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Oh, motherhood. All of those “what to expect” books left out the part about what happens to your boobs. I mean, is it just me? Because my boobs have seen a VARIETY of shapes and sizes over the past 4 years as a mother. Today I’m partnering with ThirdLove again to chat about the many boobs of motherhood and the bras you should be wearing with them. I truly believe undergarments have a say in our confidence and the way our clothes fit, and it’s important we invest in well-fitting bras to accommodate our body changes! So let’s chat boobs (again), shall we?
THE MANY BOOBS OF MOTHERHOOD
Pre-Motherhood Boobs. These are the days long forgotten once you become a mom. This is the stage of perfect, perky boobs that you achieved after puberty. These are the days when you feel totally confident rocking that string bikini because, hello, perfect boobs. No support is even needed (unless you’re well endowed) because they have the perfect perk factor since nothing has sucked the life out of them yet! I miss these boobs tremendously, ha!
Pregnancy Boobs. AKA, the best boobs of your life! Or at least MY life. Since I’m not all that well-endowed, my pregnancy boobs were heaven sent. Slightly bigger than pre-motherhood boobs, pregnancy boobs are even perkier and fuller, and just look incredible. I would be permanently pregnant just for the boobs, if it was possible!
Milk Boobs. These boobs are also nice, but it depends on the time of day and how long a feeding was 😉 My milk boobs with my first kid were INSANE, but I did not reap the same benefits with baby #2. Which makes me entirely too nervous for the next stage because I’m afraid they’ll be nonexistent, ha! I have a photo from when my milk came in with Landon and I don’t even recognize my boobs, they’re so huge. These ta-tas requires liiiiiitle more support than our previous two stages, given their new functionality!
Post-Milk Boobs. K, this is where I’m at right now. Post-milk boobs are downright depressing to look at. The perkiness is gone, they sag, and they just won’t be the same ever again! I swear my boobs SHRUNK in size and my pre-motherhood bras no longer fit. I feel like they left without warning! Almost two years of amazing boobs and then NADA! I feel like I completely lost an entire cup size once I was done nursing. Womp womp.
Okay, now that we’ve discussed the stages of boob changes we experience through motherhood, let’s discuss the “hardware” we need to keep them looking and feeling their best. As a mom, bras are one of those items we unfortunately can no longer go without, and they become a staple part of our wardrobe (especially those post-milk boobs!). I truly believe that being well supported underneath your clothes is of utmost importance because it makes your clothes fit so much better! I invested in a variety of bra types to keep my hoo-has looking good, even if they are itty bitty. Here are my suggestions for the best bras during motherhood.
STAPLE BRAS FOR YOUR MOMIFORM
A t-shirt bra. These are actually my favorite because of how comfortable they are on. They offer enough support, and there’s no extra padding which makes me feel like I’m wearing nothing at all. These bras are great for almost all boob types, too. I personally love ThirdLove’s 24/7 Classic T-Shirt bra, and I’m usually always wearing it if I’m home! I have one in a nude color so I can wear it with everything. ThirdLove also makes the Classic T-Shirt bra with lace, which adds a bit of sexiness! Ow owwwww!
A push-up bra. See “post-milk boobs.” This bra is a PRIORITY for me. I need, need, need a bit of push-up in my life, and I have zero shame about it. I typically wear my ThirdLove Classic Push-up Bra when I’m going out or dressing up a bit so I look a little less…..flat? I feel some of my clothes look better with a push-up bra, so it’s a staple item in my wardrobe. This bra is especially good for us smaller chested ladies (or saggy..or as ThirdLove calls it, “relaxed” 😉 ), but I like that it’s not too much of a push-up where it looks fake.
Strapless bra. A strapless is a MUST depending on the clothing item you’re wearing! And you NEED a good one that won’t fall down mid-day (no one has time for that!) I have ThirdLove’s 24/7 Strapless Bra and it stays up ALL day. It’s made to fit all boob shapes and sizes, and should be a staple in your lingerie drawer! I typically wear mine a lot in the summer due to off shoulder tops or strapless dresses. It definitely gets it’s use!
A bra that makes you feel sexy. Maybe this isn’t a priority, but it should be. You’re a beautiful woman who deserves to feel beautiful! I realize that motherhood can change the way we look at ourselves in the mirror. Our hips are wider, maybe we have stretch marks, and our boobs are sagging amongst other things. But we’re still amazing women who created these amazing babies, and we deserve to feel good about ourselves. I recommend having at least ONE bra that makes you feel like the hot and sexy mama you are. Maybe there’s a little lace or peekaboo mesh, or maybe it gives you awesome cleavage! Whatever makes YOU feel sexy is what matters. Right now I’m obsessed with ThirdLove’s Perfect Plunge Contour bra and their Front Closure Lace Racerback bra. The delicate details make me feel feminine and sexy, even under my clothes.
ThirdLove has an awesome “Try Before Buying” program where you can try the bra for 30 days (with the tag removed!) before deciding if you love it. Use their Fit Finder to size yourself right in the privacy of your own home (see my last post on this here!), pick your bras, and test drive them for the month! Well-fitting bras are a wardrobe staple, so treat yourself to this, mama! Your boobs will thank me 😉
(Photos by Victoria Gloria)
A huge thank you to ThirdLove for sponsoring today’s post!
OMG yes the stages of mom boobs is tough! I’m where you are now. I actually tried my wedding dress on recently (every woman does this at least once, right? ????) and looking at how my boobs no longer fit in beautifully like they did on my wedding day made me a bit sad. ???? It’s been too long since I treated myself to a new bra but I can’t wait to try to racerback one! ????
Hahahaha, treat yourself mama!!!!!
Love this blog post! You crack me up and love your description of all stages of boobs ???? You got it spot on ????????
Hahaha thank you!
Oh my gosh this post was so cute, I was chuckling along even though I don’t even have kids yet! I guess I’m at the first stage, however being a bit “well endowed” my boobs already sag etc… I can only imagine what they’ll look like after breastfeeding! Uh oh! Lol. Thank you for this though, you are so fun! And that lace back bra is GORGEOUS!! I never knew what to wear with shirts like that but HELLO! Problem solved!!
xo, jess
alljessedup.com
Haha, it’s a beautiful bra! And supportive, so double win!
I found your blog a few weeks ago when I was searching for I think, maternity clothes? Anyway… I love your posts! I’m about 23 weeks pregnant with my first and I’m kind of nervous for more changes haha! I went from a C cup to a triple D in a matter of 10 weeks. They’ve stayed the same but I’m nervous to see if they get any (as you say) perkier lol!! Would these bras be good for swollen pregnancy boobs as well?
Yes! They would be great for that! Congrats!
Okay, I love this post! Mama needs to get her groove back after this baby and I feel like a good bra is definitely one of the ways to go!
I can totally relate to this post. Before my kids, I was barely an A cup. I was always kinda sad that the girls were so small. Then I got pregnant, they grew a cup size and were nice during pregnancy. Then after I wrapped up with breastfeeding, they look like deflated ballons. I went through two more pregnancies. I often look at my boobs and see tiger stripped, deflated ballons who gave ny kids nutrition for a short period of time. I am thankful that my boobs are bigger than before kids. I personally hate underwire. I never found it comfortable and sometimes a crappy bra would make its way up half my boob. Talk about embarrassing. I now wear sports bras or any other bras that I can find that doesn’t have underwire.
Can’t wait for mine to come, thanks so much! 4 kids in 4.5 years..I’d say “relaxed” is an understatement for me, lol. I especially like the try before you buy because I recently spent $70 on a Knixwear bra that was supposed to be the most comfortable bra ever and it was horrible. AND they don’t do refunds of exchanges if it’s been worn (how else am I supposed to see if it fits?!) so now I have a $70 bra that sucks that I’m stuck with. Anyway, thanks again for the rec, have a great weekend!
I had the worst experience with Third Love. On the bra I ordered, the ban sizing was inconsistent – the 34 was smaller than normal, the 36 was huge. The worst part was I had to beg to get my refund. When I finally got a response from someone, they refunded it within a couple of days, but it was nearly impossible to get a response.
It seems that every blogger I follow is singing their praises, so I really wanted to try it and find a more comfortable bra. I just can’t get behind a company with this type of service. I’m glad it worked for you, but it did not for me.
I’m so sorry you had this experience!!!
I went from a DD/E before bebe to a C after – WTF, body? Tho, now I can wear tanks w/built-in shelf, sports bras without needing the super pricey bras that locked those suckers down. So, I guess there’s a *small* benefit. (<—do you see what I did there.)
You have no idea how much this post speaks to me! You are so relatable and funny and definitely make me feel like I’m not alone! At my wedding day I was a 34B after nursing 4 kids and gaining 70 lbs and then losing it all I’ve been everything from 34 B all the way to a 38 DD! No one tells you how much that is going to hurt!! 🙈🤣Sadly now at a 32 “relaxed” B I have a hard time finding a bra that makes me feel like a woman! I’m hoping to try ThirdLove’s push up bra!