Can I share my nerding 🤓 with you for a minute?
During pregnancy--a mom's rib cage will IDEALLY expand in diameter 5-7cm to accommodate baby. I say ideally because when was the last time you bought a bra that was that much bigger in band size? Probably never. So besides your chest increasing in size for later milk production, we have to consider that we need your rib cage to also expand.
So what happens when we wear tight bras and don't let it expand? Baby has to take up space somewhere else. The problem is, for ideal positioning and easier births, baby needs ALL of the available space eventually. If they don't have it, it can mean funky baby positioning, discomfort for the momma, and possible longer labors. It also makes it harder for us to breathe, which nobody needs to make breathing during pregnancy harder.
I'm not saying you have to ditch your bras 👙completely (although that is an option!), but I am saying it would be a great time to switch to tanks without shelf bras, or super stretchy ones, or nursing bras that are extra stretchy as well. Make sure you and babe have as much room to grow as you need.
If you're having uncomfortable rib and/or midback pain--this is a good place to start. Try switching out your bra and moving through a few days. If you're still having trouble with discomfort, give us a call and we can help you out.
Picture if am image taken of figure 10-1 out of Hegewald, M.J. & Crapo, R.O. (2011). Respiratory physiology in pregnancy. Clin Chest Med, 32, 1.).
