The Lingerie Docter’s Maternity Issue There is probably no time in a woman's life which is more intensive than the nine months before the birth of her child. During pregnancy and just after giving birth her body is particularly sensitive. For this reason I am writing about the much requested maternity bras this week as the first in a two part series. Why is your maternity underwear so important ? Because it is important that underwear perfectly moulds to the body and accommodates the changes in a woman’s tummy and breasts throughout those body changing moments. The Boudoir London Maternity range offers expectant and nursing mothers a comprehensive range of well-designed lingerie and accessories for this important time of their lives exclusively from Anita, the worlds leading Lingerie maternity experts. When selecting a pregnancy bra You might wonder why you shouldnt just wear your regular bras through pregnancy. It’s because specialist bras like the Grow Along bra fits right through the pregnancy. It expands with the breasts without cutting into the breast skin tissue. It has integrated support systems which will help the expanding bust which will ultimately minimize deformation of the breasts. The soft materials are designed for comfort to prevent irritation of sensitive breasts and the soft wide padded straps ease strain on the shoulders and neck area. WHAT TO LOOK FOR 1. Lightly elasticized molded cups grow along as the breast grows. 2. Breast support in the lining, the cup and back giving high function and additional support. 3. Elasticated adjustable straps the bigger the size the wider the straps (additional support) Despite the fact that I always advocate the underwired bra, being pregnant is definately one exception . The maternity months are the time to wear non wired bras as the breasts will grow and an underwire bra will cause discomfort or dig into the breast tissue A frequently asked question in the store is how much will your bust size change throughout pregnancy. This is hard to say as every woman is different but you can easily go up one to two sizes during the course of pregnancy. In some cases women will go up three to four cup sizes As your bust will be tender in the first months of pregnancy, the Anita seamless bra is ideal as there are no seams to irritate you. The less detail on the bras the better as you will be less prone to feelig discomfort. During your pregnancy it is a good idea to wear a bra during the night as well as during the day. This will maximise the amount of support that you can get. If you are worried about the discomfort the night bras are perfect. They are seamless microfibre, which is breathable and very soft to the skin. As always bra fitting is really important throughout your pregnancy . You should get fitted professionally once in the third or fourth month of pregnancy . If you are fitted corectly your maternity bra will last you throughout the duration of your pregancy. The huge problem of sagging breast often arises through pregnancy. As I have mentioned before, the breast actually has no muscles , just tissue and glands, so the wrong level of support throughout these months can lead to the breasts not being properly supported and irreversible sagging. The assumption with maternity bras is that they are also frumpy and women often feel that this is a time that they will have to wear dowdy lingerie. There are many pretty bras that are now available in maternity collections but remember this is a time when your breasts will undergo dramatic change so it is best to look after them with the correct fitting maternity lingerie The other problem that many women have complained of during pregnancy is back ache. The very clever baby belt is an ideal solution for this as it helps with back ache whether you are sitting or standing all day. It will give additional support and is very much seen as an effective aid to prevent lumbar and back pain. Clinical tests at the University Hospital Frankfurt prove that the belt gives “unique support and relief, and the heavy still growing abdomen is carefully supported downward, thus giving support in the back and helping to relieve pressure on the back and pelvic area.” Boudoir London New Sujata Buildging,shop No. 8, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai 022-26607940 / 26607530 www.boudoirlondon.in