My maternity journey is proving to be the most transformative season of my life, right after puberty.  If not only for the scarily impending responsibility motherhood will soon heap onto my shoulders, but the constant daily change I’m seeing in my body as I head toward that goal.  Before pregnancy, I would never have understood the supernatural feeling of a growing tummy containing a strange, kicking being inside, and all the erratic hormones and aches and pains would have remained a mystery to me.  So of course I could never fathom how something as simple as a bra size would change, and it’s totally been a new work in progress.

The one thing we women are used to being told is that we should never assume our bra size as set in stone.  No two bras are alike, and our boobs won’t agree with every single style and brand that comes in ‘our’ size.  And it’s basically just as important to take that piece of advice on board when we embark on maternity bra shopping; with the choice in nursing and support bra, soft cupped and flexiwired, on top of hormonally driven breast tissue fluctuation, there are many reasons why you may end up with more than one bra size to wear, and why a bra will fit one day and not the next.

When I first trialled a bra sent to me by Cake Maternity, I had mixed feelings about its fit and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, so I put it on the back burner and decided to revisit it another day.  I left it a month and tried it out again recently, and I was surprised by the change in how it wore.  My body, now obviously further developed into my pregnancy, was a different shape with different needs, and the bra was like a totally new bra.

** Cake Maternity sent me the Apricot Sorbet Plus Size Nursing Bra in 32GG **

The Look

The Apricot Sorbet bra is part of Cake’s new Plus Size line offering a wider range of sizes from a 32D all the way up to a 42J.  A wire-free bra with detachable outer cups and an inner supportive sling, it’s a nursing bra of functionality and comfort.

With silky textured peach full cups trimmed with sumptuous stretch lace and delicate button detailing, this collection has a modernised classic look.  Lined with a breathable and non-irritating soft cotton inner, it delivers a pretty and feminine style that’s everyday wearable.

The Apricot Sorbet is generously designed with the growing bust in mind; it features wide, fully adjustable shoulder straps and a three hook wide, extra long fastener offering six hooks of band extension.  So while the bra has a firmly supportive fit, it still accommodates for your most comfortable fit.

The Fit

Being fuller busted I wouldn’t usually choose a non-wired design as I find I don’t always get along with them.  At first, this was how I felt about the Apricot Sorbet.  Cake’s maternity bras tend to run large in the cup which I think influenced me in the beginning, as it was obviously on the large side for me back then.  If you look at the earlier photos I had taken, you can compare against the new ones (easily identifiable as my hair’s now cut – oh, and the bigger bump!), and see how loose it really was on me.

When I revisited the bra I found the fit to be much better.  This time around, with my ribcage now measuring an inch wider at 32″, the bra feels snug and more supportive across the band, and I fill out the cups.  The side panels still feel strange to me however, which is down to me being used to an underwire running around there.

I really like the full coverage size cups because I feel like my whole bust is encased and being supported.  It’s much like a crop top in this fashion, but what a crop top doesn’t offer in shape and security, this bra does.

The fully adjustable straps are great as they allow a lot of play, although having said that, I needed to adjust quite close to the end.  I also found the sliders fiddly to manoeuvre but at least they stayed put once I’d managed to move them into the position I wanted.

The long hook and eye fastener is a hugely convenient feature.  I can happily wear the band fastened on the middle hook, and it’s a doddle to clip too.

The Apricot Sorbet is a lovely bra that’s pleasantly surprised me.  I’m still a wired lover first and foremost, but this bra has shown me how a well fitting wire-free can really feel, and it’s really quite an enjoyable change.  It still offers a decent amount of support pretty close to how a wired bra acts, but with the benefit of not having anything hard to interfere with breast fluctuation or to obstruct you when you’re breastfeeding.

If you’re looking for a comfy and supportive bra – especially if you’re fuller busted – to take you through your pregnancy and beyond, you wouldn’t go far wrong by trying this pretty staple by Cake.

You can buy the Cake Maternity Apricot Sorbet from:

Mothercare | ASOS

What do you think of the Apricot Sorbet bra?  Do you have a preference over wired or non wired bras?  Do you find pregnancy and nursing bras difficult to find in the styles you like?  What would be your ideal maternity bra?  I’d love to chat in the comments below.