It’s a surprisingly simple question that gets asked often – when to start wearing a maternity bra?
I was admitidly pretty nervous once the shock of realising I was pregnancy wore off.
I’ve always been large busted and wasn’t looking forward to the thought of getting any bigger, however, I did want to be as comfortable as possible, that’s when a friend suggested I invest in a maternity bra.
In this post we’re going to look at why you should wear one and when to know the time’s right to wear one.
Let’s get started.
Why wear a maternity bra?
A properly fitted maternity bra supports your breasts and helps prevent everything from back pain to stretch marks. Typically a maternity bra won’t have an under-wire as this can be uncomfortable and cause it to dig-in, pinch and nip.
Here’s When You Should Start Wearing A Maternity Bra
While there is no exact time frame for wearing a maternity bra, ther are certain activities when you’ll want to look for a bra that offers more comfort.
Under-wire is no longer your Best Friend
Your breasts will never change more than the moment you are first expecting till the point you begin to wean your child. Many discomforts such as aching, tenderness as well as leaking, and pain occur as your breasts grow to accommodate your newborn.
As you grow your underwire bras will quickly become ill-fitted. We all know too well what happens with underwire when your bra is ill-fitted. Be kind to your breasts and wear a maternity bra sooner than later, and avoid the painful stabs to your unsuspecting breast.
During Your Workouts
We have all been their ladies, you start in mid-jog and do not have on the properly fitted bra and quickly regret it. As you exercise, the wrong bra can feel as if you are carrying the weight of two bowling balls about to rip off your chest. Give your breasts a little TLC (tender loving care) with a maternity bra made to support you while you work out.
To wear to bed or not to bed?
When lying down on your back the weight of your breasts can feel like it’s crushing your lungs. Wearing a maternity bra to bed will align your breasts in position. Designed with expectant mothers in mind, pregnancy sleep bras are softer and flexible and made without rigid parts so you can get a good night’s sleep with just the right amount of support.
After-Childbirth, Breastfeeding, and Weaning
After you have welcomed your new bundle of joy, whether you decided to breastfeed or not your breasts have prepared for this day. No need to worry about leaky breasts tho maternity bras have easy front access with convenient snaps. Thankfully maternity bras take the struggle out of unhooking your bra from behind or having to go sans bra to change breast pads and/or breastfeed your baby. As a bonus, you will not need to measure your breast size for a new bra each time, as maternity bras adjust to your growing milk ducts.
The Bottom Line
So there you have it, with the scenarios above you can understand just when and why you might need to invest in a properly fitted maternity bra and hopefully now you have a better idea about when to start wearing a maternity bra and can see some of the big advantages and additional comfort that they offer.
Ellen Fetters
Ellen Fetters, is a former Children's and Young People's Nursing Practice with an BSc from the University of Sunderland. After completing her SCPHN - HV she then worked as a Health Visitor within the local community.
In 2017 Ellen left nursing to launch Parenting Click, an online parenting resource aimed at creating happier families through better parenting.
She lives with her husband, beautiful baby girl, and two darling dogs. She spends her free time writing, running and learning how to become a better parent.