Tit Bits : Maternity Bras Made Simple

Read our Bust Practice Guide to pregnancy, post / nursing & beyond for more insight into what to expect in terms of breast development through the various maternity stages. 

Following a social Q&A session with our community of Pant Pals, we received some amazing questions and so have directed them to our founder, Elly, who has recently welcomed her fourth baby and who’s been fitting maternity bras for many moons also ...

Below are the questions we were asked, along with some others commonly asked in our stores. At the end of the FAQs, we have also rounded up some of our favourite bra styles as recommendations. Please do not hesitate to book in for a free & informal maternity fitting … regardless of which stage you are in, we can help!

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Which is better, wires or no wires? I heard that you’re not supposed to wear wires during  pregnancy.

The simple answer is that it’s totally up to you! If you’re used to wearing wires, you may want to continue to wear them during pregnancy. 

We recommend specific underwired styles with more flexible lighter weight wires to be sympathetic to the changes in your breast tissue density / firmness as well as growth. We also suggest wires that are flatter at the bottom to avoid irritating a growing bump. If the ‘U’ shape of the wire is deeper at the bottom of the cup, then they are more likely to rub on top of the bump. 

One of our most popular nursing bra styles ( with clips ) features flexible underwires that offer great shape but also ensure that supply is not compromised nor would the wearer be more prone to infection through blocking the ducts, for example. 

How do I measure for a nursing bra? Do I just buy my regular size or do I size up? 

Pregnancy can really differ from one person to the next, and that includes breast growth. It’s impossible to say exactly how size and shape will change, but it’s pretty much guaranteed that there will be change. It’s often an uncomfortable change, as breasts contain fat, tissue, ligaments, glands and more within the outer skin, all of which will be affected by significant growth over a short period of time. To ensure you are comfortable and supported during this time, it’s best to get re-measured for the first time around the 10-14 week stage. 

A re-measure is most commonly required after this towards the end of the pregnancy to allow for growth when the milk supply arrives ( or there is a hormonal surge after the baby is born, if you do not breastfeed ) and then again post-nursing or when nursing is considerably reduced. Some breast change will occur whether you decide to, or are able to feed, or not. 

We are very happy to accept bookings for a ‘fit check’ whereby we can reassure you as to whether your bras still fit, or not. For example, if you have finished nursing and want to re-engage your pre-pregnancy bras. It is worth noting though that elements of a bra, particularly bra elastic, will degrade over time ( whether being worn or not ) and so we would recommend avoiding wearing bras that are more than 1 year old as they will likely not be supporting as they should. Consider cost per wear of a dependable bra and also how crucial it is to be supported during this cycle, even though it may feel like such a temporary scenario. 

How do I wash my nursing bras?

It is generally recommended that you wash a nursing bra after two wears or 2x days of wear. This is assuming it’s not milk stained, sweated in or has any other marks.

Tip: 2x days shouldn’t include nights also, as that’s yet more warm and frequent activity wearing the bra. Purchase a sleep bra ( a fitter can recommend ) for nursing, which offers a softer support level but prevents leaking and better preserves your daytime nursing bras. 

We recommend to hand wash nursing bras, like almost bras in our edit. It simply ensures that they perform their best for you for as long as possible.

Possible methods - 

Grab a bucket, fill with cool water and dissolve a small amount of biodegradable detergent. Avoid detergents that have bleach or powerful enzymes. These will damage your bras.

To pre-soak or not to pre-soak? … it is entirely up to you. If you soak it for a while before washing the fibres will begin to expand, which gives the dirt a head start to escape.

Rinse in clean cool water, squeeze out any excess and hang or lay flat to air dry. 

We also advocate an even simpler and more convenient method of hand washing - wear your bra in the shower, rub the key contact points with your shower gel ( contains anti-bacterial properties ) and then rinse the soap off. 

Please note that washing instructions will be different if you are suffering from mastitis, thrush or a similar condition. You should seek advice from your health visitor. 

I have large breasts and am worried about finding a bra that fits! 

The maternity ( suited ) styles that we stock run from A-J cups and so we are able to help most bra wearers through the maternity stages. 

Our fit service is completely free and there is no obligation to purchase if you don’t find options that you are comfortable with. We highly recommend booking in for a fitting, whether it be in our stores / ‘safe spaces’ or via our virtual fitting service from the comfort of your own home. In neither environment will we ask to see you without a bra and our friendly fitters offer a coveted approachable service which will leave you feeling supported in more ways than one. 

What is a sleep bra and do I need one? 

A sleep bra is a softer and soften less supportive bra style to wear overnight, throughout the maternity stages. Due to experiencing a burst of growth during pregnancy, many feel uncomfortable and so a soft sleep bra can help to support these changes. The breasts can become tender, including ( but not limited to ) the nipple area, so a softer fabric can ease the sensitivity. 

Tip: Don’t get tempted to wear your sleep bra out and about, as it generally won’t offer an adequate level of bust support for a busy ma. 

I am not able to nurse, what bras do you suggest for after I have the baby – without clips!

Many find that they are unable to nurse or that they do not want to, but will still experience hormonal changes during the maternity stages including immediately after having the baby.

Similar styles to those that work well for pregnancy would work well for someone who is experiencing change but that doesn’t require styles specifically suited to nursing.

Why should I buy a nursing bra? Can’t I just use my current ones? 

Due to the maternity stages being deemed as for a limited time, many try and ‘make do’ with what they already have or by purchasing unsupportive multi-pack options in generic sizing i.e. small, medium & large, rather than bra-sized or fitted options. 

These will often result in the wearer feeling unsupported and uncomfortable andwill likely have an adverse effect on breast recovery post-maternity i.e. certain breast elements may have stretched more than if they were properly supported by wearing a the right fit and style. 

In almost all cases, size will change through the maternity cycle, so there will be a requirement for fit to be adjusted at some point in your pregnancy journey. 

What’s the difference between maternity bras and nursing bras?             

Good question – ‘maternity’ is typically a general term applied to any sort of bra you might buy in relation to expecting or having a baby. Whereas ‘nursing’ tends to indicate a bra specifically designed for nursing AKA breast-feeding, often featuring clips.