Bra experts - advice on nursing bras?

[LaDameAuxLicornes]

Can any bra interventionists advise on how much breasts are likely to change post-birth and when is best to order nursing bras? I'll need a larger size so am looking at £40+ per bra for flexi-wired ones from Bravissimo and keen not to get it wrong! No store where I live so will have to order online. I'm wondering whether it's worth ordering pre-birth or whether it's actually better just to wait till after baby arrives and do a next-day delivery at that point. But I've also heard that breasts can fluctuate a lot in the first few days - and how much do they actually settle down afterwards...? Is it inevitable to end up buying and wearing more than one size of nursing bra?

I ended up getting a couple of cheap underwire bras pretty early on as my boobs went up about 2 cup sizes by the second trimester 🤦🏼‍♀️
By about 32 weeks I was so uncomfortable in underwire bras I got some maternity bras. Unfortunately they didn’t fit well to begin with (too big in the back) but it was all that was available where I was. I used these until about 5 months pp when I could finally afford more. For me personally there wasn’t a big change from the second trimester to after I had my baby.

Have you thought about nursing singlets with an inbuilt shelf bra?

I also had these for night time but used them during the day as well. Very comfortable and not something I ever would have considered having a large chest but they’re really good www.target.com.au/c/women/underwear/bras/maternity-bras/W133923
I’m sure you could find a similar style if you wanted too. I have to say it would be easier with a smaller chest I think 🤷🏼‍♀️

I went up a cup size during pregnancy and up another after my milk came in (a few days postpartum). I'd suggest waiting until your milk comes in to gauge your eventual size and get the bra.

I got mine from H&M and they're very comfy, but I'm a mere C cup or thereabouts!

I’d have a look at Molke. Their bras are meant to be supportive enough for women who need the larger sizes but they should cover more of a range than something with underwriting.

I bought some stretchy bras for late pregnancy and the early days of feeding and went shopping for more a few weeks after the birth. For underwired feeding bras I love my Freya pure bras. Very supportive and comfortable and a nice change after my hideous stretchy things.

I went down a band size when I gave birth, then up two cup sizes when my milk came in.

I would just get a couple of nursing vest tops, the kind with boob support, to see you through the first few days, then order something online when you have a better idea what size you need.

I bought a few of these: Junlan Nursing Bra Plus Size with Padded Wireless for Breastfeeding (M, Black) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XQCH3WK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5V4XBbRVT4XZR?tag=mumsnetforum-21
They offer very little support if I’m completely honest, but were an absolute godsend in late pregnancy and when my milk came in. They are comfy enough to use as sleep bras so I still wear them at night to hold my breast pads in place). They are cheap as chips and I’m really glad I bought them. I did buy proper ones when my boobs had settled down.

What size do you normally take? I'd recommend the H&M nursing vests for the first few days. The have a lot of stretch and a good wide band of elastic around the chest. I think my boobs finally settled around 2 weeks after the birth. My favourite nursing bra ever was from Anita (via amazon). I ordered them via prime and basically worked my way up the alphabet until I found my perfect fit with a 34H. They are underwired but very soft. I don't understand what all the non-wired nonsense is with nursing bras. I kept getting mastitis from the monoboob unsupportive non-wired bras

Stretchy ones at first, just cheap. Underwires way too uncomfy!

I found my ribs took a couple of months to go back to normal, and couldn’t really tolerate an underwire for more than about an hour before that.

Still feeding now at 13 months and boobs fluctuate between a small F if they’re empty and overflowing a G cup at the end of a long work day if I don’t pump, so it’s hard to really fit them. Best for me are M&S full cup bralets.

I'd agree with stretchy stuff at first. I'm normally around a 30/32HH, during pregnancy went up to a 34HH/J. Milk came in, for first day or so I was huge bit a couple of weeks on and they've calmed down again; my 34J underwired bra is a tad big in the band but still very wearable, and the 34HH Freya Pure I bought is similar. Other people go up a lot more in the cup and fluctuate a lot more between full and empty (like PP ) whereas I seem to just be a firmer version of the same cup.

Freya do a stretchy soft nursing bra which I used to begin with - this one which I found good to begin with.

Personally, I've just bought some converter kits and will be converting some of my underwired bras as even the flexi wired freya pure isn't giving me enough support. If you're a big size there's not a lot of choice of nursing bras, sadly, and they're mostly crap.