When is it okay to buy nursing bras? « Back to Group Discussions

[birdhappy85]

I was fitted for some nursing bras the other day at Destination Maternity. They had a sale so I decided to get some a little early since I'm feeling so stuffed into my current bras. I'm 35 weeks pregnant. I'm worried now that maybe I jumped the gun, although the manager there said she wouldn't be concerned at all since I got the bras with a little room to fill out. There's only a 30-day return policy and that'll likely pass before I have the baby. I don't want to have wasted money (bras are expensive!) and then have them not even fit when my milk comes in.

How many cup sizes did you go up when your milk came in with previous pregnancies? How much did your band size change? I was a small B pre-pregnancy and grew to a small C during pregnancy. These bras I got are C's with some room to spare (but not a whole cup size worth of room). Should I anticipate actually being a D or could I possibly still just become a full C once I start breastfeeding?

Advice much appreciated! I might still keep a few of the bras anyway since one is more of a sports/active bra and another is a sleep bra, both which aren't actually "sized" to my specifications but more-so fit my general build. I got two underwire bras that I'd be more worried about needing to return...

[meesh933]

I worked for a while at a store that was also a Medela Nursing Center, and my boss was a Certified Lactation Counselor (one step below IBCLC). She always recommends moms come in about two weeks AFTER baby was born to get bras. The reason is that your band size will actually go down, because your lung capacity expands so much during pregnancy. This is what we always recommended to pregnant women:

http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/intimate-apparel/324/seamless-softcup-nursing-bra-white They're not very cute, but they're really comfy and stretchy, and work well for the first few weeks.

I bought bras before baby was born both of the last two times, and I'll be waiting this time around. Neither time did they fit right, so I figure it can't hurt to wait until the engorgement has gone down and my band size has stabilized.

[Abraisme]

The best time to buy nursing bras is a few weeks pp.  My cup size generally increases 1 size and my bust size goes down by size.  However, each person is different and it's good to wait until you're milk has regulated a bit.  I know that I keep changing sizes up to a year pp because of weight loss. 

I recommend getting a few cheap sports bras for the first couple of weeks.  You'll likely go through a couple a day (leaky milk) and they're easy to pull up or down. 

[jbk21]

I hardly, if ever, wore a bra during the entire first year of my DS's life.  Not only were my boobs larger in general, but they would fluctuate SO much depending on if I needed to nurse him, had just nursed him, etc.  I wore nursing tank tops ALL the time.  I love that they hid my belly while I  was nursing.  They also have more "give" than a bra.  I also have a variety of nursing bras this time from other mamas, so I'll have plenty to choose from when the time comes.  I second Abra's suggestion to have a lot of options on hand because you'll be getting milk EVERYWHERE for a while.... The washer/dryer is about to become your new best friend :-)

[Jaimee]

My band size goes up in the first trimester and goes right back down postpartum- very quickly.  My cup size increases just slightly during pregnancy- more like filling out than actually growing.  When my milk comes in, it goes up a full size, but goes back down when my milk regulates- about 2 months later.  So for me, the best nursing bras are those that are not molded cups, but more like shaped sports bras.  I really like the Bravado BodySilk... it's bra-like, but is very stretchy and has removable liners.

After I stop leaking all the time and baby gets to be a professional nurser, I often don't bother with nursing bras and sometimes I don't bother with a bra at all.  I love shelf bra camis, but I'm also on the smaller side (32B).  Honestly, I'd only buy one bra at this point and make sure it's one of those stretchier kind and buy another one or two postpartum.  I only have 3 nursing bras and I basically only wear one of them.

[Krystal323]

Nursing bras, ugh..  I hate buying them, hate wearing them, and generally avoid bras as much as possible!  =P 

I'm on the smaller side, and can get away with less support, so I generally try to find some sort of natural cotton stretch bra that I can just pull down and use for nursing.  I have some great Blue Canoe stretch bras that I am both embarrassed and happy to admit, have lasted thru THREE pregnancies/nurslings!   However, I could use some new/bigger ones at this point.  They are made for a B/C cup, and esp. if I'm tandem nursing, those are soooo not gonna fit me anymore.  I was a D in the early nursing days, if not bigger.  

So, yea...I am hoping to find some nice cotton bras that aren't $40 a pop.

[meesh933]

I totally agree on the nursing tanks with shelf bras. That's pretty much what I wore the first 6-8 months with both of mine. It's nice to be able to lift your shirt and still be 100% covered! Again, I'm smaller-chested, so it may not work as well for other mamas. I have to say that right now, though, the shelf bras are driving me insane. I'm not comfortable NOT wearing them, though, because on the rare occasion that DS nurses in public, I don't really want to show off my huge belly. Somehow I feel way more exposed than if I weren't pregnant and had to lift my shirt!