How much will my breasts grow during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

[Anonymous]

My normal bra size is a full 34DD and I'm a street size 6-8. I am about 6 weeks pregnant and although I'm experiencing some brest tenderness, I haven't noticed a significant increase in breast size just yet. I already have trouble finding comfortable bras that fit me so I am very nervous about what is going to happen in the next few months.

Wondering about other curvy moms' experiences... Should I expect my whole bra size to get bigger, or just my cup size? Will they get even bigger during breastfeeding? Will they ever go back to the pre-pregnancy/BF size? Any suggestions about where to find comfortable maternity and nursing bras for sizes 34DD+? Thanks for any help!

[Anonymous]

i went from a 36C to a 38D at my biggest (immediately postpartum, when my milk was coming in). my ribcage spread out a bunch (to accommodate baby) and that caused everything to go up a level. i'm 3mos postpartum now and i have gone back to C cup, but still more 38 than 36.

[Anonymous]

How much you gain in size I think really depends on genetics. Mine went from a 36B to a 38C. As soon as I stopped breastfeeding I was back to 36B and they even looked smaller than before. For you that might be a good thing since you have larger breasts. For someone like me with relatively small boobs it was a little upsetting. Now I am on #2 and and at 23 weeks they are back to being large and in charge for me and I hate it. Gives me a lot of respect for women that carry these around everyday!

[Anonymous]

I went from a 36C to a 38D pretty early in the pregnancy - and got up to a 38DD at my largest. And back down to a 38D (carrying some extra weight), but very deflated after weaning.

[Anonymous]

I went from 34C prepreg to 40 DD at the end of pregnancy. Baby was breech and her head really stretched out my ribcage. By 6 weeks PP my band size went back to 34 but my cup size went up and I now wear 34G (still nursing). I truly hope to go back to something of a normal size after weaning!

[Anonymous]

PP here - Nordstrom is good for fitting larger sizes. One thing to watch for though is that for nursing bras it's best to stick to non-underwire (underwire can cause plugged ducts). For that I found good bras online - breakoutbras.com I think, and I also bought one on amazon.

[Anonymous]

I went from 34DD to 34H, freakish! I'm still a little bigger than before, but not so crazy big. I'm 18 mos PP and still nursing a couple of times a day.

I got fitted for nursing bras at the breastfeeding center in downtown DC, they were great. I did get underwire ones and much preferred them with my huge rack. Now that I'm a little smaller I ordered some bravado's without underwires online.

[Anonymous]

34B to 34 D, then stabilized at 34C about 6 weeks post-partum while nursing. Now a sad little 34A

[Anonymous]

With first I went from 36D to 38D in pregnancy, then to 38G when milk came in.

Am now expecting #2. Started at 36C and got fitted for a 36DDD at 7 wks. At 9 wks, I am having to stuff myself into the bigger bra and it is so obvious I am pregnant...even though I am trying to hold off on telling for a few more weeks.

[Anonymous]

I'm 16.5 weeks. At about 6 - 8 weeks I went from 34DDD to 34G. The cups are now getting too snug for comfort, but the band seems fine. No idea where I'll end up! A friend started with 36C and after breastfeeding is now a 36A.

[Anonymous]

I'm feeding twins. I was a C now I'm an E cup.

[Anonymous]

I went from 36C to 38H. By 8 weeks pregnant. I am 39 weeks now and I KNOW I'm a little bigger than that now, but I'm pretty much sticking with one nurshing bra until I see how much bigger they get when I breastfeed.

[Anonymous]

while pregnant I went from a full 36DD to a 38DD, went into labor early and now on the fifth month of breast feeding and went back down to a full 36DD.

[Anonymous]

I was a 34A before getting pregnant. Week 8, no joke, I went to a 34D. All in one week.
While I was breastfeeding, I was a 36DD. My daughter is 14 months and I stopped nursing at 8months, and I am now back down to a 36D.

[Anonymous]

Wow, so jealous of PP. While pregnant, I went from 36A (with underwire and a little padding) to 36A (with underwire and less padding). While breastfeeding I switched to 36A (no underwire, no padding). Close friends commented on the fact that I finally had cleavage while breastfeeding, and I definitely noticed a difference, but didn't even make it up to a B! (the nursing tanks, which were tighter, I wore a B)

Now that I'm no longer bfing, my old 36A's (with underwire and padding) don't fit anymore. I haven't gone out to buy new ones b/c I don't think they make cups smaller than A.