Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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tamgam - No, you are right, the center "gore" comes up in the sternum - but it must rest on the sternum - not pinch the skin or rest on the breast mound, because then it means the cups are not big enough. Wacoal is fine. A very good mfr, and like Lilah, I wore Wacoal prior to my BMX it is just that for reconstructed breasts - especially your size - certain manufacturers fit better and support better. This would primarily be the European brands, like Chantelle, Freya, Anita, Natori, Fantasie - the brands from France and Germany.
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So, I saw PS on Tuesday and things are going well from the healing front. Still a little swollen on the left side - where more pocket work was done. She did mention getting fitted for a good underwire bra and this thread has lots of good info. I guess I spaced out the part of when to get fitted. It could be the bug that I was fighting - came down with the flu that evening, even after getting vaccinated. So much of what she told me didn't really register.
Question is - how soon after exchange to get fitted? I am wearing bra 24/7 a cheapo Fruit of the loom front hook sports bra which I showed her and got the ok to wear vs the after surgery bra I was in. I was also told to massage the implant on the left side to get it moved over a bit. Weird, but I am doing it. Thanks for any help you all can provide!
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stlcardsfan - (When I write that I always feel like I'm talking to myself because I'm a huge STL Cards fan myself!)
Your new foobs will change! The bras I bought early after my exchange (about a month) now don't fit correctly. So .... go to Nordstrom's or a specialty MX store, ask for a fitter that has experience fitting implants (call ahead at Nordstrom's to get one!) and buy 1 or 2. That at least is my experience. Probably around the 3 or 4th month you can start buying more. My size didn't change as much as the landscape of the foobs.
I've found freyas work best for me. But, we're all different. You're best bet right now is get fitted somewhere where they know what they're doing and only get a couple at this point.
Have fun! BC opened up a whole new world to me re fancy lingerie. My resolution for the New Year: Quit buying bras every month!
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Hi everyone-
I haven't been to this board in years - about 3, but started reading again since I have some "tweaking" that needs to be done. I wish I had had all this information about bras back when I first had my reconstruction and exchange. (August 2006) I've learned a lot, reading through some of these posts - and realized I've been doing a lot wrong the past four years!
I have been wearing unlined bras, but mainly because my ps made me a tad larger than I wanted to be. I wasn't ever told by my ps to wear underwire bras, and I had never found any that fit me right - but I never strayed beyond my neighborhood Macy's to get a "real" fitting. And I dropped a lot at first..... Hmmmm - maybe this would have helped! He also never mentioned the necessity of the extreme support when exercising (no bounce), and I'm afraid I've been bouncing away the last year or so...... Yikes.
I might have to get myself over to Nordstrom soon and see about the brands you've mentioned. I'll probably be having more surgery soon - my implant is kind of poking out (not through the skin, but it feels like it's just a plastic bag filled with water when I touch it), and I'm afraid it will come through the skin at some time, so I'll ask my ps about the underwire when I see him next week - especially for after my surgery!
Thanks so much - I've learned a lot here!!!
Theresa
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Hi Theresa!
I'm sorry you're going to have a revision!
I've learned so much here too! So many knowledgeable, caring, understanding women. PS's are all over the map re bras, underwires, no underwires. I ultimately did what felt good to me.
Good luck on your revision! May the new girls stay in place!
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Just a note ... I've worn 'looser' bras since my nip surgery four weeks ago. I have to say I miss the tight underwires. I've found I hurt more when I wear looser bras. The foobs themselves hurt as well as my left side that has always hurt since my DMX in February. When I wear a good, tight bra, my left side doesn't hurt. Isn't that weird?
So ... now I know ... I HAVE to wear good bras!
Just thought it was interesting that tight bras feel better than loose ones.
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Dawne-Hope - thanks for the info. My PS actually gave me two places to go - Ann's Bra Shop or a Medical Supply Store that has a huge Bra/Mastectomy area. I was already there once getting compression garments. I think this time I will go to the Bra shop.0
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stlouis - I've been to both of the Ann's Bra Shops ... the one in Chesterfield and the one in O'Fallon. I found the one in Chesterfield to be a bit better and the fitters more experienced ... it may have just been the day I was there, though. The one near Chesterfield is also near the Nordstrom's ... so maybe you can try them both!
edited to add: stlouiscardsfan - if you're not from St. Louis, my post won't make any sense. Forgive me for assuming that you're from St. Louis.
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Hi, ladies and Happy 2011! I am an occasional reader/lurker on this very valuable site. I thank you for the education you have given me regarding bras. I had my exchange in August and have bought many different styles and makes of bras. My question is regarding marks and even ripples. Is it normal or natural for bras to leave marks or indentations when removed? Some bras leave ripples when I first remove them. Does this mean they are too small or too tight? Do any of you see marks on your breasts(creases) upon bra removal? I want to be sure I'm not damaging tissue or the implant.
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I forgot to say thank you for any suggestions or comments:)
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cleo: What size implants do you have - what is your ribcage circumference - what style bras are you wearing and what size? Let's all try to sort it out...
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I seem to always have marks on my MX side, too. Doesn't matter what bra--they all leave marks on mine.
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I also get marks and small indentations where the seems run on many of my bras. The skin seems to really depress from any amount of pressure. ???
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If you gals are getting marks and indentations, try wearing a molded cup bra - one which has memory foam type fabric, such as those offered by Freya, Chantelle, Natori, and Anita, among some others. These are the smooth cup or "tee-shirt" bras. The only area where I get indentation is on the ribcage, after a long day in any bra. It sounds like some of the cups might be too tight. I do agree that Freyas and bras which have either a three part cup or are patterned, can leave these marks and indentations, and if the marks and "impressions" from the bra resolve in short order, I do not see that there would be any harm to the implant or skin. However, you know whether this is causing an "irritation" to the skin, vs. an indentation or impression on the skin. If the skin is irritated, I would not wear that bra again.
Sizing is key though....a too small cup will be more problematic as far as marks and indendations are concerned.
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Yes, Deborah's right - indentations are not a concern and won't damage the implants - I know 'cause as tight as my PS had me wear my bras early on I had plenty indentations so I asked him. Irritation is another matter - put that bra away for awhile. I generally have marks from the seams in my Freya and Bendon bras, but they resolve during my shower time (about the only time I'm out of a bra!)
Welcome, Theresa and stlouiscardfan! Hope we can help you here!
Regarding changing bra sizes: I still wear the very same bras I was fitted in the week after my exchange (Freya "Pollyanna"), so I guess that not everyone changes size much. I'm thinking that this is also another area that relates to the style of TE used........Deborah, your thoughts?
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tamgam - when you say the Freya wires are lower, do you mean on the lateral aspects of the implants (outside)? I've observed that to be true on mine - at least some of the styles. That's okay, in fact preferable, especially for petite women or those of us short between the shoulder and foob, as the wires are often too long and poke under the arm. As long as the implant isn't sliding out over the top of the wire, you're okay.
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Yes, I still wear a 34 DD or 34 E, depending on the manufacturer - my size has not changed since the exchange.
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tamgam: Could you post your photos on the "Post Your Bras" thread on the pictures forum so that we can how the bras are fitting?
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Thank you Whippetmom for your help in bra sizing. I have 650cc style 45 implants. I have a 28" ribcage and so far have only been fitted at VS because there is no Nordstrom's close by. They fitted me as a 34D but also I wear a 32DD in Panache and a 30E in Freya. All of my bras seem to leave marks, some deeper than others. Could I need a bigger cup?
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Dawne-Hope Well I live in the St. Louis area now, have for about 6 years. But, I am originally from Illinois - up by the Chicago area - suburbs. So, we were Cubs, Bulls and Bears fans for a long time. Hubby still cheers for the Bears, plus the Rams are out now.
I am going to try the Chesterfield Anna's first, and then can head to Nordstrom's if I don't find anything. Thanks for the tips all!
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cleo: You would be a 30 or 32 band and at least an F cup. I would say a 32 F if you like a bit looser band. VS measured you inaccurately - as there is absolutely no way you are a 34 D.
Edited to state: If you wear a "30" band in Freya, you could stick with the 30 band in Chantelle and Natori and Anita as well.
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Cleo - My ribcage is just over 28", and I wear a 30E in Panache, so I'm thinking you're undersized in the cups. No way, girl, will you ever wear a 34 band! 32's are pushing it, unless you wear them on the snuggest hooks - which I've done with a couple of mine .
VS strikes out again......
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Yes Cleo...perhaps even a 30 G....
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I haven't been on the pic forum in a very long time. I hope I still have the abilily to log in. I am not sure how to post a pic to the thread so it may take me a few days! I am NOT tech savvy! LOL! But bear with me and once I get the hang of it you see plenty of ME ! hahahah.
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Oh my, Val and Deborah! I am definitely not wearing the correct size bras. How about in a sports bra...the ones that run small, medium and large? How tight do I want to compress myself?
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One of the things I find frustrating with my foobs is that I can't adjust them as much in a bra (i.e., push them together to create more cleavage) as I could my natural breasts. I seem to need bras that fit my foobs just the way they are. My PS told me that I can only wear wire-free bras, which limits my selection. I just bought a few bras from Macy's (there's no Nordstrom's by me). One that's comfortable and seems to fit well is Warner's Elements of Bliss wire-free bra. Unfortunately, it irritates a little under the fold. Whippetmom, I have a 30" ribcage and 450cc Allergan style 20 implants. Does 34C sound like the right size to you?
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Cleo - I'm just gonna be blunt: with implants that size, your days of sports bras in small, medium, large are over.......
You'll need a cup-sized sports bra to keep those puppies in place. Depending on what kind of exercise you do, you'll need encapsulation and compression - the higher the impact, the more compression you'll need. It's perfectly okay to compress the implants as tightly to the chest as you can - necessary if you're a runner, for example. You want as little bounce as possible!LG300 - Let's see what Whippetmom says, but my guess of size for you would be a 32D or 32DD. Although you can't compare implant sizes, mine are 25cc's smaller than yours and I'm a 30DD (same cup size as 32D). I feel like the best support comes from bands 2" larger than your ribcage. That's different from many sources that say 4" - which is definitely more comfy - but also less effective for what the bra's supposed to do in the first place. That Warner's bra is good - my PS uses that (the unpadded version) as his first post-exchange bra after the bandages and drains are removed - but you're not the first person who's reported irritation along the IMF. Try the Wacoal Awareness wirefree - a lot of people love that. I've got to run now to go teach my class (wearing my trusty Bendon MaxOut!), but I'll look up some more wireless options for you. Lilah has a bunch on her bra thread on the pic forum, too, as she's a wire-free gal, too.
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Everything Val said to Cleo and LG300 - ditto from me! Exactly what I would have said about Cleo dispensing with sm/md/lg sizing and going with band cup sizing sports bras, and the 32D for LG and the Wacoal Awareness wireless as a good bra choice. 0
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Ok, thanks for the info Val and Deborah on sports bras. I just bought a Moving Comfort Cali Sports bra supposedly made for women who need extra support. I bought a 32DD and sometimes it is very uncomfortable.. I have woken up from the pain of the wires which sometimes ride up when I sleep. Any suggestions or will I get used to it and perhaps it will loosen somewhat with washings.
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Hello,I had my exchange surgery 2 weeks ago this coming Wednesday. What is the best thing to wear?Compression bra, which is what the PA suggested, sport bra? Should I wait until they settle in the pockets? My implants are Natrelle Silicone #20 500cc. International Bra Size Calculator measurements were 29" 35" 31" results being a 34D. They still look sort of box like..... will this change? Should I have even measured yet? Feeling somewhat anxious and want to make sure everything proceeds as it should. Any advice or suggestions would be most appreciated.0
