Giant pregnancy boobs - would it really be so damaging to go bra-less every now and then?

[asparagusaddict]

Just wondering how everyone else is coping with their new boobs?

I've tried every practically maternity bra going and finally settled on a comfy one but even still some days I feel like I just need to let them be free.

Does anyone have any experience of how damaging it would be to go without a bra say at weekends and maybe a couple of times a week?

• practically every

oops

boobs need support particularly if they are giant ones as you say.....if you go bra-less you will stretch the ligaments which will accelerate the sagging process.

why would it be damaging? it's damaging to wear underwired bras, as the wire can press in the milk ducts.

in tribal communities, African countries etc bras are not worn, and those are probably the most successful breast feeders!

Get 'em out a be free!!!!

yeah but their baps are down to their frikkin knees by the time they're thirty.

To be fair, the high breastfeeding rates amongst tribal African women probably has more to do with lack of feasible alternatives than not wearing underwired bras.

Don't do it. Fight the temptation.

I had hyperemesis in my first pregnancy and barely got dressed for months. I found the feeling of anything constricting made me feel sicker so I gave up wearing a bra at home.

I had large boobs to begin with but at least they were some way in the normal region for a 30 somethings' boobs.

Now sadly they have sagged so much they are in a different time zone to my upper body

Alas even in a good bra they no longer look good.

My breastfeeding 15 month old dd2 would disagree though

LOL ArcticFox!!

Yes your boobs may head south, but its not dangerous!!

an hour a day I'm sure would be fine!!

(although my boobs have never been overly big, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about!

oh god, maybe it's best not to risk it - will keep them hoisted up to be on the safe side

thanks for your replies

Sorry, didnt want to imply it was dangerous to not wear a bra. For me it would just be way too uncomfortable to contemplate. I wouldnt be able to actually walk anywhere braless.

I'm 36 years old and normally a F-G cup - nothing on god's earth bar scaffolding is going to stop "sagging" and it's about time we, as grown-ups, realised this.

I spent all last week sans bra and it was fucking excellent!

The only thing(s) which will prevent snagging are i) wonderful genes, ii) plastic surgery or iii) gnat-bites.

Women's boobs do sag - that's life. Anyone ever seen an old man's balls?

Mine are saggy, it happens. One of the first things I do when I get home is get my bra off. Don't give a damn if they get saggy.

Bravissimo are great for bras though, I went yesterday and got measured up for nursing ones.

36GGs now!

I hate wearing big maternity bras and was miserable last time but this time I've got two of these and they've solved the problem a bit. If you don't have one already, try one. It feels as if you haven't got a bra on, but is supportive.

But if you have to go without, do it. At least in the evening when you're lying on the sofa, let it all hang out!

Having seen my Mother's 34 B and once very firm breasts after brest feeding four children, I doubt going braless is going to make much difference.

I am a 36G/GG normally, and not saggy in the slightest, and I'd like to keep them if possible please... I love my boobs! I am not sure what size I am now, but I am spilling out of 38G sports bra and so need ot get measured. I have found sports bras much more supportive and comfy than maternity bras though.

Have you tried the 'support' tops an dPJ's you get from Bravissimo? I think M & S do them too. Maybe that's a compromise between a bra and nothing? Might be more comfy.

I'm a trained bra fitter and have done several courses on the anatomy of the breast. A properly fitted, supportive bra will delay the sagging of breasts, breasts sag because of the weight of the fatty tissue that stretches the ligaments and tissue at the top of the breast area. Think of these like elastic bands, over time if you keep stretching an elastic band it loses its elasticity, becomes limp and longer in length. This is what happens to your ligaments and therefore your breasts are not supported and sag.

This is why a properly fitting supportive bra is so important because it takes all the work away from these ligaments and prevents (or at least significantly delays) sagging. Women with smaller breasts tend to have less sagging because the weight of the fatty tissue is so much lighter.

Underwiring is absolutely fine as long as the bra fits you and you feel comfortable. If the wire puts any pressure on soft tissue then it does not fit properly, it should always sit on the harder surface below the breast and should end under the arm beneath the breast, not digging into the lymph nodes. This can cause all kinds of problems, so yet another reason to get the sizing right.

Like most people I do feel relieved when I remove my bra at night time, I think as long as you wear the right bra for your size most of the time, it is okay to occasionally go braless for a few hours but it all depends on comfort. Ladies with A or B cup sizes don't usually need to worry about going without a bra, I'm a 34F (normally a 30E but now 16 wks pregnant) soI wouldn't ever go more than an hour or so without my bra, and certainly not in public

Asparagus addict - have you tried those support vests from places like mothercare? They are meant for when you are feeding but I bought some already as I was going up a cup/chest size almost every fortnight for a while and I've been finding the bras uncomfortable too. You won't want to go for a run in them but they are good for a bit of support when you're just pootling about at home.

Thanks everyone, especially vix!

MarineIguana, those Bravado bras really are a godsend - that's the one I've got too, very comy.

Thanks for the support vest idea too superbean, I hadn't thought of that - going on the mothercare website now!

forget maternity bras, i found sports bras a much better bet - lots of support and generally not underwired.