Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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LMichele, my PS said the same. Whether or not I wear a bra is my choice, but not needed. I wore camis during my TE period, and just recently got bras after my exchange. I like wearing the bras as they make me feel more like my ole' self. Especially since they are so much nicer than anything I ever had in the past. Oh, yeah...that last statement can be applied to both the noobs and the bras.
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What did you all do about bras during early phase of nipple reconstruction?
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Christine47 - I loosened up the straps and had a bought a couple early out from my exchange that were bigger in the band than I needed and I wore those.
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Same here: Loosened the straps plus wore my t-shirt soft cup bra that was slightly too big.
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Thanks girls, I see my PS on monday (I am now 9 days post CV flaps), he has caps sewn on, but these will come off monday and I don't want to squash my new nips. My PS really does not give much info in this reguard.
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christine47 - I didn't have the sewn cap, but I wore gauze over mine for several weeks. I would put anti-bacterial cream on my nips, place the gauze over it, then I would tape the gauze down. I developed an allergy to the tape, even paper tape, and so I would just place the gauze pads over the nips and put my bra on and it pretty well kept it in place.
Ask your PS if he wants you to put anything on the new nips and maybe just put gauze over them. (Mine were kind of oozy for a while and I needed the gauze on there). Yours may not be the same, though.
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Dawne-Hope, the caps that are sewn on mine are actually the bottoms of a 5 ml syringe (looks quite scarey). I assume I will need to continue to protect them after those come off. I am very sensitive to tape, so bra to hold in place will probably be good idea. I am concerned abit about the color of my new nips (not pink, but kind of yellow, like chicken fat?). I hope I am not grossing anyone out. They are not draining, no odor, no bleeding,no pain, just yellow.
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christine47 - I used gauze that I had to twist into donuts to wrap around the nip and then treat with bacitracin and layer of gauze over that. I used disposable nursing pads in my bra to keep the bra off of the nips and prevent any ooze from seeping through. Tried to avoid tape when possible.
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christine - They're still healing. They'll turn pink. One of my turned black and then the scab came off, revealing pink healthy skin. The healing from the nips isn't a pretty process. But it is a process. No worries about the yellow. They won't stay that way! xo
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Thanks Dawne-Hope, this stage of my reconstructive process has just been hard for me (worry wise). Early on everything was a work in progress, now finishing touches are what I will be left with for a long time. I just want everything to be perfect (or close).
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Ladies: I'm not quite 4 weeks post exchange & haven't decided about nips yet. But there is a great thread here about tape. I can only use Hypafix - not even paper. I have other friends who can tolerate Medipore for long term use. Name of the thread below if you're interested.
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Hi Ladies, I see above that you all were looking for charities that participates in BraRecycling. Here is the link for
a little snip it about their orgainzation (across the country):
The 2nd Annual Bra Recycling Month Is Coming!!
The 2nd Annual Bra Recycling Month is just around the corner. Last year, Bra Recycling Month brought awareness to Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness by offering women nationwide a chance to provide support for these causes in a unique way, while directly helping reshape a life. By recycling new and used bras to women in need in honor of breast cancer and domestic violence awareness, attention was also to our efforts to reduce the amount of re-usable textiles that unnecessar
Check it out.
Meek
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LMichele, I'm sure you're excited about your exchange. Have you discussed sizes yet? Just curious. I am also filled to 400 in 500 expanders. Going for 450 tomorrow. I'm already liking the size I am about now. I'm 5'8" also about 137lbs. Whippetmom suggested nothing less than 500 to me; recommended 550 style 20. Just looking for comparisons.
My exchange will probably not be until January.
Good luck and keep me posted!
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This thread is wayyyyy to quiet!
Went to Dillard's tonight at my local mall to do some retail therapy. Went to buy a pretty shirt. Came out with a bra! Ha! What a surprise, eh?
It's my first Calvin Klein bra (30D), push-up ... just what I've been looking for ... something to wear under white dress shirts that give me a little projection. It's perfect! AND ... I found a a pair of white Calvin Klein wedge sandals on sale for $15.
Retail therapy success!
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Dawne-Hope - the BC retail therapy gods were smiling on us yesterday! In addition to my Rack bra finds, I also found some Fry boots on clearance for half off. I'm as excited about those as my bras.
Anyone that hasn't checked out my pics on the pic forum, I posted pics of both my recon journey and some new bras. Dawne has kindly advised me on which ones may not be the right fits. You girls are the best! I'm not confident of my size yet, think it's time to go back to Nordies for a fitting, and try on some underwire. I could be dropping and fluffing some, too. Is that a "you'll know it when you see it" thing?
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supersally - I'm by no means an expert on bra fitting. Cameron, whippetmom and Val are the true experts. But I'm learning!
Sometimes it's hard to tell from a picture. Val's header above contains the best and most important information! Congratulations on the boots! I was the same last night ... as excited about the Calvin Klein sandals as I was the bra! So fun!Concerning the drop and fluff you will totally know it when you see it. It's a little like a flower blooming ... everything that was once tight softens, drops a little, fluffs out (becomes a little bigger) and just looks softer. If you go over to Cameron's thread, go back a few pages and you'll see an excellent example of what the drop and fluff looks like. Congratulations on your finds yesterday!
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You can follow Freya on facebook and they posted on their FB the up and coming collection. I want "Taylor!"
http://www.freyalingerie.com/lingerie/coming-soon.aspx
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I'm thinking there is a direct relationship between "bra-a-holic" and "shoe/boot-a-holic"
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My shoe/boot attraction started long before the bra addiction ... but I'm thinking that the shoe/boot addiction somehow led to the bra addiction? 0
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My spouse has already started the eye-rolling about my bra fascination, and I'm only 2+ weeks post-exchange. Yes, I have a shoe, um, thang. (Just call me Imelda, Jr.) 0
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jyg - You go, girl! 0
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I finally made it to a Nordstroms for a bra fitting. The 34DD's fit great in the store so I bought 4. A Natori Calais, 2 Wacoal Halo (nude/black) and a Wacoal Awareness (essentially a sports bra). My PS surgeon doesn't like underwire but said if that's all I can fit then it's ok. The 34DD felt tight but not horrid in the store but if I wear them to all day for work I have a dark red or purple U shaped line where the underwire presses into my skin. There were no wirefree at Nordstoms that fit me so everything except the Awareness is a underwire bra. Is it going to cause damage to circulation or implant to have a underwire that presses into my skin this tightly. I never wore a 34 before BMX because I didn't like anything that tight but I've had a horrid time getting a bra where I fill out the tip of the cup. Anyway my question is .. can I do harm by wearing bra's that cut off circulation to this extend?
Thanks, Jo
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Jo - when was your exchange? What are your rib cage and implant stats? Nordstrom carries some great wire-free bras that just might not have been in stock at your store. You can always go online and order then return them to your store if the size isn't right. They will order them for you at the store, as well. I got some Donna Karans and Calvin Kleins that are wire free early on after exchange. I'm now at 8 weeks post-exchange, and my PS says I can wear underwire at 12 weeks. I think I will continue to wear the wirefree bras I purchased as they are very comfortable. Where did your PS go in to put the implant in at exchange? Mine went in at the IMF, so I need to be extra careful for a while at least.
LOL on the bra addiction/shoe addiction transfer! I was never that into bras, just threw on any old thing as I wasn't that big. So now, I'm about to be really into bras, as soon as I can wear underwire in the next four weeks.
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Well count me in on the shoe addiction!
I just had my exchange this morning. Back home now. Piece of cake compared to BMX however my arm is killing me and starting to swell. I never had LE before so not sure if this is what it is and a little scared. I only had 3 nodes removed back in March without a problem.
Since I can't buy bras yet I went to town this weekend on QVC shoes for the cause and at Zappos last night. I sure hope DH is back at a work before the packages arrive this week (he so kindly took off a few days to help me after the exchange).0 -
Faulkh - I wish there was a like button, LOL on DH going back to work! Call your PS about the swelling, I'm sure they would rather you call with a question than worry.
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Faulkh - I responded to your question about LE over on "Exchange City." I so hope it isn't!
brac1953 - I would ask the same question as supersally. What is your ribcage circumference and what size are your implants?
It is totally normal for a well-fitted underwire to leave an indentation. But purple? Not so good! I would definitely be concerned. Know that with reconstructed breasts, you're not likely to fill out the tip of bras anymore. The whole areola-complex is gone and most of us with a well-fitted underwire are NOT going to fill out the tip of a bra cup with reconstructed breasts ... it just isn't going to happen. There are exceptions but it is an exception.
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Dawn-hope. Thanks. I am going to follow up via phone with PS tomorrow (already have an appt for Wednesday). If I don't get anywhere I will call my BS. I know she will listen. The swelling is still there but the pain is now going away. Liz
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Faulkh - That is good news the pain is going away! Stay on top of it. I've learned the hard way ... be the noisy gong, the persistent person ... you are your best advocate. xo 0
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My ribcage is 32" and in the past I've added 4" to wear a 36". My full bust is 38" so in the past that would have been a B but a 36 B doesn't fit anymore. I fill the 34DD out nicely where everything else I tried left me with deflated tips (not an attractive look). I wear a lot of camisole type tops under jackets & sweaters for work and with sports bras that don't cup the breasts the seam down the front shows and I don't like that look either. Maybe I'm just too picky..
Supersally, my exchange was 12 weeks ago and my incisions go horizontally across the center of the breast.
Dawne-hope, I worry about the purple too. I know there is less padding between the skin and implant than there was when I had breast tissue so maybe because it's so thin it turns purple. But does that mean the skin in not getting any blood circulation? It just freaks me out a bit!
Thanks, Jo
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brca1953 - Are you wearing the 32 on the loosest hook? If you have broad shoulders you may need a bigger band. But for most of us, 2 inches more than our ribcage is usually right. But again, all our bodies are unique and different. If you're not already, try on the loosest hook. And maybe those particular brands just aren't for you. I know that a 30band in a Freya works better for me than a 30band Chantelle. Strange.
You might want to try molded cups because you don't notice if you don't fill out the cup to the tip. And there are no seams or anything ... it is completely smooth. Where is it that you have the purple 'u' in your skin ... the back or the front? How long has it been since your exchange?
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hillck - I've done some research on bra sizing and we're so wrong in the U.S.! They've got it right over in the UK. From my understanding, in the 1950's when it was considered the 'perfect' woman's size 36, 24, 36 ... the goal of bra companies was for women to end up in the 36 range so they would feel 'beautiful' and 'perfect.' So ... the standard became add 4" to your band size. Think about it. Do we add 4" to anything else when we want a good fit? Do we add 4 inches to our pants? To our shirts? It really is absurd. Again, it's my understanding ... and I may be wrong ... but it started so as to sell bras and for a woman to 'feel' beautiful.
In the UK, they add 2 inches instead of 4 inches. And it just makes more sense. For tall women and women with broad shoulders, they may need more than just a two inch increase in their band. But for most of us, 2 inches is where we need to be.
Linda the Bra Lady from NY has some videos and written a lot about sizing and I've learned a lot from her site. You can follow her on facebook and Twitter. If you go to her website, she will size you 2" instead of 4" increase. www.lindasonline.com
Try a band size lower and see how it feels. I have a 28inch ribcage and wore a 34B before BC. My straps were always falling down and my band was always riding up. Totally the wrong size. I wear a 30D now. No more riding up or falling down straps.
Also, we tend to want the straps to carry all the weight and give us the support. That's wrong. It's the band that should be the tighest and supporting us the most. Straps shoudn't leave an indentation on or in our shoulders. Most of the support from our bras should be in the band. That's why it should be tight. Remember, though ... if you go down in the band, you need to go up in the cup.
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