Nursing Bra for large cup and band

November 22, 2015 6:16 PM

Where (online or in Seattle) can I purchase a nursing bra that goes larger than a 42 DDD? Not sure of my current size but that's what I was measured at mid-pregnancy.

I saw this question from last year but the suggested sites don't seem to go past a 40" band. I'm pretty sure I am larger than the 42 DDD bra I bought but don't know where to start on a new cup size. I currently prefer something I can easily slip my breast out of to feed. I'm also looking for plus size (2x) tops that are good for feeding without excess nudity.

posted by toomanycurls to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (19 answers total)

I'm about a 36F and wore Bravado nursing bras. I don't know if they go past 40, but you can get a bra extender to add two inches.
posted by amro at 6:31 PM on November 22, 2015

I believe Decent Exposures, located in Seattle, will make you a custom bra!
posted by djinn dandy at 6:32 PM on November 22, 2015

Bravado specializes in really great nursing bras for a broad range of sizes.
posted by dotparker at 6:33 PM on November 22, 2015

Decent Exposures in Seattle should have you covered (link is to Bratabase), up to (US) cup size L. They do make nursing bras.

You could try a (UK cup) 40E or 40F with an extender; that will open up a lot more options, including what's carried at Nordstrom. I've also heard good things about Bravissimo's nursing bras.
posted by mgar at 6:39 PM on November 22, 2015

Check out r/ABraThatFits. They field questions like this all the time, and are pretty knowledgeable about difficult to fit sizes.
posted by givennamesurname at 6:44 PM on November 22, 2015

Maybe try to find out your current size if you can; I know I never expected to go from a C-cup to a G-cup, but I did! Try Anita -- looks like they go up to band size 48 and cup size J.
posted by trillian at 6:47 PM on November 22, 2015

42DDD and above nursing bras at Nordstrom (3 bras) - and DDD = F. Nordstrom has free shipping and free returns.
posted by trillian at 6:51 PM on November 22, 2015

FIgleaves and Her Room have nursing bras that have large bands/large cups.

I agree to recheck your size with the calculator.
posted by Crystalinne at 6:52 PM on November 22, 2015

And here are nursing bras at Amazon in band sizes 42-48, cup size DDD-N, sorted by avg. review.
posted by trillian at 6:57 PM on November 22, 2015

The wonderful people at Zovo's have always bent over backwards to help me find something that works for me and all the people I have brought to them, including suggesting places to look and brands to check that they don't get, and special orders. Their location in University Village is older but the people in Bellevue have been just as helpful, though I think they have less room for stock. I am not sure if they carry nursing bras but you can email them and ask, and they will probably reply with a list of suggestions and an invitation to come by for a fitting even if you won't be buying bras from them.
posted by Mizu at 7:11 PM on November 22, 2015

For avoiding excess nudity, you want the Undercover Mama tank. It's like a camisole without straps and clips to the top of each bra cup so that when you lower one, that part of the tank goes with it. Everything else stays in place and you're left with literally only the breast you're using (sorry, is there a better word?) exposed.
posted by teremala at 7:44 PM on November 22, 2015

I have not done this myself, but you can purchase the nursing-bra clips and DIY. Needle, thread, clips ... this tutorial goes into further detail. Other tutorials involve sewing machines, but this one takes more of the approach of "stab fabric with needle and thread until fastened". She also takes it an extra step by adding extra elastic to make sure the strap doesn't fall behind your back (which you can probably skip).
posted by kellygrape at 8:05 PM on November 22, 2015

Seconding Nordstrom! I haven't done it, but I've also heard they'll convert any bra you like in their store to a nursing bra for a small fee.
posted by whitewall at 9:07 PM on November 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

I walk past Bella Materna, on Westlake Ave N (midway up the lake, next to the big black monolithic China Harbor), on the way to my cigar shop. I can't vouch for them since I'm not the bra-wearing sort, but they specialize, exclusively as far as I can tell from the outside, in the maternity bra trade. Appointment only, it appears.

Stop in for cigars, afterwards!
posted by Sunburnt at 9:20 PM on November 22, 2015

Cake bras have some that go up to 42M - I have the Sorbet and like it.
posted by vunder at 9:31 PM on November 22, 2015

Please double check your fit at the link for /r/abrathatfits. 42 DDD is an unusual size--I'm betting your cup size is actually much bigger than that (and this is speaking as a 36 FF nursing mother). Also, are you still pregnant? If so, buy a few cheap sleep nursing bras and wait for your milk to come in. You will probably also need to remeasure yourself once your supply regulates. I was a 34 EE while pregnant, a 36 H during the first few months of breastfeeding and now have settled as a 36 FF. Fit is especially important for nursing bras because improper fit can cause mastitis.

All that said, I've tried several brands--cake, panache, anita, cheap target nursing bras. My favorite by far is an underwire Anita nursing bra. You can buy them on amazon. Keep in mind that their sizing is German and you'll need to convert it to American sizes.

For nursing tops, I really like H&M's. Their sizes run very large--I have two tops marked large that fit more like a XXL. They're very affordable, too.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:22 AM on November 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh, also, your personal anatomy may make this more or less successful (I have large areola but also don't care about occasionally exposing myself). I know many women who skip dedicated nursing tops completely and use the "two shirt" method instead. Wear a cheap, form fitting camisole with a stretchy neckline on the bottom and a regular shirt on top. Lift the regular shirt up and the camisole down. Voila: you've converted almost any shirt to a nursing shirt!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:25 AM on November 23, 2015

I am a 38J and gave up on nursing bras. I refuse to go without an underwire unless they can really shape me, and just about everything I found fit poorly. I went to my super-great local bra shop, where I buy my bras (and where they design their own line of bras), and the woman told me two very important pieces of information.

1. No one bra will have everything you want in a nursing bra. The bra industry simply can't get their act together. It's true that underwires may restrict some people's ducts, but not always, and if you aren't going to be supported properly without wires (or seams), you'll be in a lot of pain.

2. You can turn nearly any bra into a nursing bra! Just get some clips attached to the straps so that the cups can be folded down.

The fact that a bra shop owner was telling me to go out and get my existing bras altered with a $2 piece of plastic instead of buying something from her really opened my eyes.

Personally, I thought that the Decent Exposures bra was worse than wearing no bra at all; it flattened my boobs and made them hang low. Worst of both worlds.
posted by St. Hubbins at 6:26 PM on November 23, 2015

Response by poster: I measured myself (with help) using the guidelines on r/ABraThatFits and got 44J. At that size I'll probably go the Nordstrom route and have a well fitting bra altered (I also learned that I have a shallow cup that's full on top which doesn't sound very easy to fit per their guide).

PhoBWanKenobi - I had my little guy two weeks ago and my milk came a few days after that. It seems the milk flow has evened out so I'm less engorged than I was.
posted by toomanycurls at 2:40 PM on November 24, 2015