Maternity Bras

I just bought 2 maternity bras from the target underwear sale, and they are the best ones I have had yet. They are just target brand with lace around the bottome. I am on the tightest clip at the moment, so there will still be room for me to expand. I think that is the important thing if you are buying them early, to make sure you have a little room to grow in them.

Oh, and a good tip - I got ones that have the moulded cups, not padded, just moulded because you can't see any shape of the nursing pads through thin tops, and they give you a little more shape, they don't flatten out your boosies like some of them do

Another tip is to nip into places like Myer etc as they have "bra extenders" which are essentially just more clips for the back. If the cup's still fitting you but the back isn't, then these extenders cost about $10-15 as opposed to $50-odd for the berlei / bonds brands.

Hi there,
I'm just wondering if anybody who has large breasts can help me out here. I'm having loads of trouble finding any maternity or soft cup bras that fit me and support me. I was an F cup before pregnancy, have a small frame though, and suspect I'm a G now. I'm 24 weeks along.

I have some maternity bras but have relegated them to sleeping bras because they just don't cut it for day wear. They don't support me properly, my breasts flop in them and because of that, they're uncomfortable. They also give me a crap shape.
The bras I have are Maternelle, and a Bendon one, plus Triumph. The Triumph isn't TOO bad, but comes up pretty high on the chest.

I tried on some underwired Fayreform G cups the other day - the wires around the sides are completely outside the breast, so they're not squashing anything. The wires in the centre are supposed to lie flat against the chest, but they can't because I have no 'gap'. They seem to fit pretty well - surely they wouldn't cause damage?
I still need maternity ones for later anyway, though.

This is really upsetting & annoying for me. I want to breastfeed and therefore don't want to damage any breast tissue, but I also want to be comfortable and don't want to ruin my breasts by wearing unsupportive bras.

Can anyone else out with there with the same bust size give me any advice?
Thanks!

hi - i dont have the same bust size but a friend of mine has and she ended up a specialist bra shop that fits larger breasted women and imports good brands from uk and europe. this is in melbourne. I can find out who it was or what the brand was. she also found it useful to go to the breast feeeding association for recommendations. hth and good luck!

Hi Suziette...I am in the same boat as you! At 20 weeks I was measured as being a 16F (my normal bra size was a 12E). Now at almost 31 weeks, I think I've progressed to the G cup. Bra wise, I purchased 2 Triumph maternity bras as they were the only ones that came in my size that gave some kind of support...but I have the same problem as you again...they sit up too high, so even just the smallest of scoop necklines shows the top of the cups! So annoying!

What I've done to combat this problem? I wear the maternity ones when my outfit says that I can (with numerous clothes adjustments throughout the day) and when we're going out somewhere special or the outfit demands it (maybe 1x a fortnight?) I wear a larger underwire bra. I bought a Fayreform G cup bra that fits fine but is definitely underwire...as you go along in your pregnancy though...these bras become quite uncomfortable after wearing them for a few hours as the underwire starts to hurt your tummy...not a nice feeling!

My advice? *lol* Triumph for everyday support and comfort...wear underwire only if you must and not very often. As I like to try on all my bras, the option of purchasing over the internet didn't interest me so I was limited to what was available in the shops. HTH!

Hey Suziette,

I am in the same boat as you. I have been using an online store called Blest Bras for both my maternity and regular bras. They can be expensive but are cheaper then the shops. I think they are fantastic and worth a look at.

Hope that helps.

I had a proper fitting before my wedding last year and they made sure i had a size bigger enuf to last me oll thru my pregnancy....so normally a C but thru last and this pg ive gone to a D and i tell ya....the ones in normal shops are useless..

SO the shop i went to was called DeBras... they are online and have a physical shop.

I was a 14F before PG, a 16G at 28wks and a 14J while BF (now a 12E which is tiny by my standards!). I had one maternity bra i bought from Mothercare (try eBay if mothercare doesn't exist in Aus) which i wore on and off and the rest of the time.....i'm afraid i wore a well-fitted (had size checked every month) very supportive normal underiwred bra. I was told not to by everyone i know and given a massive lecture by the BF consultant at the hospital but it was the only way i could get adequate support. If i wore the non-wired kind all the time i got aching ligaments in my armpits which was awful and a sore back which was not at all fun. Let me tell you - i damaged NOTHING, and i had a beautiful cleavage and no bra showing over my tops, and it might make me a bad person but i don't want to look frumpy AND be in pain - if the non-wired had done their job fair enough, but if they don't then i'm not wearing them! DD fed like a dream and my only nearly-mastitis was way later (when i was wearing non-wired nursing bras) and because she'd kicked my BB one night and made a bruise which inflamed, nothing to do with bras.

So i ignored the advice. Once DD was born i wore no bra for 4 days (until engorgement was over with, as i was about a 14L or M then and owned nothing that would've fitted) and then i had triumph nursing bras, 2 with drop cups, one with a push-aside front and one zip-cup (DO NOT GET A ZIP CUP!! I trapped my poor BB's about 670000 times and it was agony! Also getting a giant boob into a cup and zipping it up takes 2 hands which is not practical when you also have a baby to hold onto) which saw me through for about 5 months. As my supply and weight dwindled so did my size and i ended up borrowing 2 Elle nursing bras in 12E which were great for the last few months. I weaned at 7 months. And then i went out and bought myself a whole heap of new, teeny tiny (kind of) bras....

I got fitted at my local "larger lingerie" store and was a 20GG when breastfeeding. I can't remember exactly what brand they were as I've now disposed of them, but they WEREN'T CHEAP! The store I used was "La Figure Lingerie" but I don't know whether they are in Sydney or not.

Best wishes, the right bra is out there, you just need the right advice to find it. I'd definitely avoid underwire though.

DEBras is in wentworthville. It's pretty good....

Thanks everyone for the advice. I must say its nice to know that I'm not alone in these thoughts; I felt like i was being vain or something for having the hide to consider how my breasts were going to be after pregnancy & breast feeding. Sometimes i feel we are not supposed to give a stuff about ourselves...but maybe that's a rant for another day ;)

I have looked at blestbras, & will have another look. I have also heard of a US brand, bravado, which I will look at too. Debras sounds good too. Plus someone told me there's a shop in Sydney city called More than a Handful, but not sure if they do maternity. Will find out, and if successful, I'll post back.

Hoobley, good to hear from you. I had wondered if anyone would post about ignoring the advice and how they went. Food for thought. Though now I'm really scared about what size my breasts are going to be when the milk comes in!!!:cryinglaugh:

Thanks again everybody

Hello,

I was a DD before PG and already in a G for gigantic... I ended up ordering bra's from Myer's (Still on order) triumph make G cups and also another brand but can't recall.

You just might have to order them in.

I noticed you mentioned the underwire bra's, You can make a small snip and slip the wire out if it gives you more options when it comes to bra's.

But they are really hard to find.... I'll let u know the brands when mine come in, I think they have been sent off to a parachute store to be manufactured. :D

i have always had to wear underwire bras for the support, the only time I wore the matenity bras was while i was actuallly breastfeeding (and that was simply because of access issues). the reason they say not to wear underwire is because the risk of mastitis is increased. personally i never had this problem or anyother. my advice is to wear more supportive comfortable underwire bras as much as possible, but if it does become painful or uncomfortable swap back to the maternity bras.

I am wearing an underwire 'minimiser' atm. And my sports bra but my boobs are spilling out the sides. I have yet to find a good bra! The maternity ones make your boobs look long and ugly.

i noticed you are in Randwick and there is a store on Bronte Rd called Victoria's Closest that has a great range of attractive (not to mention functional) maternity bra's (although I am not sure of your size) ... give them a call on 9369 2662 as the staff were ever so helpful for me.
Altnernatively, I did see this website some where which could help http://www.storminadcup.com.au/

thanks for the link ej, I will definetly give them a go as they have a free return policy incase they don't fit.

Thanks EJ. I have noticed that shop, just assumed it would nice underwear not in my size!! Will give them a call though.
I have an appointment with More Than a Handful in the city (Sydney) tomorrow; they carry maternity up to H cup apparently. I will post back to let you all know how it went & what they're like.

Thanks for all the tips :)

Hi,

I'm thinking I need to get myself a bit more organised & get myself some proper maternity bras, cos I'm still wearing bras that I bought in my first trimester. I kind of have to change, because the ones I'm wearing now are underwire (but pretty padded underwire, and still really really comfy).

SO I'm wondering about sizing - I'm expecting that cup size will change once milk comes in, but how will they know what size to fit me into? I'm not in a position to buy some for now & then another lot for later, so I'm not sure what to do.

Hello,

I too was wondering this and was told there was no way of knowing. I have gone from a DD to a 14F (actually I now must be a G but I am in denial)
And Iam not even through my 2nd trimester so god help me when my milk comes in as its impossible getting bra's now. Myers has had G's on order for me for weeks in aniticpation of my 3rd trimester. If they take any longer I will be in Z's. :(

If you get a bra now that will fit you later, than it's technically not going to fit you now.
if your size is readily available then bite the bullet and treat your boobies to a nice fitting bra for now and for later.

Afterall they will play a big part in your babies life and they might just deserve a little pampering before they get sucked into oblivion. lol

goodluck

I would say go get measured professionally and they will have the best advice for you. I went to a specialist lingerie shop and they were brilliant - I found thembetter than myer of DJs for the attention etc. I agree with Del Dove though if you get them to fit later they may not fit now... i would get them to fit now and then work out what happens later, later. Thats pretty much all you can do. The ladies did recommend I go up a number and go on lowest clips rather than near the top of the lower number so I had room to grow even if not on cup size.

Yeah...I think getting professionally fitted is really worthwhile...I just went to Myer and the fitting consultant was great...but I made sure I went at a quieter time so that I could get a little more customer attention

I ended fitting into bras that I would have never have tried...as they were much bigger than I expected I would need...but they do fit well...

And the maternity bras have about 6 or so clasps on the back strap, to allow you to grow...

The fitting consultant said I might need to come back for a fitting once my milk comes in...but I'll just wait and see how I go...

I ended up with Lovable maternity bras...they were around $49 and seem to be fine...not the most sexy things...but feel very comfortable...

Jan, I got fitted at the ABA shop in East Malvern.
I was a bit of a hike as I'm on the west side of Melbourne, but I figured it was worth it as they'd definitely know what they were doing.
Plus theres a nice recycled baby store a couple of doors down too!

I got my maternity bras when I was 16-20 weeks. I would normally wear a 10C but I couldnt find any in that size, so I ended up getting 12B. Now my milk is in, the same bras still fit me. I got Bonds maternity bras. Ugly but comfortable.

Hi i was told that to wait until you are around 20 weeks because your boobs wont get much bigger than they are at that time...obviously they will be bigger once your milk comes in but once your milk settles they will go back to what they were then...if that makes sense??

Hope that helps plus i got some cheap bras from best and less for $9.95 they are just your basic bra not padded etc but are really comfy and go up to an 18D.

I agree with Monnie. I got professionally fitted at Myer and the girl was great, allowing for the fact that my boobs will continue to grow and again when my milk comes in. I got the loveable ones.

Well, I am delighted to say I have just gotten the ABA 'Mothers Direct Winter 07' catalogue and there are some sexy maternity bras available! In different colours, with patterns and lace even!

I am soooo sick of wearing the same boring white plain bras I am going to make sure I check out these new frilly lacy ones. And some of them even have matching briefs.

Considering you're in maternity bras for as long as you are, I'm surprised there aren't more that are pretty!

Do they come in extra huge boob sizes?? LOL

wow, really? There are loads of pretty (if expensive) ones here - although paying £33 for a bra is a bit much, then £12 for the matching pants (£45 is over $100). You can even get padded feeding bras, but only in plain black or white.

I can't believe that you don't get the Elle MacPherson range in Australia! Sadly the smallest size they do is a C-cup so I can't wear them, but they're really gorgeous.

We do have the elle mcpherson range here because i looked at it, and i'm sure they went over a c-cup because i was an E cup when i was trying them on! This range is nice but i really hate the huge thick straps on all maternity bras, including these! I also have a Berlie Bra which has lace cups and is quite pretty - apart from thick straps lol.

Where can i see this new range?

I know they go over a C-cup, but I'm a B-cup so can't wear them! Have you seen the Emily B range, or can you not get that? They have normal sized straps and are really pretty.

I've got an Elle's McPherson maternity bra in a B cup so they do exist. The sexy bras on the ABA site are gorgeous.

Oooh they are gorgeous!!! Ive got 2 elle ones in a 14D!

I've been nagging the store in Sydney for the last 10 days lol.
I geuss I could mail order but I'm on the cusp of cup sizes so I prefer being able to try before I buy.

Just had a look at their website- very nice.

Anna**- where did you get the elle mac bra in a b cup?

Lee - My Mum found it in Sydney somewhere when she went over a few months ago... she can't remember where tho! It was on clearance so maybe they don't make them now?

The Hot Milk range is fabulous! Great that they come in size massive, too! I've also seen them on the Zodee website, but I'd rather buy from Mothers Direct cos it supports the ABA, and if you can get yourself into Malvern (or the Sydney store when they get them in), you can get yourself professionally fitted.
I'm going to take my sister there, as she's over from NZ and apart from the Bendon ones, she doesn't seem to have ready retail access to nice maternity bras.

Hot Milk is a NZ label...

Maybe she just needs to look in the right places! But even Bendon is not as cheap there as you can find it here, go figure. Shopping just doesn't seem as fun over there as it is here, with Kiwis flying to Brisbane to get to sales etc!

There's a Mothers Direct store in Castle Hill in Sydney. It's at 4 McMullen Ave. They seem to stock a few not-so-boring maternity bras, but the Hot Milk ones are the frilliest I've ever seen!

We do get a few nice brands over here (haven't noticed the Elle M ones but I'll look now!), but they can be pricey. If you're an ABA subscriber you get 10% off at Mothers Direct too.

Heaps of new tops too and I have to say, they are probably worth the $$ (I think I'll wear mine out by the time I finish bfing!).

Hi there
Just wondering if anyone can recommend a comfortable maternity bra for wearing to bed at night. I saw one advertised in the Mothers direct catalogue- called Kyrawear Night Bra - has anyone tried one of these?
Thanks in advance:)