When Should You Buy Nursing Bras?

When should you buy nursing bras?

Why not earlier

Because your rib cage is still expanding. The lower ribs flare outward through pregnancy to make room, which increases band size — often by one or two sizes — and that process is not finished at 20 weeks.

A bra bought at 20 weeks will usually be tight across the back by 30, and a band that does not fit is a bra that does not work regardless of the cup. That is also why the first symptom people notice is tightness across the back rather than in the cups.

Buy soft stretchy bralettes early if you need them for comfort — breast tenderness arrives long before any of this — but do not buy nursing bras you are hoping to use after the birth.

Why not later

Because you need them on day one, and because the days after birth are the worst possible time to judge fit.

When your milk comes in, usually around day two to five, breast size can change dramatically and temporarily. Buying bras in that window means buying for a size you will not be in a fortnight later. And practically, ordering bras from a sofa while sore, exhausted and engorged is not a good experience.

You will want a nursing bra from the first feed. Having them already in a drawer is worth a great deal.

What to buy at 36 weeks

Note the ratio: more sleep bras than day bras. People tend to buy it the other way round. Full reasoning in how many nursing bras you need.

Size: measure the band

Measure under the bust, snug but not tight, standing. That number is your band size and it is the one to buy on at 36 weeks.

For the cup, buy stretchy styles that span a size or two rather than trying to predict where you will land. If you are above a D cup, buy band-and-cup sizing rather than S/M/L, because letter sizing grades the two together and runs out of cup room first. More in the nursing bra sizing guide.

The second purchase, at six weeks

This is the bit most advice leaves out. By around six weeks postpartum, your size has largely settled, and that is the moment to buy properly fitted bras — including an underwired one if you want, which is more comfortable for a long day than anything stretchy.

So the sensible plan is two rounds: cheap and stretchy at 36 weeks, properly fitted at six weeks postpartum. Buying everything in one go, at either point, means buying for a size that does not last.

If you are not breastfeeding

You still want soft wireless bras for the early weeks. Size changes and engorgement happen whether or not you feed, and structured bras are uncomfortable through it.

What you can skip is the feeding access, so ordinary soft bralettes in the right size are fine. Two or three is enough.

One thing to know in advance

A bra pressing persistently on one spot of breast tissue is worth avoiding, and the reason it comes up on a timing page is that fit changes fastest exactly when you are least able to notice. If a bra starts feeling tight in one place, change it rather than tolerating it.

A tender lump, a red or hot patch, a painful area that does not settle, or flu-like symptoms with breast pain all warrant speaking to your midwife, GP or a lactation consultant promptly. ACOG and the NHS both have guidance on breastfeeding problems worth reading before you need it.