You're pregnant! Congratulations. In no time at all you'll have a lovely bump, but long before that appears, you might start to notice changes to your breasts. First they'll feel tender, similar to how they feel when you're pre-menstrual. This tenderness will last for the first trimester of pregnancy.
At around six to eight weeks, your nipples appear larger and the veins in your breasts appear more prominent. This is because the volume of blood circulating in the body increases throughout the pregnancy. Over time your breasts will get larger, heavier and in need of better support. That's where maternity bras come in.
It is important that you take care of your breasts during pregnancy. As your breasts have only ligaments and no muscles, they could be stretched if they are not properly supported. A well designed maternity bra is the best way to support your breasts comfortably and preserve your shape.
When to buy?
Most expectant mothers experience growing breasts well before a growing tummy and as soon as your pre-pregnancy bra begins to feel uncomfortable that is the time to buy your first maternity bra – roughly month 4 but possibly a lot earlier than that.
Your breasts will continue to change and grow and you may need to adjust your bra or change bra size throughout your pregnancy. Expect your breasts to weigh an extra 750 grams more and be 5cm bigger!
Most expectant mothers experience growing breasts well before a growing tummy and as soon as your pre-pregnancy bra begins to feel uncomfortable that is the time to buy your first maternity bra – roughly month 4 but possibly a lot earlier than that.
Your breasts will continue to change and grow and you may need to adjust your bra or change bra size throughout your pregnancy. Expect your breasts to weigh an extra 750 grams more and be 5cm bigger!
Avoid regular underwire bras as the wires can cause the milk ducts to become blocked, as your milk comes in, and are more uncomfortable during pregnancy.
What to look for?
Remember these four key things when choosing your maternity bras:
Support : You will need wider straps, sides and underbust band, with firm elastic straps to eliminate 'bounce' and give you the extra support you need.
Coverage: More fabric over breast area. This will provide increased comfort as your breasts become more sensitive.
Adjustability: A minimum of 4 rows of back eyes will allow your bra to grow with you.
Comfort : They should have a high cotton content or other microfibre breathable fabric as your breasts will tend to perspire more.
Use our size chart to work out your size or visit one of our retailers for a bra fitting. Important things to remember:
- When fitting a maternity bra, ensure you have room to grow by fastening the bra on the tightest hook and eye setting. As your rib cage expands, you can adjust it to give yourself extra room.
- Make sure the straps are wide enough to support you without digging in. They shouldn’t be too stretchy.
- Ensure the centre seam lies flat against your breast bone and isn’t riding up too high at the back
- Make sure that the cups fit snugly and smoothly covering most of the breast with no overflow at the top
Our maternity bra style 311 (pictured) is loved by mums as it ticks all the boxes above. See it here or go to our of our retailers to get one. They retail for around £13.95 - so great value for money too.
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