Just how many bras am I going to have to buy!?

[EssexGirlLottie]

Hi, started this pg (my first) as a 36D and quickly went up to about a 38E so bought a couple of new bras then. They were getting a bit tight by my rib cage so I bought some extender things. These are now too tight so I reckon I'm at least a 40 or 42E. Just discovered on the net the lack of cheaper bras in these sort of sizes. I dont want to spend £30+ on a bra I'm only going to wear for another 3 months! Just looking at some wired feeding bras. Is there any point getting some of these instead? But I've no idea what size.
Am I the only one having these issues?

have u tried ebay? if you are only going to be wearing a short time then secondhand might be a better option? I started as 30c then extenders, 32b then extenders, 32a and now on extenders. I've been lucky enough to get 4 in each size in sales& then they will hopefully fit again on the way back down

meant now 34a not 32a

Hi. On a practical note, the chances of you going up in the band so much without increasing more than proportionally in the cup are quite small.

Try measuring using the guide here and see where that puts you before you spend any more money!

If you post your results here, me or one of the other bra gurus will be able to advise

Thanks PP for the guidance. So I've been and measured etc.

Firstly, realised I've been a numpty and was actually wearing a 36E not 38E.
Under bust I'm 38", fullest part I'm 44". So does that make me a 38E? Just seems strange that the 36E was soooooo tight, even on last setting, along with extender on last setting. But according to the bad bra alerts on the site, the only issues I've been having are the wires digging in underneath (and the two ends barely meet!) so I think the cup size is about right...

Thanks a lot

Interested, I'm 10 weeks and my cup is starting to overflow!
When does bust growth tail off? Don't want to spend loads on new bras to grow again.
Thanks

I'm wearing the wrong sized bras... Went from an A cup to a C cup very quickly and now, like you, I don't want to spend more money! Now 23 weeks and, um, sprouting again. Sigh. Guess I'll have to soon : (

mummytobe - are you sure your breasts are shrinking as your rib cage is expanding?

Yes, 38E would be about right for now. Different brands fit in varying degrees of looseness though. Fortunately, you're still in a 'high street' size so can experiment in places like Primark and major supermarkets rather than spending a fortune
Try a cup bigger or a bigger band fastened on the tightest hook to allow for expansion.

I would recommend a trip to bravissimo or call them (if you don't have a branch nearby) to have a fitting over the phone. They really know what they're talking about with big boobs and will give you some great advice. I don't think their prices are too bad but if they feel too expensive you could always just have a fitting and buy elsewhere.
I bought new b ras at 8 weeks then again at about 22 weeks. planning a trip soon to buy nursing bras as bump is now so big it gets a bit squashed and I dont want to buy two more sets of bras!

thescience my cup size has not changed much but to go up a back size the cup size is genrally one less.. so a 30c is like a 32b and that is like a 34a.

I remember john lewis had a cheapo bra that I merrily bought at regular intervals during pregnancy and after. I went from dd up to a j and down again I would have been bankrupt at bravissimo

this sexy little number!

I was refitted at 8 weeks, 27 weeks and 38 weeks for nursing bras. I wore wires throughout but bought non wired nursing bras. 6 months on I'm now wearing my largest pregnancy bras as nursing bras, as I've converted them using kits from eBay.

It's worth ensuring your bra fits well at all times to avoid any pain and potential damage (especially when bf as this can lead to blocked ducts and mastitis), but hopefully you shrink back through them.

YY to getting fitting properly though. The bra interventionists are amazing and the high street is generally wrong

mummy an A cup is only 1" difference between your ribcage and breasts, so pretty much flat chested (so 34A is 34" round your ribcage, 35" round the fullest part of your breasts) whereas a C cup is 3" difference - usually breasts get bigger during pregnancy.

It would be unusual I think to gain in the back rather than the cup. Mummy - I wonder if the back feels tight because your boobs are stealing fabric from the back when the cups are too small.

Are you sure that's right mummytobejuly? As far as I understand, a 30C would equate to an under bust measurement of 30" and a round the breast measurement of 33", but at 34a would be an under bust measurement of 34" and a breast measurement of 35"?

In my first pregnancy (pre-bra intervention from mumsnet) I went from a 34B to a 38B and wore a 36A afterwards - all really badly fitting (Mothercare fitted), wires didn't extend to my armpit, bands riding up all the time, just horrible.

Post intervention I am a 32DD :) Not changed much so far (20 weeks). Finding it hard to find cheap bras in appropriate sizes though for this growing stage!