Ask Judy: How Can I Get A Nursing Bra That Fits

Dear Judy, I am curious--how do I leave an accurate measurement on your Virtual Bra Fittings if the cup sizes on my bra are way too snug? My milk came in and now my 38I's are too small. -- Liz F.

Thanks for writing in, Liz. That is actually one of the biggest challenges of doing any bra fitting - in person or virtually. And even when the bra does fit properly, some people just don't measure what they are supposed to wear. I have had numerous clients who measure either much larger or much smaller than they actually wear. It's definitely a challenge!

That is why for our virtual bra fittings and our in-person fittings - we ask a lot of questions. The first question - "What size bra are you wearing now and how does it fit?" - tells me if your measurements are close at all to what you are actually wearing. If they aren't - then I know that I need to find out why - is your bra the wrong size or is the bra that you are wearing not fitting properly? There are even times when I ask someone to send me a photograph of them wearing their current bra so that I can "see" how it fits. The more details you can provide on how it fits the better. So when you say you are spilling out of your current bra - what does that mean? Are you spilling out of the front of the cups, front and sides? How much are you spilling out? Just a little bump or are they really coming out of the bra? What brand bra are you wearing? Different brands run differently - and are often sized differently (e.g. UK sizing vs US sizing). So knowing all of this will help me to figure out if your measurements are indicative of your true size.

The question "What type of bra are you looking for?" helps me to narrow down the hundreds of bras on my site to something that will work for you. Part of the selection is narrowed by your size. In your case, there are only a few bras that come in sizes larger than 38I. But for someone who is a 34C, the selection is virtually endless. So knowing how much support you want, if you want it to be pretty or plain and if you want underwire or not can help to narrow down the selection to something that is going to work better for you. Giving a price range is also a good thing to give if you have a budget in mind.

The question about whether or not you are pregnant and how old your baby is tells me if I need to leave room for your size to change or if I should recommend a different style bra from the type that you want to try. Sometimes people will write in for a fitting when they are pregnant and want underwire with a molded cup. Well, that type of bra has the LEAST amount of flexibility of all bras - and when you are still pregnant, you want something that will hopefully last until your baby is born - so more flexibility is better. So I might make recommendations that differ from your preferences and I will explain why. If you already have your baby, knowing if your baby is very small (and hence, your size may still be fluctuating) vs if your baby is older and your size is more stable is again going to change the type of bras that I will recommend for you.

And finally, the last question - "How much has your size changed?" I have found that "in general" when a woman's size has changed a LOT already during her pregnancy, she is less likely to have a large change when her milk comes in. But when her sizes hasn't changed much at all, then we will want to leave room for growth, because chances are it is going to change more when her milk comes in. Of course, there are no guarantees or rules - but it is a little correlation that I have noticed in my years of fitting moms into great bras.

So, in a nut shell - that is why I can most likely give you an accurate fitting even though your current bra isn't fitting you properly. The more information you can provide me with, the better your "Virtual Fitting" will be. I don't promise that it will be 100% accurate - but it is a better start than just "guessing" and will hopefully result in fewer exchanges than if we didn't do the fitting. Bra fitting is definitely more of an "ART" than a "SCIENCE" - and sometimes, it's just a "feeling" that I get while doing your fitting that influences the size that I recommend.

If you are reading this post and you have had one of our Virtual Fittings - we would love to hear what you thought of it! Please leave a comment with your thoughts!