Buying a Maternity Bra

Bras are very important to women. A good bra costs half a week's salary (almost). I really believe that women are not serviced well when it comes to this vital piece of clothing. They are too expensive and it's impossible to find a bra that fits.

The majority of women are wearing the wrong size. Did you know that the average cup size is now D, but there is a perception that a D cup is huge and most women avoid this size due to their more humble view of their body shape.

In my quest to find a comfortable maternity bra, I went to several stores and had some very interesting fittings that suggested I could wear a cup size ranging from size DD to F, depending on the style or manufacturer of the bra.

This was quite shocking and left me utterly confused. How could I possibly know what size I was supposed to buy? How could I, tiny little me, possibly be a size F?

The biggest challenge, however, was finding the right waist size. I was under the impression that I am a size 10 when it comes to bras, even though I wear a size 8 in clothes. Maternity bras, however, are rarely available in less than a size 12. Many shops do not stock size 10. The department stores didn't have anything smaller than a size 14!!

How many shop assistants tried to insist that a size 12D is the same as a 10DD? It is not the same, otherwise they wouldn't make the different sizes. I am sick to death of shop assistants blatantly lying about this, just to make a sale. Women, never trust a sales person who tells you such twaddle. Walk out of their store and never return!

After a lot of searching, I found 2 bras and bought them online so I could save $20 (including delivery). However, after I received my bras I felt that I had made a mistake and bought a bra that was a tad too large. I returned to one of the stores that had stocked size 10 and had another fitting.

The shock of all shocks came when the store manager informed me I am not a size 10, I am a size 8. She pointed out that I am fastening my bras on the tightest setting, which is not what I am supposed to be doing. The tightest setting is there for when your bra has stretched a bit. It is supposed to help prolong the lifespan of your bra, since they're so expensive to begin with. The store manager actually thought the cup size was too small, but the waist band was too big. When she tightened the band, I suddenly saw what she meant. She was right. I am wearing bras that are both too small and too big. What a conundrum!

I pointed out that there is simply no chance of finding a maternity bra in a size 8 and she agreed, but she said a tailor could adjust a size 10 to fit me, for around $10 - $20. I felt like crying.

How is this acceptable? How is it that a woman can't find a piece of underwear that fits? Who ever heard of having your knickers tailored? This is, surely, the most insane thing I have ever encountered!

I don't mean to get all femme-nazi, but if this problem occurred with men's underwear there would be a national enquiry and there is no way a pregnant man would ever have to deal with such a problem. Having the wrong size bra can be incredibly damaging on a woman's back and her breasts. While my breasts are developing delicate milk ducts and growing exponentially, the very last thing I should be wearing are bras that don't fit or provide adequate support. This is far from acceptable!

And I don't know what to do.