Best bras for breastfeeding? Here’s what to expect from the early days to one year
Posted by Claire Hewitt, on August 5, 2025. Tags: breastfeeding, new mum, nursing bras
Estimated reading time: 8 minute(s)
You don’t have to be a first-time mum to realise that the breastfeeding journey is as unique as your baby. With World Breastfeeding Awareness Week beginning on 1st August, we’re turning our attention to the beautiful, sometimes confusing, sometimes frustrating but ultimately loving experience of nursing your baby.
Just as they do during pregnancy, your boobs change a lot when you breastfeed. This can make it tricky to choose a bra that fits you well throughout the entire process – in fact, you’ll probably need to curate different sets of bras to have on rotation at various stages.
Using our extensive knowledge of maternity and nursing bras (the NCT was Royce’s first major client back in the early days, and many women at Royce HQ have breastfed their own babies) we look at what a typical nursing ‘bra-drobe’ could look like throughout a year of breastfeeding.
Your ‘due date’ week
Leading up to your due date there’s a feeling of “any day now” looming every time you get dressed. As for your boobs, they’re likely to be the largest you’ve felt up to that point as they prepare to be a busy milk factory for your baby.
Best bra?
If you’re a F to J cup, lounge bra Mia is a great choice. It’s a relaxed style that’s free of fastenings meaning it’s supremely comfortable, even for sleeping in (and waiting around for baby). With dual cup sizing (F/FF to J/JJ) it accommodates any changes in size when your baby arrives, and you can simply pull it to the side for skin-to-skin contact and nursing.
The early days
You might have thought that your boobs were the biggest they’ll be around your due date – well, prepare for a surprise… Anytime around day two to day five, your breasts are likely to grow even bigger. They may feel warmer and fuller, or even heavy and throbbing (some women describe feeling quite shocked at how ginormous they become). This is a sign that your milk is “coming in” – the thicker, antibody- and vitamin-rich colostrum is being replaced by mature milk which is more liquid and greater in volume.
Your baby is likely to be ‘cluster feeding’ at first – short but frequent bursts of suckling – before settling into a more regular feeding pattern. This means that your breasts will be drained of milk then refilled several times during an average day, so get ready for a lot of big/small/big/small boobs.
Best bra?
Blossom is a best-seller for a reason – the triple cup sizing accommodates fluctuating breast size, and the innovative design means it can be worn as a crop top or with a plunge neckline. The easy-to-use clips and retainer strap make feeding quicker and fuss-free with more skin-to-skin contact. Choose from black/white polka dot or leopard print.
From 3 to 6 months
If breastfeeding is going well (and if it isn’t, don’t panic, everyone’s experience is different) you’re likely to find yourself in a more settled routine. You may not be experiencing the wildly fluctuating breast size of the very early days, but it may still be noticeable depending on how often your baby feeds. Hopefully, you’ll also be feeling confident about getting out and about and feeding in public (remember, it is your legal right to breastfeed in public in the UK, as we talked about in this blog post).
Best bra?
Alongside Blossom, our nursing bra Indie is a pretty out-and-about option. With easy-to-use nursing clips and retainer straps, this moulded maternity bra features a peek of lace detailing around the neck and band. It also comes in two shades (petrol blue and lilac) available individually or in a two-pack.
Best bra for fuller cups
Fuller cup mums have been loving Cara Nursing since its launch. Alongside all the regular Royce maternity features, Cara Nursing gives G to L cups exceptional support when breastfeeding thanks to side slings, a firm underband and double layered cups
From 6 months to a year
At around six months, it’s recommended that you begin to wean your baby. Introducing solid foods means that, gradually, your baby won’t need as much breast milk as before. As feeds become fewer, your milk supply will decrease too, and engorged breasts become a thing of the past. As the year progresses, you may drop down to two daily feeds or even just one (either first thing in the morning or last thing at night).
Although statistics show that most women in the UK don’t breastfeed for a year, many choose to because of the health benefits and emotional connection. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) breastmilk continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one third during the second year of life.
Best bra?
Maisie, so popular as an everyday T-shirt bra that we made a nursing version, will help you feel a bit more like your old self again as things settle down. Available in ivory or black, it features smooth lightly padded cups, nursing clips and satin trim detailing
While breastfeeding may become a smaller part of your routine, your body is unlikely to go back to exactly how it was pre-pregnancy. You may still feel comfortable in bras that you wore during pregnancy – this is perfectly fine, but you do need to be honest about whether they properly fit you anymore. If your breastfeeding feeding journey is nearing its end, it’s time to get re-measured. Our customer service team are trained fitters and can offer advice over the phone, call 01295 265557 in office hours for a virtual fitting.
If you’re now only feeding first thing or last thing in the day, you won’t necessarily need features such as clips and retainer straps for easy access – this means that regular everyday bras are back on the agenda. If you’re larger cupped, browse our fuller cup styles (if you loved using Cara Nursing we’ve also designed an everyday version, or you could treat yourself to a Florentine set – you’ve earnt it!).
If you’re back to your smaller size again (perhaps smaller than you were pre-pregnancy), T-shirt bras such as Posie (A to D cups) or crop top-style Lola (AA/A to D/DD) may become your new go-to bras.
