or 32h boobs.

I am terrified what will happen if I'm lucky enough to conceive!

Jaykay - don't worry just yet, you might be one of the lucky few who feel very little change! If not don't feel alone, and follow this post's advice.

It will all be worth it jn the end ( another thing I keep telling myself).

Good luck ttc and have fun

bonzo thanks so much, will deffo check that out

carole are you sure you're not a figleaves rep ?

jaykay you might be lucky - you might be the female equivalent of a shower, not a grower... all the best with th ttcing, don't worry too much about the boobs - if it's the thing you complain about most you're really not doing too bad!

Definitely not a figleaves rep, but just remember the countless times trying to buy bras in shops and ending the day in tears and empty handed.

Jaykay I'm a size 18 and pre pregnancy wore a 34hh bra, 18 weeks in I'm up to a 36k. They seem happy where they are for now so hopeful that they wont get too much bigger before my milk comes in, not going to lie I'm genuinely scared that I'm not going to be able to find a single bra that fits. Even bravissimo only go up to an L cup and their biggest maternity bra is a K.

Ladies that have switched to non wired, how are you finding it? I keep reading about switching to a non wired bra later in pregnancy but honestly find it hard to believe that my boobs wont just fall out the bottom! I've worn wired bras since I was 13 and cant get my head around the thought of not having one!

I have just started the maternity bra road and have two non wired which are quite comfy, but are yet to make their public debut, not that I will be walking around in just a bra! But I think they will be ok.

I also have two with flexible wiring and although they come up higher than my pre pregnancy bras, I haven't had too much of a problem.

I am 20 weeks and also hoping there isn't much more growth.

I have gone from 34ff to 36gg

I'm having a very different experience. I've been a Bravissimo customer for a number if years now, but have jumped from a 32g to a 34h and am now a 34j at 31 weeks. I'm still in wired bras and really comfy

I think sometimes the armpit rub is just your skin getting used to a new style - I had this with a bra recently and I just alternated styles until my skin got used to it.

If you're getting bruised ribs it sounds like the back is too small. Different styles and brands do come up differently, plus the back can feel tight if the cups aren't big enough. I'd really recommend a face to face fitting at Bravissimo - the shape of your boobs makes a difference in different styles.

I too am dreading nursing bras, but intend to get fitted for one at about 38 weeks (when DS was born in 2000 I know I grew a cup size over night!). I also have a bravado nursing bra to sleep in - like a crop top style but I'm definitely bursting out now! I plan to keep an underwired one for days when I leave the house in the early days, and then buy some more once I settle down!

Sorry for the huge post - just wanted to offer a different view.

Good luck to us all!

For your information, I have just bought the elomi:smoothing underwired moulded nursing bra in black and nude and so far I am happy with the boulder holder action.

mrssmith and anything thanks for the input. I think I probably need to be a bit more demanding in-store and maybe look at a couple of the soft ones that have been suggested. I am so sore!

Ladies, I have left the reservation, some clever soul suggested layering up croptop style soft bras. I've just done this and I may never wear anything else again. My boobs look odd, but I feel AMAZING.

Hi, I'm usually a 36C but my boobs really blew up in the first 18-20 wks of my pregnancy to a DD and the soreness/tenderness was awful. I found those Belvia (?) type bras were brill- I checked out ebay and bought a few of the cheaper versions (the ones with removable pads) in a few different colours and they were fantastic.

The padding can be removed and breast pads slyly inserted for those who have leaks during pregnancy, as well as after birth.

I have worn no other bra but these since I bought them; I am now 32 weeks. XX

I used to be a 34/36 DD, at about 20 weeks I brought a 36 E bra & I've now just got a 38 F bra, the ladies keep on growing!
I've found a bra by Emma Jane ( Black Silhouette Underwire Nursing Bra) that is underwired & designed for nursing that is really comfy, but £25 a pop so I'm hoping I don't grown to much more!
I did try non wire bras for a while but they were so ineffective.