Nursing Bra - Support for Breastfeeding 

Welcome to the Internet's largest Nursing Bra resource.  A good place to begin is the nursing bra fitting instructions to help you decide what features you want in a nursing bra and learn how to find your nursing bra size.
The nursing bra are first listed by company and then by popular categories (large or small nursing bra sizes, front snap closures, black nursing bra and closeout/sales on nursing bra).
Click on the nursing bra links below to see images and details about each nursing bra we carry.  We stock all of the following nursing bra styles although on occasion we may be temporarily out of a color or size.  You may order through our secure online server or by calling toll free (888) 398-7987.   We usually ship within one business day.  We are a Family Resources nursing bra store.  Visit our Home Page for all our breastfeeding products, including breast pumps, nursing fashions, books, pillows, slings and much more!

If you have any questions about products or ordering, e-mail me at pj@breastisbest.com If you prefer to order by telephone or if you are using a browser that does not recognize our ordering program, please call me at (425) 774-9355 or toll free at (888) 398-7987.
The best time to call is during store hours - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST Mon-Sat. At any other time reaching a live person is possible but not as likely. Please leave a message and we will get back to you ASAP.

Birth and Baby
18920 28th Avenue West, Suite H
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Next to Alderwood Mall

Fitting Instructions for Nursing Bras
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Selecting the Right Nursing Bra

Welcome to the fitting room! Buying a bra over the internet may seem like a foreboding task but stay with me for awhile. With my many years of fitting, a good tape measure, free shipping, an easy return policy, and lots of information - we will make this as painless as possible!

On this page you will find:

• General Information for Buying a Bra
• Breast Shape Codes
• How to Measure
• Brand Specific Fitting Information
  • Leading Lady
  • Olga
  • Melinda Gros
  • QT Foundations
  • Fancee Free
  • Goddess
  • Medela
  • Decent Exposures

General Buying Tips:

Some women may find their nursing bra getting snug just a few months into pregnancy. My advice for women who experience such growing pains in pregnancy is to NOT buy a maternity bra. Here is why: The maternity bras made by most companies are exactly the same as their nursing bras, except for the opening cups of the nursing style. Breastfeeding mothers who buy maternity bras will have to buy, essentially, the same bra again. Maternity bras are a marketing idea. You don't need one. Consider purchasing a nursing bra even if you are undecided about breastfeeding, or intend to use an artificial baby milk. Many women decide to breastfeed late in pregnancy as they become better informed about the benefits of breastfeeding. Even though your first size change may not be the final size you wear for nursing your newborn, you will probably find that after several months of breastfeeding you may return to that size. So unless you like to collect extra bras, stick to the nursing styles!

Pressure from the consumer has brought many changes in the "nursing harness" of yesteryear. These days, it is possible to find comfort and support in a pretty bra. The primary considerations when choosing a bra are; fit, underwire or softcup, fit, choice of fabric, fit, lace type (and location), fit, expandability (as milk supply changes), fit, correct strap for shoulder type, fit, support, fit, cup location and fit.

Fit, how the cup conforms to the shape of the breast, is the most important consideration when choosing a nursing bra. It is often ignored or compromised because of ignorant sales help, limited selection, or the marketing of less important aspects of the bra. After trying on one or two styles in ten different locations, frustrated very pregnant women and moms with new babies sometimes settle for anything that comes close.

Fitting may be difficult because breasts are rarely symmetrical in size and shape. Since bras are made symmetrically, some compromise must be made from the start. Usually (but this comes with no guarantee!), a woman in her last month of pregnancy will be about the same size as when she begins nursing. It is best to be fit during the last month of pregnancy, rather than in the first two weeks after giving birth (a"full" time for which most nursing bras are designed to accommodate). Most women increase one size in girth and one size in cup size, but again, there are no guarantees. The cup should fit without pushing the breasts together (creating too much cleavage) and should also be big enough to accommodate all the breast tissue without strain. The snugness around is partly personal preference but should be fit for comfort on the second (from the outside) of the four sets of hooks.

There is some controversy about whether or not underwires are appropriate for nursing bras. If you can get good fit and sufficient support without an underwire, that is usually best. Keep in mind that most fashion bras compromise on support for looks - and therefore need the underwire to make up the difference. Most nursing bras have the extra support built in whether softcup or underwire. Another important consideration is that in the last few months of pregnancy rarely will any underwire be comfortable, especially when you sit down and it pokes into the baby. You may want a comfortable softcup for lounging around the house and an underwire for when you are going out and want to look a little perkier.

There are three basic kinds of wires - the "U" that comes lower onto the chest and works pretty well with the more pendulous shape. The sideways "C" fits the basic bust and round grapefruit shapes. The most easily fit is the tilted "J" wire. It doesn't come up as high in the center so there is less chance of it protruding outward - even though all styles should stay close to the breastbone. Even more importantly, the wire should not protrude on the sides where it could chaff the arms as they swing. The final test is how the bra looks under your clothes!

The most popular fabric for nursing bras is cotton - and with good reason. The breathability cotton provides is important in keeping the nipples dry and allowing air circulation. Look for "pima" cotton, as it is the longest cotton fiber available, which means it shrinks the least. You want the "fit" of the new bra to be the same after the first wash and dry. One of the popular styles has heat shaped cups, but to retain the shape it has to contain some polyester. One disadvantage of cotton is that when it warms up it may "melt" a little, thus losing a small amount of the needed support in larger sizes. Using a fairly breathable fiber in conjunction with cotton can give the softness of cotton and not lose the needed support.

Take notice where the lace is. Lace is pretty, but it can be irritating if placed in a position where it rubs your skin.

The majority of strap styles have a hook opening at the top with three loops for expansion. Engorgement is often avoided by nursing almost continuously (12 to 18 feeds/24 hours) during the first few days, but there may be some fullness as the milk comes in on days three to five. This is not a good time for fitting a bra! Some styles come with a center snap. Most of these styles are made with a knit - so the expandability comes from the stretchiness of the knit fabric. Other styles have center front hooks, a variety of patented plastic snap closures or no hardware at all. These are designed to pull down or up to nurse. They can be very comfortable and work well but make sure there is no tightness across the top of the breast that could prevent drainage and clog a duct - this goes for pulling the cup down under the breast as well. The style of opening is secondary to the fit. One can get used to any kind of opening device, but not to a poor fit.

One note of personal preference: When I'm pulling up a T-shirt, the center snaps are nice but when I'm wearing a nursing fashion with slits on the side, the top hooks are the fastest. Those "quick draws" can be a life saver in quiet situations when you need to quickly comfort a crying baby.

One reason for recurring problems with mastitis (inflammation from a duct not emptying properly) may be an ill-fitting bra. If the clogged duct is located near a poking wire, a binding fabric or any other irritation - change bras immediately. Check out the alternative treatment sections for more ideas on how to handle problems such as clogging ducts.

Bras are expensive and you usually get what you pay for. Look for value, but remember that you must live intimately with this purchase and even minor irritations can grow to be major cankers. Splurge a little on this purchase if it means getting your favorite fit - you will smile everyday. If you settle for second best, just because of price, your misery will soon cause you to forget the money saved and you will probably end up with the cheap bra in your drawer and your having to buy another one.

If after getting through this information you are still confused or not comfortable choosing a bra by yourself - send an E-mail with your measurements and shape descriptions to fitting@breastisbest.com and I can give you additional suggestions, or call me on the phone at (425) 485-3295. We will help you find your ultimate bra!

Breast Shape Codes

These are sketches of some of the most common breast types. Please do not take offense at the labels - they were just the most descriptive and easiest to remember and not meant to be derogatory. You may be a combination of a couple of these shapes. Remember your shape code. Each bra's description tells which breast shape works the best with that bra shape. This aspect of fitting is just as important as measuring! Not pictured are two more codes of: NS for Narrow Set where the breasts are close together and WS for Wide Set where the breasts have more than average space between them.

How To Measure

Each company has their own formula for fitting, which can be confusing because they are all different. I use a combination. To make things more confusing, each company has their own standard for sizing - I help you in the descriptions with these tendencies also. Begin with these simple steps:

1. Measure around the ribcage underneath your breasts.
2. Measure around at the fullest part of the bust wearing a good fitting bra (I realize this may be a silly point because you are probably here because you don't have a good fitting bra - estimate what it would be if it were not crammed into your too small bra).
3. Measure around - under your arms but over the top of the breasts.
4. Figure Band Size: Most formulas add 3"-5" to measurement #1 for the band size. If you are still pregnant I find 3" a more realistic addition. An average of #1 & #3 is a better number to work with for a band size. Round all odd numbers up to the next even number.
5. Figure Cup Size: Most formulas agree that the fullest measurement (#2) minus the band measurement will tell you the cup size as follows: A=1", B=2", C=3", D=4", E=5", F=6", G=7", H=8", I=9"

Remember these points:

• Trust your intuition. What makes sense to you?
• The average increase is one size larger girth and one cup size
• If bras tend to "ride-up" in back, it generally means the cup size is not large enough and it gets pulled from the point of least resistance. I frequently see an attempt to fix this by going to a larger band size - usually because a larger cup is not available. This is incorrect!!
• Ordering 2-3 bras will give you the best chance of finding a good fit. Be sure to try it on with pads if you are leaky and if kept in original condition they can be returned and credited to your credit card. We pay the shipping from this end - your return postage is only about $1 a bra.

Brand Specific Fitting Information:

Leading Lady

Since this company is one of the oldest in this business and has the biggest choice of styles, I see their sizing to be a good standard to begin with. When I use the term "average" it is basically a Leading Lady average. As they are updating their styles their own sizing is different in some styles. I warn you of these differences in the individual bra descriptions. The following is straight from their book:

General Guidelines for Fitting a Bra. . .

Measure snugly, but not tightly around the ribcage and directly underneath the bust. Add 5" and round off to the nearest whole number for band size (add 3" if this first measurement is more than 33"). Then measure loosely around the fullest part of the bust (with bra on). Subtract band size from bust measurement for cup size. Each one inch difference equals one cup size (1"=A cup, 2"=B cup, etc.). Start with size indicated and fine tune to allow for different figure types.

Olga

Generally Olga styles run about one size smaller around and slightly smaller in the cup compared to Leading Lady sizes.

Melinda Gros Designs

Generally the girth size here runs about one size smaller than Leading Lady but is pretty close in the cup size. There is more leeway here for cup fitting because there are no cup seams. It conforms to a greater variety of shapes than styles with seams.

Q-T Foundations

The band size runs about a half a size smaller than the Leading Lady average but is similar in cup sizes.

Fancee Free Foundations

I have found the band sizes to be average but the cup size is on the small side of average.

Goddess

Goddess does their own thing and here is how they suggest to measure for their bras:

Band Size: Measure around the diaphragm just under your bust. Add 5" to this measurement to get your band size. For example if you measure 29", the band size will be 34. If the number is odd, round up to the next even number.

Cup Size: Measure around the fullest point of the bust with a bra on, keeping the tape measure level without pulling tight. If the number is 1" over the band size than the cup size is an A, 2" is a B.

Cup Size Chart:

1" = A 2" = B 3" = C 4" = D 5" = DD 6" = 3D or E 7" = F 8" = FF 9" = G

The 5" addition is usually too much but the band sizes correspond with Leading Lady. The cup sizes are bigger than the average because they have a deeper cup. A Goddess D cup is more like an E cup in Leading Lady, a DD = F, F = G, FF = H, G = real big.

Medela

Medela just changed their design and has some new features!! This company really tries to listen and respond to customer requests and changes things faster than any company I have ever worked with! Their first design had wonderful support but it had a slightly "shelfy" look. The underwire has a rounder shape than the soft cup. Both are lined completely with cotton. They added larger sizes also with great shoulder pads and cushy support under the breast. This is how they suggest fitting their bras:

How to Determine Your Bra Size:

To receive the best possible fit and support from your Medela bra, it's important to remember a few key points - and take advantage of the expertise of the sales personnel where you're shopping. To determine your band size, you'll need to take two measurements while wearing a good fitting, unpadded bra.

For the band size, measure around the body, just under the arms, with a measuring tape. Remember to stand up straight and breath normally. It the measurement is an uneven number, round up to the next even number.

To determine your cup size, you'll need to measure around your body at the fullest part of the bust. Be certain the measuring tape is secure against your back.

Subtract the first measurement (the underarm measurement) from the second measurement (the bust) and look at the following chart to determine your cup size.

Cup Size Measurement:

Up to 1" larger = A cup 2" = B 3" = C 4" = D 5" = DD 6" = F 7" = G 8" = H=9"

Decent Exposures

This company does mostly mail order so it has it's formulas worked out pretty well so you can measure and actually know what to order! They use the actual under breast measurement as your bra size. This is how they suggest to measure:

1. Measure ribcage (under breasts). This is your bra size (32, 34, etc.). Round up to even numbers.
2. Measure fullest part of bust (best with bra on).
3. Consult chart for cup size.

Since there is no hardware to adjust strap length you may want to order a bra with a customized option, although you can send it directly to them for adjustments (for a small price). If you know that your torso - from shoulder to bustline- is shorter or longer than average, you can order short or long straps (it is usually adjusted 1").

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