Please help re maternity bras!

[Loopylouu]

I've got myself into a right state about them.

I have large boobs, I was in my underwired 34f bra until last week. My ribs have expanded and it was killing me. I can't really do non underwired/heavily shaped cup bras as I just end up wih my bloods in a sort of hammock and it's so uncomfortable.

Anyway, after reading a thread on here about fig leaves, I ordered a couple of (I think) emma jane (?? Name is escaping me now) bras from there. Mainly because the were cheap.

At the weekend I was in kiddicare and I noticed they had them there. As I was in so much pain in my usual bra, I bought one, a 36 bb-f stretchy feeding one (biggest I could find, but I suspect I am more a g cup now). Anyway, so I put it on and a while later, the the bottom had gone under my boobs and I had a mono boob in a hammock.

I've cancilled my online order, but now I'm stuck. I really don't have £30 odd pounds to spend on a bra. Any recommendations?

Also, very embarrassingly, my breasts are hard to measure as when out of a bra they are empty and saggy and horrible

Thanks, HazleNutt - no I haven't, will investigate. I never end up jiggling(!) because I keep trying sizes and styles until I find one that works. One day I will get properly measured...

thereis, careful with the Anita, it does not do double sizes, so their I is really a G - if you're alrady a GG during pregnancy, it's most likely too small for you. I made the mistake myself.

The wire rests on the milk duct so can cause problems later on, otherwise why are proper maternity bras all non wired?
Apart from it being bloody uncomfortable I can't bear to see pregnant cleavage squashed into a normal bra..ugh!

Properly fitting wire should be around the breast tissue and not on it.
I personally could not stand my pregnancy and breastfeeding cleavage squashed into a sweaty monoboob.

I think my breasts really are odd.

How does underwire rest on the milk ducts? The underwire in my bras never touch my breasts. Unless I am saggier than normal, I Onondaga of have to lift my boobs up and they sit in the bra IYSWIM, the underwire is on top oft ribs.

God, now I feel hideously deformed!

(Just remembered I tried the pencil test once, you know where if you can hold more than one pencil under a breast then you are saggy? I think I got to ten pencils and gave up and went off to have a cry).

A well fitting bra does not sit on breast tissue. That should be avoided at all times, not just during pregnancy.

Keepthechange - stop ogling pregnant women's boobs! If she's comfy, who cares?!

Keepthechange - No underwired bra should rest on breast tissue, whether you are pregnant or not. If its doing that, it doesn't fit you.

Why are so many maternity bras non wired- because a badly fitted underwired bra does cause problems, so people blame the underwiring and a demand for non-wired develops. The fact is, most women wear the wrong cup size, at all stages of life, usually massively too small. Even some medical professionals don't understand what the issue is and blame the fact of underwiring, not the fit.

Also, since breast size does change a fair bit in pregnancy, a non-wired bra has a bit more 'room for error' in it. The lovely Rigby and Peller lady told me that the thing about sticking with underwire is you have to commit to spending more money if it stops fitting and you need to go up another size, whereas you can often 'get away with it' with a non-wired.

Loopy - the pencil test is something for pubescent girls with A cups. You could get all the colours of the rainbow under mine. And I'm perfectly happy with them .

Personally I can't bear to see my pregnant boobs trussed up in a ridiculous hammock monoboob and would far rather they look semi normal and are comfortable.

I bought some "proper" nursing bras at first too, Freya and panache, so decent brands. Then tried on some of my pre-pregnancy dresses and they didn't fit. Not because I had gained tons of weight or anything, but because my boobs were somewhere around the waistline. Once I hoiked them up in a normal underwired bra, everything fits again.

I agree you are not deformed Loopylouu...I have just had a look in the mirror to check, no squashed boobies or indecent cleavage here...and certainly no waist height mono boob either! They are up where they belong and looking fine.

I would also agree that staying under-wired throughout pregnancy is a more expensive commitment.

Also, if you must do the test, may I recommend just using larger pencils .

I am a 34g and have the Anita bra. It's fab and gives you 2 boobs rather than a boob sausage!

Don't bother with maternity bras! Just buy ordinary non-wired t-shirt bras, they are so much cheaper! Plus you will probably change size/shape a few times through pregnancy, so no point in spending a fortune on bras that won't fit a few months later.

Nursing bras are a different matter, but I'm guessing you won't know what size you need till your milk comes in.

Forgot to say, but I am 33 weeks. I've been uncomfortable for so long!

I rang bravissimo today and I've got a fitting appointment on Thursday.

Hazelnutt- which underwired nursing bra do u recommend? Or best to convert underwired with clips? Can't find any good nursing bras in 30' back. Thanks

Figleaves stocks a big range of underwired maternity bras but I'm holding back on getting any of those until I've got feeding established. Have ordered some Bravado silk nursing bras in the meantime as my boobs have remained the same size even though I'm due this weekend, so I don't know what size I'll end up after baby is here!

Yes, similar problem, I couldn't find anything in my GG/H cup - as said, some claim to be up to I, but use different sizing, so still won't fit. Best to simply get normal bras - Freya, Fantasie, Panache etc and covert. You also have loads more choice.

Frank - a non wired t-shirt bra wouldn't offer me the support I need!

I've just ordered a converter kit from eBay. I wore an underwired bra when I went out for dinner with some friends a few weeks ago and I couldn't believe how much thinner I looked!

My heart will be racing when I cut that strap but I haven't found anything underwired in my size that I think will fit as well as my underwired ones, so it's worth a go.

I was also very confused about the maternity bra thing until I had a chat with a lovely sales assistant in John Lewis. She advised me that you can wear any non wired bra during pregnancy, it doesn't have to be an expensive brand or specially designed.
Avoid nursing styles until 2-3 weeks before your due date when you should get measured if you plan to bf. I bought a black and a white padded non wired bra from them at £18 each. Your first mat bra should be one whole size bigger and be worn on the tightest hook at first and let it out as your under bust measurement gets bigger.
I went from 32C to 34C in the first 7 weeks and will probably go up again but at that price I don't mind. Would highly recommend JL.

Baby - as was clarified up thread, you can wear ANY bra while pregnant, as long as it fits.

Wired or not, all that matters is that it fits properly.

Also baby - I doubt your back grew during the first 7 weeks of pregnancy. It's likely that your boobs grew (ie actually boob volume), but your ribs don't expand until later on.

I hate to ask, but have you seen the bra interventions thread? Were you by any chance measured by M&S, who told you that you we're a 32C?

I've always preferred plunge bras for comfort with big boobs. Personally, I find different sizes comfy/the right shape from different shops, so when I'm on a bra buying mission, I tend to measure myself at home then go out to try on sizes just above, just below and just on whatever size I've come up with.

Band size doesn't tend to vary much shop to shop, but has made the difference if I've been unable to choose between comfort of F and FF in a particular brand and style.

38weeks here and still in underwired bras. getting a bit snugg now (36jj). I have some soft cup nursing bras for the first few weeks bfing as I know my shape and size will change a lot (went from 38L to 36k then settled at 34hh last time) but has anyone found any big underwired nursing bras? or should I buy a conversion kit and grit my teeth while hacking up new bras??? I can not do 12months in soft cup bras again