Don’t rush out and get a nursing bra as soon as you find out you are pregnant! It will be too small when you are actually breastfeeding. I recommend waiting to buy a nursing bra until about 1 month before your due date so that you can avoid this problem. This allows for some changes to happen; breast size increases and also your rib cage gets wider too.
Here’s a great video on how to fit yourself for a bra.
Some women increase by only 1 cup size, while others increase by 3-4 cup sizes. This is why I recommend buying just 1-2 nursing bras prior to having the baby. It’s best to get one that is supportive but stretchy. Don’t get one with an underwire because that can cause plugged milk ducts that can lead to a breast infection. You want your boobs to be able to have some room to breathe. This is not the time to push the girls up!
Your breast size is going to change a lot the first month after you have the baby. The largest they get is when your milk comes in around 3 days postpartum. This is when they are engorged. You really want a stretchy bra during this time. Don’t worry, they will decrease in size. They gradually decrease in size over the next couple of days. Then decrease in size again as your milk gets more regulated to the demands of your baby.
They stay this size for most of the time you are nursing, although they can decrease in size again once the baby is eating foods around 6 months.
I LOVE Bravado Bras because they have lots of great options for you as you progress through your baby’s first year (and no, I am not a sponsor – just a fan). What you use in the first month may be totally different than the bra you wear when the baby is 6 months old.