Evymama's Nursing Bra Sizing Guidelines

How to fit yourself for a nursing bra & when to buy your nursing bras!

With all of the changes happening to a woman's breasts during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the number of women wearing the wrong maternity or nursing bra is much higher than the average. For a perfectly sized nursing bra, visit us at Evymama Nursing & Maternity, Toronto's Only Breastfeeding Boutiques, at 266 Jane Street or 230 Danforth Avenue for a professional fitting. However, if you are shopping for your breastfeeding bras in our online boutique, use these guidelines to choose the correct size of nursing bra for you. Your nursing bras are an investment! Your breastfeeding lingerie should match your size and shape, your lifestyle, your tastes, and your budget. We are very happy to help online customers with their selections over the phone at 416.913.0546 (Jane Street) or 416.465.9991 (Danforth Avenue) during our regular business hours. 

First, you will need to take your measurements. You will need a soft tape measure and someone to help you (for the most accurate fit your arms should be down at your sides, which is hard to do when you're the one holding the tape measure). If you do not have a soft tape, use a ribbon or string and hold this against a regular tape measure to get your measurements.

For the Under Bust measurement hold the tape parallel to the floor and wrap it snugly around your ribs, directly under the bust. Take note of this measurement in inches. Round up the measurement to the nearest inch. (ie: 34.5" should be rounded up to 35").

For the Bust measurement, hold the tape parallel to the floor around the fullest part of the bust, without squishing the tape into the breast tissue. Round this measurement up to the nearest inch as well.

Use the Under Bust Measurement to choose your band size from the following chart:

Under Bust Measurement: 
Suggests Band Size:
24" - 25" 28
25" - 26" 30
27" - 29" 32
29" - 32" 34
33" - 34" 36
35" - 39" 38
40" - 41" 40
42" - 43" 42
44" - 45" 44
46" - 47" 46

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 






 

To determine your cup size, subtract the Under Bust measurement from the Bust measurement. Every inch difference equals one cup size, ie:

1" difference = A cup
2" = B cup
3" = C cup
4" = D cup
5" = E cup
6" = F cup
7" = G cup
8" = H cup, etc. (Evymama stocks bras up to M cup)

Do not be alarmed if you come up with a cup size that is drastically different than bras you have been wearing in the past. Most women are wearing the wrong bra size! Our average nursing mama is a G/H cup!

Remember to go by the fit, not by the numbers. You have to try the nursing bra on to know if it is a proper fit, despite the measurements. If it fits correctly, that's your nursing bra size even if the tape measure told you differently.

 

How to Properly Put on a Bra:

You cannot tell if your bra fits well if you do not put on your bra correctly. In order to know the bra is fitting well, follow these steps to make sure you have put it on correctly: 

1. Put on the band and hook it. You can hook it at the back or front and then twist it around - it doesn't really matter which method you prefer. 

2. The straps should not be too tight - looser is better at this point. Once you have determined that the bra fits well you should tighten the straps (see step 6).

3. Lean forward and put the straps on your shoulders. Fit your breasts into the cups.

4. This is the most important part: reach into the cups, to the side under the wire in your armpit. Pull the flesh forward and up. If you have "armpit fat" pull this in, too. (This is not actually armpit fat, it is most like breast tissue!)

5. Tighten the straps just enough so that there is a bit of tension and no slack.

6. Go through our steps below to see if this bra is fitting well.

7. Please note - if you are wearing the correct size, the cups will probably seem a little bit "empty" and too big until you scoop your tissue into them. As long as the top of the cup sits smoothly on your breast after you have scooped in, then the cups are a good size.


Here are some important tips when trying on your nursing bra:

  • Use nursing pads if you anticipate that you will leak milk.
  • Put the band on first, then, leaning forward, use your hands to ensure that ALL of the breast tissue is inside the cups. Adjust the straps to the approximate right position, then raise them and make your final strap adjustment. Now you can assess the fit.
  • The band should not ride up in the back. If it does, you need a smaller band size.
  • The band should not be so tight that it leaves red marks, or causes back flesh to bulge around it (aka "back fat").
  • You should be able to fit only one or two fingers under the band of your bra when the band is the correct size. Most women that we see are wearing a too-loose bra band.
  • New bras should fit best on the last (loosest) hook, so that as the bra stretches over time, there are hooks available to tighten the band.
  • Your straps should not fall off your shoulders. If they do, chances are that your band is too big and is riding up.
  • Your straps should not dig into your shoulders. This either means that you need a larger cup size, or a smaller band (so that the band is giving most of the support rather than the straps).
  • The centre section of the bra should sit fairly flush against the centre of your chest, especially in a wire bra. Non-wire bras tend to sit a little away from the skin (but should still give you separation). If the centre section of your bra is too far away from your chest, you need a larger cup size.
  • In an underwire bra, the wire on the side of the breast should fit behind the breast tissue, not on it. The wire of a properly sized cup should encase the breast tissue entirely.
  • Your breasts should not bulge or spill out of the cups. If this happens, you need a bigger cup size.
  • There should be no creases in the bra's cup once you have fitted your breasts into them correctly. Creases indicate a cup that is too big. Bras with molded cups should fit exactly to your breast and have no extra room in them.
  • If one of your breasts is bigger than the other, always fit the bra to the bigger breast. A nursing bra that is too small can cause blocked ducts or mastitis. A little room on one side will not be discernable under your clothes, particularly if you choose a padded nursing bra.

If in doubt, please call the boutique and ask one of the Evymamas for her expert opinion. We want all nursing mamas to be in well-fitting, comfortable, supportive nursing bras!

Happy Nursing from Evymama!