So, first things first, a pic of the little guy:

I’m soaking up all the mom moments and loving watching him go from a tiny little thing who conked out every few minutes to a wild bundle of energy racing around the apartment to find everything he’s not supposed to touch! Every parent says they grow up quickly, but I didn’t realize how fast it all would happen until all these milestones started piling up one on top of the next and I started packing away the 4th big bin of clothes. Sniff…

So, onto something boob-related…NURSING!

To be honest, I was very non-commmittal about the whole thing going in. I had heard about all these horrible sounding things like clogged ducts and mastitis, not to mention engorgement (bigger boobs??? Are you kidding? How could they grow any more than my 9 month bra size??). But I thankfully and luckily didn’t have trouble getting going at the hospital with the wonderful nurses who showed me the ropes and reassured me when I couldn’t tell if I was getting the latch right. With a good supply and a hungry little guy we were off and, somehow, now coming up to the 1 year birthday when I can wean him to milk when we’re ready.

One of many nursing comas on the Boppy in the early days

But despite an easy nursing relationship with two minor hiccups (2 clogged ducts I resolved on my own following tips on the amazing Kellymom), I gotta be honest. The thing that was the biggest hurdle was finding nursing bras in my size that made me feel good, and reading June’s recent post about this brought all those feelings right back. I wanted to wait to post about nursing bras until I found ones I loved so I could help provide solutions, but the options were scarce in my cup/band combo. I don’t want to scare anyone away from nursing for fear of this, though–honestly, this issue made me dig in my heels even more to figure out a solution, because, as my hormones would have said if they could have: Damn if I’m going to stop feeding my child because the bra options for me are scarce! Whatever, bra companies!

Hormone-rant aside, if you’re in the middle range of the full-busted cup continuum, don’t worry; there are some good options, like Anita, which guest poster Patricia mentioned here, and June is on the case to find even more. They may not be the most beautiful bras in the world but they do the job.

But if you cross up into the higher end of the cup range with a small band, where I found myself (I think around a 30J/JJ until recently; allowing for fitting-myself error, as I probably overestimated the cup to avoid wires touching my breast tissue for fear of mastitis), the options include soft bras by Royce, Freya, Panache and one Cake Lingerie option (Cheesecake) and for underwires, going out on a limb with a special order Ewa Michalak. None of the soft cups gave me enough support with my heavy nursing boobs, and I was super droopy in them. My Ewa special order I’ll tackle separately, but I couldn’t use them.

The best solution I found for myself?

Making my own. Even with my remedial sewing machine skills, I knocked one out in an hour. If you’ve sewn more recently than 15 years ago, you’ll probably be done much faster. I followed these two tutorials at Hourglassy and Venusian Glow and made my Panache Jasmine (I liked it because of the stretch lace at the top–great for cup fluctuation between feedings–and the closer-set cups and bigger cup range than the Andorra) a nursing workhorse.

Next time around, my strategy will be to order this bra or one in a similar style in sizes one to two cup sizes up prior to having the baby, try them on when possible and return the sizes that don’t work (I *cover my nips* with Bandaids when trying on bras while nursing to avoid unfortunate leaking and return issues!) and tackle the alterations when I can. A lot of sites give you 60 days to return so you can get through that engorgement period and see what size you settle into.

Also: some Nordstrom’s will do nursing bra alterations. My experience was that the alterations department chose which bras they’d turn into nursing bras and there weren’t very many. The department manager did her best with their available stock and what the alterations department could do, and had them take an Elomi Caitlyn 34J and cut 3″ off the back and add nursing bra clasps. The uplift was better, but the cups were huge and the wires wrapped around onto my back, giving me a very wide east-west look and eventually bruising me… It was better than the soft wires but not as good as my own alterations, which were cheaper to do than Nordstrom, which charged for the band and the nursing bra alterations for a grand total of $35 per bra. As usual, the customer service from Nordstrom’s was wonderful and the manager was incredibly sweet and encouraging about finding a solution.

Hopefully I will be able to post more in the coming months. I don’t think I’ll be writing on a regular schedule, but we’ll see how it goes!

I’m due any day now, and, well, my brain officially left the building about a week and a half ago! I likely won’t be posting for a couple of months while I get acclimated to Baby and sleep deprivation and feeding and diaper changing, unless I have a free moment to share something booby-related with you all. BUT! I don’t want to leave you hanging. There are TONS of great large breast blogs out there now which I’ve tried to keep up with in my blog roll (on the right side of my blog; just scroll down!)–highly recommended reading, all of them. Keep up with all the goings-on of the DD+ community with any one of these!

And, if you happen to have an idea for a DD+ guest post, whether it’s fashion or bra related or about topics that come up with having a large chest in general, please email me at info at stackdd.com. I’d love to consider it!

See you all on the other side….!!! Xx

WHAT I WORE IN BRAS, beginning of pregnancy through 36 weeks:

• First trimester: Fantasie 4520, 30G, while waiting for new bras from Skype fitting (note: I most likely was a size 28H or so at this time, so the cups on the bra were a bit small for me — I probably needed a 30GG, the sister size. But, like I mentioned here, the cups are quite stretchy so it got me through til I had better fitting options.)
• Second trimester: Started with the Ewa Michalak PL Black, 65/30H worn on tightest hook. Sized up to Panache Cleo Chloe, 28J, worn on loosest hook; Ewa Michalak CH Toffik, 65/30HH, worn on tightest hook; Ewa Michalak PL Onyx, 65/30J, worn on second tightest hook
• Third trimester: Weeks 28-33, Panache Cleo Eleanor, 30HH worn on tightest or middle hook and EM PL Onyx 65/30J; weeks 33-present, Panache Cleo Alexa, 30J worn on tightest hook and Bravissimo Lucine in 30J worn on tightest or middle hook

Total new bras needed over 10 months: 7

(Note: these are the bras I wore the most during pregnancy, although I did purchase and rotate in several other Ewa Michalaks during part of the second and third trimesters in order to write this review of them, here.)

While the Ewa Michalak and Bravissimo bras are reasonably priced at $28-$45 or so apiece, the rest are squarely in the $45-$60 range. I spent roughly $300 or so on bras during my pregnancy–not cheap! So I wondered what I could have done to save more money.

The options I mentioned for stretching your bras between sizes in pregnancy are a good way to keep you in a bra for longer and hold you over from size to size until you can get a couple of bras in your new size, but when you DO need a new bra, here are a few other ways you could save some cash. These all work best if you already know the size and style of the bra you’re hoping to score for less, whether that’s from trying on bras in stores or sussing out your size with a good bra calculator and/or your current fit.

TIP #1

Ebay it. What I’ve done is just put in the brand, style, and size of the bra I’m looking for (e.g. “Panache Cleo Alexa 30J”) and see what pops up. Usually I can find what I’m looking for brand new from an actual vendor versus an individual (also great because they may be eligible for return), for around $20. For example, I get two hits for the Alexa 30J search, both brand new from a vendor, and both about $20/$25. Sometimes you can find what’s currently in stores and sometimes you can find an old discontinued style or colorway. You can also just put in the brand and size of the bra to get more results, e.g. “Panache Cleo 30J”. That search gives me 9 hits.  

Bras on-the-cheap from a recent eBay search for “Panache Cleo 30J”

TIP #2

Check out UK lingerie site Brastop for great discounts. Here a 30J search gives me 25 bras in my size on sale, most nearly half off. Shipping to the US is about $11, pretty hefty, but if you know what you’re looking for and don’t have to pay to return anything, it will still work out to be a significant savings over new at retail. Everything in my size selection was between $20 and $34.

TIP #3

Bratabase’s resell page. This recently launched and includes bras for resell from Bratabase users that are new, new without tags, slightly used, or used. The prices are a range but you can find some for $10/$15, bras up for swap, or straight up giveaways. The bras should have measurements listed to help you determine if it will work for you. Here’s a sample listing of a sports bra currently for sale: 

If you don’t know much about Bratabase, head over and check it out. You can enter your measurements and how the bras you currently own fit you and look up other bras you’re considering purchasing to see how they fit women with similar measurements, so you can hopefully figure out if it runs true-to-size, small, large, etc, to help when you’re ordering online.

TIP #4

Finally, Nordstrom Rack often carries Freya styles specifically ordered for their store, something I learned at my Nordstrom fitting. From what I was told, the prices are around $30.

So, how do you save money on bras? Any other tips or hints for scoring them for less?

Q: Ack!! Help! What happened with these bras?

Linda: That empty space at the bottom of your cups meant that the back was too loose and riding up, causing the bra to slip down in the front.

Another example of a bra I tried with too big cups and a too-big band. See how much lower the band sits, too?

Q: Why did I get those wretched gashes?

Linda: A bra may need to sit a tad higher during pregnancy, but the underwire or band of the bra should always sit directly under the breast tissue. Not on it, not 1/8″ under it–directly under it. Some women who are very petite, short waisted, or carrying very high cannot wear an underwire for this reason during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. Your bra should never slide around during the day. That means the bra is too loose and not tacking on your body. If that’s happening but wearing a smaller band size is too uncomfortable, try a non-underwire bra. Comfort and support are key during pregnancy!

Where the band sat (left) vs where it needed to sit (right)

• TIP #1:

Even if you think it may feel more comfortable, don’t get a band that’s too big! If your underwires don’t feel good, try other bra styles or a soft cup. (You can read my soft cup bra reviews here!)

• TIP #2:

Don’t go too big in the cups–you need a bra that fits now, or opt for a transition bra.

• TIP #3:

Try a softcup bra if you are petite, short-waisted, or carrying high and an underwire is causing you too much pain.

I know, I know, this means maybe you have to end up buying more bras throughout pregnancy. Seriously, who wants to spend so much money on bras when you could likely be in and out of them in a month? But each time I wasn’t in a bra that fit well, I had issues–a breast yeast infection from a too big band in my second trimester, and then these painful gashes…so this is a bra issue that I’d file under “Health.” And remember, there are a few easy ways to try and cut down on how many bras you need throughout pregnancy.

So how bad was it buying bras that fit “now” once I was out of the size range of most transition bras and the Panache Andorra available in my size didn’t work with my breast shape? I needed to buy bras with regular cups, unfortunately, so I’ll cover how that shaped up in my next post!

RELATED POSTS:

A Fitting Gone Wrong: Pregnancy Bra Advice That Didn’t Work For Me

Bra Fitting During Pregnancy: Keeping Up With All That Change!

My, How They’ve Grown: Boob Changes in Pregnancy

One very reputable store I went to tried their very best to fit me, but here’s what happened when I wore the new bras I purchased from them. Sorry for the gruesome photo, but this is simply a case where the picture explains it much better:

So what happened here?

That is a photo of my cleavage. You might not guess it from looking at it, but these gashes came from a bra with a center gore that actually sat flush.

The advice from the fitters at this store was to get: 1) a band that fits on the tightest hooks, and 2) a cup size where you can slide a whole hand in the top. Both of these are in order to allow room for you to grow as your pregnancy advances.

They put me in a 32JJ. Here’s how it fit:

Top, l to r: cup on larger left breast; cup on smaller right breast; top of cups
Bottom, l to r: empty space at bottom of cups; band on tightest hook; where my tissue ends vs where the wires end

As you can see, the cups were much bigger than usual on the top, the bottom, and the sides. At the fitting I asked about my breasts not filling up the bottom of the cups. The fitter asked me to readjust my breasts in the cups, but even after doing so it still left empty space. The half-adjustable straps were tightened as far as possible on both sides to try and give some more lift, but the only way I could have gotten enough lift for my breasts to maybe settle in the bottom of the cup would have been if the straps were fully adjustable and tightened up over my shoulders. Of course, then the straps would have been doing too much of the lifting and supporting–remember, 80-85% of the support comes from the band of your bra!– and I don’t think it would have fixed the fit issues. Because this was the cup size where the fitter felt best about how much room was at the top of the cup, though, this is the one she recommended.

After wearing the 32JJ bra one day and taking it off in agony to discover the wreckage of my poor boobs, I noticed that the band had been sitting lower down than where it usually did. I had felt like it was really digging into me all day, but now I saw that it was also riding low. Here’s a photo of the bottom of my breast tissue, with the red line showing where the band had been sitting on me–maybe 1/8-1/4″ further down than usual:

I also purchased the same bra in a 30K because I was worried about how loose the 32 band felt at the time of the fitting, so I tried that bra the next day, starting on the middle hook, to try and get the band to stay up. (I went up in cup size, from the JJ to the K, to get the equivalent volume cup; remember, you gotta go up in cup if you go down in band size to keep the volumes the same!) I still had the same cup issues: gaping at the top, extra space on the bottom and sides. The band still ended up sitting lower, although not as bad as the 32JJ, but dug in terribly. Again, agony. So I went back to the store and asked for help.

This time, they suggested a different style bra in the same size, 32JJ, so I gave that a try. But after wearing it around the hotel room while getting dressed, it started to look the same as the other bras: the band sitting lower, extreme gaping of the cups at the top, empty space on the bottom of the cups, my cleavage line feeling very sore. Nervous I’d rip my tender tissue up even more, I returned the bra.

What went wrong?

Totally confused, I asked Linda from Linda’s Bra Shop about my experience, explaining how the band sat about 1/8-1/4″ lower than usual and the fit of the larger cups. I thought maybe it was that my breasts are so full on top that it just made the bras a poor fit. But Linda had some interesting feedback.

Check back tomorrow for my Q&A with Linda about what happened with my bras and how to avoid fit problems in pregnancy!

XO, Sarah

• First, the exciting news that we in the US have our first Curvy Kate Star in a Bra, the lovely Krista Cousins! I love her positivity and energy for transforming the bra landscape here in America: “The time for a beautiful, busty, body revolution is now and I am very prepared to lead us all to victory.” Krista went into the contest thinking she was a 34 or 36 F and discovered she’s a 30GG. Here’s to more women finding bras that fit well and signing up for a good fitting at their local specialty lingerie shop or via Skype!

• The Lingerie Addict interviews new nursing bra brand Lorna Drew’s managing director Lorna Drew on how she came up with her adjustable cup concept and her passion to help support nursing moms. I’ve been following this company as one of the only ones I’ve seen who makes 30 bands up to a J cup (UK) with something resembling a normal shape and am interested to see how it stacks up to other nursing brands out there.

• Christine at Boosaurus reviews the first two of a handful of finds from brand-new boob-friendly Polish clothing company Urkye. (Between Ewa Michalak, Comexim, Biu Biu, and Urkye, my Google Polish-to-English translator has been getting a workout!

• Braless in Brasil continues her series on Victoria’s Secret terrible fit advice with a guest post from Boosaurus giving their in-store fitting services a (forehead-smacking) go.

• H cup and up? Holly rounds up 10 great H-L cup bra picks over at the Full Figured Chest.

• Know you’re in the wrong bra size but still feel shy, funny, weird, or intimidated to get a fitting with a real pro (*not* Victoria’s Secret)? Butterfly Collection’s guest post this week shares the story of her sister-in-law who found being in a well-fitted bra helped her stopped being ashamed of her chest.

• I’m loving this bright coral or soft lilac Lululemon running top! It has a super cute back cut-out with a girly lace trim that looks like it would still accommodate our extra-wide DD+ sports bra straps. Plus, like many Lulu tops, it seems long enough that it wouldn’t ride up in the front from the extra fabric the boobs take up. Has anyone tried this??

Last week I showed you how my breasts had changed from the first trimester to week 33 of my third trimester and gave the actual measurements of how they changed. But keeping up with all that in bras? Now that’s been a learning experience, so I wanted to share some of the tips and hints I’ve gotten from professional bra fitters for pregnancy along the way and how they worked for me, as well as a few things I discovered, too.

(PS: I know I promised to post this last week, but my brain died last Thursday–thank you, Baby StackDD+! It seems it has finally returned to functional today. Thank you, God!)

Tip #1:

Look for bras with soft, stretchy cups that feel good on *and* can accommodate some increase in your cup size!

First thing? These puppies are sensitive! Not only are they tender to the touch in the first trimester, but you might also have other sensitivities, which took me by surprise! For example, my underbust has been more sensitive to itchy or scratchy materials or wires that don’t feel as comfy as others. I wondered if this was, well, normal, and asked Linda from Linda’s Bra Shop about it–and it’s totally to be expected:

“Pregnant women tend to be more sensitive. Both emotionally (hello, tears during a commercial for no reason) and physically. Breasts get tender, skin gets sensitive, the body is adjusting to a new norm and hormones may change what you’re used to.”

So, she has several go-to soft, comfy bras that she likes for pregnancy that feel good against more sensitive skin. The bonus? These often have more stretchy material that work well as “transition” bras: those, Linda says, that can get you through to your next size. What I’ve experienced is that those with stiffer cups aren’t as forgiving when your cup size starts to change.

And Linda’s favorite “transition” bras for pregnancy. (Note: several are US brands; I’ve listed US and UK sizes; Linda’s comments in quotes!):

Wacoal Basic Beauty Full Coverage Underwire: “This has straps that go in slightly in the back for comfort and support.” ($48, US sizes 32D-G, 34-42C-H, 44C-G/UK sizes 32D-F, 34C-FF, 44C-F)

Anita Twin Range Seamless Underwire: “A real favorite for pregnant and non pregnant women alike. Soft straps, yummy stretchy material.” ($69, US sizes 30D-H, 32-40B-H, 42B-F, 44B-E; UK sizes 30D-FF, 32-40 B-FF, 42B-E, 44B-DD)

Anita Alicia Underwire: “Another good Anita. Not as stretchy as the others, but still so soft smooth and supportive.” ($69, US sizes 30D-H, 32-42B-H, 44B-F; UK sizes 30D-FF, 32-42 B-FF, 44B-E)

Le Mystere Whisper Bra: $64, US sizes 32-40 C-G; UK sizes 32-40 C-F

Non-underwire/soft cup maternity bras

You can also try non-underwire maternity bras for comfort. The options in 30 & under bands in higher cup ranges (H+) are more limited (see my reviews of the available styles here) and I struggled to find one that give me a decent shape with my particular breast type (full on top, very close set breast tissue) but I found the Freya Dotty and Freya Kelly the best of the available options and used these for travel and lounge bras. Linda’s recommends any of her DD+ non-underwire maternity bras (ranging from 30-46 bands and DD-K cups).

Claire at Butterfly Collection suggested this as an easy way to get you through to your next bra size when the band starts to feel a little too tight. I found these useful when my Cleo Chloe band started feeling too small and it took me a few weeks to find my next bra. Joann’s Fabric sells these for about $3; just make sure you buy ones with the right number of rows of hooks for your bras (2, 3, or 4)!

Claire, Linda, and Bravissimo all recommended buying bras that fit on the tightest hook to start so that you can leave room for ribcage growth. Linda mentioned that fitting on the middle hook works, too.

This helped me stay in my bras longer, and guess what that means? Less $$$ spent! Hurrah.

Tip #4:

Buy just a couple bras at a time, but take care of them so they last as long as you need them to!

Linda’s no-nonsense approach to bras during pregnancy?

“I suggest buying 2-3 bras in the current size at a moderate price. If you can swing $85 a bra, fabulous! But don’t spend junior’s college fund on transitions bras since they’ll only fit for a short time. I suggest spending about $40 a bra and since you’re only rotating 3 (instead of the usual 5 or more) they will be worn out by the time you need a new size. Estimate ‘up’ if you’re in between sizes, start on the middle or tightest hook, HAND WASH, rotate them and be gentle – don’t put them on the wrong way and stretch them out or ruin the underwire. Read here for more tips on helping bras last longer.”

Hopefully these tips help get you going on what to expect with bras during pregnancy, what types of bras make staying in the right size easier, and how to stretch your bras to last as long as possible. I didn’t always get pregnancy bras right, though. In my next post, I’ll cover some advice I got that didn’t work for me and some alternatives that did.

RELATED POSTS

My How They’ve Grown: Boob Changes In Pregnancy

DD+ Solutions: Bravissimo Strappy Tank Tops with Built-In Bras

What I Wore: Trying Stripes with Blazers for Easy Full DD+ Bust Maternity Outfits

What I Wore: The Scarf Question, Plus Making a Non-Maternity Dress Work in My Third Trimester with a DD+ Bust

I love reading about how you learned that things that were taken as a given with bras became signs of ill fit:

• “Though I noticed that the straps either dug in or slipped off, breasts fell out of cups etc I thought that was the norm so I sailed along in my youthful ignorance.” — The Baroness
• “I didn’t know how a good bra should fit, I didn’t know a good bra could make my breasts look amazing, I didn’t know a good bra would make clothes fit properly. Worst of all, I didn’t know that constant back pain and sore breasts are NOT a normal part of wearing a bra. … I set out to fix my bra problem. …  [T]urns out I’m a 32G/30GG!” –Kaya

And how you reacted to learning your new size and wearing the right bra:

• “I wore too-small bras for years, where the band was too big and the cups too small. I  didn’t really know any different, though, so I was incredibly surprised to find out my true size when I finally went to a small bra boutique–I’d been about 4 cup sizes off!” — Nora
• “[My first bra fitting] made me realize that my breasts are neither too large, nor too small, they are mine – and perfect exactly the way they are.” — Megan
• “[E]ven though I don’t look like a D cup, I found I was …. and all three of us–my two girls and me-feel and look great!!!” –Kim L
• “Getting my first accurately-sized bra in the first time in years was a revelation.” — Lena

And the best part? How your new bras are working for you:

• “Before, I tried my hardest to cover up (which can be hard, since even the smallest v-necks always seemed to show too much.) Now I’m a lot more comfortable wearing shirts that I would have never worn before. And I think they fit better, too. — Katie
• “[E]ven a relatively boring bra can really flatter my figure.” –Reesa
• “My boobs didn’t droop anymore. I no longer resembled someone’s grandmother. I had a waist, and it was tiny! Looking at my reflection in that mirror, for once truly supported, I felt beautiful—unreservedly, without exceptions or addendums, beautiful—for the first time in my life.” –Eileen

The winner gets this!!

While all of your stories moved me, and I found many parts of Eileen and Katie’s stories, especially, that I could identify with, the person I selected to win still hasn’t found a bra to fit her. She hasn’t yet experienced the rest of these a-ha moments but is on the verge, guessing that she’s a 34I (34G in Claudette). So CASSIDY, I’d like you to be able to know what a bra in your actual size can do for you! I’d love to help get you in your first well-fitting bra with Claudette’s help!!

CASSIDY’S STORY:

To be honest, I still have never had a properly fitting bra. I wear ones that will “work” but I just can’t bring myself to spend the money on a good fitting bra. (I think I wear a 34I but could be very off on that after reading all your tips) I would love, love, love to win this so that I can finally see how it is!

Thanks again to everyone who entered! This is the second giveaway I’ve been able to host, and I hope to have the opportunity to do so again! To keep up with contests and the rest of my posts, you may want to consider subscribing to my Feedburner on the sidebar to have my latest entries delivered to your inbox so you don’t miss a thing Xx

There’s nothing better than just showing you all how they changed, so here’s a photo journal through my pregnancy. Originally DH and I just took these photos for us to look back on, so you get an uncensored look at how exactly I was feeling toward the end of my first trimester (who needs a nap in photo 4??) and how awesome I felt in my second (beaming smiles in every one of those photos…ha!).

Top row, L to R: Week 6, Week 7, Week 10, Week 12, Week 15
Bottom row, L to R: Week 18, Week 24, Week 26, Week 29, Week 32 [breech baby]

So how exactly did my bust grow?

Here are the measurement and the approximate weeks things changed. Sometimes it took a bit to realize my bra wasn’t really fitting anymore and to get out the tape measure, which is why these are labeled “about week X,” since I only know when I took the measurements. Also, I wore an Ewa Michalak PL Black for the photos in week 10, 12, and 15, so my bust does look a little bigger even though it hadn’t changed yet (see my recent post here on how their PL style adds visual inches to my bust), and the EM CH Toffik in week 26, which also adds volume (my breasts actually look a tiny bit smaller in week 29 than 26 from wearing this bra!).

• Before pregnancy: 29.5″ underbust, 38.5″ overbust
• After first trimester: No change, but felt “fuller”
• About week 18/second trimester: No change on underbust, 40.5″ overbust [up two cup sizes; you can see the breast growth on the first two pics of the bottom row versus the top row, especially on week 24!]
• About week 28/third trimester: No change on underbust, 41″ overbust
• Week 31 and 32–breech baby, head up by my left ribs: 31″ underbust, 41.5″ overbust
• Week 33–baby flipped head down (yay!): 30″ underbust, 41.5″ overbust

Something that really surprised me was how much the baby being breech for a couple of weeks affected my underbust and the fit of my bras. As I wrote here, I felt like I had inflatable boobs during this time because my bras were fitting tighter. Because the bands were tighter, the cups also felt strained, too. Now, with the baby flipped down, I was shocked to see my ribcage measurement drop down another inch again. I could actually feel about 1-2″ of empty space under my ribcage after the baby flipped where his head had been before!

Photo taken today, 33 1/2 weeks, baby head down. Compared to the week 32 above, the baby is now sitting lower, changing my underbust measurement again!

BRA CHANGES

• When I started my pregnancy, I was in the middle of being re-fit by Claire at Butterfly Collection. The first batch of 30GG bras she sent (before my measurements had changed) were too big in the band and slightly small in the cup, so I’m guessing I was about a 28H/HH in the beginning.
• By week 18, we’d worked out I was fitting 28J bras.
• Now I’ve moved into 30 bands and I’m fitting well in J/JJ cups. During the two weeks of the breech baby, I tried a 32 band (which did not work–pics to come tomorrow) and then just wore my 30s on looser hooks, which felt better.

BOOB CHANGES AND SELF ESTEEM

I always thought changing this much would put me back in that place where my boobs felt freakishly large. But overall, there has been so much change going on with my body that the change in my breasts haven’t seemed as scary as I thought they might be. I’ve had fun waiting for the belly to overtake the bust, and, looking around at other pregnant women, I’ve realized that tons of us have huge boobs right now–more than I’ve ever noticed before! It really is par for the course. However, every once in a while, I do have one of those days. To head it off, I’ve:

• Tried to make sure I am in the right bra size. Sometimes that feeling is a sign that that my bras are starting not to fit and to check in with the tape measure. I have to say, I always felt awesome in my Panache sports bra and my Cleo Chloe (while it lasted; I outgrew it around week 29)! They were incredibly supportive and fit like gloves.
• Tried to avoid a bra style that makes me feel bustier. Several of my Ewa Michalak bras made my bust look even more pronounced and contributed to that feeling of inflatable boobs. So, on those days I do feel more sensitive about my bust size, I avoid my EM PL styles and go with one of the Panache Cleo bras that lift but don’t project my breasts. If you’re looking for new bras during this time, it might help to try and take a few minutes before deciding which ones to purchase and see how you feel in it. Try it on with your clothes. Go for the ones, if you can, that are comfy *and* give you a shape you like!

KEEPING UP WITH BOOB CHANGES AND BRA SIZE

So, how, exactly, can you keep up with the growing bust during pregnancy and stay in well fitting bras? This has been a huge learning experience for me, so tomorrow I’m going to be sharing the tips and advice I’ve gotten from bra fitters along the way. Stay tuned!

Buh-bye, boring grandma bras! Claudette just blows me away with their collections. Cool mesh in a range of bright colors, like turquoise, violet, and orange? How could you *not* feel amazing all day knowing you’re wearing this under your clothes?

Something I really love about the Claudette ethos (besides their jaw-dropping design!) is how gung-ho they are about fit and the needs of our market. I’ve been yammering on a lot about 28 and 30 bands here recently, and Claudette has been on top of this from the start: they’re one of the only American lingerie brands I know of to launch with a 30 band that includes full-bust sizes D-G (up to a 38 band). And, as I’ve mentioned before, they’re anxious to fit even more of us into their gorgeous pieces: they’ll be adding 28 band sizes for Spring 2013, even though they’re only a year old, with talk of expanding cup sizes to a K, too.

A company like Claudette makes me so hopeful. Women fit in a huge range of sizes, from AA to KK+ cups and 26 (and even 24!)-52 size bands. But when you still have sales assistants telling women who wear 28 backs to look for them in the kids’ section or Victoria’s Secret trying to fit all women into a DD or smaller cup, it seems like we have a long way to go in the US toward overcoming fit misinformation and helping women get into the right size bra so their breasts get the support they need. When people in the full-bust lingerie industry hold these views, too, it can feel like nothing will ever change!

That’s why we started the Bra Band Project: we wanted to do something to help overcome ingrained, preconceived notions about bra sizes, and to help women who have a hard time finding a bra that fits discover a larger range of sizes that might solve their bra woes. (Not sure what size you wear, have trouble finding a bra that fits, or feel uncomfortable in your bras? Go here.) But we also need bra companies who make these sizes, like Claudette!

The commitment to good fit Claudette has shown so far (unlike, say, other US lingerie companies, *cough* Playtex, Victoria’s Secret *cough cough*) sends a positive message to the industry and women alike: they’re here to help women of all shapes and sizes get proper support in the right size and still wear lingerie that’s beautiful.

Being fit in the right size changed everything about my relationship with my body and my chest. It’s why I’m so passionate about helping others find good fit and helping advocate for a wider range of sizes in the full-busted market through this blog, and why I appreciate a company like Claudette. So…in order to enter the contest, I want you all to help spread the braspel of good fit!

TO ENTER:

1. To qualify, you must like Claudette on Facebook!
2. Tell me about the first time you were fit in a great fitting bra and how it changed you and your relationship with your breasts. You can put it in the comments, or, if you’re a bit shy, you can also email me your story at info at stackdd.com. This doesn’t have to be a long essay! You can just give me the highlights and keep it simple (of course, if you want to write more, you can!
3. Send me your story by Thursday at 9pm Central time
4. I’ll announce the winner Friday!
5. You must be a US resident (sorry all my lovely readers from elsewhere around the globe!)
6. The exact set the winner receives is based on product availability

PS: You can find Claudette at online retailers including Bare Necessities, Faire Frou Frou, and Butterfly Collection and soon to come on Figleaves.

Good luck! Xx