Best Nursing Bra for Large Breasts?

[bebestar7]

I am not sure this counts as a breastfeeding challenge but I couldn't think of where else to post...  I am having the hardest time finding a good supportive comfortable nursing bra.  I am a 38 F... I have an elomi, which is supportive but such a pain to snap on because it has no stretch!  Anyone have a really great one they'd like to tell me about?  :)

[annettemarie]

I'm going to go ahead and move this out to the main forum. We have lots of moms with big boobs and they'll me more likely to see it out there.

[KristinaMarie]

I am in the same boat. With my DS my breasts got to a 42H. I looked everywhere for a bra that would fit and be comfortable. I found Bravada Designs and ordered 2, 1 for day use and 1 for sleeping in. The day one was as comfortable as a bra can get. There was not much stretch in the band, but enough to be able to get in on with ease. Here is the link : http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-supreme-nursing-bra   I looks like they have it in 38F as well. I will tell you though that it isn't your normal nursing bra. When you unhook the cup the whole thing goes down, there is no fabric left on the breast. The center clap helps keep things where they need to be. I used this bra for 14 months, and it is still in great shape and plan to use it again. Hope this helps If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

[bebestar7]

Great thank you!!!  I had seen this bra but wasn't sure if there was comfortable separation between breasts?  I like that the whole cup comes down because the one I have now, the part that stays gets all out of place and is hard to fix one handed!

[CookAMH]

I am a 38E or F and like these two:

comfortable, lounge type (though I wore this kind out for months, and got another kind later)

http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-original-nursing-bra-double-plus-style

http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-supreme-nursing-bra

With the second bra, which is the same as someone else posted, I had less uniboob and more of a defined bust look.  Both are comfortable and supportive.

both are cheaper, with free shipping, from breakoutbras.com. But I linked you to Bravado as it gives more info I think.

eTA: looks like breakoutbras may not carry the second bra right now but it's only $30 from Bravado! And on the first one, it looks like breakoutbras.com is NOT currently cheaper. It's $35 from Bravado but $49 from Breakoutbras.

[bebestar7]

yaaaaaaaay!  I'm going to buy one as soon as payday comes around, thank you!!!

[KristinaMarie]

I have both these bras. The Original nursing bra I used for sleeping as it gave me a uni-boob. It is very comfortable, but didn't offer alot of support. If I wore it too long I would get clogged ducts. Happy bra shopping.

[Mommel]

I have this problem too... and I am really afraid that I will have to get a bra or two made for me. I am only 15 weeks pregnant and I've gone from a 38G (where I started!) to a 38J already... once I start nursing, I'm afraid I'll go up to an L. I don't even know if they make REGULAR bras that size. I'd been hoping for a breast reduction, but wanted to wait until after breast feeding to do it, but oh my lands! I feel like an enormous freak. Does anyone know where I can get custom made bras?

[bebestar7]

I don't know where to get bras made but wanted to give you my sympathy!  What a pain!  Your baby will LOVE them though.  ;)  

[ibusymomto5]

I'm a 34G-H depending on brand, and I love my Elomi underwire for wearing out of the house. I know what you mean about it not being as stretchy in the band. It almost seems to run a little small there, and I think what I'm going to do is order one of those bra tab extenders to get me through these last few weeks of pregnancy. I know after birth I'll go back down and need the smaller band size. I also like the Goddess Comfort Zone quite a bit. It's very, very comfy and amazingly supportive for a soft cup. It holds me in place, lifts and separates as well as any bra I've tried, but my only complaint is that the seam running across the front is visible through thin shirts. I can wear a tank over it, though and that helps conceal it, and in the winter with thicker shirts/layers it won't be an issue at all. It's the best soft cup I've owned, much better than Goddess's older 511 style(which used to be my go to soft cup nursing bra). I love the Bravado Original for around the house/sleeping. It's soft, comfy and stretchy and has growing room for size fluctuation. I tried the Bravado Supreme in the past and wasn't crazy about it, because it didn't separate(uniboob is a pet peeve of mine). I get more separation from the Bravado Original, but it just doesn't shape enough for me to be comfortable wearing it out and about. The seams show through on that one too.

[Amandamarie]

Mommel-    breakoutbras.com has size L nursing bras.  I'm usually a 38FF and then after my ds was born, I went up to a 42K so I understand.  The first year of nursing I wore a Fancee Free soft cup nursing bra (runs up to size 48L). Now that my ds is 17 months, I wear an Elomi underwire size 42J bra  that I pull up.

http://www.fanceefreemfg.com/nursing-bras-softcup-nursing-bras-c-16_17.html

http://www.biggerbras.com/fancee-free-plus-size-bras/fancee-free-extra-support-nursing-bra-94305-fcf-94305.shtml

[ibusymomto5]

Originally Posted by Mommel 

I have this problem too... and I am really afraid that I will have to get a bra or two made for me. I am only 15 weeks pregnant and I've gone from a 38G (where I started!) to a 38J already... once I start nursing, I'm afraid I'll go up to an L. I don't even know if they make REGULAR bras that size. I'd been hoping for a breast reduction, but wanted to wait until after breast feeding to do it, but oh my lands! I feel like an enormous freak. Does anyone know where I can get custom made bras?

The Elomi 3912 goes up to a US size K - http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/elsmcupnubra.html - I wear an H in most bras but an FF in this one due to the size conversion

The Goddess Comfort Zone goes up to a K as well - http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/czosonubraby.html - A 34H in this one fits me a little roomier than the Elomi FF(which is equivalent to a US cup H)

The Bravado Original in Custom Sizes goes up to L/K, but in the comments below she says even M or N cups will fit this one - http://breakoutbras.stores.yahoo.net/brormabracus.html I have a 32-36H/I, and the cups are huge with tons of growing room, much bigger than other H cups I've tried.

[Erin77]

Has anyone found a sports nursing bra that's actually effective for big boobs? I'm a 38 DD and I have to wear my non-nursing sports bra when I exercise because I can't find a nursing one that holds the girls in place. It works, but gives me clogs sometimes, ouch. It sucks to try and juggle it with my son.

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by Erin77 

Has anyone found a sports nursing bra that's actually effective for big boobs? I'm a 38 DD and I have to wear my non-nursing sports bra when I exercise because I can't find a nursing one that holds the girls in place. It works, but gives me clogs sometimes, ouch. It sucks to try and juggle it with my son.

This isn't the best answer, but I get a lot of active support when I wear two of the bras I linked above (link below too). I have two of them, so I've worn both at once and felt very supported for jogging.

http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-original-nursing-bra-double-plus-style

Alternatively, this other bra isn't a nursing bra but the straps undo with velcro on the front, so it could work that way. It's very supportive!! But I am beyond the sizes now, but when I was 38DD it worked well.  http://www.biggerbras.com/moving-comfort/moving-comfort-fiona-soft-cup-high-level-sports-bra-350003.shtml

Looks like a lot of sizes are on backorder. You could search elsewhere. I actually bought mine at Dick's a few years ago. And, the picture shows a small chested woman, but I felt the support was really good because you could adjust the straps, had the back closure as opposed to the Y back of a lot of sports bras. It held me up really well.  In the pic you can see how the straps adjust in the front, and though velcro, they hold well. So, for nursing, you could undo one side on the front and fasten it back up.

[ibusymomto5]

Originally Posted by Erin77 

Has anyone found a sports nursing bra that's actually effective for big boobs? I'm a 38 DD and I have to wear my non-nursing sports bra when I exercise because I can't find a nursing one that holds the girls in place. It works, but gives me clogs sometimes, ouch. It sucks to try and juggle it with my son.

I'm still squeezing into my favorite non-nursing sports bra, this one.. http://www.barenecessities.com/champion-maximum-control-double-dry-seamless-full-support-sports-bra-6242_product.htm?pf_id=Champion6242 - It holds me in place like no other bra I've tried. I've found it to be rather roomy too. I have both the 34-36D-DD and the 36-38D-DD. The cups on the 36-38D-DD are bigger than the 34-36D-DD, and it's fitting me nicely still even though I'm currently in FF-H size nursing bras. I don't know if the Champion will fit once my milk comes in though, but it should after the supply levels out. I don't have a need for my sports bra to be nursing, because I typically feed the baby right before I leave and then once I get back. I'm not gone more than an hour or so.

What I did before finding the above bra, and what I'll do again if it gets too small is what the pp recommended ... wear 2 nursing bras instead of one. I used to wear my old, supportive Goddess 511s with a Bravado Original on top. Not as supportive as the above sports bra, but enough that I'm not bouncing all over and comfy enough that no ducts are getting blocked.

[Erin77]

I like the look of the Moving Comfort Fiona one, I think I'll give it a try! Thanks!

[Mommel]

BreakoutBras!!! THANK YOU!!

[Erin77]

OK, follow up on Fiona. I got one and it's OK. It gives great support, but because it's not a maternity bra, the straps are not attached to the front in any way. So when you slide them out of the hole to lower the cup, the strap disappears somewhere back over your shoulder. Also, the hole is quite narrow and the strap has to be threaded back through it to refasten the bra. 

I wore it to Mommy & Me yoga today and it was fine, but if you're looking for "discreet" or "easy one handed" this is NOT it. It took a bunch of fiddling to get closed again. Still, no underwire and doesn't feel like I'm getting any clogs so that's good.

[Bekka]

Leading Lady does look like it has a lot of good styles, but the largest style only goes up to DD.  While that is large-busted, it is certainly not "the limit" and so it's not as generally serviceable as the other resources mentioned.  Have had good results with the wire free Fancee Free from Breakout Bras.

[rakzimmer]

Not sure if you still check this but I am normally a 36 J.  I live in Kansas and go to a store called "The Bust Stop" that carries bras to super extra granda. They are pricey as bigger bras tend to be but well worth it.