Maternity/Nursing Bra Shopping

This will be a completely informational post! I've actually wanted to post this a couple of weeks ago but then I got sick and did not want to do anything. And then posting about the baby's sex was more important. So, finally, here it is!

I'm sure there are posts about maternity bra shopping but I haven't really found anything. Well, anything super useful. Bra shopping in normal circumstances is a pain and finding a maternity/nursing bra is no different. So I figure friends will like to have this information, be it for now or for the future.

So here I am in one of my old bras:

My poor boobs

It's recommended that you start shopping for maternity bras starting in your 4-5 month. I waited until the very last moment before I went bra shopping which was almost 5 months. I knew that I may have to size up multiple times so I wanted to decrease that amount as much as I can (I'm so cheap). So by the time I decided it was time, my poor boobs were being squished inside a small cup and the underband was leaving marks. Not a good sign.

I use maternity and nursing bra interchangeably since you can use nursing bras as maternity bras. It's a maternity bra only if there is no clip in front connecting the cup to the strap. I figure I would just get a nursing bra for the whole pregnancy since I will probably need them after baby when they start to shrink and I'm still breastfeeding.

Nursing bra with clip. Nifty

I did stumble upon Motherhood's website with tips, advice and a calculator for maternity bras. This page had great tips and a way to calculate your size. There was only one problem with the calculator for me, it wasn't accurate because my boobs were already being squished by my normal bra when I took measurements. So I estimated best I could and then tried on different sizes in the store.

Most tips for a maternity bra are the same as buying a regular bra. There are two additional tips though. First, you make sure that you fit well at the inner most hook not the outer most. That way you go out a hook when you get bigger. Second, be very careful if you plan on buying bras with underwire. It's not completely proven but there are concerns about underwire bras and mastitis. So make sure if you get an underwire bra to have the underwire fit perfectly and it does not dig under your boobs. This was not a concern for me because I'm not a huge fan of underwire anyway and having a thick underband gives me the support I need.

In summary make sure:

• Your straps are not too loose or too tight
• Your band is not riding up your back
• Your not spilling out
• Your underwire is not digging into your sides and lies flat below your breasts
• You can hook as close to the innermost hook when you first wear the bra
• You have enough room to fit a nursing pad comfortably

I bought my bras at Target (depends on the store if they sell nursing bras). I was going to go to Motherhood but the mall we ended up going to didn't have a store so I decided to check out the Target that was there. They probably aren't the best quality but they are definitely doing the job and were super cheap. And honestly, since I will probably be wearing them for about a year I'm okay with that. They are comfortable, they fit pretty well and were a good price.

One thing I have yet to buy is a sleep bra since Target didn't carry any. As you can guess, a sleep bra is for when you are sleeping and helps keep your boobs in place so there is no weird pressure and sagging while you sleep. They will also keep your nursing pads in place when you start leaking milk. They size like a sports bra, so you would just choose the size that you fit you most comfortably.

And here I am with my new bra on:

Happy boobs!

They look a lot less squished and I just feel a lot more comfortable. And comfort is so important right now.

And there it is, advice for buying maternity bras. For more information, visit Motherhood's website. You'll find the calculator and more information and advice on the matter. It's broken down well and explained well. Like I said, I'm sure there are more websites out there that has the same information but I came upon their website first and it was very informative.