Sometime around your 16th week of pregnancy, you will feel that your breasts have become fuller and your old bras are either too tight or not fitting you the right way. If you would have noticed, sometime between 8 and 10 weeks into your pregnancy, you would have started to outgrow your bra size. It is therefore important to understand maternity bras and nursing bras.
In fact, an increase in your breast size is amongst the early changes you will notice in your body, and they will continue to grow more in size as pregnancy progresses. At this stage, pregnant women must invest in some maternity or nursing bras – which will not only provide support to their growing breasts but also prevent them from popping and be softer on their breasts. Though a lot of women end up spending on maternity wear dresses, they ignore the need of wearing a proper-fitted bra. Wearing a tight, fashionable lingerie bra at this time must be avoided by pregnant women.
In This Article
- Maternity Bras During Pregnancy
- Selecting A Good Maternity Bra
- Buying A Maternity Bra During Pregnancy
- How Many Pregnancy Bras Should I Buy?
- Are Underwire Bras Safe In Pregnancy?
- When Should You Start Using Maternity Bra?
- FAQs
Maternity Bras During Pregnancy
You’d be probably thinking, “Can I Not Wear A Larger Size Of My Regular Bra?” Though you could opt for wearing a bigger size regular bra during early pregnancy, it is advisable to go in for maternity bras to provide room for your growing breasts and be of a comfortable fit.
A fashionable piece of lingerie is not equipped to support the ligaments that your breasts develop during pregnancy. Blocked milk ducts, breast infections, and fluid retention can be a cause of concern for women who try a quick fix by wearing a larger cup size than their regular bras.
Selecting A Good Maternity Bra
Most maternity bras can be adjusted by changing cup and band sizes. A right-fitting bra will prevent your breasts from sagging, stretch marks, and other problems.
While selecting a maternity or a nursing bra, you must take into account the following considerations:
- Is the bra supporting your breasts comfortably? Does the bra has wide straps and a deep center at the front and do the bands provide for minimum bouncing?
- Does the bra provide your breasts with full coverage? Is the fabric soft and comfortable for your sensitive breasts?
- Does the bra carry a wide back strap with a minimum of four hooks? Is the bra comfortable enough? You could buy a bra starting to fit in the first and gradually seaming to the last hook
- Does the bra have a soft, and breathable underlining that does not cause any sort of irritation or discomfort to your nipples and skin?
Buying A Maternity Bra During Pregnancy
Buying a maternity bra must be done with guidance from expert fitting consultants. Most lingerie and big departmental stores have in-house bra fitting specialists – and their services are free. Let them measure your bust, underbust, and cup, and then try out various sizes and shapes. This will take time, so stay put and calm. Your ideal bra should be comfortable, giving complete coverage with no gorging and no digging at the shoulders or back. Once you find the right fit, check for the material. Remember, what doesn’t feel comfortable in the try-room, will feel worse when outside it.
You could also check out sleeping bras if you’d like to wear a bra to bed. Since during pregnancy and after that, breasts are heavy and full, a good and comfortable sleeping bra may just be the right thing to provide you with some sound sleep during.
How Many Pregnancy Bras Should I Buy?
Not only breastfeeding/maternity bras are an additional cost but are also expensive. During pregnancy and after it your wardrobe gets to see clothes flooding in due to the changes in your body – which may or may not even be wearable once you have a baby. Experts suggest buying at least 3 maternity bras, and each can be worn for a day or two. They must be hand washed and sundried so as to make them stay firm and soft for a longer period.
If you have opted for buying maternity bras from your 8-10 weeks onwards, you will have to trip the lingerie section at least a couple of times more. This frequency will depend on the weight and other changes that hormones will be induced during your pregnancy.
Are Underwire Bras Safe In Pregnancy?
Many experts advise against wearing underwire bras. The wires can put rigid pressure on the breasts and cause blocking of the milk ducts. Breasts continue to become full and then empty during nursing. It is debated that under-wiring does not provide the necessary support for daily breast changes. If you do opt for one, do keep comfort as your prime consideration.
When Should You Start Using Maternity Bra?
As soon as you feel your breasts expanding, you should switch to a maternity or nursing bra. Commonly, this occurs sometime after the end of the first trimester. You can feel comfortable using this bra during your pregnancy because it doesn’t put any strain on your breasts.
Not only is pregnancy stressful on your back and ankles, but it may also be challenging on your breasts as they grow throughout pregnancy. Choosing the appropriate bra can alleviate most of the problems.
Go ahead, pick up for comfort fit!
FAQs
1. How Many Cup Sizes Do You Go Up When Pregnant?
Every woman is unique, but your breasts are likely to be one to two bra cup sizes larger than they were before pregnancy. Your band size may increase between 26 and 30 weeks as your rib cage expands to make room for your baby. In later pregnancy, your cup size may increase again.
2. Does Wearing A Bra Reduce Milk Supply?
If you wear a bra that causes your breasts to be compressed or that is too tight around the rib band or cup, you may have problems with the flow and supply of your milk. If you wear the incorrect kind of bra, you run the risk of having your milk ducts get restricted or even completely blocked.
3. Is There A Difference Between Maternity And Nursing Bras?
You can tell a nursing bra from a maternity bra by the difference in support and comfort. A maternity bra is designed to accommodate your expanding breasts. Breastfeeding is made simpler with the nursing bra. Breasts may be kept in form throughout and after pregnancy with the help of a maternity and nursing bra.
4. Should I Wear A Bra At Night While Pregnant?
Wear your maternity bra to bed if you feel more comfortable wearing one while pregnant. It is, however, a question of personal preference, and there is no obligation to wear a bra if you do not want to.
