Are underwired bras safe during pregnancy?

Any bra can cause damage to breast tissue if it doesn't fit correctly. But with a changing body shape, particularly growing breasts during pregnancy, good fitting bras are even more important during pregnancy and when breastfeeding baby.

All bras are made differently - some have wires under the cup, others don't and are called soft cup bras. There are many different types of bras and manufacturers across the world, all using different bra patterns, fabrics, and structures.

Without any formal research in this area, we can only use anecdotal evidence, bra fitting guidelines and common sense to advise women buying bras for maternity and nursing wear.

Any bra worn, at any time, should be comfortable. It should cover and support breast tissue, and there should be no pressure from seams or wires on the breast tissue - remember that breast tissue goes under the arm.

The breasts start to prepare for breastfeeding as soon as a woman conceives. They increase in size, so the cup size needs to be increased. If a woman continues to wear her current under-wired bra the wires will dig into the breast tissue at the side of the breasts.

When a woman gets fitted for a new bra, she will have the choice of a wide range of bras suitable for pregnancy. Most of these are soft cup bras. There are some soft wired bras available made by maternity and nursing bra specialists like Anita, Bravado, and Emily Lingerie that would be better for a pregnant woman than a hard wired fashion bra as they stretch around the breast tissue as the rib cage grows.

A better way to think about bras for pregnancy and nursing is that the bra needs to fit the breasts properly and be comfortable and suitable for changing body and breast shape. There are some great soft cup bras that offer better support than fashion underwired bras. It will be personal choice, budget and fit that are more important factors to consider.

It is more likely that a soft cup bra will be comfortable for longer during pregnancy as the ribs grow and the breasts increase. A badly fitting soft cup maternity bra can do damage to breast tissue, but adding a wire into the bra adds another issue to consider.

If a woman chooses to wear her favourite underwired lingerie during pregnancy it is advisable to get re fitted every 3 - 4 weeks. It is likely that the bra will need to be changed this regularly on some women.

If a woman is unsure about the fit of her bra, at any time, but particularly during pregnancy, she should seek professional help from a bra fitter with specialist knowledge of pregnancy and breastfeeding.

For more information visit http://bras4mums.qondio.com/