Nursing Bras - Deep Gap,NC

Updated on September 02, 2013
T.C. asks from Deep Gap, NC
7 answers

I know that they say not to buy your nursing bras until after your milk comes in, but I would like to stock up a little because I am gonna be so busy after the baby comes....I am a full 36c now, and am trying to figure out what size I should buy. So my question is, roughly, how much larger did your breast grow when your milk came in and did they stay the same size until you stopped nursing? I have also heard that breastfeeding makes you have saggy breasts, is this true, and are there good supportive bras that help prevent sagging...thanks so much and God Bless (please no rude or judgmental responses. I have 2 daughters, but I never breastfed them and this is my last pregnancy so I really want the experience, but I am very nervous because I have never don't it.)

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M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

I went up about three cup sizes when I was nursing. My breasts were typically about the same size throughout, but when I went too long between feelings and got engorged they went up at least a size or two... And were rock hard. Lol. After nursing, they would seem a bit deflated for about 15-20 minutes, then would puff back up.

As far as sagging goes... I don't know many people who chose to breast feed. Out of everyone I know who formula-fed their kids, the sagginess is completely random... Which makes it hard to blame it on breast feeding when none of them did. Most went to a slightly saggier version of their old size... But nothing a decent bra doesn't hide. One of my friends, somehow, managed to gain and KEEP 3 cup sizes, with fabulous perkiness. (Bi*ch. I say that with all the love in the world.) my own experience was to gain a cup size, but they are definitely a bit saggier. But hey! I'm up a size, so with a push-up I actually have a figure now! Woo!

I will say to get a nursing bra that is comfortable enough to sleep in. I had leaking issues, and wore a bra 24/7 while I was nursing. Even during sex. (The one time we tried without, I sprung a leak that managed to shoot my husband in the eye. Hilariously awkward, and not much of a mood setter. Lol.)

Also, nursing pads! If I had known how many I would go through, I would have gotten some cloth ones to rewash rather than buying box after box of disposables.

Good luck with nursing! :)

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

Try a Bravado nursing bra. They are a good brand and make pretty versions so you can nurse and not feel boring and plain.

Buy the size you are now or some tank tops (Target carries some that are not expensive) til you know about what size you will be. I went up a size during pregnancy but did not increase again and gave away a bra that was too big that I bought too soon.

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K.A.

answers from San Diego on

There is no real way to guess what size you will be as it's all genetics. I have 3 kids and I breastfed all 3 from the beginning and well into toddlerhood. My breasts have been so many sizes in the last 12 years it's almost comical!
I started out as a 36C before having kids, right now I'm a 36F/G.
It is pregnancy that makes your breasts sag, not breastfeeding. Breastfeeding simply delays the sagging so you don't notice it right away. But, again, it's all about genetics. Some women may never have their breasts sag while others do. Doesn't matter if you breastfeed or not.
I would buy a bra that fits you now and then see what size you are once your milk comes in. You'll really want to try them on to make sure they are comfortable and won't pinch in places you don't want. You don't want an ill fitting bra or you risk blocked ducts and even possibly mastitis. Those are definitely no fun!
My experience may not be like yours but I can give you an idea of what happened to me. I went up a good 2 cup sizes once my milk came in with my first. I stayed that way for a while, going down to a D and I was a C by the time I got pregnant with my second. My first nursed through my pregnancy and for 2 months I nursed both. They went back to an E with my second. They went down to a D and stayed that way until I got pregnant with my third. My second was almost 5 and stopped nursing just a couple days before I found out I was pregnant. With my third they went up to an E again. She is a little over 4 and nursing. I am actually in need of going out and buying new bras because I've gone up a cup size or 2! I go between a 36 and a 38 band size depending on if I'm pregnant or it's not long after delivery. I'm usually the larger band size while pregnant and then for a few months after delivery. But, again, what I did may not be the same for you because genetics determine all of it.
I highly recommend the book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League. It's got a lot of great information about breastfeeding and what changes to expect in yourself. They have a line of nursing bras as well but I would hold off on buying anything online right away and opt for something you can buy in person and try on.
All the best!

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

I went from a 34B to a 38D while breastfeeding. It's very difficult to judge what size you will be after your milk comes in. There are so many varibles: how much weight you gain while pregnant and if you gain or lose while nursing. I was always incredibily hungry all the while I breastfed so I gained weight while breastfeeding.

I breastfed 4 children, one of them for almost 2 years and never ran out of milk.

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J.T.

answers from Harrisburg on

Hi! I just weaned my 2nd baby so thought maybe I could help a little. I had a lot of trouble finding nursing bras that fit me right, and then I tried nursing tanks with the shelf bra in them. They were the answer for me! Around the house I could just wear one of those and throw on a shirt if I needed to. I don't know if a bra will help with sagging; when full of milk your breasts will be very heavy. I sometimes would put on a regular nursing bra under my tank top for the double support. Oh and if you decide to get some tanks; I like the ones they sell at Walmart, but they are about $17 or a little more for one in the stores. If you go online, they sell 2-packs of them for $24 or so, so it's a much better deal!

Oh yeah-also, on the Motherhood Maternity website, they have sizing info for nursing bras! You should check it out. :-) Best of luck to you!

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D.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Usually your milk comes in on day 3 even if you don't nurse. Did your cup size change in the week after childbirth with your first 2?

I really stayed pretty much the same as I was at the end of pregnancy (which was a cup size bigger than my non-pregnant size, but nothing major).

For nursing bras, just find something comfortable - I personally did not like underwires while nursing, although I like them normally. Some women even sleep in a comfortable nursing bra to keep everything in place. I bought some nursing tank tops that I loved (tanks with built in bras), but I'm fairly small (B cup not pregnant, C during pregnancy and nursing). YMMV if you are larger. I got them, as well as regular nursing bras, at Target. I also found inexpensive nursing bras at Burlington, although they were not as comfortable for me, but everyone's different so you might go and try one to see how that brand fits you.

As for sagging - I agree with those who say that it's pregnancy, not nursing. I have plenty of friends who never nursed a baby who complain about sagging after having kids.

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I.X.

answers from Los Angeles on

I found that my breasts did not change cup size significantly (I gained the recommended weight and lost my pregnancy weight between). I think if you have a fuller cup size to begin with, its not a real noticeable difference. Also, some women are like dairy cows and start out producing an abundance of milk while others don't have a huge milk supply and struggle a bit to establish good milk supply. If you are the latter type, you will not change size significantly. I'm thinking 1/2 cup size. As you breast feed, your breasts begin to loose some of the fat content that was gained during pregnancy. I'm not just talking about weigh loss, its a phenomenon. I enjoyed getting a bit smaller, but many woman lament this loss of fat in the breast. You will also stop engorging as you nurse. Truth for me is that in the whole process of pregnancy and BF, I didn't change cup size. I only filled out my bras differently. I'm a 34-36 DD normally. I purchased my nursing bras in 36 DD. I was a little fuller in them but not to where I had boob bubbles. When I was done nursing my breasts went back to normal. My nipples even went back to their pink color. Anticdotally , it was my friends with little boobies who said nursing made them sag. Anita bras have been the most comfortable for me. You are supposed to start out with bras that don't have wire to prevent mastitis. I purchased most of mine after a fitting at the hospital from a lady who came to my room to fit me. But I hated all those bras because non of them lifted and separated. I hated my nursing tanks too, because they smashed my breasts together and my milk nipples stuck to the cotton further irritating them. Now with my third baby I mostly started out with regular tank tops with shelf bras that I pulled down to nurse (for in the hospital, around the house, and to sleep). I also found as thing progressed and life returned to normal, I was craving my padded molded T-shirt bras for less "high beam" effect and better shaping. To my amazement, after baby was a few months old, I just went back to my pre-pregnancy bras and pulled my breast over the top of them to nurse. These days you can get anything on-line in a matter of days, so only invest in one nursing bra beforehand. You can get the Anita bras from Amazon for easy returns.

I recommend :

Anita 5049 for a wireless bra to start off with (Very supportive for a wireless)

Anita 5035 for a good comfortable supportive underwire bra.

http://anita.com/us-en/Products,Anita_maternity,Breastfee...

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