It’s no secret that shopping online can be both wonderful and stressful. It can be awesome because you can shop from anywhere, anytime. (Midnight snacking? Insomnia? Cluster feeding? Our store is always open!) But it can be frustrating because you can’t try on your purchases beforehand, so you’re never quite sure if they’re going to fit.
To help you find the right fit, we’ve compiled answers to some of our BraveMoms’ most frequently asked questions. Have a bra fit tip of your own? Comment below.
Can I order the bra size I normally wear?
The challenge with bra sizing is that it can vary widely from one brand to another, in part because there aren’t any industry standards for sizing. Knowing your size in one brand will only get you so far. Shopping for maternity and nursing bras is even more complicated. Bodies, breasts in particular, undergo enormous changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Most of these changes are dictated by hormones, which makes it impossible to predict what your bra size will be when your baby arrives. (Many of the women we help with sizing go up at least one to two sizes in the chest band and may go up three to five cup sizes.) Your bra size may continue to change throughout your nursing journey.
Given that all maternity and breastfeeding bras are not created equal, we encourage our customers to measure their underbust and fullest bust before ordering. Even if you've previously ordered the exact same Kindred Bravely bra, we still encourage measuring again. Depending on where you are in your motherhood journey, your size may have changed since the last time you ordered.
How do you measure for a perfect bra fit?
Put on a bra that you feel fits you well. It shouldn’t be overly padded or constrictive. If breastfeeding, measure yourself during the daytime, before a regular feeding, when your breasts are full. If you don’t have a flexible tape measure, you can use any soft, non-stretchy material like a belt, necktie, or string, and then measure that length with a standard tape measure or ruler.
To find your size from your measurements (in inches), begin by measuring your underbust. This is the area directly under your breasts, around your ribcage. The measuring tape should be snug but not tight. Round your underbust measurement to the next whole, even number. This rounded number is your band size.
Next, get your fullest bust measurement. Wrap the tape measure around your back and snugly across the fullest part of your breasts.
Then, subtract your band size from your fullest bust measurement. Each whole number difference is one cup size. A difference of two inches is a B cup, three inches is a C cup, four inches is a D cup, and so on.
For example, if your underbust is 37 inches, you'd round it up to 38. If your fullest bust measurement is 44 inches, you’d subtract 38 from 44 to get six, which is a cup size of F. The correct bra size given these measurements is 38F, which is an XL-Busty in most Kindred Bravely bras. Since there are some slight variations among bra styles, please check your measurements on the size chart for each bra before ordering or message Customer Care at hello@kindredbravely.com for assistance.
Which type of bra is best for me?
Because our bras are stretchy and don’t have an underwire, they can accommodate many of the breast changes that occur during pregnancy and nursing. Our crossover-style bras are designed to fit multiple cup sizes — perfect for the normal fluctuations experienced during late pregnancy and early breastfeeding. The crossover styles like the Organic Cotton Nursing Bra and the French Terry Bras provide light support for at home or nighttime, with easy pull-aside nursing access.
Our Sublime family of products is also great for these size fluctuations. The Sublime Bra and Tank offer clip-down cups with a super soft, stretchy material that provides support but accommodates size changes.
The Marvella Bra is a great option for those who want a more structured cup with a stretchy chest band. It's ideal for either before or after the early nursing days (we generally don’t recommend structured cups when breast size is fluctuating so much).
The Sublime Hands-Free Pumping and Nursing Bra is the unicorn of bras for those who pump! It can be worn all day for nursing, pumping, or both. No need to change bras for your pumping session; put it on in the morning and wear it all day long.
How can I get the best fit during pregnancy?
For those shopping early in pregnancy who want a traditional hook closure, we recommend a bra, like the Simply Sublime, that can be worn comfortably on the tightest closure, to allow room to adjust larger as the ribcage expands. For those late in pregnancy, just before delivery, it's great if a nursing bra has some extra room in the cups (for breasts to grow once milk comes in) and a band that fits on the loosest hook closure so it can be adjusted smaller as the ribcage goes back to pre-pregnancy size after delivery.
We want you to get a perfect fit the first time you order. If you’d like personal fit help, reach out to our wonderful Customer Care team, and they’ll be happy to help you.
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