Any brands/stores you'd recommend? Is cheaper better, or do you get what you pay for?
TIA!
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Any brands/stores you'd recommend? Is cheaper better, or do you get what you pay for?
TIA!
The 3 I have were all around $20 at Big W. I only wear those 3 & so far they have lasted better than all the others. Considering they are being washed & worn 2 - 3 times a week & have been for 4 1/2 months.
I guess it depends on your size!
I LOVE the Triumph maternity crop bras you get from kmart (theyre only about $20 but on sale alot!) - they are great for comfort and have a heap of colours. Kmart also have a rip-off version of a berlei maternity bra, but the berlei one is actually alot better!
I think you just need to go and try some on and see what works for you :)
I had to have a giggle at your maternity bras thread being in the nursery planning and baby equipment thread :rofl: ALthough in hindisght it does make sense!
I have a few cheapish ones from Kmart - they are fine, but I find that sizes don't fit as well as my other ones do and they aren't as comfortable. If I'm haivng a "big" day they just don't cut it. I have a few Berlei ones that are lovely - nice lace but really soft and lovable are my favs. Strongly recommend you go to DJ's or Myer and get fitted properly - I thought I was a D, (4mths pg with Izzy) and I was nearly an E and I'm still in the same size now as I was then, and am glad I went or I would have wasted money on bras I never wore. I have gone through the Blest bras site and bought a few from there when I have had a discount code from a mag.
I also have a couple of Elle McPherson ones with lace on the edge - they are great but not cheap. There is a discount/seconds place on Bridge Rd in Richmond that is worth checking out too. :)
I would also get a Hot Milk set if I was doing it again - in fact am planning on doing just that in a few weeks time because I want one nice sexy set- alot are pretty standard nana boring bras!
:DI have had lots with 2 kids and one on the way - lurve Elle MacPherson but at $$$$ end, but are nice and smooth and soft - but also depends on how big your boobies are lovey. If you are bigger I would get ones with good support and someone who fits you for them properly. I like to feel feminine and pretty still even if flopping the ole boobie out all the time - so am inclined to pay a bit more for the frills :rolleyes:
Cheap ones are really good if you find you need to wear one ovenight for a while - like me, cos I leaked everywhere all the damn time - and ended up sleeping with a flanny nappy wrapped around my boobs if sleeping without bra and nursing pads - but that is only for the first 2 months PMSL ..... such a turn on for hubby hehehehe ......
.... especially the first time you try to DTD and your body is warm and you experience a let down - changes the mood pretty quickly ... but enough of that :cryinglaugh:
:pray: for no leakage this time around
Mmmm you have got me searching now - DH can get me a set for my birthday - he has been asking what I want!!!! Zodee have some good discounts and have lots of the ones we have talked about. You could go check them out at the shops and get fitted, then go home and check them oout online. Zodee have 25% off some HOtMilk stuff. :)
Zodee has a good sale with hot milk atm - buy two sets & get the pjs for free :) Just waiting fr my tax cheque to come in to get some :)
TBH i hated maternity bras. I had a couple from Bras n things and Myer that were good quality and i was sized so knew they fit and also some from Kmart .I didnt like the fit of the Kmart ones at all, the others were OK but i didnt really like how they sat so high and i had trouble of what to wear over the top that would be easy to BF in etc. I lived in the Bonds Bumps singlets that have the built in bra with the clips just like a maternity bra. I wore them to bed and also under alot of my clothes. Even now i'm no longer BFing but still wear them. Target also had a similar singlet just not the bonds brand and i loved those too.
Hoody I'm living in those as well at the moment :)
I have a couple of the Lovable ones, and have been wearing them heaps too under clothes even though we stopped feeding at 11 mths. I am still on the Zodee site - DH will be home soon and I want him to help me choose my birthday pressie! There is a gorgeous Elle one called La Mere but Im worried the thin straps will hurties. Sorry to hijack Belfie my love!
i have a couple from target and they are really really comfy!!!
i experienced breast pain from about 8 weeks preg (with my first baby even) and got fitted (in between M/s bouts) for the Triumph maternity bra - not much change out of $60. i tried EVERY maternity bra on that Myers had, and despite me not liking the nana look of the Triumph, as i was a D cup, that was the one that suited my body and was the most comfortable to wear.
i got Lovable "Yummy Mummy" drop down cup camisoles for wearing to bed.
Mommy's Touch breastpads with waterproof backing, stopped me leaking, cos i leaked like a tap for the first eight months.
When my bub was about a year old, my bra size went down, and i no longer needed the Triumph support, so now i'm in Lovable maternity bras ($40 at bras n things), which are less supportive, lower in the cleavage, all cotton.
Having to wear a maternity bra, that i didn't like the look of, for so long, made me find out exactly how much my dh loves me - he was able to look PAST the bra, and just see me and the wonderful BF-ing relationship me and my DD have been able to have (not easy, but we got there).
If i was smaller than a D cup (in pregnancy and after) i suspect i could have gotten away with the cheaper maternity bras, e/g Target etc. I also feel very nervous buying ANY bra unless i'm fitted for it - am so clueless and get teh wrong size.
Also, i washed my maternity bras and cloth breastpads DAILY, and having the divided zippered washbag, so they were protected in the wash, and didn't get lost, was very handy. $10 at spotlight.
the best ever come from bodywise i've been using their stuff for many years, never had a problem with quality. a bit pricey at $70 but they never wear out and are supremely comfortable.
I definitely found that you get what you pay for. I hated the cheap ones, they wore out very quickly and weren't as supportive. I got fitted at David Jones and tried Triumph and Elle Macpherson and then discovered that for me Lovable were the best by far.
Triumph were so comfy when I was pregnant but as soon as the milk came in they were too small, especially with nursing pads tucked into my bra. The straps were a bit thick for my liking. The Elle Macpherson one was so pretty but once again, when my milk came in was too small, plus the hooks and eyes at the back got bent out of shape.
The Lovable ones looked like T-shirt bras - smooth cup - quite boring I guess but at least I could wear them with anything without the lacy covering showing through my top - and the straps weren't too thick so I didn't feel like I was wearing a parachute harness LOL. I also found that with those ones it didn't matter if I was having a big or small day.
I used triumph, elle mac and berlei in the early days of busting bosoms. but as soon as i found the bonds bumps singlets i havent looked back. they are really comfy once the milk flow settles into a pattern and the need for breast pads is not so high IMO. before that i liked the security of the maternity bras...HTH.
the worst bra i bought was the bonds maternity. in my case it fell apart and didn't hold me in place.
i found hestia to be really good too.
Oooh thank you for all the wise tips! Much appreciated... and yes wasn't too sure where to put this thread... but figured it was re "baby equipment" :p
I forgot to mention that I'm a D cup (so whatever fits bigger BB's - my bras are normally nicknamed "battlestar galactibra!") and i HATE lace with a passion - just can't wear it. Good to know that whatever I buy now might be too small once the milk comes in. What a thought... bigger BB's... :o:o:o
Belfie - head to Big W and pick up a Hestia Maternity Sportstar bra for a try. They are the only maternity bras I could find that would fit me properly and that were comfy as well. They have absolutely no lace (yay) and go up to at least an 18DD (that's what mine are). They are around $20. If you like them watch out for them to go on special as they regularly reduce them to $15 and then you can stock up on them. They are nice and stretchy too - I got mine early in the second tri as I'd gone up a cup size and I never had to buy anything bigger even when my milk came in.
i too love loveable and was fitted at myer, im already in a D cup!! up from a B, they are comfy and its great to have someone explain the correct fit you and why! i have some cheap kmart ones and they were crap, spend the money and get fitted!! you have your girls for life, look after them!!
Can I just say I loooove Hot Milk, I ordered them last night & they arrived today, so that was awesome. Then I tried them on.... They make "OMG, you could poke an eye out with those" cleavage :cryinglaugh: They are awesome & totally worth the extra money IMO.
Does anyone know where you can buy size 8 maternity bras, where you can try them on and easily exchange them? My boobs refuse to conform to any normal sizes. I'd be an 8F or something, but that's just a guess since I can't find any bras to test this theory on.
I bought 2 expensive bras, Elle McPherson and Hot Milk and I'm frustrated because the smallest they have are size 10 and the waist band rides up constantly. What a waste of money, but do you think I can find size 8 anywhere????? NO! The Elle is better than the Hot Milk, the Hot Milk just drives me insane.
Now I wasted all this money I can't even afford new bras. Argh I'm so mad about this issue! :angry:
:rofl: but TOTALLY agree hun! I got mine the other day and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I thought oh that's right, that's what it is like to feel sexy in a bra! :cryinglaugh:Even DH said, wow that's different to your other ones!:
OMG, you could poke an eye out with those
My only teeny weeny complaint about the Hot Milk one I got is the strap is a bit thin for my DD's so definately a special occasion/want to feel hot bra as opposed to wanting to wear it every day! Boo hoo!
Kuraiza - Im not sure but I do know that even the large department stores in huge shopping centres like Chadstone don't have a great range for us in bigger sizes and the styles are prety average. I ordered through Zodee - they have a great returns policy - I know you wouldn't be able to try before you buy, but they do have a sizing chart and excellent exchange policy so you get what you are pretty sure you are (buy with a bit of space to allow for growth/milk coming in and pads) and go from there. Sorry to hear you are having trouble.
I love the HotMilk range too, they give great support, I went up to a EE cup so I needed it and they look great.
I bought my bras from zodee. It's a good service but you have to pay your own postage to return and also I had to wear my bras for a bit before I realised how badly sized they are, so zodee won't accept them back and I'm just stuck with expensive bras that don't fit. Anyway, Zodee don't stock size 8 either.
The annoying thing is I went to so many different stores to get professionally fitted for bras, but since no one stocks size 8 (lots of shops don't even stock size 10) I didn't know I was a size 8 until I was lamenting the fact that the size 10s keep riding up (after I bought them and wore them) and finally a shop assistant informed me I'm a size 8. It doesn't help at all, though, because size 8s don't really exist.
Well I just found Bella Forma which has a better returns policy than zodee, I think. There's a sum total of 3 maternity bras available in a size 8, but boy are they not cheap!
I think I'm screwed. :(
where can you actully BUY hotmilk though, aprt from on line?
I have heard somuch about them but only ever see them on line. I want to try them on before i buy!
If you go onto their site and make sure you choose Australia, then go to Buy Now- there is a list of places that stock them in each state. :)
Thanks Tan!!!
I found that I have had to go to specialty bra shops as I go up to an F cup when pg and b/fing. I end up spending about $70-$80 per bra so don't buy that many.
Wish the chain stores ie Kmart and Big W would realise that bigger women get pg too and would cater to our size. I'm only a size 16 but the cup size kills me.
Try the specialty bra shops for the size 8 as well. You may end up paying more but you will have more chance of actually finding one.
Good luck ladies
Kim
Well I went to Big W and tried the Bonds Bumps... only to discover their 16 DD did NOT fit my hoogamooga girls! (and I thought I was a D cup!!!)... so I think i'll try Myer or a specialty shop once i've finished work.
(lovin' this thread... clearly there was a need, even if some people did laugh at me for putting it in here... :p)
Hehe! Hun I've found the Bonds are not very true to size either but definately get sized at Myer or somwhere - although you might end up with the stupid woman I had at Myer at Chaddy the other day - beware useless fitter alert! :rofl: Good luck!
Hey, just wondering if they are only worn a few times but are in good condition still and nice brands, then they may have a chance of selling on Ebay or a similar online auction?:
If the smaller size is not as popular it could take a few weeks to sell, but at least you`d get some $$$ back and could get another one. You need at least 1 bra that`ll fit!
Just a thought...people buy all sorts of stuff 2nd hand.
Salsa: I thought about that, but I have been to a huge number of speciality underwear shops and I haven't found anything in a size 8. Most maternity bras just aren't manufactured in my size so if I sell my bras I'll be left with nothing. I kind of feel like a bad fit is better than no bra, because I might be a size 8 but I'm a very large cup size so I need support (I'm going to miss my gravity-defying pair :().
You know what I think? Bras should be more adjustable. It's stupid that larger and smaller women struggle to find a bra that fits. Who are these standard-sized women that bras are supposedly made for?
I just got some Bonds Maternity Contour bras and I am in heaven! They are padded like t-shirt bras and give a great cleavage. They are so comfy too! I think they were around $30 - 35 each so not too expensive either. The woman that fitted me at Myer in the city was great too.
Kuraiza, its true - something is better than nothing!
I am one of those 'standard/typical' size woman they make bras for (but have plenty of trouble getting trousers to fit me right :rolleyes:).
I do have a friend though who is same as you, size 8 with very big cup size. She managed to find someone who could custom make her bra`s and swimwear.
Cost wise may not be an option this time, but something you could look into and do for next time?
Kuraiza, just a thought and not sure if it would work but could you sew the hooks further in along the strap on a size 10 to make it tighter on the back? So take off the ones at the very end and put them further in - it would be a bit fiddly but might work.
That's not a bad idea Nai. You can get bra hooks at Spotlight I know.
If you were a size 8, could you go up to a 10, but then drop a cup size? I know that 10's are tricky to find, so I've had to move up to 12 and then drop a cup size. Sounds less impressive :P but does the job.
Yep yep, that's a great idea!! Ok this weekend I'm going to pick up my nan's sewing machine, which she said she would give me anyway. I need to adjust those damn bras!!
Mother's Direct (the shop for the ABA website) have got the Berlei Maternity bras on sale, $10 off, i normally pay $40 for them, but Mother's Direct ahs them for $30 right now. the on sale ones are in either pink or chocolate colour.
no size 8's though.
I was fitted at myer and was an 18H (now a size 16F/G), so the only ones I could find my size were the huge nana-looking boulder holders. But now that I'm a bit smaller, i'm totally going to get some hotmilk!
so...whats the opinion on the Triumph bras? Kmart are selling them (and all maternity bras) in their upcoming sale, with 50% off 2nd item.
The mailer shows an "active' triumph bra which looks good to me as a basic.
If you try the Bella Forma website Bella Forma Pretty Big Bras & Swimwear in Large Bra Cup Sizes D to JJ they have maternity bras that start at a size 8 and have huge cup sizes. They may be a bit more expensive but if you get a couple they may last you the whole distance. By the way their cup sizes go up to a JJ