[creolegirl]

I really need to buy some nursing bras, but not sure what size to even buy. Should I wait until my milk comes? Does one get the current size that they are during late pregnancy, get one a cup size bigger, or what? Also, I'm wondering about the measurement around my ribs. Will that decrease after I have the baby or stay the same? Can someone explain how this all works when buying nursing bras? Thanks so much!

Takiyah

 

[root*children]

Your rib measurement won't change. But your cup size will increase. I'm pretty sure that this is all explained in any catalog you would order these from (ie - Motherwear). Congratulations on your soon-to-be-born

 

[Dodo]

I have to disagree regarding the band measurement. It can change. It did for me.

I think last time I bought a bra or two in the final weeks of pregnancy, allowing for breast expansion and band deflation. In retrospect, I was lucky it worked out.

 

[merino]

I'm in the same position- pregnant with my first. My breastfeeding SIL recommended buying a few nursing garments where size is not very precise, like sleep bras or nursing camisoles. Motherhood sells a little cotton-lycra sleep bra for about $15 and I was able to find a camisole at Target. I'm hoping this will tide me over until my breast size normalizes, probably a few weeks after giving birth.

HTH,
Eve

 

[kris1225]

I had about 4 sleep/leisure bras to start with from Wal-Mart. They were Lansinoh brand. Not sure if they still carry them, but I know they currently have a line of nursing bras that I hear are pretty good. But anyways, the sleep bras are very stretchy and soft and have a wide range to help you through the first few weeks. You're not going to be going too many places anyway where you'd need a full-on bra. After about a month I got my first Bravado! Bravado bras are awesome nursing bras that allow for a lot of shifting in boob and band size. And they provide a lot more support than a sleep bra. I can't say enough about Bravado.

 

[~Megan~]

I'd recommend a Bravado or something like that for right after birth then you can move to a more traditional bra later if you want.
Some women wear Bravado the whole time (I'm too large to not have a uni-boob with them though)

 

[wednesday]

Bravado is a good bra to start out with because it's so stretchy--it will fit when your milk comes in and for a long time after as well. Take your current measurements and if you are in between or near the top range of a particular size, buy the bigger one. Your measurements will change A LOT and very rapidly. I went from something like 40F to 36D over six months after my son's birth (I was a 34C pre-pregnancy). I like having a "real" structured bra besides the Bravado so every other month or so I had to go and buy a smaller non-Bravado bra (I gained and lost about 45 lbs.). But the Bravado I started out with (size large) still fits well enough to e a sleep bra. You really shouldn't invest in a nice bra with a specific band/cup size until at least several weeks after the birth. Stick with the stretchy bras that have S-M-L-XL sizing and will more or less fit you through a lot of weight loss and/or boob gain.

By the way I tried on practically every expensive nursing bra in existence from various online boutiques and ended up sending them all back. My best nursing bra turned out to be a Playtex brand that I got for $17 at Target.

Good luck! Don't forget to order your nursing pads in advance if you want nice cloth ones! I like the Fuzzi Bunz brand because the microfleece stays dry-feeling next to my skin, although they are not terribly absorbant and I had to change them often the first few weeks--but I leaked rivers, not everybody does. The microfleece was so smooth when my nipples were a bit sore early on.

 

[mattjule]

I second the Bravado recommendation. It is great for right after birth fluctuations, but I found that it wasn't that supportive once my milk came in and it didn't have a nice shape under my clothing. Once my milk came in, I went to a nursing store (so lucky I had one in a nearby town!) and got measured. I ended up with a Medela-about $40. While it was patently unsexy, it was very supportive, easy to latch one-handed (make sure you test this!!) and comfortable. Also, it didn't have an underwire, something to watch out for in the early days as it can contribute to plugged ducts. I ended up replacing them when I shrunk with the same bra in a smaller size, then going with a stretchy cotton/lycra bra when I wasn't nursing so much anymore. I don't know what I am going to do this time around, my Medela's are pretty much trashed and I live somewhere that isn't so bfing friendly. I thought I'd look up the websites in the back of Mothering and see what they have to offer.

 

[creolegirl]

Where can I find Bravado Bras? I also had heard about Blue Kanoe Bras, but haven't been able to find any. thx!

 

[mealymama]

With some brands, you use your pre-pregnancy size.
Go by manufacturers recommendation, but don't by the stiff kind! Get cotton/lycra stretch, because NOBODY can predict how much your breasts are going to change. Every woman's supply is different, PLUS your breast size is going to fluctuate throughout the day, especially in the early weeks/months. You'll need stretch.
Also, I would buy at least one bra-extender because yes, your band size will ofter get bigger as your breasts grow, and you won't want to be bothered by these little things with a newborn in the house.
I deliberately bought bras with smaller band-widths because I knew I would lose some weight post partum and when I did, I just took off the extenders and didn't need to buy new bras.

 

[hjohnson]

The gal that I am going to buy from recommends coming in when you are 9 months pregnant and then coming in after your milk comes in to see if there has been any drastic changes. She sells the Bravado Bras. She has a great store!

 

[Jennifer H]

I wouldn't buy a lot of anything at first until you see what type of closure you like the best. For example, I really like the snaps at the middle front of the bra rather than the ones that snap on the shoulder strap (I need two hands to do all of those). Also, I never got engorged. My cup size only went up one size and then after about 6 months went back down to nearly my normal size even though I was still bf 100%.

I have one Bravado and don't know if it is the wrong size or what, but I thought it was really hard to get in and out of!

Your post reminded me. Baby due in a little over a month... I tossed all my old nursing bras because they were SOOOO worn after being used for 5 years. Guess I better get shopping!