03/07/2026
When should you get fitted for new maternity/nursing bras?
Well, the short answer is: When your current bras no longer fit comfortably.
And here's the longer answer: Most pregnant women find that their breasts noticeably increase in size during their first trimester, often starting very early on, and so find they need larger cups. For some women an increase in breast size is the first indication that they are pregnant. This initial 'growth spurt' usually slows down, or stops, by the time women enter their second trimester. So getting fitted for new maternity bras around the end of your first trimester is a good idea. Once you start to outgrow your pre-pregnancy bras, you could opt for bras with stretchy or adjustable cups, to accommodate further growth, to save having to buy bigger bras multiple times.
During the second trimester there doesn't tend to be as much breast growth, but this is generally when bumps start to show and bra bands start to get tight. If the bras you bought at the end of your first trimester fitted on the tightest hooks when you bought them, you can start wearing them on a looser set of hooks. If you run out of hooks, but the cups still fit well, using bra extenders is a cheaper option than buying new bras.
During your third trimester, your bump will continue to grow, and in the last couple of weeks your breasts are likely to have another 'growth spurt'. It is a good idea to get fitted for nursing bras sometime after 36 weeks. If you get bras that fit well on the loosest hooks now, then once your baby bump disappears, they should fit well on the tighter hooks. You should also make sure the cups are either stretchy or adjustable, to accommodate the dramatic increase in breast size most women get in the first week after giving birth, not to mention the continuing (but less extreme) fluctuations in size you'll likely experience during the first months.
Finally, once your breasts stop changing size between feeds, you can opt for more structured bras (by this stage even underwired bras are okay, as long as you make sure they fit really well). This stage is reached by different people at different times. Some mums find their breast size has settled by 8 weeks after giving birth, while others still notice significant differences until 6 months, or even later.
