Wearing a bra to bed is something I never do.  Once I’m in those PJs it’s a bra-free zone, and it’s generally a liberating feeling.  But since becoming pregnant my boobs have taken on a mind of their own; whipping off the day’s bra is now the dreaded release into the wild and settling down to sleep means taming the unrestrained discomfort.

As soon as you’ve conceived, your boobs assume their assignment and start prepping for pregnancy.  After all, they’ve got a big role to play ahead; with hormones running at a high, breast tissue is gearing up for nursing your baby, and whether you’ll actually breastfeed or not, your boobs will now swell to a fuller capacity, and a new supportive range of bras are necessary to keep growing pains at bay.

Bras suitable for sleeping in require a gentler touch while still providing that much needed support a regular bra would.  Nights spent tossing and turning can be painful for changing boobs, and positions once found comfortable bring on new challenges – my once favoured side sleep mode is less snuggly, more awkwardly hugging a sack of potatoes.  So, something to alleviate the pressure of my newly inflated bosom has become my latest sleep mission.

Last year I was able to review the Royce Blossom nursing bra, and when I saw a new style was being released I loved the look of it even more.  The new Candy Blossom bra has been given a pastel shade makeover, with a soft pink on cream horizontal stripe pattern giving it a fresh, sweet look.

Since the Blossom’s sizing method groups cups together and begins from a 32 back, I was sent the same size as last time, the 32G/GG/H.

How it Looks

The soft cup cotton-rich bra is a total wire-free design that follows the style of a crop top trimmed with elastic around the band and along the top of the cups.  With a gathered centre that allows adjustment via the inner concealed strings, it converts from the crop top style to a more pronounced bra shape with cups so you can change up the kind of coverage you desire.

As the Blossom bra is a nursing bra it means that the functionality for breastfeeding is there, via the use of the simple clips at the apex of the bra to the base of the front straps which detaches that side of the bra away.  You can of course wear the bra quite happily without this purpose and simply use it as a sleep or comfort day bra.

The straps are wide and fully adjustable, so really flexible for your best fit, and the wide band offers a substantial degree of back support, with a deep triple hook and eye fastener featuring a generous four stages of movement on the fit.

How it Feels

The Blossom bra is a gorgeous feeling bra against the skin; the fabric is soft and cool, with a gentle stretch in the poly-cotton fibre that encourages the closely supportive fit.

The cups feature inner side pads that provide some structure to the the wire-free bra.  With the side of the breast supported and brought in, a front projected shape is created.  Possibly because I’m at the top end of the bra size I found this shape on the restrictive side, with my boobs being pushed together into a strange conical shape.  I craved a flatter, broader shape which the product model depicted, and probably the likely fit achieved if you’re on the lower end of the size spectrum.

I also struggled to get along with some areas of irritation.  I found myself frustrated with the clips since I wanted it just to feel unadulterated by hard plastic finishings.  It bothered me when I tried to side sleep because the clips would dig in, so I’d love to see a simple version of this bra without the nursing function.  The placement of the inner centre adjustment was also a bugbear, as you can feel the tied cords between your boobs.  It tickled at best, but generally felt a bit annoying, and I’d have preferred the strings being on the outer side of the bra.

And so…

The Candy Blossom bra is a gorgeous example of the cute and modern maternity friendly lingerie you can find out there.  It’s a fantastic design that offers the wearer a variety of ways to style up according to your needs, and together with the nursing functionality, it’s a quality piece that works hard whether you’re wearing it for pleasure or necessity.  While it hasn’t been the best fit for me, it’s still a lovely bra I admire that’s worth trying out if you’re shopping for maternity bras.

You can buy the Royce Candy Blossom bra from:

Mothercare

Do you have any maternity bra favourites?  Do you like to wear under-wiring or prefer wire-free style?  Have your needs and preferences changed since becoming pregnant or experiencing breast growth changes?  I welcome your feedback!