A Tale of Two Ta-Tas :: Bras from Pregnancy to Nursing and Beyond

Twas my first time with child and with joy I was thrilled
Until I discovered my rib cage had filled
Up to the store to buy a new bra
Dropped $75 and my husband’s jaw

Fast forward months, packing my birth center bag
Planning to nurse so I’ll need some new swag
Fancy nursing bra with “high tech clasps”
I’ll totally use this! Cue experienced mom laughs

Reality hits with a newborn in tow
Sporting larger than life boobs and a new mom glow
Living in yoga bras- comfort is key
Tolerance for anything else lower than three

A year and change later, time to wean
The girls are much different, more long and lean
Living in sports bras for almost a year
The question is now, “Where do I go from here?”

This is the story of the journey that my breasts and I took together called “having a baby”. When I was pregnant, my breasts grew in size, and I was able to trot along with my regular bras for a while; they were just a bit tighter fitting in the cups. Then one day I realized the band had gotten really uncomfortable. I looked it up and discovered that your RIBCAGE EXPANDS when you are pregnant. Apparently it has to to make room for things like oh…your organs, since that baby is taking up a lot of real estate in your body. Silly ole me thought growth would happen mostly in the uterus area. Wrong! So I went to Target and used my RedCard to find a bra with a bigger band that would last me through most of my pregnancy. I also purchased a night nursing bra to sleep in because sleeping sans bra was no longer an option.

About a month before my daughter was due, I decided that now was the time to get some nursing swag. I didn’t want to buy a ton of stuff since I was trying to keep expectations low when it came to breastfeeding. While we were on our babymoon trip to Austin, I dropped by a specialty lingerie store that I had visited before and they helped me find a couple of nursing friendly bras. I chose a wire-free structured bra since I had heard that underwire can contribute to mastitis, and a soft bra with clasps all down the front.

Fast forward to newborn days. Anything that was going to come into contact with my chest area needed to be SOFT AS CLOUDS SPUN BY ANGELS, have easy access to the girls, and also very flexible in sizing. We were inflating and deflating several times a day. Those nursing bras I so carefully chose a couple of months before? Useless. I loaded up on nursing tanks from Target and then discovered Bamboobies yoga bras that were a game changer. I just got used to the extra sweat. I figured it came with the territory. 

A few months later, I had  transitioned to mostly sports bras. That wireless structured nursing bra from earlier? It never fit right. Turns out wires serve a purpose, at least for me. I sucked it up and went to Motherhood Maternity at the mall to check out the wire nursing bras, and bought a Natori brand that fit well enough. I wore it once a month when my clothes or social situation required something other than a sports bra.

When my daughter was about eleven months old, my husband casually asked, “Are you ever going to wear a real bra again?” Oh ho ho. My own personal hormone monster reared up to say in its scariest voice, “I would LIKE TO, except my boobs have changed like EIGHT TIMES and bras are INSANELY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE PATRIARCHY and I don’t want to buy one until things settle down BUT I HAVE NO IDEA EXACTLY WHEN THAT IS so here I stay in terrible bra limbo and  CAN YOU JUST BACK OFF???????”

Now here we are on the tail end of weaning, and I am ready for a new bra! A “real one”, whatever that means. I asked my internet tribe of moms for advice, and I got some good tips.

How to find a bra that fits ::

1. Get fitted by a qualified professional. Do not go to Victoria’s Secret. Try the lingerie department at Dillard’s or Nordstrom, or search for a specialty lingerie store in your area. Most offer free fittings.
2. The band is where it is at. If your band doesn’t fit, the whole thing will be wrong. Your band should fit on the loosest setting possible, to leave room to grow.
3. Differently shaped breasts need differently shaped cups. Who knew? I always thought the different cup options were just styles you could choose. Turns out they make a difference depending on what shape of breasts you have. Thirdlove.com has a fit quiz that can help you find your breast shape.
4. Sizes vary by brand and style. Just like clothes, different bra brands have slightly different sizing and fits. Once you know your size, use that as a guide but try on neighboring band/cups sizes if needed to get the right fit.

When to buy new bras ::

• While pregnant
• Beginning of nursing {get things that are returnable because you may not know what works until after baby arrives} Once you find what works…load up.
• While continuing to nurse as needs/breasts change
• After weaning {a couple of weeks to a couple of months, once breasts stop changing}

What makes it hard ::

• Breasts change like 7 times during pregnancy, nursing, etc.
• Bras are expensive
• Bra needs change, i.e. comfort over style
• Everyone’s breasts are different, so what worked for your friend may not work for you
• The process is complicated and intimidating {which is insane, but it is what it is}

If you can afford it, give your ladies some love and buy that bra. So many moms live in sports bras or old ill fitting bras because it isn’t worth the hassle or the money. Having a well fitting bra gives me a lot of confidence in the clothes department. I deserve that, and so do you!

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