Bras & maternity clothes

[laurita42]

I am 8 weeks in my first pregnancy, first midwife appointment tomorrow, and I obviously have hundreds of questions for her. However the most pressing is - how do I deal with bras? I am normally a 36G anyway, and they are huge at the moment - and I am told they will only get bigger! So what do people do? How often do you get measured? Are soft cups better/more flexible? Is it the cup size or the back size that tends to change? or both?

I've also had a quick look at maternity clothes, and have not been impressed - does anyone have any recommendations for places that sell things that don't make you look like you lost all sense of fashion when the embryo took hold? Have tried Topshop (drab) and Asos (marginally better).

Hiya,

I would recommend going for a fitting as soon as you feel uncomfortable in your old bras - you can use existing bras which aren't wired (eg sports bras)if you can, or you could also try using bra extenders if it feels like your bra is digging in at the ribs but still OK in the cup. Cup size and back size will both change - M&S and Mothercare have videos on their bra guide pages you can watch:

www.marksandspencer.com/s/women/maternity-bra-guide

You only need to get a nursing bra from about week 37 in prep for baby - if in doubt, I found Mothercare's fittings very helpful. The lady who fitted me asked me my due date and whether baby had 'dropped', fitted me with a bra and actually advised me to stick with just one until my milk came in after baby, so I wouldn't waste money on uncomfortable bras. Great when she could have easily sold me a few bras! They advise you to have a comfortable nursing bra on the loosest hook fitting as you will be able to go tighter after baby. One thing I forgot to do was try out the snaps before I bought the bra, will have to practise a bit as they're a little awkward compared to another brand.

Clothes wise, I wore mainly my normal clothes with a belly belt until middle of 2nd trimester, then cheap maternity jeans and work trousers. Now in third trimester the majority of my clothes are H&M maternity leggings, then all sorts of things in jersey from their normal section. It's a maternity uniform but cheap and comfy, and not sack-like! I prefer to show the bump instead of looking fat. If you want to up the budget Jojo Maman Bebe dresses are cute.

Good luck!

Please, please do not go to M&S or Mothercare for bra fittings, especially during pregnancy/BFing. Have you got access to a JL or a Bravissimo?

It is fine to wear underwired bras during both pregnancy and whilst BF as long as they are properly fitted.

I found House of Fraser and Debenhams good for bras, and second the recommendation for Jojo Maman Bebe for maternity wear. You won't need tons, but want to still feel good!

I'm 8 weeks too and my boobs already seem to be growing... Eek! I'm going to Bravissimo for a fitting on Thursday; I figure if I buy one new bra for now and keep wearing the more forgiving of the ones I already have, and then get others as I need them. I'll try remember to update after I've been

I really rated my H&M maternity stuff, not too frumpy and it's lasted well (on second time around now). However, I have tried to buy normal clothes mostly or wear my normal clothes and have managed that quite well-as PP said, I think it looks better to show off the bump than just look large and shapeless. I found some maternity leggings and a couple of pairs of maternity jeans (ASOS do a good range) and then normal tops have seen me through.

Bra-wise, Anita nursing bras were brilliant - not particularly attractive but they do the job. They are underwired and didn't cause me any problems, both in pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding. I did try a couple of bras without underwire and it just looked awful, not at all flattering.

I'm currently 14 weeks and my boobs were popping out my bra I went to BHS and tried on bras its not hard to fit your size, i was a 36 D and have gone up to a 38 E, I had it on the tightest so I could loosen it as my ribs get bigger and there is a little bit of room in the cup for them to Grow a little more but not much.

I'm hoping these will see me through most of the way.

I was a 34GG pre pregnancy so effectively the same size as you. I went to 36JJ by the end. Now 36k/L in nursing bras. I recommend getting fitted in bravissimo/somewhere good (def not M&S) and learning for yourself what fits. I bought one bra from bravissimo each time I went up a size and then some cheaper ones from brastop (bought a load in likely sizes and returned the ones that didn't fit). Bra extenders are useful to take you up a back size, that was enough for me. I wouldn't go too mad buying bras as they may not fit for long.

I would have been very unhappy wearing non wired bras - not keen on them now. I don't think they're supportive enough for my boobs.

If you intend to breastfeed, it's worth looking out for maternity/nursing tops dresses as they'll work after pregnancy. I have stuff from JJMB and Purpless. Might be worth avoiding stuff with a seam right under the bust, they don't seem to accommodate big boobs very well. Another issue is that my (horrible) Royce nursing bras are cut higher than normal bras so are inclined to peek out of the neckline of tops.