to want a breast reduction?

[Badabingy]

hello all

I have always had big boobs- when I was at uni I had them measured and they were 34F- before I got married i went to Selfridges and they measured them as a 30K!!!

The only nice things I can get to fit are from Bravissimo. Smock tops make me look pregnant and fitted tops make me feel self conscious. I am embarrassed to get undressed in changing rooms. I hate swimming and can't go running. I know that people think of me as the 'big boobed one': a colleague once told me that he had described me as nice and clever, with big boobs to my new boss (mortified) and in the pub people were describing another girl and said she had big boobs then looked at me and said but 'nowhere near as big as yours'. I didn't breastfeed as I was too self conscious about getting my boobs out- did it in private as long as I could but in the end just had to give up. Oh and in summer it's an nightmare- I am really itchy underneath my boobs and my straps dig in. I am round shoulder-ed as I have always hunched over to hide them.

Has anyone else had a breast reduction and how did you find it? What was the recovery time? I really wouldn't want to tell anyone that I am having it/have had it done as I feel to embarrassed- is this possible to get way with? This has beeen going on for years and years. i would love to have normal sized boobs and not be a freak show, being paranoid that people are looking at me.

Any thoughts and shared expereinces would be so welcome.

Thank you girls.

My wonderful GP referred me, via the NHS, to an amazing surgeon. My waiting time was @5mths... but I had been building myself up to asking about it for 18 years.

I had three consults with the surgeon and it was done on the NHS as I had "pendulous breasts". Awful term but v accurate description. They were how a kid first writes a lower case 'w'. With no bra, my nipples pointed fully south and the lowest part of my boobs were just 1" above my belly button. Seriously!

My op was hugely invasive, took several hours, involved my nipples being relocated (new show for Kirsty & Phil, methinks) and resulted in 150 stitches...

...that was 18 months ago. I can't tell you how much my life has changed. I know it's not ALL down to the op, but I feel so, so, so much happier. Since having it done, I have been in a pool, in a bikini, bought lovely underwear and my new man loves my boobs - yes there are scars but they have already faded and, in a perverse kind of way, they're my battle scars and I like 'em.

Post op recovery was a bit tough - tits like rocks and difficult to lift my arms etc but, y'know what? I'll probably do it again in a few years... unexpectedly (but delightedly) pg with 1st child!

Good luck, don't look back!

congrats quiz!

Hi, I had a breast reduction 17 years ago afer spending many unhappy teenage years due to my 40G booobs and i'm still really pleased with the results :o I had very little pain post op and only took about 3 weeks for wounds to heal and bruising to go. Can hardly see the scars and I have breast fed 2 babies since. i'm currently pregnant will baby no 3 and boobs still quite pert lol

Also really good fun buying new sexy underwear :o

i had one done before my 4 children. i managed to breastfeed,however i struggled a lot with it,which may not be related. i did not want anyone to see my boobs and they made my life miserable. the nhs did mine,i was expecting to be told no,but the consultant said "you poor thing" they were lovely,and on the ward after op there were women ranging from 21 (me)up to 70 plus, i felt sad that they waited so long.i cannot underestimate what a difference it made to me. i was 34 h at time,am now 30 f 16 years later.i had a holiday where i would not go in the pool as i was so self conscious.ironically,bravissimo opened not long after my op, i still go there now as still big cup size,GO FOR IT

Hi Badabingy & other Bazookily-Blessed ladies - keep us posted on how you get along - you'll have plenty of support here (see what I did there) as you go through the process, if that's what you decide to do.

SSD - thank you :)

I have seriously consdiered it, I'm a 34J at the moment. Have suffered back ach and had to have physio but no problems with thrush or rashes.

I was advised to wait untill after having children as your size can seriously change when PG. Mind did to as I was only a 34GG before and when talked to Doc about it. I'm still thinking about having it done after I've finish my family as still have back problems.

But I can say without a doute that a really good fitting bra can make a huge difference. I to used to have dug in shoulder but don't anymore thanks to good fitting underware, also did help with the back ach to some extent. Wonderfull Bravisimo, although sometimes I do feel like I need to remorgae my house when ever I go in there. I woun't go near M&S with a barg poll as even when they do larger sizes have always found that the material is not supportive enough. The right size bra shouldn't dig in the shoulders most of the weight should be supported round the back. But I am very fed up of not really being able to get dresses that fit, and having to wear a bigger top size to my bottom is a pain.

Hellllooooo, another one over here!

I had a reduction just before my 18th birthday (am now approaching 30) and it was the best thing I ever did. I went from a 36FF (although I was still cramming my boobs into a DD/E bra in the hope that denial would make them disappear overnight). I went down to a 36C. I have since had DS but bizarrely my boobs didn't grow that much and during pregnancy I only went up to a DD....... however, I did have him 7wks early so that may explain something. I am now either a 36C/D... but it totally depends on where I buy the bra from etc. I have a C cup one which is a bit big...?

Like I said this was the best thing I did. I was home after two days, laid up for about 2weeks but after that was only on mild painkillers and back to normal before long.

I thought my scars would be horrendous, purely because my wound split right under both boobs. Only slightly but it was enough for the scar to be a small circle as opposed to a neat cross, but they are fine. I haven't "noticed" them for years. I haven't ever gone topless on holiday for fear of sunburnt scar tissue, but to be honest I don't think going topless is my thing anyway. When I had DS I didn't get a lot of milk so couldn't feed, but who knows whether that was to do with my op, or the fact that he was prem..... or the fact that I was just one of those many women who couldn't bf regardless of other issues?

I had mine done on the NHS but that might be due to the fact that I had been asking my GP to refer me from the age of 16 because I was so huge at a young age and my spine would have eventually suffered. I am also quite small in stature, just 5'2".

Go for it!

Those of you who had children after the operation, did the boobs get and stay bigger again? That's part of my reason for waiting until I'm finished with childbearing, I'd hate to go through all that and then have them grow back.

Very envious that this is available on the NHS - it's private only, over here in Australia, and private health insurance won't cover it in a lot of cases so it's totally out of pocket.

My Mum said that when she went back to work after her op she felt like everyone was just ataring at her. They didn't know about the op, they just stared. And then she noticed that men on the street were staring at her as well. She was quite unsettled about it, until she realised that actually, they were just no longer staring at her boobs. She'd grown so used to men not making eye contact that she was ill prepared for it!

Tortoise - as I mentioned, I had the op just over a year ago and went from a J to a D. I'm currently 6m pregnant (with 1st) and have very recently bought some DD bras as was beginning to get a touch of 'Picasso Tits' (where the cup is too small and you get 4 boobs, not two!) As for what happens over the coming months - I'll let you know.

Lovely that your Mum was getting getting checked out in a non-nork way; I often forget that "they" are not there anymore!

Just been watching the hospital

Interesting what they're saying about they've changed the rules and they now need to be removing 500g from each breast to qualify on the NHS. No idea what 500g equates to in cup sizes though.

I had one- 34HH to 36D-(7lbs removed) and am sucessfully breastfeeding my 6month old (with tears and traumas initially- and she is predominantly breastfed rather than exclusively but am going to try for EBF for number two)

Get it done- best thing I ever did!

I desperately want a breast lift. Does anyone know if this is available on the NHS?

I'm 34, and used to be a size 18 with 40FF breasts. I lost four stone and am now a size 10. I wear a 32D bra, but in reality, this is mostly made up of empty skin at the top, with boobs hanging down to nearly my belly button.

I hate my body so much, I actually wish I had never lost all of that weight.

Tortoise - I had a baby about 2 years after the reduction. Yes they got bigger and as a consequence are not as upright and never will be. However I put on 4 stone during pregnancy which was v silly. I would say wait if you can. Having said that, I was not about to turn down the nhs op when it came up so don't regret it and my boobs still look great and I generly wouldn't change a thing

2 close family members had reductions - one in her 30s one in her 50s.
Both delighted, both wished they had done it years ago

Ladies!

First of all, thanks again for sharing all your thoughts and experiences - I am so grateful. After I posted the initial thread and having seen all the positive results and hearing all the encouragement I finally plucked up the courage to make an appointment with my doctor and thought I would let you know how I got on. It was this morning at 7am (ouch!) and I was awake from 5am worrying about it. I walked in and the dr looked at me expectantly and I blurted out that I'd come to see her about having my boobs reduced and promptly burst into tears!! So embarrassing. I was in there for 20 minutes and couldn't stop blubbering!! She was so nice- very sensitive, compassionate and also very angry on my behalf when I told her about comments made by colleagues over the years. She weighed me, checked my blood pressure and asked if I would mind letting her have a look (took t-shirt off, kept bra on). She said that she will support me in putting me forward for a breast reduction but is not sure whether the NHS will allow it so she needs to explore it further on my behalf. To be honest I am prepared for the worst given the current ongoings in public swervices. But we could potentially (and luckily) pay for it privately so although it would be a blow to have to pay all that money it would be possible. The way it's been left is that she's going to have a look into it on the NHS side and I'm going to speak to a local private hospital to suss out cost etc. and then we'll meet again in a couple of weeks to discuss next steps.

I feel very relieved to have taken the first step and yes while I blubbered the whole time I found it so helpful to finally talk to someone about it. Were it not for all you lovely ladies taking the time to reply to me I wouldn't have had the courage to have done this so thank you again a million times over. I cannot say how grateful I am. I will keep updating this thread as clearly there are a lot of people who are in the same boat as me and hopefully the process I am going/about to go through will help you too. I'm still not 100% certain i will definitely have the op, but I'm glad that I've finally taken a step in the right direction.

xxx

Baba, well done, that is a really positive first step.

Let us know what goes on

Hey Badabingy,

Well done you. I too spent the entire time with my GP having a sob. I think it was the relief and finally getting the anguish off my chest (see what I did there?!) I felt that I had a professional 'on side' and from that point onwards I felt really positive.
You have massive support (sorry) here on M.N - I wish I'd had this resource many years ago - and it's lovely to know that you're not alone in what you're feeling or going through.
I'm happy to share or discuss in more detail and even meet up if you want any RL support. My scars, 18 mths on, are fading fast and I even went topless this year! A first - well, since the age of 4!

Best wishes x

That's really good news. Having a supportive GP is absolutely wonderful in this situation. I really, really, really hope you succeed in getting this sorted!

OP, I am certain that you would qualify for having a boob reduction on the NHS since it sounds like it is affecting your posture and not to mention your confidence. My GP offered to refer me for one merely becauseI've lost a lot of weight yet nowt has come off the old funbags (still a 34F :() and now I resemble Dolly Parton. However, I declined because if I had it done, it would be purely cosmetic as I don't get any of the problems that some of you mentioned, and I'm just not willing to go through the op just to go down a cup size or two.

Speak to your GP. Sorry if you have already, I've not read the entire thread.

Oh and totally forgot to mention; my stepmum had the op two years ago and has minimal scarring, didn't find the recovery too traumatic and is pleased with the results.

Just a v quick post. I had my reduction at the age of 19 on the NHS. I was a size 8 and was a 28HH which was extremely difficult to get hold of in those days, pre Bravissimo. This was 16 years ago.

I have had 3 children since and breastfed.

I was seriously traumatised by my breats and was sexually assaulted in the street and on an almost daily basis by the boys at school. I had an amazing figure at school and was already a 28E by about 14. I was called a slag though for having big tits and they made my life a misery.

Best thing I ever did.

HTH

Another update! Just called the local private hospital and have got an appointment tomo morning with a plastic surgery specialist nurse who will be able to give me lots of information.. talk about striking while the iron's hot!! She said standard cost is £5580- ouch.

PS QuizTeam- thank you so much for your offer of RL support- I really appreciate it and it's so nice to know I have the support of so many people via MN.

weirdly breast reductions are cheaper than enlargements! Mine was £3700 but that was 9 years ago. I would have got mine on NHS but I was going mental and my wonderful parents paid for it.

I can really recomend my surgeon but you would need to be in Midlands!