Pregnancy & Bras!

Guest blog by Billy from www.upfrontandpersonal

A woman who is expecting is not only expecting a bundle of joy after 9 months but also huge changes to her body.

Pregnancy will greatly affect a woman’s breasts, not only size and shape, but also sensitivity. As the baby grows, the mother’s ribcage will expand so the bra band will go up a size or two.

Finding a bra that can accommodate these changes is key and a woman will probably need more than one type of bra during this time.

The main features needed are comfort, good support, flexibility and a proper fit will help maintain good posture. It is a minefield out there with so many choices, which is where a little help from a fitter comes in.

Wired bras will not damage the breasts, if they are the correct size, but will need to be changed more often than non-wired ones and bras with a wide under-band will be more comfortable for most women. If a bra is becoming uncomfortable it is time to get another fitting. Women are all individual so there are no hard & fast rules about when so it is something to pay attention to.

To get ready for nursing, it is recommended that a woman should plan for a fitting 4-6 weeks before giving birth. Again, flexibility is important in the design of a nursing bra to accommodate the fluctuating size of the breasts during breastfeeding. Ease of access e.g. clips on the cups or a drawstring design can help. Little things like this can increase a new mum’s confidence. The cups need to be soft but supportive too and there is research to suggest that good support at this stage may counter drooping breasts after breastfeeding is finished.

A nursing bra only has a lifespan of about three months because it has a lot of work to do. It is a good idea to have a few so they can be washed frequently.

So a mum to be can make life easier and more comfortable later on by planning her bras for maternity and nursing.

Billy Morrison from Up Front and Personal Independent Bra Fitting

www.upfrontandpersonal.co.uk