nursing bra sizes!!!

[j20baby]

started at 34DD
went to 36E/F
now 38 E/F

what do you reckon i'll be when nursing?

am 37 weeks btw

you're best to wait and see really. probably 36 e/f.

btw have you been measured? You shouldn't realy go up number sizes as that's your rib measurement, although it is an idea to go up one number size just so you get more adjustment (as the m&s lady said to me).

A shop near me told me to get measured after about 36 weeks - but I stayed the same size really through pregnancy and bf. You could always get one now and then get more once you get going.

thanks, i was bidding on some on ebay, but don't want to go too high if they wont fit!

i actually measured at 36, but it was too tight round the bottom so i had to go up a size round the back.

I've been told (on MN I think) that after the baby's born you usually go down one back size (as the ribs go back to normal quite quickly once the baby's out) and up one or two cup sizes. I reckon that would make you a 36 F-G.
Don't take my word for it though...I'm 35 wks myself and trying to work out exactly the same thing. It's hard trying to guess what size you'll be isn't it?
Some MNers gave me the sensible advice of just buying a soft sleep style nursing bra (more like a cropped top). They're obviously not the most brilliant support but at least they're stretchy and they'll do for the first week or so while your boobs are going crazy. Once things have settled down you can fork out for some proper nursing bras. I think that's what I'm going to do anyway.

Hi...I have 4 weeks left of being a bra fitter in RL before I move to the dizzying heights of Primark...woo hoo!

J20 - when you have had your baby, your rib cage will go back to normal fairly soon. (weeks...not minutes) So I would stay at a 38" or 36" back. Go for as tight as is comfortable, remembering, you will need it tight in the back to provide support for you in the front. And you will need as much support as possible. Full boobs are heavy!

You have already gone up 3 back sizes and 3 cup sizes, but some women go up even more when their milk comes in. I was a K cup for a week when LO was first born. Then settled at a J for about 3 months and went down to a H...where, now, 2 months after finishing BF I still am at?!

It really depends on each person, but I would go for a 38 G. Then you can wear it on the tightest notch when your back goes down a bit.
Or go for a 36 H...and wear it with a back extender until you find it comfy.

I do urge you to get fitted properly after your baby arrives though. Do not depend on M&S or Bhs or Mothercare. Go to an independant bra shop, or to a John Lewis type shop. Or if you live near me I will sort you out!

Good luck x

Lizzzombie, when should we get fitted then? After the baby arrives? I've been told to do it around 38 weeks but that doesn't make sense to me as - like J20 has pointed out - it's hard to guess what size you'll end up when the milk comes in. But then I imagine I'll have my hands full with the baby once it arrives and I won't have time for trips to bra shops. I'm confused

Hi i started at 34d and ended up 38F... I bought my bra's way to early and soon found them very uncomfortable. Go to mothercare they can advise/measure. I found some great vest tops there that were brilliant for night feeds. Good luck

I got dragged to Rigby & Peller by my sister before I got married and learnt quite a bit about how a bra should fit me.

Before Baby Girl was born I bought a couple of bras, one from an NCT bra fitter and one from JL. However, they both struggled to find anything suitable as I was around a 34 F/G. So I ordered >£200 worth of assorted styles and sizes from figleaves.com figuring at least one of them would fit. They arrived a week before Baby Girl was born, and sat in their box till my milk came in.

I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I felt reasonably confident I'd not be too far out on whether the bra fitted me or not. As I didn't want to treck to a hopefully-but-untested bra fitter with a new baby (at elast 20 miles and probably quite a bit more), that was a good solution for me, and meant I didn't have to play "guess the bra size"

Incidentaly, neither of the two bras I bought before the birth fitted once my milk arrived - and they haven't improved in the 5months since...

Lizzombie -- I'm confused. You say that rib/back size goes back to normal, but then advise j20 to get a nursing bra in 36, rather than the 34 she started at.

I also started at 34DD, went up to 36DDD (US size, I think that's a 36E or F in British) by 18 weeks, and am now (32 weeks) at 38E. I'm sort of betting on 36F as my nursing bra size, but am not at all sure.

Mothercare (at least the store I visited) didn't seem to have much in the larger sizes, and I think I'll wind up ordering my nursing bras on line.

i always bot measured for my nursing bras around 37 wks and stayed the same size as that while nursing

Tangle, I think I'm going to do what you did. I've had quite a bit of advice on fitting over the years so I think I'm a reasonably good judge of whether a bra fits or not. I love figleaves and they seem to have quite a good selection of nursing bras, including in bigger sizes, so I might just order a whole load and then send back the ones that don't fit once my milk comes in.

It depends on how much weight you have put on as to wether you will go back to your normal back size. If you put on a stone in chocolate during your pregnancy then you will not go back to your normal back size immediately. But you will definately go down from your 38 week back size.

If you started as a 34" then went up to a 36" and are now a 38" then you will not drop 4" straight away unless you survive on endame beans or something. So, by getting a 36" back, you can take it in on the notches at the back as your back goes down.

Does this make more sense?

eg. I started off as a 30" back, went up to a 32" and then a 34". After baby arrived I went back down to a 32" pretty quickly, but I am still not in a 30" and won't be for a while as I need to loose at least a stones worth of lard still.

Another tip would be buy a couple of bras in bigger cup sizes at 38 weeks, then if you dont use them (keep the tags on etc) you can return them to the store for a smaller size if you never get around to filling them up.

Freya bras do some 'pretty' styles for bigger cup sizes. Other wise, Royce is your only option if you are bigger than a G cup. Most retailers stop at an F cup for nursing though. So you have to hunt around.

If you are minted, try Agent Provacteur (sp) they have a gorgeous one for £60 (as worn by Gwen Stefani) out of my league though!

I was measured at 38 weeks, and the 'down a back size, up a cup size' theory worked for me.

Thanks Lizzzombie,

I was a 30" back too (30E)and at 35 weeks I'm now a 32G. I was thinking of getting some of those Freya nursing bras in a 32H or something. Does that sound about right to you?

wow, don't think i've had so many replies, thanks all

lizzie-am nowhere near you, but thank you for the offer

everywhere i've been measure me differently, but i won the bra's on ebay 36E's, i know they may not fit me, but i really liked one of them so am hoping that they will, and i'll get measured again when i get chance after lo is born.

Sorry, haven't read any of this thread apart from last couple of posts, but wanted to mention Bravado, who do bras up to H cup (can order from website bravadodesigns). I've just bought a couple at 38 weeks. Don't know how well they'll fit after the baby's born yet, but they're very comfy!

Also, just read original post, and I started out the same size as you (34DD). The nursing bras I've bought (after being measured by John Lewis) are 34G. I have bra extenders in case my back size doesn't go back to 34 straight away.

whre do you get bra extenders - sound like a good failsafe?
Thanks

Thanks Lizzombie, that does make more sense. I've put on weight, but don't feel much fat around my ribcage area, but there's a few weeks yet to go.

MrsBumblebee -- good idea about the extenders. I'll look for some.

I went from a 38C to a 48D I think baby was living in my rib cage .

at skribble, thats quite a increase!

Boyes do bra extenders.

Yeh and Millets do tents .

I couldn't get maternity bras in my size they are all big cup sizes but not up to 48 rib size, Evans did do some in my size so I did get some support [nudge nudge]

I got my extenders from a local shop, I'm afraid (a sort of general fabric/dressmaking place). I know they also sell them mail order on the NCT shopping website though. They're really good - they've allowed me to wear the same bras from about 12 weeks all the way through my pregnancy.

They sell them on figleaves