Hello!
I have been sneaking away from my two babies during naps (attempting to – spring cold & flu season has a grip on our house) in order to share some of my hard (& comfy & supportive!) lessons learned in bras & nursing bras with you … I hope this is helpful to at least a few!
First … me: I am 5ft10, 200 lb. I measure 47 over, 35 under. Depending on how tight you learn to love your bra band, I am 34J or 36H on the books. This, of course, changes with every bra … each one has a different shape/fit/feel/stretch to it. ;p
A) it took me until the delightful age of 37 to discover out-of-Canada bras that are properly sized & the uplifting work they can do when worn properly …
B) this has changed me! New posture, new sizes, new clothes, new attitude, along with a new OBSESSION with helping others to look & feel greater than ever too … 😉
C) children … come with a whole new boob-revelation. On so many levels.
A few helpful places I have found online:
Calculators: http://www.sophisticatedpair.com/bracalculator.htm
Great overall learning & Advice that got me on my way to a good bra (dozen): http://www.breakoutbras.com/sizing (I have no affiliation, just really really appreciate their support & advice this last 9 months).
Also: https://fullerfigurefullerbust.wordpress.com/ You make me smile. Great take on life, great passion for being YOU and supporting others in the same journey.
Ok!
Background:
Canada has LaSenza. It is our retail bra goddess. Run & Owned by a smart man. He does not see a large enough market for fuller figured or plus size lingerie. So we lean on the UK … from afar … 😉
Second … bras in any size beyond DDD are at least $150 here. So most just ignore the good lingerie stores because they REALLY SCARE US.
Third … I had no choice. I finally admitted that scrounging for 40DDD at LaSenza and the horrible fit they gave me was wrong. I followed the smart advice of a friend and called her new friends at Breakout Bras. Delightful.
It takes a while to get used to letters that are greater than D … E(normous) F(reakish) G(rotesque) H(orrid) were my old words … replaced with kinder, sunnier more REALISTIC viewpoints now. They were patient with my determined self.
I refused to believe that I was larger than a 36G. That finally became 36GG … and an entirely more comfortable 36H … and then I discovered that when the cup was actually big enough to contain me … a 36 still rode up … so a 34J is often PERFECT. Now … If I lose the 20 pounds that I intend to lose as my little baby gets a bit older (9 months & 2.5 years are hard on sleep, thus hard on mood & energy … entirely hard on life & body) … I will definitely be in a different bra. Possibly already by the time I am down10 pounds …
So … Advice:
A) Measure yourself. Read blogs. Read reviews. Get a feel for what you have on your chest and what bras might feel like based on reviews. Go try on a few at some of the expensive lingerie stores out there. Do not feel pressured. Go in with a few brands and bras in mind (research online: Bras I Hate has done some great reviews http://brasihate.blogspot.ca/).
B) Buy one bra first. Wear ONE for a while so that you can decide (as I did) that your first great fitting bra could be different … IE.
I have a drawer full of fabulous bras including Freya,
Panache, Cleo (Panache balconette bra), Fayreform, Harlequin/Masquerade (Panache), Affinitas Parfait, HotMilk, Bravado, Ah Bra … Each a different size & fit … I am still in my first year of good bras … I will use each as I can!
Ok. Back on track …
Nursing bras.
Being the size that you now know that I am … keep that in mind as I tell you about each of the following:
My fave: Panache & HotMilk
On the list of tried/have, loved or hated:
Panache: Lorna, Sophie, Alisha
HotMilk: Tangled Web, Wild Composure
Elomi: Smoothing (underwire!)
Bravado: Body Silk, Bliss (like underwire!)
Royce: Lauren
Babe is awake. More in a while!!
XO
Fuller Figure Fuller Bust 
Yay Breakout Bras! They’re in my hometown, and it’s where I learned that I was not a 34DD, but a 30FF (although they’ve since grown to 30G, and they seem to be aiming for 30GG!)
Robin! Aren’t they fantastic!?
“It takes a while to get used to letters that are greater than D” – I will never quite understand that because as a teenager I started wearing bras from a D cup and the transition to DD/E and F came naturally. Actually it was great joy to discover that they come in sizes up to K and that UK sizing contained more cups than EU sizing ^^ But I see that a lot of women find it hard to deal with the concept of larger cups and I keep my fingers crossed for them very very hard! Thank you for sharing, Taura, and it makes me happy to see a happy 34J :))))
(I hope this does not show twice, as I have had some problems posting comments here).
“It takes a while to get used to letters that are greater than D” – I will probably never fully understand it because as a teenager I started wearing bras from a D/DD cup and the other letters came naturally. Actually, finding out that they go as far as K was quite a joyful discovery. BUT I do know that many women find it hard and I do keep my fingers crossed for them very very hard! Thank you for sharing, Taura, and it is so great to see a happy 34J! 🙂 A living proof that there is nothing to be scared of 🙂