“Ask Linda” – Nursing Bras, Beyond DD

By Linda the Bra Lady on November 4th, 2010

Hi Linda!

I am currently nursing and before I was pregnant my bra size was a 36F. Now after giving birth and 5 1/2 months of breastfeeding they are a 36 H/I but I still cant find a bra, nursing or not, that will hold me in. I went to a specialty store in the mall near me and after trying on 6 bras even the saleswoman told me there was nothing that could help me and wished me luck.

Do you have any suggestions for a nice bra that will lift me up, hold me in and still look pretty? I am 26 years old and am not interested in a “granny” bra.

Thanks for your help!
-L

Thank you for sending me your bra question!

In a strange twist of fate, it’s difficult to find nursing bras in larger cup sizes, even though nursing women have larger breasts! Luckily, there has been a growing movement not only to increase the size range of nursing bras, but to offer styles that are more fashionable. At this year’s lingerie trade show I saw new brands that are aimed at stylish moms, plus some “regular” bra companies expanding into nursing bras.

Panache Sophie Nursing Bra

My bra recommendation for you would be the Panache Sophie Nursing Bra. Panache specializes in bras for DD cups and up, so they fit well and are very supportive. But instead of bland beige, the Sophie bra is covered in black lace! This is a soft cup, or non-underwire, nursing bra that has easy-to-use drop down cups.

Because Panache uses UK bra sizes (and that’s an article for another day…) they do not have I cups. Instead, you would want to wear a HH or J cup in this bra.

For an everyday “T-shirt” bra style, I recommend an Anita Underwire Nursing Bra. Because you have been nursing for five months, your cup size is probably much more consistent than when you first starting nursing. This means that you can begin wearing a properly fitted underwire bra. Anita Nursing Bras are available up to H cups and are known for their fantastic quality.

I’ve left the most important advice for last: Work it, sexy mama!

Stay Fabulous,



Linda the Bra Lady

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Linda, I ordered a bra weeks ago, the bra never arrived and i sent several emails and did not receive any response but, your website does say all emails are responded to within 24 hours but it has been three weeks and no response. The money was taken out of my account as soon as i placed the order. I am disappointed in the lack of customer service and wondering if you track online customer service for your customers? Thank you, Vicki

Hi Vicki, I apologize for the delay and trouble reaching us - our small company has recently experienced an unprecedented surge in business, and we are doing our best to keep up! We try to answer all incoming calls we are able to and return messages within 24 hours, but apologize we were unable to return your message in this time frame.

Hi Jeanna, I recommend trying the Elila Nursing Bra in 32J. This style has some extra room in the cup, so it should fit a 32K as well. Also, measuring for cup size can be unpredictable for larger sizes, so you may find that you are a little smaller than the calculator suggests. Many women find that their breast size does go down when they are breastfeeding, but the effects of pregnancy and nursing are unpredictable! It's best to focus on finding a bra that is comfortable and supportive for your current size.

How about this nursing problem? I have a smaller ribcage (32" under bust measurement) but very large breasts (43"). According to your website, there are really only a couple bras that you've got that would fit me (32K is what your website suggests). But neither of them are nursing bras. Any suggestions? Also, I've been nursing for about a month. Any chance that maybe I'll magically shrink anytime soon so that I can fit into smaller bras?

Linda ,My husband was advised recently that he needs to wear a Bra.Do you have any suggestions for me.Thanks

Hi Marisa, We recommend shopping for nursing bras at around 38 weeks. Most women are about the same size at 38 weeks that they will be a little after birth. For your first nursing bras, I do recommend a non-underwire bra. The reason for this is that underwire bras need to fit perfectly in order to be comfortable and not put pressure on your breasts. While you can estimate your size in the last trimester, engorgement affects every woman a little differently and your breast size can change a lot day to day immediately after birth. It's best to wait until you have a steady nursing schedule before wearing underwires again. The best styles to start with are stretch cup bras - while they won't offer as much shaping as your regular bras, the flexible fit is very helpful right after birth. Plus, they are very comfortable! Get two - you can alternate one on, one in the wash. Bella Materna and Bravado are good sources for stretch nursing bras: http://www.lindasonline.com/bella-materna-adjustable-anytime-nursing-bralet-1155.html http://www.lindasonline.com/bravado-1013-the-original-nursing-bra-double-plus-black.html

Linda, I am 30 weeks pregnant and starting to think about nursing bras. When is the right time to have myself measured for one? I would prefer to have them ready and available right after I have the baby. Also, by purchasing a bra that has no underwire, am I sacrificing support and shape? I am currently wearing a 32 DDD...the size I was wearing before I got pregnant. Thanks for your help!

Where can I find a 40-42 H-I cup bra for large women no underwire with extra wide support on the sides and comfort straps in a store in the Milwaukee/Waukesha Wisconsin area. I hate online shopping unable to try on without ordering more than I can afford just to return. Thank you Your Freind on Facebook Cindy Kesy

Hi Cindy, Thank you for reading my blog and friending us on Facebook! I'm not personally familiar with any stores in the Milwaukee area, but you could start by looking for stores that carry popular brands in your size. Goddess makes some great soft cup bras that go up to I cups, and their website has a store locator that may be helpful: http://www.goddessbra.com/find_a_store.aspx

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