I dressed up for something on Saturday. I did my hair and makeup and wore a dress. I was in a bit of a rush so while getting dressed I made a split second decision to forgo my manky old nursing bra for a lovely pre-pregnancy bra. It was a horrible decision but because of the rush I had no time to fix it. I spent the day pulling my bra back down and adjusting myself. It was rotten.
My body is so different post-Grady. I am still nursing so I know there are more changes to come when he weans. I'm surprised at how changed my breasts are though (which is ridiculous, I know. My breasts have fed my child for 20.5 months. Of course they've changed.)
Part of it is losing weight. The first place I lose weight is in my chest. I can tiptoe my fingers down the staircase that is my ribcage while still rocking thick hips and bum rolls. I am the definition of pear-shaped. So the loss of my ample Bs shouldn't surprise me. I no longer sit in front of a computer all day, snacking on yummy treats. I chase an active toddler all day and eat when he's asleep (which is never, oh my hell, why is there still no sleep?)
I know that a crazy high number of women wear the wrong bra size. And I don't want to be one of those women. I'm just flummoxed by the whole bra fitting scenario. Do I just ... go to the mall? Ask the lady what size to buy? Ask her to measure me? Do I get naked to be measured? I've never been professionally fitted before. Partly because I am a crazy lady who frets about situations like these (do I talk to her while she's fitting me? What if I accidentally make eye contact with her in the mirror?) and partly because I am cynical about having a bra fitting done at a store. Will I only be able to buy that specific store's bras? Stupid stores all have stupid different standards for sizing. It makes me ragey.
Did your breasts change after pregnancy? Have you ever had a professional bra fitting? Let's talk boobies!
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I've had it done at Victoria's Secret and a dept store. Dept store tends to be a business like Russian lady, you can keep your bra on from what I remember. VS was a young person who seemed less qualified but both times the new bras I got felt awesome. They do it all day so think of it as a less awkward experience than waxing. (Which I've never done.)
ReplyDeleteIt took me entirely too long to get the title of this post. You'd think I never used a calculator as a kid. Anyway! About a year ago I went for a professional bra fitting at Nordstrom and tried on about 20 bras and bought two insanely-priced ones, got them home, tried to wear them out, and wanted to crawl out of my skin. They were nice and fit well and whatever, but as someone who wore nursing tanks exclusively (and then when nursing was done, crammed the boobs into my old pre-baby bras that were LITERALLY falling apart), I just could not hang. Heh. Hang. Anyway, I am sure the fancy expensive bras were better for my boobs, but I just couldn't really get on board spending $200 to be wildly uncomfortable for 10+ hours a day. Now I pretty much just wear those tanks with the bra shelf (from Express; they're so tight they might as well be Spanx) and they work. Granted, I don't leave the house most days, so I have a definite problem when I do need to get dressed up (cram them into the old falling apart bras or wear an incredibly uncomfortable (but cheap) bra I impulse-bought at Target. Anyway, so I'm in the same boat as you, basically. Except that I didn't find the bra-fitting worth it. (Mostly because I was uncomfortable after dropping my top in front of the woman and having her be like, "Okay, turn around now" (OOPS) and so I didn't really express my needs clearly. I should go back, armed with more information and stand firm with what I like and not be easily persuaded to get what the bra lady pushes (I think they get bonuses) and so anyway. Yeah. This is a long comment about boobs.)
ReplyDeleteGo to Change! Those ladies are awesome. They will get you in the right size, with pretty but functional bras, for a reasonable price. I'm too big for their nursing bras, but will be going back there once I'm back to regular bras. They won't get you nekkid to measure (I don't think) but they will ask if it's okay to come in and check the fit. Let them, because they have solved fitting issues I didn't even realize I had!
ReplyDeleteYou can very much properly measure yourself with online guides. The girls at Vicky's Secret DO NOT know what the hell they are talking about. If you go to two different chicks they will most likely tell you two different sizes. Trust me, avoid the awkwardness and measure yourself. Also, have you ever checked out trueandco.com. uh-may-zing! I loved their service, I also live somewhere with no department stores, so it is so worth it for me. I was an intimate apparel major so I'm all finnicky about boobs and undies and such, gotta do it right!
ReplyDeleteI got fitted at a dept store (Nordstrom's) and while the experience definitely held a lot of awkward potential, it ended up being totally fine. I mean, yes, my boobs were flying free and another woman put my bra on for me, but clearly she does that ALL. DAY. LONG. so i figured why be the one who made it weird? *she* was not going to make it weird; for her I was one more set o' boobs that needed to be wrangled. so i pretended it was normal for me to be braless in front of other women and went with it.
ReplyDeletesince it was a dept store (and not a sole-source place like Victoria's Secret) she brought me a variety of different styles, brands, and price points and i chose the one i felt the best in (which ended up being mid-range, pricewise). i would say go for it!
I am so bummed by my post-pregnancy bewbs. Before they were wonderful Cs, during pregnancy they grew to Ds, and now I'm certain that they're sad little Bs. Having just bought new "normal" bras while I was pregnant, I'm cheesed that I'm going to have to go drop a bunch of coin on new bras. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I've gone for a fitting once before and it was awkward. There was definitely a nipple-slip. Now, the last thing I want is some woman fondling my tatas while I try and cope with my deflated chest. I'm most likely going to grab 4 different sizes off the shelf and do it myself.
I got fitted at VS and at a local specialty bra store. The ladies at VS do not know what the hell they are doing. At VS, they "measured" me over my clothes and told me I was a 36C. None of the bras I tried one fit me in any remote way. One literally fell off. So I went to the specialty bra store, where the lady measured me in just my bra, and was told I was actually a 32F (I *know*. Holy tatas, Batman). The bras I bought there were expensive, but fit perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI've found it's not easy to order bras after being fitted. VS bras fit differently than department store bras which fit differently from bras ordered online (European sizes are slightly different). I think honestly the best thing to do is to go to a nice store, try on a bunch of different bras, and do handstands and boogie dances in the dressing room until you find some that fit.
Before I got pregnant I was a B. During pregnancy and breastfeeding I went up to a C. It was wild. Post-nursing me has totally wizzled up. I just ordered two A-cup bras from Aerie. It's like my whole body is aging but my boobs reverted back to grade 6 in some kind of bizarre Benjamin Button situation. I have never been fitted for a bra and can't imagine it being anything but horrifying - I won't even get changed at the gym in front of other women so I can't see myself letting them get all up in my business, or lack thereof. But all my friends who have swear up and down it's not nearly as awkward as you anticipate.
ReplyDeleteI am still nursing my 25 mo. old a few times a day, but my boobs don't seem much different than pre-pregnancy. Either way, I absolutely cannot stand wearing any sort of snug or structured bra - I'm probably about a 36B and I wear the basic black sports bra from the Gap in XL for my every day bra. Otherwise, Kohl's has a good selection of affordable bras, screw the fitting, they all fit different anyway.
ReplyDeleteI got fitted at Macy's when I gained weight and new my bras no longer fit. (nothing takes a hit on your self esteem like going up two bra sizes because you got fat, ugh.) And they did a decent enough job. But I have never really liked underwires but was always told I needed them (I went from a full C to a DD) so I put up with it. The last month or so ago I found this company called coobie bras (shopcoobie.com). They are literally the most comfortable and great fitting bras ever. I really like them and since I bought some that's all I've been wearing. I don't know if it would be something you'd even like or what but I figured I'd share.
ReplyDeleteI've done bra fittings at VS (worthless. Really, don't even bother), department stores (really depends on the staff when you go, can be great or just ok.) and specialty stores (ahmazing!). It can be awkward, but for me, it was no more or less awkward than nursing in public or seeing a lactation consultant--maybe I just lost all my modest, but I figured these women are pros and my bewbs aren't anything all that special or scary.
ReplyDeleteAt the good fittings I've had, they've told me a range of sizes (it can so often depend on the brand), but also have shown me how a bra SHOULD fit, so that when I go to shop elsewhere now I know what to look for. If you go to a specialty store, just stand firm in 1)your price point 2)your lifestyle 3)your wardrobe likes/dislikes and 3)your price point. They'll likely nail the fit in amazing ways, but nailing the lifestyle/price stuff can be iffy.
Oh, and fwiw--the fittings I've had, the women are just totally businesslike. There's no real chit chat, because they're doing a job. So it ended up being awkward, but not as awkward as you might think.
I'm sorry you're struggling with this, lovely! So much of every girl's time spent in front of the mirror is spent wishing we were seeing something other than what we saw. I wish I could switch off that button in my brain!!
ReplyDeleteI'm dreading this aspect of having kids- I'm an A cup, and after babies... I'm going to have the body of kermit the frog. Let's be real. That being said, I know from myself and other ladies with small breasts that finding great fitting smaller bra sizes can be tricky. There are fewer sizes and styles available, and you have to try them on to make sure you'll like something, even if it's from the same brand.
I vote you go to a specialty store for a fitting with the intention of getting one bra, and finding your right size. The ladies are like your auntie or grandma, they work with people who are baffled by the process every day & will be very matter of fact. They see boobs all day long. You can come away with an idea of your size and a bra that fits perfectly for you to use as reference when you try on other in the future. You can do it!! xo
Definitely find a specialty bra/lingerie store in your area. Pregnancy did a number on my boobs, and I got FANTASTIC bras during the pregnancy/nursing times. I was a 32DDD pre-pregnancy, a 36HH (!!)) while nursing, and now I'm probably a 32DD post-nursing. Specialty bras can be pricey, but if you're a normal size it shouldn't be more than about $40. I paid $60 for the two I have, and they were worth every penny. You can always buy just one and then price-shop online for another one if you like it.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the comments, because I've never been fitted. I should probably do that.
ReplyDeleteIn college, my roommates and I went to Macy's, I think, to all be fit for bras. The lady measured me and told me I was a 32AA and they didn't even carry any bras my size. I will never forget how incredibly sad I was over that.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was fit for my wedding dress, the seamstress measured me and said I was a 34A - I have been buying along those lines ever since and am mostly happy. We have a seamstress in our town, and I would likely try her if I wanted to be fit again.
I buy bras from Victoria's Secret and Target, and find ones I like at each place depending on the style/sizing/product line, etc.
I have nursed three children, and I don't notice much of a difference in my body as before. HOWEVER (and you may already know this, but just in case!), right after you wean you will likely notice a HUGE DIFFERENCE. Basically, it feels as though your chest just deflated. Over the next few months things will go back more to normal. I asked about this once, and was told that after the milk glands dry up your body slowly starts to replace it with fat cells.
Oh my, what an awkward comment!
I went to Victoria's Secret and asked them to measure me. It was so easy and surprisingly not that awkward. I'd say just go for it and then try on a bunch of different styles until you find one you like. Hurray boobs!
ReplyDeleteEveryone's already said it but seriously, getting fitted is life changing and in a good way. It's surprisingly less awkward. They can do it through your clothes/with your bra on. I highly recommend it! And yes, your boobs change with pregnancy, nursing, and age. I have no idea what will happen with mine if I get pregnant. They are already huge! I'm slightly concerned. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm still nursing my youngest, 15 months and 2nd nursling, but it was time to purchase a non nursing bra! So, I went to Diane's Lingerie on Granville St and they jiggled and wiggled my two into a great fit. I'll still wear my nursing bras when I'm home with my girl but now I have 2 new options for other occasions and they really help shape things up!
ReplyDeleteDiane's on Granville. Get fitted, try a few on. Don't feel obligated to buy if you don't want to just enjoy the fitting part.
ReplyDeleteYou live in Vancouver so this is a no brainer. Diane's Lingerie.
ReplyDelete