My, How They’ve Grown: Boob Changes in Pregnancy
Just when you feel you’ve made peace with your big boobs…Pregnancy! Even before I became pregnant, I wondered how much bigger my boobs would get, how I’d feel about it, and what it would look like. And I also wondered how the growth would translate to bra size and finding a good fit.
There’s nothing better than just showing you all how they changed, so here’s a photo journal through my pregnancy. Originally DH and I just took these photos for us to look back on, so you get an uncensored look at how exactly I was feeling toward the end of my first trimester (who needs a nap in photo 4??) and how awesome I felt in my second (beaming smiles in every one of those photos…ha!).
Top row, L to R: Week 6, Week 7, Week 10, Week 12, Week 15
Bottom row, L to R: Week 18, Week 24, Week 26, Week 29, Week 32 [breech baby]
So how exactly did my bust grow?
Here are the measurement and the approximate weeks things changed. Sometimes it took a bit to realize my bra wasn’t really fitting anymore and to get out the tape measure, which is why these are labeled “about week X,” since I only know when I took the measurements. Also, I wore an Ewa Michalak PL Black for the photos in week 10, 12, and 15, so my bust does look a little bigger even though it hadn’t changed yet (see my recent post here on how their PL style adds visual inches to my bust), and the EM CH Toffik in week 26, which also adds volume (my breasts actually look a tiny bit smaller in week 29 than 26 from wearing this bra!).
- Before pregnancy: 29.5″ underbust, 38.5″ overbust
- After first trimester: No change, but felt “fuller”
- About week 18/second trimester: No change on underbust, 40.5″ overbust [up two cup sizes; you can see the breast growth on the first two pics of the bottom row versus the top row, especially on week 24!]
- About week 28/third trimester: No change on underbust, 41″ overbust
- Week 31 and 32–breech baby, head up by my left ribs: 31″ underbust, 41.5″ overbust
- Week 33–baby flipped head down (yay!): 30″ underbust, 41.5″ overbust
Something that really surprised me was how much the baby being breech for a couple of weeks affected my underbust and the fit of my bras. As I wrote here, I felt like I had inflatable boobs during this time because my bras were fitting tighter. Because the bands were tighter, the cups also felt strained, too. Now, with the baby flipped down, I was shocked to see my ribcage measurement drop down another inch again. I could actually feel about 1-2″ of empty space under my ribcage after the baby flipped where his head had been before!
Photo taken today, 33 1/2 weeks, baby head down. Compared to the week 32 above, the baby is now sitting lower, changing my underbust measurement again!
BRA CHANGES
- When I started my pregnancy, I was in the middle of being re-fit by Claire at Butterfly Collection. The first batch of 30GG bras she sent (before my measurements had changed) were too big in the band and slightly small in the cup, so I’m guessing I was about a 28H/HH in the beginning.
- By week 18, we’d worked out I was fitting 28J bras.
- Now I’ve moved into 30 bands and I’m fitting well in J/JJ cups. During the two weeks of the breech baby, I tried a 32 band (which did not work–pics to come tomorrow) and then just wore my 30s on looser hooks, which felt better.
BOOB CHANGES AND SELF ESTEEM
I always thought changing this much would put me back in that place where my boobs felt freakishly large. But overall, there has been so much change going on with my body that the change in my breasts haven’t seemed as scary as I thought they might be. I’ve had fun waiting for the belly to overtake the bust, and, looking around at other pregnant women, I’ve realized that tons of us have huge boobs right now–more than I’ve ever noticed before! It really is par for the course. However, every once in a while, I do have one of those days. To head it off, I’ve:
- Tried to make sure I am in the right bra size. Sometimes that feeling is a sign that that my bras are starting not to fit and to check in with the tape measure. I have to say, I always felt awesome in my Panache sports bra and my Cleo Chloe (while it lasted; I outgrew it around week 29)! They were incredibly supportive and fit like gloves.
- Tried to avoid a bra style that makes me feel bustier. Several of my Ewa Michalak bras made my bust look even more pronounced and contributed to that feeling of inflatable boobs. So, on those days I do feel more sensitive about my bust size, I avoid my EM PL styles and go with one of the Panache Cleo bras that lift but don’t project my breasts. If you’re looking for new bras during this time, it might help to try and take a few minutes before deciding which ones to purchase and see how you feel in it. Try it on with your clothes. Go for the ones, if you can, that are comfy *and* give you a shape you like!
KEEPING UP WITH BOOB CHANGES AND BRA SIZE
So, how, exactly, can you keep up with the growing bust during pregnancy and stay in well fitting bras? This has been a huge learning experience for me, so tomorrow I’m going to be sharing the tips and advice I’ve gotten from bra fitters along the way. Stay tuned! 
It’s very cool seeing your changes during pregnancy! It’s nice to have some sort of roadmap for me too if I have another pregnancy. Last time I was so clueless about bra fitting (well, more like I had no clue WHERE to find bras) that my breasts were in a pretty sad state.
You look so cute in all your pictures too! Have you bought much in terms of maternity wear?
Oh, and my offer still stands for the PLs if you’re not getting much use out of them.
June, I don’t know how pregnant women manage in Brazil with the dearth of bras! I guess your only option would be size Large or the biggest B cup you could find?
I actually was thinking about putting together a post on what maternity wear I’ve bought–I took an inventory yesterday to get it started! I haven’t liked many of the maternity tops or dresses on me so while I’ve bought a few skirts and jeans, I haven’t purchased many tops. Most of my regular tops stopped fitting me in the second trimester, though, so I did purchase more clothes, but tried to find ‘normal’ tops that were super long but could be worn post-preg. I think it’s been about half and half. And I’ve gotten tons of use out of all the jersey and maxi dresses I already had in my closet.
I will definitely let you know about the PLs! Can’t decide if I should hang on to some for post-nursing if my size is changing a bunch, so I don’t have to order/wait for bras. So much unknown!!
Sarah, I actually was pregnant here for a few months before having a miscarriage so I have a fairly good idea of what it’s like finding maternity clothes/bras. In terms of maternity clothes even that’s a very new concept and something only the very rich can afford. Before losing the baby I spent over R$700 (at the time over $450) on about 4 pieces of maternity wear because I was so desperate for anything. I’m hoping that if I do get pregnant again I can at least alter down most of those, but I’m not sure how realistic that is since I was over 40lbs more then!
Bras… that was an absolute nightmare. I went to one maternity store and to get the closest to my cup size the band was so astronomically big that my breasts just slipped out (not I was probably a 34/36 band at the time!). Basically, I just altered down old bras from a higher weight. I really don’t know what other women do who are close to my size, suffer a lot?
I went up a lot in cup size when I was nursing… probably about 2 sizes at least (not that I was wearing anywhere close to the correct size at the time, though). It’s really hard when you’re already at the top end and you have no clue what to get form there!
This is a great post. I don’t plan to ever get pregnant, but it’s really interesting to see the variation in your bust and underbust. If I have any close friends who get pregnant I’ll send them here and hopefully it will help them gain a greater understanding of their boobs during pregnancy.
Thanks, Contrary! I hope to also keep track of things while nursing, too, since that is my next “OMG, they’re going to get even bigger from here!!” event. Although I know every woman’s experience is unique for both pregnancy and nursing, I’m hoping the info might help other women who feel nervous, like me, about what’s in store and how to keep your boobs supported during so much change!
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing these amazing photos and brilliant info! You look gorgeous and positively glowing.
I’ve got all this yet to come so it’s really insightful. May be thinking about trying with my other half in the next few years. We’ve been together 13 years now and I’m 30 I’m more aware of time ticking on.
It’s interesting to see that you increased up to a J, JJ. I think I’m similar size to you 28-30 GG-H so I wonder if I would go up to that too.
Becky x
Hi Becky! Thanks for your sweet comment! So exciting to think of starting to try for a baby…lots of luck to you!
I am kind of fascinated with all the changes that take place (boobs and otherwise). Chrystal at By Baby’s Rules blog is also chronicling the change in her breast size, so it will be interesting to see where she ends up, too. I’ve been told that during nursing size fluctuation has to do with where your milk ducts are located and how they expand, so I wonder if that is also the case during pregnancy, since the ducts gradually increase and then start to fill with colostrum toward the end. So for some women in nursing, they don’t experience huge size changes like other women do based on how their ducts lie; I’m guessing it may be similar in pregnancy as well, so I guess there’s just no predicting size changes!! (Maybe that’s a good thing; I would have been nervous to have that info beforehand–LOL)
Xx