During pregnancy, a woman’s body changes considerably: if you’re a mum or a mum-to-be, you’ll find that parts of your body are expanding and contracting much more than you realised they could! Finding comfortable and flattering clothing during pregnancy, thankfully, isn’t as hard as it used to be, but lots of pregnant woman and new mums find it difficult to find well-fitting and comfortable maternity or nursing bras.
Most women will find that their cup size will increase considerably during pregnancy, and your breasts actually increase even more once you’ve given birth. This is to prepare for breastfeeding your baby. Generally, it’s recommended that you go up one cup size during your pregnancy, and then up another size when you’ve given birth. Although the nursing bras may feel big at first, your body will adapt to fit into them during the breast-feeding period.
Your back size can also change during pregnancy and after the birth of your child. As your baby grows, your ribcage expands and you are likely to grow a few inches and therefore increase your back size. However, after the birth of your baby, your ribcage will contract again and your back size will decrease.
As you can see, your body – and your bra size – will fluctuate a lot during your pregnancy. Your midwife will be able to explain to you exactly what sort of bra you should be wearing and when during your pregnancy and immediately afterwards, but make sure that – where you can – your bra is properly fitted by a professional with experience in nursing and maternity bras.
A surprising number of women wear the wrong bra, so if you are in the early stages of pregnancy, make sure you get professionally fitted for the correct bra size before your body starts to change significantly. You can use our great Bra Fit guide to see if you’re wearing the correct size: just click on the icon to open the quiz and answer a series of simple questions about your bra!
Your pregnancy and the period immediately after the birth of your baby can be a tricky time for your body and hormones – make sure that you’re supported and comfortable by wearing a properly fitting nursing bra.
