Is there a new bra intervention thread somewhere?

[lookout]

All of the other ones are closed now and I still need some help!

Thanks.

I am extremely pissed off with my boobs today.

On Sunday I decided, after reading the intervention threads, to go and get some new bras. Its been around 6 years since I considered changing size, and in that time I've been anywhere between a 12 and an 18 ok 20 and therefore they can't still be the same size of a 36DD. Rather than be measured (I've previously been measured as a 40B, a 36B and a 36DD on the same day) I trust the fit rather than what someone tells me a tape measure says.

I spent 45 mins trying on a variety of sizes and styles in Debenhams, starting around the size of the one I was wearing which was comfortable but just a little pinchy under the arms on the wires. Eventually I decided that I was going to buy a 38E so a bit of an increase. The only one that size I'd taken in was a flesh coloured one in a horrid fabric, so I went back out to find some pretty ones. They had none in stock. I sulked and went to M&S.

I picked up some 38E bras to try on and I may as well have put tents over my waps. They were fucking huge! Another 20 minutes later, what seemed like 50 bras later, I came up with a new size - 36DD. I then went round in a huff after wasting so much time to come up with my previous size and picked up any pretty bra in a 36DD, 2 pairs of matching pants, and ended up spending 200 quid on bras.

Have had a different set on every day this week, and today I put on the nice new plain white bra. It just about fastens and I have the dreaded quadraboob and have to wear it as I've only got a white shirt clean and threw away my old not quite white anymore bras away. Its a completely different size to the others and I'm really not happy!

Don't be mad with your boobs, it's not their fault that there are so many sizing inconsistencies! The only thing you did wrong was to assume that once you had got the size right in one style, then other styles in the same size would work equally well.
I always say that in terms of fit, bras are like shoes and jeans- very personal and prone to huge variations. My smallest bra is a 30F and my largest a 32GG. They all fit. I tried an M&S style in 32GG the other day and I could barely fasten it!

So, if when trying on bras your torso immediately below the band goes suddenly and alarmingly red, the band is too tight, right?

Hi ladies. I'm off to buy a sports bra today and have been having a quick read of this thread. I'm 32 round the chest and 39 round the bust. Any suggestions of what I should try?

I would say so Becksy

32/39? Suggest Panache wired sports in 32F and Shock Absorber DMax+ in 32F or more likely 34E.

can someone who has the link t the blog, re link it please? I've just scanned the thread anad cant find it

Just checking back in, I have not been MNing much and it fell off my threads list.

Bertrude have you measured at least round your ribcage? I'd put a on you needing to go down in the back and up in the cup.

Can anyone help? I've been thinking I need some new bras as I am getting bored with my current nursing bras (wasn't expecting to continue this long so bought boring ones!) and even when DS weans I don't expect my old pre-pregnancy ones to fit right anymore. I measured myself according to the MN guide and I'm 28 around my back and 33 around the bust. According to the guide that makes me a 28DD, which can't be right, my nursing bras are a 34B and I'm not quite filling them anymore (supply has settled as he's only feeding about 4 times in 24 hours now), and my pre-pregnancy bras were a 34A!

Please help, I miss the cleavage I had when I had more milk and I'm hoping pretty new bras will make me feel better! Any suggestions for nice slightly padded nursing bras would be nice too.

Kaida 28DD would be right for a start, but that would be similar in cup volume to a 34B ish and it sounds as though those are too small in the cup so I'd try 28E and F too. Your current bra feels too tight because of the cups.

I've heard hot milk recommended for pretty nursing bras but I'm not sure about their size range. Panache do a pretty one and Anita make an underwired one, again not sure about the sizes.

CelticPromise Thank you for your reply. Actually my current bras aren't too tight, more that I don't fill the cup quite as much as I used to. I've been looking on Hot Milk but they start at a 30 and mostly have bigger sizes and I've been looking at BraStop too, similar problem. Most nursing bras seem designed for the early days when cups runneth over, IYKWIM, and often start at an E or F.

Would it damage a normal bra to just scoop the cup under my breast to feed DS? Or won't that be possible with a properly fitting bra anyway?

Sorry I misread! That's what I get for multitasking! 28DD the right ballpark then.

I wouldn't have thought it would do much harm to feed as you suggest in a regular bra, after all we all abuse them by machine washing etc. I hated nursing bras and couldn't wait to get out of them.

I think it would be easier to feed in a normal bra if you slip the shoulder strap off.

the blog is thebetterbracampaign.blogspot.co.uk

Would a 30D be likely to fit? There's much more choice in a 30D than a 28DD.

And I don't have any "padding" really over my ribs, so I think I read in the guide I might be better with one band size up? A 30D would be the same cup size as a 28 DD right?

finding this thread so helpful, I've been wearing a 32A for years. It never fitted properly and I have always been really self conscious about having small boobs. After reading these threads yesterday when I was skiving having a break from course work I went off and measured myself -28d! Immediately ordered one online and it fits perfectly. I am amazed, I finally have a bra that fits well and doesn't slide about everywhere. Wish I'd known this in my teens and twenties. The scooping makes such a difference too.

Hi, can anyone tell me if this is right? I am 30" under and 36" over (braless, and leaning over) should my starting point be 30e? I am currently wearing 34e and the band feels tight and cup slightly too big. I can't imagine trying a 30 anything as this feels quite tight but I understand that each bra could be a different size (am currently wearing M&S & Freya) TIA

tomyum as the cup only feels slightly loose you might want to try a 30 f&fff too. The tightness can be a kind of illusion because when the back is too loose it moves around and pulls down at the front causing it to dig in

Thanks Statistically. I really want to go and get fitted. I keep reading this thread and then not doing anything about it. Can I ask, if you had John Lewis or Bravissimo to choose from, where would you go?

bravissimo every time. John Lewis are getting better but still more hit and miss. and the customer service in brav is generally excellent-bra fitting isn't an exact science so there will always be customers who get home with their new bra and find after wearing it that it's not quite right. If that happens and you have been fitted at bravissimo then they will take it back ime.

Kaida you're right about going up in the back and down in the cup and you might find that 30D is ok but I would definitely try 28 if you can- they are not too hard to find online.

Actually last time i was fitted properly it was by john lewis! She started measuring me at a 31cm then added the 4cm (why?) then bought me some 36 backs then tried 34 then 32 before bringing me a 30 just to try.
So although she had no idea how to measure she did at least know how a properly fitting bra should look!

Can I ask a general question?

Is it true that European bra sizes tend to take off 10cm (ie, 4 inches) to hide the fact that they're asking you to add 4 inches to the size?

If so could this pleeeeeeeease be added to the blog on the fitting page? :)

Also I'm still seeing the first two bullet points in a weird script, maybe Russian? What's that all about?

No idea re russian bertie botts, there was an issue with it doing that before but it had been sorted. Confused.com

Re european sizes (but not french which are different again!) then yes that's roughly my understanding. So whilst in the UK we went "add 4 inches to the measurement to get your band size" in European sizes they added the 4 inches, but still numbered it as the original "measurement". So when we were adding 4, they were buying their measurement in cms. And now that we don't add 4 anymore, they need to deduct 10!

So 65cm for example is just shy of 26". But it's the equivalent of a 30 in the UK. (I am a 30HH and wear a 65HH in general euro sizes)

Will try to add something to the blog at some point - have an exam next week which is taking up a lot of time just now!