Maternity Bras

Around the sixteenth week of pregnancy, it’s generally time to purchase a maternity bra.

You may notice your bra now binds, pinches, and no matter how much you adjust the straps, it still will not rest comfortably on your shoulders. This is a time when the weight of your growing abdomen is already putting pressure on your back, and you need all the support you can get.

Maternity bras are specially designed to fully cover your enlarged breasts and to provide that extra support you will not find with a fashion bra. As a bonus, maternity bras are often designed to double as Nursing Bras.

In the best of all worlds, you will purchase maternity bras at a specialty shop, where a trained professional can help you select the right bra for you. However, if cost is a concern, or you are purchasing a maternity bra online, you may have to rely on yourself to get a good fit.

To get a proper fit, it is important to take your measurements:

• Band size – Use a measuring tape to measure just below your breasts. Make sure to keep the tape snug and straight around your body. Add three inches to this measurement, then round up to the nearest even whole number.
• Cup size – Wrap the measuring tape over the fullest part of your breasts. Subtract the band measurement from the cup measurement, you can determine your cup size.
• A cup is 0 to 1.5 inch difference
• B cup is 1.5 to 2.5 inches difference
• C cup is 2.5 to 3.5 inches difference
• D cup is 3.5 to 4.5 inches difference
• E (also called DD) cup is 5 to 6 inches difference

So, if your band measurement is a 36 inches, and your cup measurement is 38 inches, then you would want to purchase a size 36B nursing bra.

Buying just one size of maternity bra for your entire pregnancy will probably not work. Your breasts are apt to continue to grow, requiring you to purchase new bras at least a couple of times during your pregnancy. You may be tempted to buy a bra a cup size too large in order to avoid replacing bras so often, but this is not recommended. A bra that is the wrong size, will be uncomfortable and cause even more discomfort to your already tender breasts.

A better answer is to choose maternity bras with adjustable cups or four station fasteners, which will extend to time you will fit comfortable in the bras you purchase.

How many bras you should purchase depends on how often you do laundry. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you have enough bras on hand to allow you to wear a clean, properly fitting bra every day.

Some controversy exists as to whether underwire bras are in the best interest of pregnant women. The concern is the underwire might put pressure on the breast and lead to blocked milk ducts. If you do decide to purchase an underwire bra, be aware of any discomfort indicative of a need for a new bra.

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• Conception Myths

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• How to Conceive a Boy
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• Early Pregnancy Symptoms

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• Plus Size Maternity Lingerie