Pregnancy - March 2009

Your Body

1st Trimester

Taking Care of THE GIRLS

What a once flat-chested fashion stylist learned about maternity bras

For maternity designs that are both practical and
pretty for your bigger boobs, try these websites:

motherwear.com evealexander.com hotmilklingerie.com amonmaternity.com

BY KATIE RICE JONES

I’ve always been as flat-chested as they come and buying bras was never high on my priority list. But during pregnancy, it was quite a different story—“the girls” were finally in full bloom. Sure they hurt like the dickens, but at least they were growing!

By the end of my first trimester, my breasts had graduated from those
of a prepubescent boy to a bada-bing C cup. Given this new real estate, my
first inclination was to run down to nearest Vickie Secrets and buy
the place out. But once I got there, I quickly realized their regular
fashion bras are not designed with the pregnant me in mind.
According to Susan Nethero, bra expert and author of
Bra Talk, “Most pregnant women will grow anywhere between
two to four additional cup sizes over the nine months. Only
maternity bras accommodate the size changes a pregnant
woman experiences.” Here are some other reasons why you
might consider a maternity bra.

MATERNITY BRAS ARE…

• Constructed with special stretch fabrics to accommodate enlarging breasts

• Designed with smoother, softer, and absorbent fabrics (yes, sometimes there’s leakage)

• Supportive without restrictive boning

• Versatile—many do double-duty as nursing bras

• Fuller cupped to provide 100 percent coverage

• Able to provide 90 percent of the bra’s support with wider shoulder and back straps

• Accommodating to an ever-widening rib cage with adjustable bust-lines and back straps.

Twenty years and a prayer after puberty, I was finally graced with big, beautiful boobs and I decided it was my time to flaunt them. So after weeding through plenty that looked downright clinical, I actually found a few brands that also had a little sass and style (see box above).

Sadly, what goes up must come down. So now I’m back to pancake status, and my functional, stylish, and sexy maternity bras sit patiently in my lingerie drawer waiting for the day when the girls, once again, demand their form and function.