Maternity Bras

It is important to take care of your breasts during pregnancy. They will get bigger and heavier and, as your breasts have only ligaments and no muscles, they could be stretched if they are not properly supported. Most expectant mothers experience growing breasts well before a growing tummy and many outgrow their fashion bras early in pregnancy. There are no hard and fast rules but generally it is time to consider buying a maternity bra as soon as your fashion bra begins to feel uncomfortable. Wearing a well designed maternity bra is the best way to support your breasts and preserve your shape. Due to the increased weight and tenderness of your breasts it should incorporate all of the following features.

Support - Wider straps, sides and underbust band. 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 back eyes will allow your bra to grow with you.

Comfort – They should have a high cotton content as your breasts will tend to perspire more and cotton will let your skin breathe.

Nursing Bras

Unlike maternity bras, it is possible to buy your nursing bras too early. If you are planning to breastfeed, the best time to buy your nursing bras is during your last month of pregnancy. Don't forget that you will need to buy two or three bras.

A well designed nursing bra has all the features of a maternity bra - support, coverage, adjustability and comfort - plus

Access - The cups should open easily allowing easy access for breast feeding. The opening should never constrict or squeeze as this can lead to blocked ducts or mastitis.

Support - When one cup is open for feeding, the other should continue to provide comfortable support.

Sleep Bras

Sleep bras are designed to increase your comfort at night. They do not have adjusters as these can be uncomfortable when lying down. As they are made from soft fabrics they cannot give the full support of a maternity or nursing bra.

There are two main reasons why you may wish to buy a sleep bra;

Your breasts may leak during the last few weeks of pregnancy or while you are breast feeding. Wearing a sleep bra allows you to insert breast pads to absorb excess milk at night time.

If you are not accustomed to the additional weight of your breasts you may find you relax and sleep better in a sleep bra.

Fitting and Measurement

Make sure that the cups fit snugly and smoothly covering most of the breast with no overflow at the top

The centre seam should lay comfortably against the breastbone

Early in your pregnancy ensure that your bra fastens on the first row of eyes, to leave plenty of room for further ribcage expansion

Late in your pregnancy fasten your bra on to one of the last rows of eyes, to allow for the imminent reduction in your ribcage size.