Nursing Bra help please!

[lucylu79]

Agghhh, why didn't I keep my last lot!!!

Anyway on my list of things to get is some nursing bra's and I was hoping to go shopping next week but I went locally today and it was sooo uncomfortable seeing as baby has dropped and i'm 4/5 engaged at 37 weeks. I just can't see myself driving over 30 miles to my nearest nursing bra shop so I thought i'd try and measure myself.

If anyone has any tips please help me as the measurement i'm getting just doesn't sit right with me.

Pre pregnancy I was wearing a 34C and I can still wear it but it does leave marks. I bought some 34D and they fit better.

And today I've measured and double checked with hubby the following:

Under bust 33
Across the nipple 38.

If I go by the mothercare video it says to add 5 to my under bust to get my back size, and then the difference between will give me the bust size but if there's nothing in my case that makes me a 38A?

Am I doing something completely stupid here ladies....

TIA!!

 

[MnGmakes3]

I can't help you with the math of bras but if you've ever shopped at zulily.com but I swear by their nursing bras. The one I have has stayed with me the whole pregnancy and isn't even close to being tight.

 

[aley28]

Ohhh, bra fitting!

When you measure yourself for a bra, do it in front of a mirror or with the help of another person.

Measure your ribcage, right where your bra fits, and measure it as snugly as you want your bra to fit. Do not add any inches to it at all!! The exact number you get is your band size. If you have an odd number, round up to the nearest even number for a bit looser band, or round down if you like your bras really tight.

Then measure your boobs, and take a stab at your cup size. Most women wear a MUCH bigger cup size than they think.

When you put a bra on, put it on and then pull ALL of your breast tissue forward/up into the cups. You should not have anything spilling over the fronts nor under your armpits. If you have any spillover whatsoever, go up another cup size.

The advice to add 5 to your band size is outdated advice. In the early days before bra fabrics had any stretch to them, they had to add extra or the bra wouldn't fit. Nowadays bras are stretchy, so adding any number at all onto the band size makes the band too big and takes away all of the support of the bra. The band is what supports your boobs, not the straps!

Some self-help blog posts on bra fitting:
https://www.thinandcurvy.com/2010/10/how-to-measure-your-bra-size-correct.html

https://www.thinandcurvy.com/2010/11/signs-of-poor-fitting-bra.html


Nursing bras may be a bit different, as your boobs are going to get bigger when they are full of milk and seem smaller when they are emptier. I would imagine you want to measure yourself after your milk comes in fully and not directly after a feed.

ETA: If I were you, I'd go with some 34D or 34DD nursing bras for now. Just buy a couple, and if you are one of the "lucky" ones who get even bigger boobs while nursing, you can get bigger cups if necessary.

 

[lucylu79]

Ohhh, bra fitting!

When you measure yourself for a bra, do it in front of a mirror or with the help of another person.

Measure your ribcage, right where your bra fits, and measure it as snugly as you want your bra to fit. Do not add any inches to it at all!! The exact number you get is your band size. If you have an odd number, round up to the nearest even number for a bit looser band, or round down if you like your bras really tight.

Then measure your boobs, and take a stab at your cup size. Most women wear a MUCH bigger cup size than they think.

When you put a bra on, put it on and then pull ALL of your breast tissue forward/up into the cups. You should not have anything spilling over the fronts nor under your armpits. If you have any spillover whatsoever, go up another cup size.

The advice to add 5 to your band size is outdated advice. In the early days before bra fabrics had any stretch to them, they had to add extra or the bra wouldn't fit. Nowadays bras are stretchy, so adding any number at all onto the band size makes the band too big and takes away all of the support of the bra. The band is what supports your boobs, not the straps!

Some self-help blog posts on bra fitting:
https://www.thinandcurvy.com/2010/10/how-to-measure-your-bra-size-correct.html

https://www.thinandcurvy.com/2010/11/signs-of-poor-fitting-bra.html


Nursing bras may be a bit different, as your boobs are going to get bigger when they are full of milk and seem smaller when they are emptier. I would imagine you want to measure yourself after your milk comes in fully and not directly after a feed.

ETA: If I were you, I'd go with some 34D or 34DD nursing bras for now. Just buy a couple, and if you are one of the "lucky" ones who get even bigger boobs while nursing, you can get bigger cups if necessary.

That there is some AMAZING advice and I thank you for taking the time to write it all for me!!!

I like the 'lucky' remark too

I think i'm going to order a few and pay for one lot of delivery charge with free returns and just try them on in the comfort of my own home but I was going to try 34D, thanks for clearing that up!!!!

 

[oneill614]

The advice I read said to wait til close to the end (37/38 weeks), take the size you are wearing then, and add a cup size, which should account for how much you will grow once milk is in. I am a 36C right now (usually 32B) but I'm not completely filling out the cup, so I just bought another 36C. If I get to a D I'll have to go to the store.

 

[aley28]

That there is some AMAZING advice and I thank you for taking the time to write it all for me!!!

I like the 'lucky' remark too

I think i'm going to order a few and pay for one lot of delivery charge with free returns and just try them on in the comfort of my own home but I was going to try 34D, thanks for clearing that up!!!!

My pleasure! I only discovered how to fit bras properly after I weaned my last kid, and knowing the difference it makes to have a good fitting bra, I'm very happy to pass on the help I received a few years ago!

I'm massively chested, so I'm scared what "luck" will bring to me when I get my milk in this time. I honestly wonder if Z cups are a thing.

Anyway, yes, I would think 34D is a good place to start. Try to keep in mind that you'll probably gain another cup size with milk, so DD or bigger may be necessary (though you won't know until you try!) Don't let yourself get caught up on the size of the cup - a proper fitting bra can save you so many issues I hope someday I'm back down to DD cups.