How and when to choose the right maternity & breastfeeding bra

Do hard bra wires leave marks around your breasts? Does the band feel constricting? Looks like you spilling out of the cup? All these signs show that you urgently need to go maternity and breastfeeding bra shopping! It’s important to know what to look for!

How And When To Choose The Right Maternity &Amp; Breastfeeding Bra 1 Daily Mom, Magazine For Families
How And When To Choose The Right Maternity &Amp; Breastfeeding Bra 2 Daily Mom, Magazine For Families

When to Buy a Breastfeeding Bra


For almost 10 years now, the Cake family has been closely engaged with lactation consultants and industry specialists, listened to pre and post natal women, and analyzed the most common problems and changes in their bodies they are undergoing, month after month. With all this information in place, Cake has acknowledged and segmented pregnancy and post natal time frames into 5 main stages.

Every woman and every pregnancy is unique, hence you should be looking for 1-2 new bras the moment you feel a tiny bit uncomfortable in your pre-pregnancy bra.

  • Stage 1 – Pregnancy

1-3 Months – women experience sudden breast growth/tightness. These changes in the bust can be 1-2 sizes. Breast fluctuation is one of the first symptoms most women experience in the first few weeks of pregnancy. This is the time when pre-pregnancy bras start being uncomfortable and irritating. For this reason, Cake suggests one of the Candy family of seamless maternity and breastfeeding bras, which are luxuriously comfortable, stylish and allow breast growth without restriction. These same styles are also ideal immediately post birth – Stage 4.

Breastfeeding Bra
Breastfeeding Bra
  • Stage 2 – Pregnancy

3-8 Months – A little more gradual breast growth occurs, but it is usually pretty stable. During this period, the most amount of expansion occurs in the rib cage, hence look for the with extended bra closure (5-6 Hook and Eyes). This helps to accommodate expansion of the rib cage and for extra adjustability to tighten as the rib cage retracts after the birth. “Tight isn’t right”! Traditionally in this stage, women choose a Flexible wire bra that would look & feel similar to their pre-pregnancy bra, but provides rib cage adjustability and is designed to accommodate breast growth.

Breastfeeding Bra
Breastfeeding Bra
  • Stage 3 – Pregnancy

8-9 Months – This is where the bust will grow in readiness for the arrival of the milk. The last growth of the baby and rib cage expansion can sometimes be quite painful. Whilst purchasing a bra at this stage, it’s worth having Stage 4 in mind. The bra should accommodate the breast size increase/ fullness in 2-3 sizes. This is the best time to think, what bras to take to hospital. Seamless, non wired, stretchy bras are most suitable for this stage as they would be most ‘forgiving’ during breast changes. Cake Lingerie designed styles specifically for B-H cups – Cotton Candy Seamless Nursing and for G-L cup – Sugar Candy Seamless Nursing to ensure women’s comfort and easy access to breastfeed at the early post birth stage.

Breastfeeding Bra
  • Stage 4 – Post Birth

0-4 weeks – Milk comes in – lots of breast growth, average 2 – 3 cup sizes. The rib cage will slowly start to go back to pre-pregnancy. It’s recommended to wear a non-wire bra after giving birth until about 4 weeks post, as breasts fluctuate the most during this period. Whilst you can continue to wear Candy family bras, at this stage women often start looking for a cup sized bra.

Breastfeeding Bra
Breastfeeding Bra
  • Stage 5 – Post Birth

+4 weeks – Cup size usually reverts to approx. size of when 8 months pregnant. Most women do not fully go back to their pre-pregnancy rib expansion until about 4 months after baby. When searching for a bra at this stage, women have the absolute freedom to choose any Flexi wire or Wire free breastfeeding bra to meet her needs.

Breastfeeding Bra
Breastfeeding Bra

A few other things to take into consideration when looking for a good quality maternity and nursing bra are:

  • Reinforced lower cup for better support
  • Top Cup Stretch to avoid restriction or cut in
  • Wider wire “smile” not to constrict and damage breast tissue – wire should sit below and completely around the breast tissue
  • Nickel free hooks and sliders to prevent skin allergies and irritation
  • Easy drop down cups for breastfeeding
  • Cotton A-Frame or Inner Sling – provides added support, security and coverage for modesty

Wearing a well-fitted, supportive nursing bra is like having a best friend. You won’t know what you did without it! Cake Maternity offers a wide selection of maternity & breastfeeding bras designed with features mentioned above.

Cake Maternity designs and develops maternity and breastfeeding bras with a woman’s body changes per each stage in mind. With one of the largest assortments of fashion and basic styles in a wide range of sizes, they have got you covered from day 1 until you’re ready to stop breastfeeding. Quite often though, women find Cake bras so comfortable and feminine, they just continue to wear them even after. Therefore, it’s worth to invest in good premium quality maternity and nursing bra, which is durable and made from ecological fabrics.

Breastfeeding Bra

Every woman and every pregnancy is unique, hence if you are uncertain or need help with your fitting, check for a Cake stockist store near you at Cake Store Locator or ask our helpful team for advice – Cake Customer Support.

SHOP:
Rock Candy Seamless Nursing Bra

EXPLORE AND CONNECT:
Cake Maternity | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

WANT TO READ MORE?

Check out one Daily Mom’s tips on the 7 Ways to Handle Breastfeeding Challenges.

Breastfeeding Bra

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Daily Mom
Daily Momhttps://dailymom.com
Daily Mom is a parent portal for women who are looking for information and education. It's a combination of your favorite blogs, Pinterest boards, parenting websites, how-to posts, product features and the best fashion magazines all packaged neatly into short easy to read posts with gorgeous photographs. We are a team of passionate writers and editors on a mission to educate, inspire and help women all over the world by providing informational articles on all aspects of womanhood.

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