A maternity bra is made to be extra stretchy and more comfortable during pregnancy. A maternity bra will adjust along with a woman's pregnancy as her breasts get bigger and heavier. It is sometimes called a pre-natal bra.
A maternity bra is worn during pregnancy when a woman's breasts are more sensitive and need better support. A woman's breasts will increase in size during pregnancy and will need both support and comfort that a regular bra can't provide since it is only one size and doesn't adjust to fit the needs of a pregnant woman.
A good maternity bra is usually free of adornments like lace, as this can cause itchiness and discomfort as a woman's pregnancy continues. Some woman sleep in a maternity bra to help give their breasts more support, as this can make sleeping easier and relief breast pain. If you choose to do this, be sure to buy a maternity bra without underwire.
During pregnancy, it isn't just the woman's cup size that gets bigger, so does the circumference of her back. That means that a one point or another in the pregnancy, she will need to retake her measurements and buy a maternity bra that is a larger size in more areas than just the cup. An alternative to this may be to buy a bra extender, which is a piece of material that attaches to the snaps or hooks of the bra and makes it larger.
Pregnancy can cause each one of a woman's breasts to gain about a pound, which puts quite a bit of strain on your back and the surrounding areas. If care isn't taken to provide the proper support for this weight increase by using a maternity bra, it could cause stretch mark, increased back pain, and other issues. This is because the ligaments in the breast will be stretched out due to the increase in weight and size. A maternity bra insures that those problems do not occur, as well as giving the pregnant woman the needed extra support.
A pregnant woman should buy a maternity bra at about the 4th month of pregnancy, as that is when the breasts start to grow the most. Most of these bras have four or more rows of hooks in the back, which means that you can start at the smallest size and adjust to the last pair of hooks by the time the baby is born. It's best to buy at least three of the maternity bras so you can be wearing one, have a dirty one, and have one in the wash.
