Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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I have both but really like this one. No purple for me either. What I'd really like is one in white!
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I will check out the links provided. Thank you for taking the time. I have checked bigger bras site as well as herroom, but didn't see any of the super uber girlie bras like the forum shows. But after a while, bras kind of start looking alike until that ONE jumps out at you.
DawneHope, I believe you are the one I saw posting this, if not I apologise. On the bra photo forum, you showed what every well dressed Cardinal fan should be wearing to the game. I squealed. I've been dying for a red bra anyway. But I showed the bra style to my husband and explained that I HAD to go bra shopping AGAIN this weekend for the elusive red bra in a 44 so I had one to wear to the game we're going to on the 19th next month. Of course he rolled his eyes but I told him Beltran and Holiday NEEDED the extra support of my red bra (and undies if I found them) in order to win the game. If I don't have the red bra...and they lose, I will have to announce to everyone the real reason for the loss. I might even have the stop Shannon and get on the radio to share with Cardinal nation why the team really lost that night. Soooooo....I'm going bra shopping this weekend for a red bra! bwa ha ha ha
I hopped on for another reason tonight. I'm indulging my evening vice of scrolling through online lingerie looking at bras. I've noted the backs have changed. What happened in the 19 months I was wearing mastectomy bras? A lot of bra's have straps that connect to the back creating a U formation between the back and the straps... a U. The last I was buying bras, the straps were still pretty much |_| looking. So the question is begged. Is there a best option for me as far as these implants...does one provide better support, or does the U shape strap stay up better?Thanks me chickies.
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Haven't tried the demi. Both the Chantelle C Chic styles fit well. The non-plunge sometimes pushes a little hard on my sternum so I like the "plunge version" best. I'm short and with the implants need a big cup size (34 DDD!) so the wires come up pretty high on me in the one style.
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fragrantroses - I am sooooo tired and I'll respond more in depth tomorrow ... but I'm never too tired to talk about the Redbirds!
Sept 19 is when you're going to the game? Maybe I can get a ticket and meet you there. I'm running the Cardinals 6k on September 16th! I've gone up to ten games and they've only won one! 
So I hope YOUR red bras do better than mine! lol. I have a red Freya Eleanor and then that beauty Emereinte. I think it was the Emereinte I was wearing when they finally won! What's their deal right now? The last two nights have been so depressing ... I have tickets for the last games of the regular season against Cincy ... but I'm worried about the Cardinals. Red, red, red ... I'm praying you find the perfect red bra .... and Gooooooooooooo Redbirds! 
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fragrantroses - did a quick search and here's what I found in a size 44D in Red:
Here's one in a 44DD
Then I did a search on herroom ... 44D Red and came up with these.
http://www.herroom.com/search.aspx (this link just takes you to herroom...not to the search I did but go over to the left and put in your size, the color red and you can do it yourself. When I clicked on the bras that came up in the search ...a lot of the red were already gone. But I think you could most definitely go to a Cards game in a blue bra! Most of the blue ones weren't sold out.
http://www.herroom.com/prima-donna-016-2490-fantasia-underwire-bra.shtml
http://www.herroom.com/prima-donna-14-1120-twist-a-la-folie-underwire-bra.shtml
http://www.herroom.com/chantelle-3651-fascination-3-part-cup-bra.shtml#
http://www.herroom.com/elomi-el8170-betty-underwire-plunge-bra.shtml
http://www.herroom.com/chantelle-3946-pont-des-arts-3-part-cup-bra.shtml
http://www.herroom.com/lunaire-15211-whimsy-barbados-sexy-basic-bra.shtml#
http://www.herroom.com/wacoal-855192-basic-beauty-full-figure-underwire-bra.shtml
Did a quick search on figleaves in 44DD and found these. For some reason they didn't have 44D
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I'm really liking the selections of Curvy Kate. They are pretty, fun and youthful. I may be weeks away from turning 52 but darn it I want pretty and fun bras now. I don't want grandma's contraption of chicken wire and cotton! I had already found a LOT of bras were sold out of the red.
The bra shop in town has that Elomi Caitlyn in stock but I seem to remember it being more cherry colored than red. But I'm still in the stage of finding out which size fits best in which brand. So being able to actually try it on and push the goods around has a lot of selling power for me.
I had found this bra http://www.barenecessities.com/elomi-betty-plunge-underwire-bra-el8170_product.htm?pf_id=ElomiEL8170&search= if I don't find a suitable one in town, this may be my contribution to the team. It doesn't have red in a 44. I can go up a band size for it, or down 2 band sizes and use an extender. I will have to figure out which would work best. The fact it's on sale is a bonus! lol
My dh would just die, I know. But I've seen so many of your bras that I would feel compelled to flash you mine if we did indeed meet up at that park. lol I love the new park. I'm disabled in the left leg, so those new elevators allow me to Take me out to the ballgame!
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fragrantroses- We'd definitely give everyone a show!
Have you tried Ann's Bra Shop ... there is one in O'Fallon and Chesterfield. I've been to both and they had good, trained MX fitters there. I'm not sure where you're coming from ... but it would be worth a drop in if you're nearby ....http://www.brashop.com/locations.aspx
http://www.brashop.com/about.aspx
Edited to add: I like that Elomi bra a lot! Elomi is a sister brand to Freya/Fantasie/Fauve. I think you would do well with that brand. I searched for 44D or DD on the Nordstrom site because I know they carry Elomi but they didn't have any in red. Also the West County Mall, Nordstroms ... I like those fitters better than the Nordstroms at the Galleria ... if you are in that area.
Oh, oh, oh, I searched the full figure on the Ann's site ... go there! I found this Elomi in a burgundy....
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I just went through all the postings.Unfortunately, I am almost 5 months out. I wish I had seen this sooner. I'm in bras 24/7. And I did spend a lot of time trying bras on before I found some comfortable ones. Currently I'm in a 36 D wireless soft cup bra. I had alloderm. So my question today is. Should I switch to an underwire to prevent implant migration? My ps never mentioned bras past the post surgical compression bra usage. I would love to hear your advice.
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As of today, I am now 8 weeks post-op. At what point are you healed enough to try something like a push up. I don't know that I want a push up. I wore a few push ups BC for va va voom! Now with one side so high and tight, I'm wondering if a push up would bring the other side (that has dropped) up just a tad to match ole Maxine a little better. To make the LOOK even. Maxine is high so she still give cleavage. Glinda is down where she is supposed to be, but she has no cleaveage..Noooo cleavage. (Which is supposed to get some fat graphing later to change that).
I've even considered a shelf bra...Cicique carries quite a few. Without nipples I feel NO need to be modest. lol In fact, generally I do dress very modestly. But I've wondered how much of a shock if I wore my pretty new bras under a sheer blouse. On purpose. Like "Check out my cherry or Lilac, or whatever color bra!"
My PS (bless his heart) is NOT as interested in bras as I am. I ask "when" and he give noncommital responses. He has no CLUE how anxious I am to get into pretty and fun bras after a year and half of sleep and mastectomy bras.
Now the bra shots
I'm showing where this underwire comes up under my arm. My fingers are pressed where I believe the implant ends. It FEELs like the wire is too far back to support the breast implant forward. This was fitted by a certified mastectomy fiter and while she knew all the right words and such, I wonder how much experience she really had fitting implants. This is a F cup! And I have stuffed the HELL out of the front with gauze on the rad side. This side that I'm showing has a purfit in the cup. So gurus, is this bra cup too large or am I in de river "nile"?0 -
Rosey -- first of all, ask your PS about a push up. He is the best person to advise on that question. Second, I have to say that bra cup size does seem a little large (I can see how it bags in the photo). Can you take and post a photo that is straight on and where you are standing up with arms at the side?
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Oh my oh my. An ebay search for red and 44 D & DD reapeth the rewards!
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dawnhope they teach us that at SOma in our training. They really do know ow to create clothes that flatter. One of the few places that thins look better on than the hanger.0
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Lilah, this is the same bra face on...
The store manager gave me this one because it was the last she had of this. And she wanted to apologize for the treatment from the bra Nazi. So if this is a bit big, well I didn't pay for it.
lAs I said, I have stuffed the HELL out of these cups with gauze to make them fit. Even my fluffy Glinda (your LT side) has the support of a form in front. I have temporarily stopped wearing the pur fit on the rad side. I'm not having trouble with the skin but while someone here asked if it was the best to have the form against the rad skin right now. And since the skin is so sensitive and angry looking, I decided to err on the side of caution and just use the gauze to stuff that side right now. It has been feeling better this week, less stinging. And I'm at 8 weeks post op today.
But I feel that this fitter might have been too generous with my cup size, and gone a little too big. This is an F but I feel a DD would have been plenty big if not a D cup. I feel the D cup fits fine in regular American bra's but I believe I've read in European sizing that I need to go up a cup size - DD and down a band size which would be 42. But I'm not altogether comfy in a 42 that I tried. The other thing is the bra shop where I have 4 F bras on order, is not the kind of place where you can go pick out 6 bras and try them out. You can go through and choose the colors and styles, then you go to a room and a fitter comes in to actually fit you.
I think I'm going to go to Penneys or Macy's and take a pile of different sizes into the dressing room and check out what size best fits. I can always have the intimates store exchange them for another size.
Unfortunately, my PS is not into bras. Or he doesn't care as much as I do. I have asked about bras, and he tells me what I've been wearing is fine. His nurse told me the docs have no clue what goes into buying a bra. They think we walk into a showroom, take a bra off the rack and buy it. She said they have tried to explain that just because a 40C fits in this maker doesn't mean it will be the same size in another brand. And they think that the nurses are over reacting. I got a little impatient when I saw him 3 weeks and asked for direction as far as his bra opinions. He said, when it was time to deal with the bras, he's let me know. THIS is an area where I wish the PS was a female. Women know how hard finding bras can be. Women at the BC support group meetings have been more helpful. They pretty much say what you say. Some of them feel that an underwire NIGHTIME bra is more important that what I wear in the day time.I also have a nickle allergy, but as long as the wires are covered and all mine have been, I've never had an issue. But my sister just recently complained about rashiness under her breasts and I told her that heavy breasts can develop yeast in the IMF. It never occured to me to ask if she had been wearing an underwire. huh. I need to check that out.
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Hello, all you Bra Divas!
Just had my exchange last Wednesday, and now it's time to seriously think about bras!
The PS said to wear a sports bra or whatever bra was comfortable on me for the first month, 24/7. I switch back and forth between my JCPenney zip front sports bra, my Genie bras, and some very stretchy - get this - nursing bras from Target! They look exactly like a sports bra, but loose enough that you can just pull them up from the bottom.
I'm 5'5" tall and started out at 204 pounds with a 39" chest. I got Amazon sized TEs. Then I decided to lose weight before I got my permanent implants, so I wouldn't end up with stripper boobs.
I've lost 54 pounds and 63 total inches so far. (Down to 154 lbs, and chest is now 32/33") Last Wednesday, he swapped out my 14 cm wide, 620cc TEs for 12 cm wide, Smooth Saline, Round, High Profile 700 cc implants.
He had to do a TON of pocket work....removed lots of scar tissue, released more pectoral muscles at both top and bottom on both sides, and did lateral capsulorraphies on each side so my implants wouldn't end up under my armpits.
I'm healing well - sore but not constant pain - and incisions are closing nicely. The only thing that concerns me is the swelling I have on the left side (cancer/SNB side, also the side that needed more pocket work.) I'm swollen from my collarbone down to my IMF, so Lefty looks way larger than Righty.
Anyway, I know all about Drop and Fluff, and I'm taking pics all along the way to document the changes. I think my PS is secretly thinking about revisions down the line (excess loose skin, more scar tissue in the IMF) but I told him I would wait 3 - 6 months before making any kind of decision.
But naturally, I wanted to see how they looked in a bra, so last night, I dug out some of my old 38DDs to try on. They seemed to fit rather nicely, with the exception of filling out the cup, which I anticipated.
(Just now, I read where Rosey asked about minimizers, and a light bulb lit up above my head like in a cartoon!!!! I raced into the bedroom, dug through the box 'o bras that I was going to donate, and pulled out a minimizer. Sure enough,the underwires were almost perfect to surround the implants, and the cups were perfectly filled! Brilliant!)
Here is my concern: when I had my TEs, they started under my armpits, and met in the middle of my chest. Now that I have my implants, they are no longer under the pits, but come very close to touching in the front, especially if I wear a tight sports bra.
Did any of you have this issue? Did it go away, perhaps because it was due to swelling?
Were you able to fit an underwire bra between the implants? Right now, I can't.
I know, I know.......patience!!!! It's only been a week!
But do any of you have suggestions?
The PS won't release me to go get fitted for at least a month, then he recommends underwire as it is the most supportive. He says I shouldn't ever go braless (except maybe for that one special dress! LOL) but eventually, I won't need to wear a bra at night unless I want to.
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That's wonderful news Blessings. I don't remember if you had rads or not, but I'm still swollen after 2 months on my rad side. I'm beginning to think it's not going to go down on this side. I'm just stunned your PS was so informative about bras. I don't see mine until the 11th, but then I'm pinning him down. What does he want and why.
Mine were never touching. In fact I wouldn't mind them being a tad closer. But as you mentioned I have no trouble with underwire. I will just have them build up some cleavage another way.I just reread your post and your minimizing DD fit perfect perfectly now? Holy Moly. When you Do fluff girl, you will still have stripper boobs.
I wanted stripper boobs. Heck I wanted perfect round coconut shells stuck on my chest. My rad side isn't cooperating. Well if anything she's almost a coconut shell. But Glinda is a big ole bag of starter. She feels exactly like that. Are you still swollen to poke at yourself and see how much softer you are than the TE. That just freaking amazed me. After having TE's for a year and a half, I forgot what that felt like. LOL. At Christmas we had a family baking day. My side of the family is just a house full of women. I swung my arm to do something and clobbered my youngest sister right across the chest. And I was SHOCKED.
I expected hers to be hard like mine. I walked around feeling up my sisters trying to remember what it felt like to NOT wear the concrete bra.
Bet you are glad to get that off too!0 -
Hey Ladies, I got my surg yesterday to exchange for 600cc Mentor gel,the PS work looks marvelous and hardly any pain! I did get vomiting from the anesthesia,so on a lot of pills.
Congrats to all here who are ready to shop. When do these puppies drop and fluff? I got high profile but I am flat as a pancake. Do we get the bra shopping when we get released by PS from sports bra 24/7? My TE were square but they were so cute,at least I had boobs,now I feel like I need a microwave popcorn bag ensignia..."this side up"...Tell me it will fluff out a little. The stupid Mentor pamplet says the projection is 2-4 inches!!!!!Help.
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Layla2525, I have Mentor smoth 800 HP and I had the same reaction you did - what's with the pancakes. I am 8 weeks out now, and I think I started fluffing about 6 weeks. But I'm still fluffing.
I made a collage last night to celebrate the girls 2 month birthday. Yes, I know this is a public forum. I don' show my face for that reason...well that's ONE reason. lol
Glinda is my star. You can see in the 8 week shot that her bottom edge has a nicely rounded shape where before the bottom side was kind of straight across. There is some contour to her now, but she is like a bag of amish bread starter. (I'm making a lot of amish bread right now so the image sticks in my mind). Her bulk is at the bottom and there's no cleavage at the top.
This is the problem child.
She's radiated. I don't tan I turn red. I don't know if this redness will go away like it did with the TE's. I suspect it's going to take a long time. But she's not as red as she was at 4 weeks. Even though she's gotten lumpy and bumpy and she never dropped much, she has puffed some. I see a definate change in the appearance. We expect to do AFT to even out her lumps and bumps and the rawhide skin. The darker color skin is like hide. Tough and stuck in place.
This is the two girls hanging out together for their 2 month birthday...gotcha day?
lol
On the photo forum someone else posted their 3 month photo and it was more impressive. They didn't have a rad scarring issue. But it took me a long time to figure how to get on the photo forum. So people still waiting, I thought I'd put it all out there.
Some of you got great round mounds of coconut shell looking foobies. I got a bag and a biscuit. Oh well. I shouldn't have expected this to be ANY easier than everything before. 0 -
I think your results look very good, Rosey. Don't be so hard on yourself! I see round and very natural looking breasts.
That red bra (the one you posted farther up on this page) with the shot from head on -- as I thought from the side view, this bra looks too big. The band seems low (not right sitting right under the breasts, encapsulating them, but sitting below the fold -- is that right?) I would go get another fitting at a different store. Nice as that woman was to give you that bra, if you have to stuff it, it's not the right bra for you. You should be able to get a bra that fits more appropriately than that one. You may want one that is of a stretchier material, for example, to get a better fit. Look at this bra from Wacoal (which comes in your side). See how the bra comes under the fold of the breast in the photo?) That is how a well-fitted bra should sit on your body.
http://www.barenecessities.com/wacoal-bodysuede-ultra-underwire-bra-85814_product.htm?pf_id=Wacoal85814&search=44DAlso I linked this bra because the fabric is stretchy... a type of bra I think you should try to see how it feels/fits.
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I think the best way to tell is to show you the marks...
These marks are from that hot pink and red bra. It's got a kind of wide wire to it. At least it's sturdier than any I wore BBC. This photo is from around 4 weeks I think? It distressed me so because Maxine was so discuit looking. The mark across between them is the edge of the bra center that I pretty much get from any bra after sitting a while. But I have felt that this bra is just WAY to big. I thought it was a F, but last night I found it was a G! Now I know it is too big. I could maybe buy the DDD/F but not a G. I also know the band is too tight. It's a 40 and I measure 43. I've been wearing 44 but notced some riding up of the back, and I learned on the websites this means the band is too loose. So I'm checking out 42's now. But I'm confortable in a 44. I haven't tried on a 42 to see how tight it feels. But isn't there a difference between US bras and European bra sizes? I thought European had a smaller cup, so we had to go up a size? Am I wrong in that?
So when you are looking at bras online, what clues you in that it's stretchy. Will they ALWAYS say something like stretch microfiber or stretch lace or use the word stretch in the description?
Next question, because right now, Maxine is higher than than Glinda. So I have been fitting bras to Glinda. She's the lower and the fuller. Would that not be the correct thing to do? Because I really don't think I can get both comfortable in the same bra without some stuffing. I should clarify. In that pinky red Elomi bra, I have to stuff both sides. I'm currently wearing a D cup that feels to me to fit well. It's nothing spectacular. I think it's a Playtex from Penneys. It's a molded cup, which I found I rather swim in. So I'm not real fond of them. I stuff Glinda a little, but have to really fill it for Maxine. I wore it once publicly under a button down blouse. You could still see the divets in the cups. Maxine does have swelling all around so it's harder to find her edge. Basically I found it by holding my fingers on the medial side, the started pushing in on the lateral side, moving my fingers slightly until I felt Maxine move on the medial side. This is what THAT looks like
I located it here on Glinda. You can tell both sides are a good 2 inches wider than my implant.
I have mastectomy bras...C's. When I wear them I don't have to stuff Glinda's side at all and just a little help for Maxine. But I'm not sure the underwire wouldn't get too close to the lateral side of the chest in a C.
I am going to be fitted somewhere else. If I can't get fitted, I'm going to find some stretchy bra in a D,D & DD and figure out which fits best. I might take my camera with me so I can confir with people here. I'm pretty sure the shop ordered F bras for me. So I'm going to compare this fit to that. Right now I think DD is the biggest I should deal with. She never measured the actual implant...does every fitter do that? NEITHER fitter I have been to measured the implants. I measured them and one is 10 inches across, the other is 10.5. I checked out herroom.com and other sites to figure out how to fit a bra myself. No wonder have to spend so much time shopping for a bra because no one give the same information. I've always been told my band size is my actual measurement. Herroom says to add 5 inches...that would make me a 48? But if a 44 is riding up, a 48 will flip over my head! The chart at herroom only goes to a 38 band, but if I follow the trend, I'm think it says I would need an A cup? Not hardly. So HOW can you double check a fitter's decision? I let her order F bras because I don't have a clue how to tell. Except right now I'm comfortable in a D.We are having hurricane rain today, but if it's milder, I may head toward St. Louis and be measured at Ann's Bra store where I KNOW they know their business. augh.
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fragrantrose,looks like they are fluffing nicely so hope mine fluff, I was always small and I wanted to go bigger. Have a friend who said she had Ds naturally so she opted to just get a set of B,so seems like a lot of ladies want to try something different. I just wanted to have a little cleavage which I do with pancakes. Hope my fiance doesnt try to put syrup on me....lol
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Rosey -- yes the wires are good UNDER your implants... but two inches behind them is not right. The wire is supposed to go around like an outline (not ON and not two inches behind either). The fact that you have to stuff the cups, it seems to me, is an indicator that it is the wrong cup size.
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kayb - Thank you! I used to be on her mailing list but I haven't received anything for a couple of months. Thank you. I too have ordered from her and have been pleased. I'm going to have to go check out her inventory. 0
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fragrantroses: I just wanted to say that it looks like there has been a big improvement in both Glinda and Maxine in the last 2 weeks. I am 5 weeks out and haven't seen much change yet... maybe 6 to 8 weeks is the magic time frame for that first glimmer of better things to come?
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I had my exchange a week ago this past Tuesday. When I went this past Tuesday for my post op PS was thrilled with how I looked and told me I could wear a underwire during the day and the surgical bra at night. No sports bra's for a couple of more weeks. After that he said I can wear a bra when I want to, but he does prefer underwires. So I really needed to get a bra that fits so I went to Victoria Secrets and they fitted me really well. I was a 32AA before BC and I came out with a 32D today. I tried on the push up bra for grins but I needed a 32DD and then it made me look huge with all the padding, think I'll skip that way as I looked like stripper boobs. I was really expecting to be a 32C so was a bit suprised at the 32D. But they are comfy and feel great and with only a week and half out they filled up the cups. My PS did an amazing job and I really don't see how I will fluff much. I think maybe on my left side a little as that is my rads side and we had to baby it along the way.
Layla you asked about cleavage. With my BMX the PS got my right pocket in the right place for cleavage. He had to do more pocket work on the left to move it more to the center. He also did pocket work on the outersides and did stitching so my implants can't fall into my armpits. But my cleavage is really nice. Not touching just far enough apart.
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Dragonfly - it's really been in the last week that I noticed something was changing. Maxine has been slower as she had the rads. This week I noted that I kept knocking her in the side and that was new. I couldn't see any difference until I took the photos and saw them. I guess it's like that old issue...you don't really see how much you've gained until you see a photo of yourself. I couldn't see any change in either of the girls until I saw the 8 month photo. So patience for a little bit longer and you should see some change. It REALLY has helped me to photograph them weekly. It can compare the photos side by side and really see how it's changing.
Sherry - I'm so freakin jealous, I suspect you will make me sin...."envy". I will NEVER have a 32 in rib cage, but you already FILL a DD cup? Wowser! And I would squeal for stripper boobs. I guess it's a serious change for you having been an AA to start with. People who have not seen you for a while and don't know about your MX are going to assume...boob job.I wanted the fake coconut shells and well someone here nicely put as "natural looking breasts." Which beats "knarly looking breasts". But I hoped for the high perky goodly sized round results. If I had to deal with saggy breasts to begin with. I really thought maybe perky boobs would be my silver lining through this mess of BC.
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roses mine are perky but they look really natural. They do not look like coconut shells. I am still amazed at the job my PS has done. The lady at Victoria Secret said they looked great. And yes I am sure someone will think boob job
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Dawnhope you are an enabler
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LOL Kayb
I am looking at the sale now... !
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It's a DEAL, ladies! That's all I saying ...
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