Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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Oh no your friend did not write to me! I am always available if she decides to
Well it sounds like you are better... which is good! I can't remember, did your PS say to massage the hard area? I have a hard area on my side (BC side)... under my arm. No alloderm either. My PS said she did a lot of work in there so I guess there is a lot of scar tissue... she told me not to massage yet but said eventually I could.
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I am not sure what size I am. According to the website Sandy posted I would be a smaller than an A- I am not on the chart. Vals measurements I am a B. When trying on both those sizes they are small and when I have been measured at Vicki's they measured me a 36B but I walked out with a 34D bra. Kinda maddening. But now I understand why I feel I look small after reconstruction-- I am according to these measurements.
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I'm sorry to hog the thread, had coffee and now my brain won't slow down...
Packer, I just had another thought, if the bra fits the way Val says it should, then the wires at the sternum should not touch the bone, they should float and therefore should not cause you this discomfort. My problem is that I've only found one non-padded bra that floats on me and it was at TJMaxx, and of course they only had one and I can't find it in department stores. It fits all of Val's requirements and but is no longer made and I can't find one online.
Val, this bra is made by Felina (www.felinausa.com) which I don't see in your list of bras. Are you familiar with the brand? They're apparently sold at Nordstroms so I guess I need to go see if there's another style they make that would fit as well. Thought about calling the company and asking what style would be similar.
Ok, I really have to go clean now.
Julie
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Lilah, I was told not to massage because of the infection. The hard area is actually near my lumpectomy scar which I think is interesting.
Packer, I find that I look small in some clothes and top heavy in others. How long ago was your exchange? Does the size bother you?
Obviously still not cleaning, Julie
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Julie -- see if you can buy that bra (the one that is discontinued) on ebay maybe? Happy cleaning
Packergirl -- if I had A/B sized breasts I would not wear a bra
I know that's sacrilege to say here! That said, I wonder have you tried Victoria's Secret? I was there yesterday and ALL they sell are underwires... and it seems to me they have a great selection. Maybe there is an underwire there that will do the job for you. I'm sure there MUST be one out there that can fit you comfortably.0 -
Julie: What is the style number or name of that Felina bra?
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I feel like I am going crazy because I can't find where I got the Natori Tshirt style bra 136001, I thought it was recommended here when the implants settle. Deborah can you assist me please? Where do I find the recommended bra list, I know you and Val are the bra whisperers! I so appreciate your help! Anna
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Deborah, It's style 7559. The only place I see still it, is on ebay (thank you Lilah). But on the Felina website I'm thinking the Gabriella style and maybe the Diana would fit similarly.
Anna, the bra list is at the top of this thread.
Julie
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Lilah- I know for sure I am not an A or a B- those are too small. So it is either a C or D for me. It is just the measuring techniques don't show it.
So in those two cup sizes let me know if you have suggestions on underwires that don't come up far in the center.- Thanks ladies
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Greetings my bra-loving and hating friends! Sorry, yesterday was crazy - had to teach two classes plus had a meeting - so didn't get on the computer at all. So, here are a few answers......
When an underwire bra fits correctly, the wires shouldn't touch your sternum between the breasts. If they do, that's a sign that the cup is too large. Essentially, the pressure on the fabric from the breasts filling out the cup pulls the wires off the chest. Does that make sense? Believe me, I have plenty of experience with not filling out the cups! (okay, no laughing, girls....mostly before bc)
Packergirl - I understand exactly what you mean about the wires. My ps wanted only lower wires, so I had to search a good bit. The higher the wires, the more likely they are to put lateral pressure on the implants - not a good thing. If you go to the Herroom.com website, at the bottom of each bra page, there's a section with all sorts of info about that specific bra, including exact measurements of how high the wires are in the middle and sides. I used that a lot when I was trying to find a bra. The Freya Pollyanna has lower wires, as does the Chantelle C-Chic t-shirt bra. I'll try to find some others, too......
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Waldo - I am the resident queen of the migrating implant, I'm sorry to say. Get thee in a snug underwire bra ASAP!! If you can, put an extra pad - gauze or a small push-up pad - on the outside edge of your implant in the bra. Wear it 24/7 and maybe it'll work. This is what my ps had me do, though I must confess it didn't work with me......I had several other complicating factors. Fingers crossed for you, my dear!0
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Thanks Val, I will look at Freya Pollyanna and C Chic.
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Deborah - just added the Natori bra.
Does anyone think I need to edit all the bra info in the start of this thread? Sure seems like a lot to go through. Just wondering....
Denise - sorry, I missed your post the first time.....32's and 30's (which I am) are really hard to find in stores, though Dillards does carry a few (I know 'cause I bought my first Freya bra there.) I really have bought most of mine online from the sources that are in my initial post. They're great with returns, too. Just remember, don't let a salesperson talk you into going up a band size and down a cup size, except maybe for a bra to sleep in. You want it to fit correctly, which is fairly snug. The VS chicks try to talk you into trying a "sister size" a lot.....have witnessed it several times......while I was buying undies and sleepwear, not bras, mind you!
Okay, enough hogging this thread....off to other things....
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Val- Thank you for the input! Followup question- If the breast mount puts enough pressure on the fabric to pull the underwire away from your sternum should we be concerned about the lines the bra leaves on the breast? One of the reasons I went up a cup size was because the edge was leaving marks on the skin/implant in the clevage area.
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Packer - as long as the lines disappear within 20 minutes or so after you take the bra off, it should be fine. That was one of the first questions I called my ps's nurse about, actually. The thing you DO need to be careful of, though, is that when the cup is snug like that, that the bra doesn't have much of an "edge" to it on the cup - like trim or even lace - that can actually also put lateral pressure on the implants. So, for the first few months post-exchange, the simpler the bra, the better. Hope that makes sense.....
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Don't worry about the length Val - it's good info!
So the Spanx bra I wanted to try on -- which is the original, I think, all hosiery... NOT molded cups... is not available in any stores around me anymore (they all have the one with the molded cups). So it looks like I'm going to have to order it from the spanx website and see... well, at least I feel pretty confident now about the bra size (tried on a bunch of bras the last few days and the 38D (or DD) seems right). I hope it's as comfy as they say it is on the website!! I need something more comfortable to sleep in.
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Anna: The Natori 136001 can be found online at Nordstroms. I bought my first one there a year ago. It is so important to be fitted correctly. Now that I know my size, I buy this style on Ebay for 1/3 the price. I have three in this style.
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Packergirl: Did you ever go to Nordstrom to be fitted?
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Julie: biggerbras.com still has the 7559 Valentina in certain sizes...
http://www.biggerbras.com/felina-lingerie-bras/felina-valentina-unlined-full-busted-bra-7559.shtml
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Wow, Deborah, they even have my size. Thanks!
Val, So now I'm confused about my bra size. I wore a 32C before bc and had many bras left, none could have possibly fit after exchange so I got rid of them. I was sized at a 32C after exchange but even the women who measured me agreed that the 32C bras do not fit correctly so I've been wearing 32D but now you say that the reason it doesn't sit off of my sternum is because the cups are too big. I guess I need to go shopping again and see if maybe the 32Cs are better and I just wasn't used to that type of fit.
Julie
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What is your ribcage circumference Julie?
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Val please let me know what you think I posted my updated pics.
Rebecca
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Rebecca, you look incredible!!! Which bra are you wearing in the pics?
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Val, can you post the sports bras you like as well in the beginning? I forgot the name of the high impact no bounce, lower cut one.
Deborah, you suppgested a bra with good lateral support for me- which would you recommend? I forgot to ask in my email response to you.
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Oh, so now I'm totally confused. I just saw the post saying that the wires shouldn't touch your sternum between the breasts, but the fitter at Bravissimo said that the fabric between the breasts is suppose to fit snug against your chest and if there is any lift, then you have the wrong size. I guess this means that my Freya "Pollyanna" needs to go back? I need a smaller cup size, correct? But if the fabric doesn't touch firmly between the breasts, how do you keep the breasts from migrating to the center and developing symmastia?
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Deborah thank you for the information on the Natori bra! I too am puzzled Goldieknox abou the wires not touching the sternum. Wow so much to learn, I truly am a student! I love this forum~
Anna
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oowwweeee!
Bra overload!!!!
My PS told me last week that all 'i'd need to wear post exchange is a supportive sport bra. I didn't find out how long for,but i did ask if i'd be able to eventually wear an underwired one if i chose to and she said yes,but hopefully i'd never need to wear a bra again.
I think this is because i'm not going to have treally big implants i could get away with no bra. I think if my implants were going to be big,they would maybe advise to wear a bra for support so the weight of the implants don't cause them to pull and droop and displace when laying on your side etc.
I measured a 36B a couple of fills ago. I always wondered how you worked out your bra size! lol. I used to just go and keep trying them on til i found one that kinda fit! I know that my TE size will differ from my implant size.
How do you know what size sport bra to buy in preparation for your exchange??? When you have no idea what size you're going to be???
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Val: We need a section which lists all bras which offer lateral/side support. I'll compile that list.
About the underwires "touching" the sternum. Mine all do! This is part of encapsulation. However, some women do have ribcage issues and sometimes those ribcage issues make it difficult and uncomfortable to wear certain types or styles of underwire support. They do not work or apply for everyone. Go to the pictures forum and look at Val61's thread and scroll down to see the photo her PS provided for her. This depicts how the bra should fit. Val's bras, in subsequent photos, depict how this style of bra should fit and encapsulate the implants. However, if you have any bony protuberances in the sternum or any ribcage characteristics which might preclude your wearing this type of bra, we can help try to find something else which gives good encapsulation and support. This is why being professionally fitted is important.
Kay: I think you are going to need a bra which gives good lateral support. Your TEs sit laterally on the ribcage and your PS will be performing some revisions to bring them closer to the sternum, but you will need some side support after the exchange. That is my personal opinion....your PS might have other suggestions or they might have some type of compression/post-surgical garment they provide. This would be something good to discuss, other than SIZE [LOL] at your next appointment.
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LOL Deborah (re: "other than SIZE")
I'm of the impression, increasingly, that gummy implants do not drop and fluff like regular silicone implants do -- which may bode well for those who don't want to wear bras and who have gummies. That said, I think you DO need to wear a bra while healing after surgery and that may be for a few months at least. Has to do with the way the textured gummy adheres and also the fact that since it IS cohesive it does not change shape.
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Thanks, Deborah - you beat me to it......as for the wires sitting off the sternum.......I should have been more specific.....the wires AROUND the breast should absolutely touch the body......the upper edge of the wires between the breasts should pull off the chest EVER SO SLIGHTLY.......it's not very comfortable if they dig into your chest anyway......the fabric of the cups SHOOULD be nice and snug .......sorry if I confused you guys!
Lilah - Good point about the gummies....thanks!
Waldo - I wear the Bendon "Max Out" sports bra for my aerobics classes. No bouncing at all! I just ordered a couple of the other Bendon styles to see if they'll work for Pilates when I don't need so much compression. I'll let you guys know how they fit when the arrive.
Rebecca - Sorry - took a computer vacation yesterday......I'll check out your pics today!
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