Nursing bras can make feeding your baby a lot easier, and a lot more comfortable.

But what’s the best time to buy a nursing bra? And as your breasts can grow through your pregnancy and after birth, what size nursing bra should you buy?

When to Buy Your First Nursing Bras

Some women start wearing nursing bras early in their pregnancy, even during the first trimester. This is because some expectant mums notice certain changes in the early weeks of their pregnancy. Your breasts might start to grow, and your rib cage might start expanding. As such, your regular bra might not be as comfortable as it used to be. If this is the case, you might find a nursing bra to be much more comfortable.

So when should you buy your first nursing bra? As soon as you feel like you need one! You don’t need to wait until your start nursing. If you’re pregnant and your regular bra is starting to feel uncomfortable, try wearing a nursing bra to see if it makes a difference.

Have you read our full guide to when’s the best time to start buying baby stuff?

In that guide, we advise that it’s never “too early” to buy anything, but you should aim to have everything you need by week 35 of your pregnancy.

How to Measure For Nursing Bras

During your pregnancy, your breasts might change on a weekly basis. And it can be difficult to tell just what size your breasts can be after birth. You may have to measure yourself for every new nursing bra you buy. Some shops offer this service instore. Others provide handy measurement guides on their website. Some brands even offer their own guides to measuring yourself.

Choosing The Right Nursing Bra

Start shopping for nursing bras and you’ll soon find that there’s a huge range to choose from. To find the best nursing bra for you, think about the following:

• Design and structure – Some nursing bras are designed to be supportive, and might contain a firm structure with underwires. Others are designed for comfort, and might use soft and stretchy materials with no wires. If you can, experiment with a number of styles and designs until you find one that works for you.
• Maternity into nursing – Some nursing bras are designed to accommodate your various bodily changes, so that they can be used throughout your pregnancy and into your nursing. This might sound ideal, but it might not be the best option for you. You may need one style for your pregnancy, and another style entirely once you start nursing. Again, try one style at a time until you find one that works for you.
• Practicality – Finally, think about your practical needs. If you know you’ll be feeding a lot while out and about, for example, you should look for a nursing bra you can easily unclip. Some mums also choose to sleep in their nursing bras, so you might want to get a bra with breast pads to collect leaks during the night.

Nursing bras with a pocket for reusable breast pads can be really handy for when you’re out and about too. For more on pads and what they’re like, take a look at our range of reusable breast pads.

Total Support For New Mums

You’ll find loads of guidance for mums-to-be in our Real Parenting blog:

• When should you start buying baby stuff?
• How to prepare for breastfeeding.
• What is the let-down reflex in breastfeeding?
• Dealing with leaks during breastfeeding.

We also have a range of comfortable, absorbent and eco-friendly reusable breast pads. You can use these with your regular bra or your nursing bra, and we designed them to be as soft and supportive as possible.

Take a look at our range of reusable breast pads.