Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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Dawn--Hope if there was a "like" button, I'd be clicking it!
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Thank you Dawn for taking away all of my guilt, hehe!
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happymom8285 and Dawn - I agree we should be able to indulge - but $260 on 4 bras? The Chantelle $80 I found on ebay for $30 - so maybe I'll return some to Noordstrom and buy on ebay - just making sure I get the right fit - still trying to get my DH to help post pictures for me. Maybe I will have to figure it out on my own....Valerie
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Claire -- LOL -- love that "no sense" ha!
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My sweet bra-loving friends......I go out of town for the weekend and y'all go a little bit bra-crazy, my dears! Valerie, perhaps our names destine us to behave alike! $260+ on four bras......a woman after my own heart! And Happymom......I LOVE the Arabella......and yes, I have the matching undies!..........just know the cups run a bit big on that style......
I completely agree with Dawne-Hope......indulgence at this time in our lives is perfectly acceptable!
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And btw.......Natori runs rather small in the cups......
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I was going to PM this question to Val but thought that maybe it would help someone else. Bra sizes and their equivalents ... I ordered a bunch this week thinking that they would work and most haven't.
My question is this: Are the following basically the same sizes (generally):
30DD, 32D, 30E
I ordered 30D's (in chantelle) thinking they would be equivalent to a 32D and they're too small. To think I would need an 'E' blows my mind. I'm learning all this the hard way. What's the general rule here on equivalent bra sizes? Shouldn't they teach us all this stuff when we're 14?
Thank you all!!
[Edited to add: We need bra sizes guide 101! That tip on Natori's is a great one. I started a document to write down all these helpful tips. Any other ones??]
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Dawne-Hope - Believe me, you are certainly not alone in being confused about bra size "equivalents!" I use that term loosely, because what is really equivalent is the cup size - generally speaking. Here's the scoop: when the band size increases by one size (2"), you need to decrease the cup by one size. So....if you've tried a 32D in a bra and the cup is good, but the band is too big, then you would try a 30DD, which is essentially the same cup size. Thus, your 30DD would indeed equal a 32D, but not always a 30E......
Now....just to add a bit more confusion to the mix, some manufacturers do not offer DD's - Chantelle and Anita, for example - so their E cup is equivalent to DD. Chantelle used to have DD's, but seem to have changed over the last year. In fact, I own identical C-Chic T-Shirt Bras in different colors - purchased a couple months apart - and one is 30DD and the other 30E. Both fit exactly the same.
I'll try to think of some other tips to add to your database. That's a great idea. Here are a few that I can think of at the moments (these are really just my impressions, though, and may not hold true for everybody.)
*Warner's tend to run fuller in the cups than other domestic brands.
*Freya and Fantasie are the same company, so quite similar in their fits.
*Panache and Anita run a bit fuller in the cups than other European brands.
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I really think I'm going to plug this info into an excel spreadsheet to make things a lot easier for me.
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Excellent idea, Mantra! If I were less computer-challenged, I'd do it myself.....my computer is a very fancy typewriter....
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Hi
I just had my final exchange surgery today after a BMX for DCIS in July. I am SO glad to have reached this point. The TEs were very uncomfortable and I keep hearing I will have almost immediate relief with my silicones...My PS will have me in the post-op dressing for a few days then I switch to a push-up bra 24/7 for the next month to hold them in place.
How many of you need to wear bras with your silicone implants after all is said and done? I will be barely a B ( I recreated what I originally had) and I really hate bras. I like them with no underwires and plain cotton....I am into comfort...
What have others experiences been?
This website has been a lifesaver for me. I don't post much but I read and learn so much from all of you amazing women. It makes me sad that there are so many of us in this situation. We need a cure!!
Thanks for any input and God Bless..
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Welcome, mjh - and congrats on your exchange! I'm impressed that you're posting on your surgery day - that's a great sign! (I swear I felt drowsy and drugged for days after each of my surgeries...) You have asked the million dollar question, though: "Will I have to wear a bra?" If you haven't had a chance to read the epistle which opens this thread, take some time to do so. It explains a lot. To sum it up briefly (or not so), though, there seem to be two schools of thought to which PS's subscribe - #1: no bras/ no opinion on bras, and #2: bras are necessary. We've seen PS's who say you don't need to wear a bra once the dressings come off; we've seen PS's who use a surgical bra for a short duration, then say it doesn't matter; we've seen PS's who insist on wireless bras; and we've seen PS's who use underwire from the get-go and believe that our implants will always require some support from a bra. Sounds like your PS believes in the necessity of a bra initially, which I personally think is very good. Generally, though, it takes a few months for the "capsules" of scar tissue to form around the implants, which is what gives some support, so you might consider wearing that bra 24/7 for a bit longer than a month. I am one of those with a PS who believes that implants will always require a bra most of the time. Granted, size probably does figure into the equation to some extent, but the bottom line is that we have round objects (implants) on slanted surfaces (ribs) and trouble can ensue. Several of us who are a year or more post-exchange still wear bras 24/7, though by all means we're not the majority.
Hope this didn't just add to your confusion!
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Deborah & Val: I'm hoping to get to the bra shop in Toronto that Deborah mentioned in one of her posts (www.braboutique.com). I will likely be going to Toronto on Saturday. I know you said to ensure fitters are experienced measuring people with implants. Is this a special certification? If I ask, won't they just say yes? How do I know they really have this experience?0
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Mantra - to the best of my knowledge - we'll see what Deborah says, too - there's not really a special fitter "certification" for reconstruction customers. To be honest, the fitter certification is really very little - not like a class or anything. Some PS's go to stores and train their fitters in how they want the bras to fit - mine does this - but otherwise, it's mostly experience. I'd just call ahead and ask for an appointment with a fitter who's been there awhile and has fairly extensive experience fitting reconstructed breasts.
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Mantra - When I went to a specialty bra shop I signed the register for a fitting. When the girl called me back and I told her my situation she told me that I needed a 'surgical fitter' and I should have asked for one. I think it boils down to experience. And all stores might be different. When you go in, tell them that you're a bc survivor,have implants and you'd like to have a fitting with someone with experience fitting implants.0
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I had emailed the bra shop to ask about a fitter. They just replied and said one of the owners is experienced in fitting women with implants. I was trying to hold off buying anything until I got stateside next month because the prices here are insane. But being such a tiny shop I can't help but feel obligated to at least buy one bra. Right now I'm back wearing PINKY and sleeping in Big Bertha (AKA as the birth control bra . .. compliments of Deborah)
I obviously need at least one more to get me through the next month. Hate having to hand wash so often. I need a maid. Oh, and a cook too. Deborah, I read about your RA diagnosis. You are in my thoughts.
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Maybe you just need a pool boy Mantra
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Terrific idea Lilah . . . my very own Cabana boy! A boy toy!!
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My fitter at Nordstroms, who was also head of the lingerie dept, did have some sort of credential. I asked her about her training and she said she had taken a course of some kind. Cannot remember the details; I'll look for her card. I remember it said something under her name.
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Soma is having a 20% off sale right now and even though it's only been 2 weeks since my exchange, I decided to go. The PS has said starting at 3 weeks I can wear any bra I want during the day. I still have to wear the surgical bra at night for 6 weeks. I had a very nice lady helping me who said she has many clients who have implants because of a MX. Anyway, I actually found a bra I think will be good. I'll wait a week to actually wear it. The only sad thing, which I expected, is that I have gone done in cup size. I was a C and now I'm a B. I tried to post a link, but it didn't work. If you go to the Soma website, it's the Vanishing Back Front-Close Nadia Underwire Bra.
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I'm trying to familarize myself with the different bras. Most are not sold here so will get them Stateside.
For implant stabilizing would you say the Freya Pollyanna 5922 is best for the first few months?
Also, for sports bra, is it best to get something from Anita?
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Mantra - it's not really about the specific Freya "Pollyanna" bra - although that's a great one - it's more about finding a bra that stabilizes the implants, like you said. The Pollyanna may not work for everyone. In fact, the outside wires are cut on the low side - which is great for those who are petite or short between boob and shoulder - and that may not offer enough lateral support for some women. Sadly, finding a bra is a lot of trial and error. If only that cabana boy could do that for us.....
Jershua - that's great to know about your Nordie's fitter. I know the fitters at Neiman's (where I work occasionally) have "certification," but it's really a quick class in the store with a rep. My Nordie's fitter was fantastic. I just wish they all were that way.
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Val - Actually, I don't think I'd want a cabana boy who'd have great knowledge in bras, shoes or handbags.
. Okay, so let's go back to the bra 101 portion of this course. I know I get fitted and I will do so next month. And I'm assuming the fitter will know what bras work to stabilize implants? Or is this an assumption and not a reality?
I guess my biggest confusion is understanding what makes a bra good for implants . .. and what makes them bad for implants. I just don't understand what I'm supposed to look for. If I look at a bra, is there something that's going to jump out and tell me that this bra is a definite no? Is there something I should look for that might make the bra a possible yes?
Does this course come with visual aids!! A link to a bra that is a definite no with an explanation as to why it's a no? I feel like I'm completely lost in a sea of 10,000 bras and somehow I'm supposed to know what to look for. Let's just say, if there was a prerequisite to Bras 101, that's the course I should be taking!
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Mantra - Have you read the header to this thread? The answers to some of your questions are there. The tricky part is we're all different. As Val61 mentioned above, some of us have a shorter distance between shoulder and foob. What works for one may not work for another. It is a lot of trial and error.
What you DON'T want: 1. Is a bra that that pushes or lays on the implant laterally. I bought some bras recently and they were too small. The underwire just laid on the outside of the implant. That's not good. 2. From the medial ... you don't want a bra that pushes the implants out towards the side.
The really frustrating part, for me at least, is you often can't find these things out simply by wearing a bra for a few minutes, it takes a couple of hours to see where they underwires lay. That's where an experienced fitter comes in ... she can tell by having a look a you which bras will likely work. The goal is to find a bra that encapsulates the implants. Go look at the bra thread on the picture forum and back a couple of pages Val has posted pictures on the ideal placement of the underwires. It's helpful. Once you find one that works (and again, that's where a good fitter can really help) it's easier to know from them on what works for you.
When you find the prerequisite to Bras101, please let me know so I can sign up!
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Mantra - I'm afraid that many times it is an assumption. As Dawne said, the start of this thread is kinda the pre-req for Bras 101! She summed it up really quite well: you want to stabilize the implants (both from lateral and vertical movement), and you want to do that while keeping the implants in the position your PS created. That's a lot to ask of just a bunch of fabric and such, but alas, a necessary one.....IMO, that is. Lateral stability is achieved by "encapsulation," meaning the underwire wrapping correctly around the implants; vertical stability is achieved by "compression," which doesn't mean to smoosh them, just keep them from bouncing. You do this in a non-sports bra primarily with the straps worn very tightly.
One of the main issues for many of us - and a big one with my PS - is preventing the wires from pushing the implants laterally. They'll want to naturally gravitate that way anyway, so if they can heal in the correct place to start with, so much the better. Two things can cause that lateral pressure: wires that are too far apart or too high in the center (cleavage area) and binding or trim along the top edge of the bra. The latter is pretty, but save those bras for a few months down the road. I had several bras which I brought to my PS for him to choose, and he nixed all but the Pollyanna because of the trim. You wouldn't think it would be a big thing, but with implants, a millimeter of movement can be a big thing. I also had a hard time finding wires that were close together in the middle - and I think that's even more of an issue as size (both band and cup) increases. If you're aware of those two issues, that'll help a lot.
And you're right.....wrong kinda cabana boy.....
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Mantra: The bra you are getting is the Freya "Arabella" and it is made just like the Pollyanna - just a different pattern. It encapsulates and stabilizes....and it will do what you need it to do...if it is the right size for you.
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Whippet, I'm beginning to wonder if the bra got held up in customs. Or, perhaps some customs agent is walking around in it . . . hopefully a female agent.
I just received something from a friend and I believe she mailed it on the 1st . . . although it was just a envelope so perhaps that moves quicker. Did you remember to pack Arabella a passport so she can cross the border??!!
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Mantra you crack me up
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Yuh know, I just don't think that gummies need stabilizing. It would be like saying that TE's need stabilizing. They don't budge. Thats the whole deal with them... they are "form-stable". Finding a bra that nicely fits around and over them seems like the goal. -- If any support is needed, I think it is perhaps of the uplift kind because I think your tissues can stretch and droop a bit, from the weight of the cohesive, form-stable implant plunked in the pocket. Finding a fit is not easy -- and I suspect more difficult than with silicone rounds. Underwires do fit all reconstructed breasts better - gummies included, though I know that many of us are not advised to wear them or find them too uncomfortable. One thing I've noticed with my gummies is that a bra that does not drape perfectly over them, but requires the implant to take the shaoe of the bra instead, is really unpleasant to wear.
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When I sent it, the post office clerk told me it could take up to ten days. I mailed it on November 5th....
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