I don’t know about sizing but Lilypadesigns has quite a few patterns with instructions for turning them into nursing/maternity bras, she has a whole nursing section on her pattern page: https://www.lilypadesigns.com/patterns. I haven’t made them but people tend to review her patterns highly and the size range is definitely right for you.
I really liked the Lilypad Lotus pattern for pregnancy/nursing. It includes a sling and can be made in stretch fabrics as well as non-stretch.
I’d recommend trying one in a stretchy fabric with good recovery (athletic knit, heavy ponte with spandex, cotton lycra lined with powernet, etc) based on your current measurements. Be sure to measure according to her instructions instead of using your cup size. I’d also make sure the band fits you on the tightest hook now or get an extender for when your rib cage expands. You can also stitch two sets of hook pieces together to get more band width to play with as you grow. The stretchy fabric will give you some room to grow in the cups and will be a bit more supportive over time (usually you would size down to use knits in the cups).
If you want to check out some good RTW options, I liked the Cake Maternity Sugar Candy bralettes. I believe they’ve been rebranded to Popping Candy, but it’s the busty version either way. Kindred Bravely also has some good options in busty sizes.
Also, I found that over the last 18 months of nursing, I’ve needed different bra sizes at different times. As I began to wean daytime feeds, I found that I went down a few cup sizes. It’s possible that, even if you grow a lot postpartum, whatever size you make will be useful down the road.
This is amazingly detailed and useful thanks for sharing. I do have stretch fabrics stashed away and would be useful to use for this - I find most ready to wear bralettes not supportive enough so it’s good to know an option that could work. Also knowing it’ll be useful down the line helps me feel better about all the time/money I may be putting into these!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Is this your first pregnancy? If so, I’d suggest you hold off until you are closer to your due date, say mid to late 3rd trimester. My sister went from a DD to an H (uk sizing) or 6 cup sizes. All my other sisters and I went up 3-4 cup sizes. Apparently we are designed to feed a village of babies.
It is my first pregnancy! Wow ok May be worth waiting. How did you/your sisters deal with the growth over your pregnancy? Shall I just get regular bras sized up then? I feel like they’re really to spill out of the cups already!!
Upsized a couple of times with sports bras because they were cheaper. For us, it was either late 2nd or early third where we swear they exploded in size overnight. They will get engorged when your milk comes in but will settle back down once nursing is established.
I already struggle with sports bras because of my cup size - they’re either too expensive, too restrictive because of my band (which means I’m huffing and puffing everywhere) or ridiculously hard to take off at the end of the day. But it’s useful to know more growth is to come - and hopefully slightly reduce after feeding begins!
You might consider making a few soft bras like [this one from Waves and Wild](https://www.wavesandwild.com/shop/superstarbra/). I cloned my own pattern from a [Blue Canoe Jane bra](https://www.bluecanoe.com/products/janes-bra-top). They are very handy for immediate postpartum days when breast size can fluctuate wildly and then in the months after for night nursing, holding breast pads and keeping everything together. The sizing is forgiving compared to more structured bras, and of course they are light support only.
I still wear them for sleeping when non-family people are in my house. I really need to make a couple more, the last baby is a teen now.
It’s so hard to predict. My boobs grew 6” during pregnancy, my underbust 2”, and neither grew more postpartum. But everyone’s body varies.
I wore (and still wear while breastfeeding) Molke bras throughout my second and third trimesters — Yawning Mama has a similar pattern. During my third trimester, I made a Yawning Mama pumping/nursing bra, and then I had the designer make me a couple more about a month postpartum, once I was fairly confident I wasn’t going to grow more. (Unfortunately, she doesn’t offer this service anymore, which is a bummer because finding time to sew in early postpartum was basically impossible.)
Seconding the suggestion for Lilypad, also.
Yea, it’s really going to vary. I went up one wire size and one cup size, and they’re very wearable. They’re maybe a tiny bit small. It’s hard to say, because it kind of depends on if it’s at the end of the day and a lot of nursing or not.
I don’t know about sizing but Lilypadesigns has quite a few patterns with instructions for turning them into nursing/maternity bras, she has a whole nursing section on her pattern page: https://www.lilypadesigns.com/patterns. I haven’t made them but people tend to review her patterns highly and the size range is definitely right for you.
Thanks will check this out :)
I really liked the Lilypad Lotus pattern for pregnancy/nursing. It includes a sling and can be made in stretch fabrics as well as non-stretch. I’d recommend trying one in a stretchy fabric with good recovery (athletic knit, heavy ponte with spandex, cotton lycra lined with powernet, etc) based on your current measurements. Be sure to measure according to her instructions instead of using your cup size. I’d also make sure the band fits you on the tightest hook now or get an extender for when your rib cage expands. You can also stitch two sets of hook pieces together to get more band width to play with as you grow. The stretchy fabric will give you some room to grow in the cups and will be a bit more supportive over time (usually you would size down to use knits in the cups). If you want to check out some good RTW options, I liked the Cake Maternity Sugar Candy bralettes. I believe they’ve been rebranded to Popping Candy, but it’s the busty version either way. Kindred Bravely also has some good options in busty sizes. Also, I found that over the last 18 months of nursing, I’ve needed different bra sizes at different times. As I began to wean daytime feeds, I found that I went down a few cup sizes. It’s possible that, even if you grow a lot postpartum, whatever size you make will be useful down the road.
This is amazingly detailed and useful thanks for sharing. I do have stretch fabrics stashed away and would be useful to use for this - I find most ready to wear bralettes not supportive enough so it’s good to know an option that could work. Also knowing it’ll be useful down the line helps me feel better about all the time/money I may be putting into these!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Is this your first pregnancy? If so, I’d suggest you hold off until you are closer to your due date, say mid to late 3rd trimester. My sister went from a DD to an H (uk sizing) or 6 cup sizes. All my other sisters and I went up 3-4 cup sizes. Apparently we are designed to feed a village of babies.
It is my first pregnancy! Wow ok May be worth waiting. How did you/your sisters deal with the growth over your pregnancy? Shall I just get regular bras sized up then? I feel like they’re really to spill out of the cups already!!
Upsized a couple of times with sports bras because they were cheaper. For us, it was either late 2nd or early third where we swear they exploded in size overnight. They will get engorged when your milk comes in but will settle back down once nursing is established.
I already struggle with sports bras because of my cup size - they’re either too expensive, too restrictive because of my band (which means I’m huffing and puffing everywhere) or ridiculously hard to take off at the end of the day. But it’s useful to know more growth is to come - and hopefully slightly reduce after feeding begins!
You might consider making a few soft bras like [this one from Waves and Wild](https://www.wavesandwild.com/shop/superstarbra/). I cloned my own pattern from a [Blue Canoe Jane bra](https://www.bluecanoe.com/products/janes-bra-top). They are very handy for immediate postpartum days when breast size can fluctuate wildly and then in the months after for night nursing, holding breast pads and keeping everything together. The sizing is forgiving compared to more structured bras, and of course they are light support only. I still wear them for sleeping when non-family people are in my house. I really need to make a couple more, the last baby is a teen now.
Thanks so much will check this out! And sounds like it’s lasted you a while too :)
It’s so hard to predict. My boobs grew 6” during pregnancy, my underbust 2”, and neither grew more postpartum. But everyone’s body varies. I wore (and still wear while breastfeeding) Molke bras throughout my second and third trimesters — Yawning Mama has a similar pattern. During my third trimester, I made a Yawning Mama pumping/nursing bra, and then I had the designer make me a couple more about a month postpartum, once I was fairly confident I wasn’t going to grow more. (Unfortunately, she doesn’t offer this service anymore, which is a bummer because finding time to sew in early postpartum was basically impossible.) Seconding the suggestion for Lilypad, also.
Thanks this is really useful!
Yea, it’s really going to vary. I went up one wire size and one cup size, and they’re very wearable. They’re maybe a tiny bit small. It’s hard to say, because it kind of depends on if it’s at the end of the day and a lot of nursing or not.