I feel guilty for complaining, but my ridiculously large bosom is making me really miserable...

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

I'm 6 months pg with DC2, I'm currently wearing a manky old NCT greying nursing bra in a 34J as all my lovely underwires no longer fit. Last time round I managed with underwires prety much up to the end.

My back is sore, my shoulders ache, I'm miserable at the thought of another year of crappy unsupportive maternity/nursing bras. I'm also a bit at what size I'm going to end up when my milk comes in...

Got some soft-cup bras from Bravissimo delivered today but think I was hopelessly optimistic over sizes and they are all too small. Or are all soft-cups just shite?

Any advice/comiserations gratefully received [self-pity]

Hi

You have my wholehearted sympathy. I am normally a 34GG and at 24 weeks am now a 34HH and going up. I am clinging onto wearing my underwires at the moment as I have never found a truly supportive soft-cup and was thoroughly miserable last time round (ended up a K-cup).

To be honest I think any soft-cup would need to be a serious feat of engineering to cope with the larger sizes.

I breastfed both my DSs but the bra thing is really putting me off sticking it out for as long this time round.

Last time I went to a wedding when DS2 was 10 weeks old and as I walked up to the church my SIL said at the top of her voice in front of the whole congregation "OH MY GOD! Look at the size of 'moosemamas' boobs!". Everyone turned round and I was totally mortified, especially as I'd spent weeks trying to find an outfit that minimised the effect.

If it helps at all, I did find that the Royce bras were better than the others (although not very attractive) at giving support.

aw, thanks moosemama - it's a bit of a rubbish club to be in isn't it? Will have a look at Royce bras...

I bf DS until nearly 2 yrs, but luckily not wearning feeding bras for all that time. I feel pretty depressed seeing photos of me when he was tiny - I am fairly tall and slim so the boobs look extra massive on me.

And what a rude thing for your SIL to say , just what you need when you're in that fragile PN state...

i feel your pain. I am 29 weeks and have gone up to a 34g. My ribs are burning with the pain and my boobs are under my arm pits The chap at work with me now luckily has not realised that i have undone my bra

Allie - so glad I work from home and don't have the sneaky undoing the bra in the office scenario

i told one of the women here, luckily there is a partition screen between me and him or he'd see that they are nestling on the desk!

non-underwired are rubbish
either buy a sports bra or just go underwired instead

you can buy kits to convert normal bras to nursing ones

Oh yes, have just started leaking too, my word I am an attractive lady atm...

Although now bump is bigger, at least bosom has something to rest on [matronly]

i feel like i have one large boob, there is no division between them.

After mine have retired from active service, would seriously consider breast reduction...

ugh yes, there is a particularly nasty (hormonally caused) pg breast smell

MaloryDDIS I have just spluttered my tea all over the keyboard at the mental picture of your dh with one cup of a bra over his head

My DH just complained that every credit card bill had a new, bigger and more expensive Bra on it.

i also find crumbs inbetween my one boob.

Hello Rhinestone

I am overnorked (and insomniac!) as well. It sucks, but I second the Royce bras. Only ones which make my boobs look vaguely normal. I did find though that they didn't get bigger when my milk came in, which is as well or I'd have 2 spacehoppers stuffed down my front!

Know what you mean about boobs resting on bump. Feel like a granny. And with the bra OFF - can hardly bear to look. Sympathies.

Boob BO - I often "rearrange" boobs in cup to avoid this (in the loo at work so no one can see) and have the odd squirt of deodorant to mask any pong. Am with you on the reduction - shall we go together?

Malory - PMSL!

Hi again,

I found a cure for the boob smell. Get hold of a pitrock crystal (sell them in most health food shops). They are about 6.99 I think but last for months.

I do underneath and in between iyswim after getting out of the shower and have not been troubled by 'the dreaded smell' this time round.

Also use it for armpits as it doesn't contain any of the nasties that are supposed to be carcinogenic etc.

Hope this is useful to someone.

Have been shopping today and noticed every other pregnant lady had boobs smaller than bump. This time round my bump is quite compact and totally overshadowed by my boobs! I felt quite embarrassed by them actually!

I'm off to Bravissimo for a fitting tomorrow - if you poss can, I'd go in and try em all on instead of mail order. The ladies are dead nice and WAY nice than the posh bints in Rigby and Peller. I went there recently thinking 'ooh I'll treat myself to a nice bra for my wedding' and they didn't have any that fit me.... it was really embarassing. 34H and counting...

Anyone got massively sensitive nipples? I'm 20wks and even pulling tops over my head is almost too much too bear... not in a good way.

When I had DS my hormones went completely crazy and I went from 34c to a 34H before he was born. The only comfortable bras I found were maternity ones from M&S. They were very unflattering, like a big sports bra. Thick material, full cup with really wide shoulder and back straps.

Couldn't find any comfy nursing bras at all and ended up with a couple from bravissimo that were fitted properly but the styles weren't as supportive as I'd have liked. The good news is my hormones settled a bit after two weeks of BF and I went down to a 34E so had a lot more choice of bras..

This time round, I've only gone up half a cup size to 34D.. pregnancy hormones are so odd.

The MW I saw last time was lovely and she suggested that the best way to deal with sensitive nipples was to give them a good rub with a rough hot flannel in the bath each night. It seemed mad but did work, it toughens the skin up and I didn't suffer at all when I BF baby. All my friends were jealous as they had a month of hell while the skin toughened as baby fed.

RHinestone, am now in feeding bras too (about 34G I reckon, need to get measured). The Emma ones are the most supportive I find, the Royce ones are still a bit saggy for me. What about underwired feeding bras? They'll prob still fit at some point post-pg.

BTW I found that my norks got bigger as soon as I stopped bfing DS, which is odd.

Does anybody know how NCT bras fit(in comparison to other brands)? I'm eyeing the NCT Comfort Bra possibly in 36K as I wear a Royce 36K. I'm confused as ever since the fi tters at Bravissimo suggested 34J or 36HH for wired bras. This is my 1st pregnancy (28wks) and I can't imagine what size I'll be once I start breastfeeding.

I am a HH or J cup and wore underwired till 38 weeks pg. The wore Royce nursing bras. They go up to L cup

Hey, lots more replies from the more ample-chested amongst us Have been away at a family wedding (but that's a whole other thread...)

I would love to go to Bravissimo to get a proper fitting, but the nearest one to me (I'm in Bristol) is Cardiff I think, which is a bit of a trek.

Effie - the last time I got measured was when DS was 18 months and feeding once a day. My boobs were the smallest they'd been for ages - went down to a 30G, think I'd lost a little weight too. Boobs definitely seemed fairly 'deflated'. Then of course went and got myself up the duff as soon as I had loverly new lingerie (thinks... were the 2 things related )