Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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Okay, a little flipped here. My PS said, do not worry bout wearing any bra, do what is most comfortable. But I am having a "repair" surgery in two days, for the "bad" side. He thinks the muscle is not right and that the impalnt might be coming thru? WTH? I had the exchange 9 months ago. I have worn a bra probably 50% of the time (Including nights).
Today, I went out and bought two new bras, and will wear them for at least the non sleep time, most of the time. This is due to the advice I got here.
Although I have to admit that braless is the way to go with those sexy dresses and summer tanks. Love not having to worry bout straps or other weird bra configurations.
What to do?
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Not-Me - Ultimately, the decision is up to you.
What kind of revision are you going to have? Has the implant slipped out of the pocket? Has it migrated from the place where he initially put it?
Few things to think about:
1) Consider getting fitted by a professional bra fitter.
It's not hard, you don't have to pay for it. I was at my local Dillard's last night looking at what they had and talked a fitter there. I tried a few just 'cuz I couldn't resist
… and it cost me nothing. And I learned a few things too. This may not be you, but know that most women have been wearing the wrong size bra for all their adult life. And for a bra to do the job that us reconstructed ladies need it to do, the bra needs to fit correctly. It needs to be tight enough in the band to give us the support we need and it needs to be wide enough (big in the cup) to encapsulate the implants and not impinge on it in anyway. It needs to not impinge in the center and press the implants out. It's a lot to remember. A bra fitting costs nothing and for the best effect of wearing one, you need to wear the correct size. Consider a bra fitting so you know you're wearing the right size. 
Most of us were wearing a bra that was too big in the band and too small in the cup prior to breast cancer. You will need a bra probably bigger in the cup than you have now to encapsulate the implants.2) Quality matters
I have been a runner since junior high and I soon discovered that the quality of running shoes was huge. If I wore ill-fitting and poor quality running shoes it was going to show up in aches in my knees, back and ankles. You get what you pay for … and I've found this to be true with bras as well. Don't feel guilty in buying a bra that is more expensive … you get what you pay for. I know for many right now that money is scarce and tight … but know that quality matters.
3) Find your brand and style that works for you
To keep with the running analogy … I've had my favorite brand for 30 years. It fits my feet better than other running shoes. You'll find the same with bras. You will a find a particular brand that fits your body best. You'll have to experiment to find what works for you but there will be one brand and one style that works for you better than all others.
Bras are most important for the first six months after the exchange while the implant is healing and scar tissue is forming around the implant. There will be times you won't have to wear one. Personally, I hurt if I don't wear a bra but that is just me. I wear one for comfort. As has been said on here … some ladies hate wearing them … and that is ok too. Again, all of us have to decide what is best for us. We research, we learn from each other … and then we do what works for us.
What to do?
Do what is best for you.
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Thank you whippetmom!
Thank you too Golden01, Dulcigirl and DiveCat!
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Thank you for all the help!! I had my exchange done last Friday. Going tomorrow for a good bra fitting.
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Foster2kw - Yay! Tell us about it! And what you came home with.
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Foster - don't spend too much on expensive bras yet. You're not far out from exchange and the new girls will be changing a lot in the next few weeks and up to several months. When I got out of exchange everything looked wonderful (and still does) but while I didn't think I had much swelling at the time I realized after several weeks that I actually did have swelling. That was August. While I can hardly wait to get pretty bras again I'm waiting until after my mud flap/dog ear fix in late April to go whole hog on it to make sure my shape isn't going to change much more.
Edited to add: I DID invest in two bras from Nordstrom's about a week and a half post-exchange but am waiting on any more investment until after next procedure.
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Some of us change sizes (I did too) but some do not. Val61, the one who started this thread, didn't change sizes and she was fitted a couple of days after her exchange. All depends on our individual bodies, and how much pocket work was done at the time of the exchange (which could influence swelling).
I bought two bras at my initial post-exchange fitting but ended up spending most of the first six weeks post-exchange in a zip up the front sports bra.
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Oh, those zip front sports bras! I'd almost forgotten how much time I spent in those before I got my new and pretty Chantelle's and Wacoal's.
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Golden01 - Made us appreciate the pretty ones even more, didn't it?
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Sandra, hard to hear of the issues. Hope they can resolve it. My skin is thin on the post cancer side. We have worked on it.
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I'm past 60 and never spent much on bras or wore really pretty ones until after I got BC. I still don't think there is anything good about BC but my new bras are very pretty!
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Hi all. My BMX was 12-8-11. I have had reconstruction , and a lot of, um, Scenic Detours for a while! LOL I lived and still do live in my Amoena camis. They were great for the in and out, up and down, of TES placement and removal. But i need to buy a regular bra. I'll go to Nordstrom for a fitting. Thanks for the suggestion. I was a 44 C before and tried my mastectomy bra on and it fit with the little extra at the tip. I am a large lady and have different problems than some of you. I was draining a lot after one sx and my P'S wanted me in a strong sports bra. I wanted to let the larger ladies know what I found. I'm sorry I can't do links on my phone. Woman Within is a company with catalogs and of course a website. They have a running sports bra that has a mesh cover over the bra with adjustable clips on each side of the mesh front. You can get it very snug. I got the 3X size. It worked fine. I also got another sports bra for sleeping but it is definitely not as supportive. They have larger sizes 38-54 . They do have a lot of front hook styles. And one with the underwire on the outside of the bra. Perhaps something like that would help someone out there. Prices are reasonable with most below 40$. And they have lots of sales. And the one bad thing is once you order they send a catalog EVERY 2 weeks. LOL.
BTW I have seen the geni bra on sale at Walgreens too. And Shopco. So if you have those stores you can look there.
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thanks everyone!
I ended up with only one new bra, it was SO hard finding one that fit right! And that I liked. Almost to the point of having my own "meltdown".
I got a plain "support" Playtex bra. Nothing fancy, but it fit correctly.
I got one of those "genie bras" for $5.00 at Walmart during the day after Thanksgiving sale, and have wore that thing to death! It is very comfortable! That's what I have been sleeping in.
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Moonflwr912 - "Scenic detours" made me laugh.
Although having been on a few of those myself … I know they are not fun. 
Thank you for sharing with us what has helped you. I think this may be the link to what you're talking about?
http://www.womanwithin.com/Plus-Size-bras-by-brand…
We're here to help one another and share what we've learned.
Thank you for sharing!
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Foster2kw - Hugs to you, sister! I'm sorry for the near meltdown.
Remember, you're only 1 week out from your exchange. It's only been a week. xoxo
I've had some great, mediocre and poor fitters are the very same Nordstrom. Try again in a few weeks.
Make an appointment with a "surgical fitter" if you didn't do so this time. They've been trained to fit women like us.
It took me months to find what worked for me. You'll find some, I promise.
As we talked about above … some of us wore near binders for the first weeks post exchange .. I wore a zip up the front sports bra for a couple months. It'll be ok.
Hugs to you! And congratulations on your exchange too.
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sweetandspecial: When I flex, my implant does the same thing....distorted and perfectly gross. You know, this is why female body builders most often get "overs" instead of "unders", when they have an augmentation. That implant animation one would experience with weight lifting, is not only uncomfortable and unattractive, it can, over time, permanently displace the implants and cause pocket distortion.
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whippetmom - one of my girlfriends with whom I've shared (aka: show and tell) laughed when I flexed the girls. She said instead of nipple tattoos I should have two eyes tattooed over each horizontal scar because when I flex they look like frowns.....lol. I totally agree they are not at all pretty (to say the least) when the pecs are flexed and it felt pretty weird for a good long time but.......it's something you just get used to. I enjoy strength work but won't ever be doing anything that could be considered body-building so I think I'll be ok. The girls look pretty damn good when relaxed and I'm tickled pink about that.
Oh, and let me say just one more time that you are an absolute angel (insert 'kiss on the cheek' emoticon). I hope I can meet you face to face some day.
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sweetandspecial: I have learned to perform upper body exercises which either do not or only minimally displace or animate the implants. I don't want to give up on toning my arms, so I just work around it. The sensation and gross distortion improves over time it seems.
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What sorts of upper body work do you do? I can't think of much that doesn't involve the pecs somewhat. Thanks!
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Sweet,
I got some arm exercises out of a magazine. I can feel them work my arms but they do not cause pec distortion. They use light weights.
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It does get better with time. I work out twice a week with a trainer. You can do bicep curls, tricep kickbacks. You can do some deltoid work, some flies.
What I cannot do anymore are push ups, dips, planks (this has more to do with LE), any kind of yoga that requires pressure on my hands (again LE related).
Most bicep, tricep, shoulder work I have been able to do.
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Also: Overhead tricep extension:
I cannot use exercise machines for weights. I use free weights and that gives you more flexibility to not use the pecs.
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Okay, now I am getting scared about the arms and weights. I was told to do whatever I wanted, but I do have that muscle contraction once in awhile.
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Oops, posted to soon. What types of exercises can we do?
Also, I had to have the repair as well and am currently not in a bra due to swelling and such. I did buy two bras, after trying on about 30 of them. Warner. I need to get the real fitting though.0 -
Not-me: my PS really gave me no restrictions on upper body at all. I don't have any trouble doing upper body stuff and would never do anything that would come close to body-building level or anything. I figure all things in moderation. I want to keep the pecs toned and decently strong, but not over-do it so they become too strong and/or permanently distort my implants. We do all sorts of things in the group fitness class I do that manage to work upper body muscles I never even knew existed! So far, so good.
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Not-Me - We're all different. I initially wasn't going to have reconstructive surgery because I wanted to continue going to the gym and lift weights. It is a hobby and I love doing it. My B.S. talked me into at least talking with a P.S. to see about reconstructive surgery. He assured me that I could do everything I was doing before (including push-ups and planks, and dips). But I was one of the 'rare' ones who got Lymphedema from a sentinel node biopsy. I haven't been able to do exactly what I was doing before but I have worked out with fabulous trainers these past two years that have helped me discover new ways of doing things.
If you were a hard core body builder … then I would be concerned. If you were not … just did enough for toning … you should be fine. Just talk to your docs about the possibility of LE. If you are at risk of developing it, you should get fitted for sleeves and gauntlets or gloves. I posted some exercises above that I've been able to do … and many of us have been able to do without a problem. When I lift I always wear gloves and sleeves because I do have LE.
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Just a heads up, I got an email tonight that SOMA is having their 50% bra sale starting tomorrow. In stores and online.
I so wish I was to the point I knew what size I was going to be but I am still with TEs.
Thought I would share!
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KGSN - Thank you!
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Hi ladies!
I went to my local Bed, Bath and Beyond earlier today, pack of 2 Genie bras (usually $19.99) on sale for $15.99 (or was it $14.99?) plus their 20% coupon - such a deal!
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love a good sale!
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