Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait Flexi Wire Lace Nursing Bra Review: 32H

Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra review - 32H

Told you I’d be back with some nursing bra reviews shortly! While I’m still not able to do them their full justice as I haven’t tried nursing in any of these bras yet (yep, still pregnant – I know it feels like forever, believe, but I’m only 32 weeks!), I’ve still been in need of bigger and better bras during pregnancy and this is one of them.

In these photos, I’m actually 23 weeks pregnant again – what?! This is back when the bump was just starting to make a proper appearance and I was definitely in need of some bigger bras, but I’ve since grown again in band and cup size. Stay tuned for more on that (I have some Figleaves bras to try tonight and I’m SO excited to be comfortable again!), but for now, here’s how this bra fit me between around 20 and 30 weeks pregnant as a 32H.

Cake Maternity are a brand that I’ve heard good things about for several years, so I knew when I was pregnant I’d definitely have to try them. They’re one of only a few that make larger cup sizes on nursing bras, something I’m very thankful for right now as I’m noticing more and more how few there are of these out there – it seems totally counter intuitive considering that women’s breasts just simply get larger when they’re pregnant, so the core size range becomes redundant for a lot of people quite quickly. Anyway, on with the review!

The Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait bra (£38) was provided for review.

Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra review - 32H
Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra review - 32H

Shape & Appearance

The Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra is a balconette style that looks very much like a “normal” bra rather than a nursing bra. This sounds like a strange statement, but I’m finding that a lot of maternity bras are either HUGE – as in, they’re well constructed but seem to take up a whole lot of room on my body – or that they’re more like crop tops. I don’t have an issue with either of these things in themselves, but I’m also really really missing my old lingerie which was just, you know, normal bras, and this one makes a good compromise for me. One of the big parts of this is the wire.

As a note on wires in pregnancy and breastfeeding, I’m definitely not an expert but from advice I’ve been given, wired bras shouldn’t be an issue as long as the wire is not sitting on breast tissue. The reason underwires have been recommended against in the past is due to them potentially blocking or damaging growing breast tissue and milk glands, but if you’re properly sized, this shouldn’t be an issue. Here the wires are in fact “flexi wires”, designed specifically for maternity bras, which means they’re a little more flexible (hence why the gore doesn’t sit entirely flat) but still very supportive. For us larger cup sizes, wearing underwired bras during pregnancy can be really important as our breasts get heavier and denser – not having the right uplift can make my back ache even more than it already does with the weight of my bump – so I’m so pleased to find a bra with underwires that is appropriate for pregnancy.

The other main point I want to make about the appearance looking like a “normal” bra is the balconette shape with the three part seamed cup, rather than a single cup piece, which provides excellent shaping.

This bra is also very pretty. It’s described as a light grey lace and flocked mesh design, however I’d say the grey verges on a frosty blue. It’s delicate in appearance, but very sturdy. In fact, the cup pieces feel very strong to me, with a flat engineered lace and a sturdy lining. It’s definitely much more robust than a normal bra would be, allowing it to stand up to more wear and tear as you’d expect from nursing. There is room for growth though with a slight upwards stretch to the cups.

Like many nursing and maternity bras, it has extra rows of hooks (6 in total) to allow for more size expansion. I’d recommend starting on the tighter or middle hooks in early-mid pregnancy which will provide you with room to move outwards into late pregnancy as your rib cage expands. If you’re like me and had a small rib cage to start with and a short torso, this is very important! It also has a classic A frame underneath the main cup so that when it’s unclipped at the bottom of the straps for nursing, it still retains its shape and support. The straps are part-adjustable with the sliders on the back – the front half of the strap is covered in the same material as the rest of the bra. The underside of the strap however is cotton lined for comfort and very smooth, much like the inside of the bra – something you come to appreciate more when the rest of your body is feeling uncomfortable!

Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra review - 32H
Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra review - 32H

Size, fit & comfort

In terms of functionality, as I mentioned, I haven’t yet used this as an actual nursing bra and I don’t need it to have that functionality yet, but I’m confident it will carry me through to breastfeeding well – the clasps on the straps to detach them are sturdy and the wire gives me some uplift and support, but is still comfortable. At least, that is if it actually fits me during breastfeeding as I’m anticipating a couple more sizes at least once my milk comes in post-birth!

I chose the 32H in the Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra which was technically around size too large in the cup and band when I received it, but I managed to wear it even so – I was around a 30H then. This is thanks to the large number of hooks allowing for greater adjustment in the band, and you can see in these photos (at 23 weeks pregnant) how the cup is slightly wrinkled in places on my smaller side where it’s just a little too large. Fortunately, this phase only lasted about a week and I quickly grew to fit the cups – I sat at a 32H for the majority of my second trimester so it did me well throughout! Now at 33 weeks, my rib cage has expanded (again!) and I’m measuring closer to a 34 band (around 32.5-33″, it’s a shock to me too!). I can still just about wear this bra, however the band does feel a little uncomfortable for a full day’s wear, so it’s sadly away in the drawer until I can hopefully pull it out again once my rib cage (hopefully!) decreases in size. (Although I’d be happy to stay between a 30 and 32 band for more availability of lingerie, please and thank you!).

As I’ve said a couple of times, this bra is really comfortable in terms of fabric and design. The wires sit nicely around my breast tissue to encapsulate and lift but don’t push too high under my arms or sit on the tissue. The fabrics used are sturdy but comfortable, all lined on the inside with cotton to avoid irritation. Overall, it’s a well thought out and designed nursing bra that also looks pretty – a winner in my eyes!

The Cake Maternity Frosted Parfait nursing bra is available to buy from their own website for £39 in sizes 32-40 C-H. I’ve also just spotted it at Brastop for £21 in some sizes too, so if you’re looking to try the bra, I’d recommend going there!

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