What’s the best bras for pregnancy?
Your breasts will go through a lot of changes in pregnancy. A good fitting maternity bra will help to support your breasts, allow growth and be comfortable to wear.
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Related: 9 Common Breast Changes in Pregnancy
The choice of maternity bras can be daunting to a new mom. We’ve done all the hard work for you and researched what’s available to buy. If you want to know what to look for when buying a maternity bra read our buying guide below. First let’s start with the best maternity bra reviews.
6 Best Bras for Pregnancy & Nursing
1. Comfort Bra
Your breast will start to develop hosts of new sensations in pregnancy. They may feel taut, itchy, tingly, hot or tense. You’ll need a bra that can make your breasts and nipples as comfortable as possible during these changes. We recommend a breathable fabric which won’t overheat your breasts. Most maternity bras are also wire free to prevent damage to sensitive breast tissue.
Gratlin Maternity Bra
The Gratlin Maternity bra will provide you with support and shape through pregnancy and nursing. The light padding and lightweight fabric makes is so comfortable to wear. This bra is really great for both small and larger chest sizes. The wide waistband is very comfortable when teamed up with the flexible mesh back. You won’t feel like you’ve been squeezed into you bra when your breast and chest begin to expand.
2. Support Bra
Your breasts may grow a lot in pregnancy. Some women can increase by 2 band sizes and 4 cups sizes by the time baby is due. You’ll need a bra which provides support to prevent sagging or back pain cause by the increased weight of your breasts.
Bali Women’s Smart Sizes Bra
Think it’s impossible to get a good supporting bra with no underwire? Then check out the Bali Smart Size bra. If you have a large chest size you will love these bras. They offer support like a sports bra but also provide shape to your breasts. It’s wire free so no uncomfortable digging under the breasts. The stretch of the fabric provide you with room to grow in pregnancy, so you minimize how many bra you need to buy. Plus they come is a huge range of fun colors to match your outfits.
3. Sleep Bra
Sleeping in pregnancy is already problematic without through tender breast into the mix. A good maternity sleep bra can help offer extra support at night but make you feel like you’re naked. A sleep bra should be seamless and free from any clips or tags which can dig in.
Kindred Bravely Maternity Sleep Bra
If you are looking for a super soft sleep option check out the Kindered Bravely sleep bra. It provides all you need from a sleep bra: no underwire, light support and seamless. This bra can also be used for nursing as the cross over design give baby easy access to the breasts. It comes in a few basic colors to match most of your wardrobe.
4. Sports Bra
If you plan to carry on exercising through your pregnancy a good sports bra is essential. Regular maternity bras will offer support but not enough for high energy activity. The material should provide enough support without friction when moving. Look for options which minimize bounce and provide extra back support.
Cake Lingerie Maternity Sports Bra
The Cake lingerie sports bra is perfect for active moms. The company makes the type of high quality maternity lingerie women have been waiting on too long. The bra has breathable and flexible fabric with thick bands for ultimate support. You can crossover the back strap to provide extra back support. There is a huge range of size from a B cup up to a K cup. This bra can also be used for nursing moms.
5. Nursing Bra
Bra designed for nursing are a godsend when breastfeeding. You’ll need easy and quick access to your breast to feed baby easily. A quality breathable fabric will also prevent you developing any infections such as thrush. A nursing bra will provide support in all the right places to prevent blocked milk ducts.
Bravado Body Silk Nursing Bra
The Bravado body silk is undoubtedly the most popular nursing bra recommended by moms. The fabric makes it breathable and so comfortable to wear. It comes with removable foam pads to provide you with extra shaping or hiding breast pads. The pull down straps can be converted to regular straps so you can even use the bra long after pregnancy and nursing.
6. Pumping Bra
Planning to use a breast pump? Then buy a hands free pumping bra. Things bra will free up so much of your time when baby is here. The average pump session can take 20-30 minutes, and several a day can rack into the hours. Use with a portable double pump and you can multi task with ease.
Simple Wishes Hands-Free
The Simple Wishes Hands free bra can be used with any breast pump. The bra is really strong and will support two full collection bottles without slipping. Your breast will fluctuate in size when breastfeeding, but this bra can accommodate a change of up to 10 inches. This bra is suitable for any size from 30AA up to a 48J. Perfect for use at home or when you return to work.
Maternity Bra Buying Guide
With so much choice it can be difficult to decide which maternity bra is right for you. These are the most sought after features which can help you narrow down your choices.
- Looks – You can buy some really stylish maternity bras to keep you feeling feminine. Brands such as Cake Lingerie make gorgeous design suitable for pregnancy and nursing use.
- Support – Your breasts will grow during pregnancy regardless of your normal size. When your breasts can grow up to 4 time there normal size you’re going to need extra support. Most maternity bras are non-wired to prevent wires damaging your growing breast tissue.
- Sizing – Get measured for a maternity bra from a good retailer. You may need to do this several time throughout your pregnancy and when your milk comes in.
- Comfort – Your breast are already uncomfortable and your bra shouldn’t make it worse. Soft fabrics, breathable material, wide straps and seam free are the best features of a comfortable maternity bra.
- Ease of use – Maternity Bras should adapt to fluctuating sizes through the day. Consider how easy it will be to put on or take off without irritating your tender breast. Nursing bra should provide easy access to the breasts when you need it. If there are clasps these should be easy enough to resale with one hand, but not pop open at other times.
- Price – We recommend investing in 3 or 4 good maternity bras. To save money buy maternity bras suitable for nursing use. Expect to pay around $20 – $80 for a good maternity bra.
Benefits of a Maternity Bra
Maternity bras are designed to support the whole breast during your pregnancy. The design takes into consideration the back, shoulders, breast tissue and nipples. Here are a few reasons why you should use a maternity bra over a regular bra.
Accommodates Changes
We can’t say this enough: you’re breast will grow when you are pregnant. A regular bra won’t be able to keep up with the changes or provide the right support. A good maternity bra will grow with you and even allow for fluctuations during the day.
Offers Support
Maternity bras are designed with stronger fabric, thicker waist bands, straps and more clasps. Altogether this offer your breast more support without compressing your breasts.
Easy Feeding
A good nursing bra will allow you to feed baby easily when at home, in public or in bed. The clip down feature allows you to keep the other breast covered for discreet feeding.
More Sleep
A bra to provide light support during the night can prevent tender breasts causing disrupted sleep. You can also catch any leaks soaking onto your bedding.
Prevent Breast Problems
A well-structured maternity bra won’t dig into your tender breast tissue. Friction can cause and itchy sweaty rash to form. When nursing a compressed section of breast can lead to blocked milk ducts. If this is not resolved these can lead to further problems such as thrush or mastitis.