As a mom-to-be, one might spend a significant amount of time on the internet, skimming across mom blogs and pregnancy care tips. Whilst your pregnancy, you will find your body undergoing multiple variations which require care and attention at some point in time. It becomes pretty necessary to shop for maternity and post-pregnancy essentials after the first trimester.
On that note, maternity bras make a significant segment on your shop list. Breast size variations can be pretty noticeable and, undeniably, you will experience the same as the pregnancy proceeds. While many believe maternity bralettes only help you go a size up, they provide multiple benefits and are just the right fit for your body needs.
Things to consider while shopping for maternity bras
Pregnancy can adversely affect your hormone levels, which reflect on the breast profile. Preparing your breasts for lactation, hormones like estrogen and progesterone shoot up substantially. In such a scenario, a maternity bra can support your growing bust without letting you feel any discomfort or sagging. However, if this is your first take on nursing bras, here are four guidelines and factors to remember during the buy,
- Consider your trimester
The thumb rule is that your cup size will move up as your trimester proceeds. So, on the bottom line, remember that you will require at least two to three sets of pregnancy bras that can keep up with your entire gestation. While some women may have their bust size grow minimally in the 1st trimester, the actual time when many will require new maternity wear is as the 2nd trimester begins. This is the period when the rib cage starts to expand, causing a growing bust.
However, during the final weeks of your gestation, you will require a separate set of maternity bras as your breasts will then be wholly prepared to nurse. These bras can also double up as nursing bras for the first few weeks of the post-pregnancy period.
- Finding the right size
A recent survey says that more than 80% of Aussie women might be wearing the wrong sized bra. When you shop for the first pregnancy bra, go a single size up with the cup dimension. It is always better to pick adjustable bras to serve you longer. With maternity bralettes, you need the most fitting bra as sagging can cause back strain and ligament tenderness. However, if you want your pregnancy bra to multi-serve nursing, you must watch out for fine details and a mildly loose-fitting so that you can adjust the fit during the latch. Lastly, ensure that the cup size is large enough to cover the entire bust and never pinch or clasp near the bra line.
- Have an eye for the straps
Since nursing bras are extensively distinct from daily wear bralettes, you need to pay extra attention to the straps. The bra straps need to fit flat on your shoulders. Any extra clasping or pinching indicates you need to size up. At the same time, constant falling off of straps means you need to pick an appropriate fit and go down in size.
During gestation and post-pregnancy, your skin around the breast can turn tender. Thus, pregnancy bras with wide and firm straps are the best to buy. Padded straps offer better support than minimally strapped bras. I never prefer wireless bras as they can seem appealing. But in reality, they lack the support your growing breast needs.
On the bottom line, it is best to buy bras whose least size setting fits you the tightest. By ensuring this, you will be investing in a set of pregnancy bras that can even serve at least half of the gestation period.
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