Oh god, I tried bikinis on today and it was hideous. Please help.

[Flosshilde]

I'm going abroad next month on a hot holiday. My DS is 3mo and I'm breastfeeding. My boobs are huge - I have been fitted in a 30FF nursing bra. My tummy still looks like I'm about 4 months pregnant as the muscles split and are healing slowly, and he's my second, so I was already crepey. I still have my linea nigra right down the middle.

The bikinis were underwired and really uncomfortable. I tried lots of variation of sizes on. I looked awful in all of them.

I can't see anything remotely resembling my size other than at Bravissimo. However, I'll be back to normal boobage (small) next year, and also unlikely to go abroad with a 15mo old so I don't want to spaff £60+ on something that will be worn for a week.

Otherwise I'm somewhere between a 10 and a 12 (another reason nothing fits). My legs are almost transparent having not seen the sun for 4 years but they're otherwise OK.

So I need:

Cheap (ish) but not appalling material
Non wired but supportive
Not bandeau style
Happy to consider non-frumpy swimsuits / tankinis but have no idea what is / isn't nice.

Please help!

I feel your pain! I've got the seperated stomach muscles, saggy creepy skin, stretch marks and white legs! I think the most flattering styles are tankinis with shorts as they hide your tummy and a saggy bum! There are plenty around.

Exfoliating your skin and using a body brush then going for a spray tan before you go will make you feel feel much better and look slimmer!

Good luck!

Thanks TBOM - I'll definitely look at tankinis and you're right re: spray tan / pedi, etc.

I can't find anything nice in town (admittedly a small provincial town high street, but it includes a HoF, Debenhams, etc, so a reasonable choice) so I wondered if there was anywhere I wouldn't immediately think of which might have something reasonable.

Have you tried very.co.UK as they have some nice underwired tankinis at affordable prices?

I think tankinis make the stomach area look worse as the gap between the top and bottoms allows a tyre to hang out iyswim.

I would go for a stomach controlling swimsuit. There are plenty around in Sainsbos and Marks.

If you're a size 10/12 I'd get a spray tan and think fuck it!

From beach observations the less fabric on the bottom the more flattering, so I wouldn't go for shorts.

Could you look on eBay for one to save ££££s?

And I know everyone says it but people don't really care what you look like on the beach. I am much bigger than you, with 2 cs overhangs but I don't care.

Go have a lovely time!

Freya make soft cup halter neck bikini tops - they generally only go up to an F cup but many people can get away with one back size up and one cup size down in bikini tops (I do) so it may be worth trying those in a 32F. There are normally a couple of different designs of bikini bottoms available

this is the shape a mean but they have been making them for years so there are loads of past season ones kicking around vastly cheaper

They also do soft cup tankinis - www.leialingerie.com/freya/soft-cup-tankini/as3296.aspx?colour=black same sizing issues. For Freya/Fantasie wire free = Halter neck and less than an f!

If at all possible I would try more underwired ones as you will have a far better choice. I quite like this

Marks and Sparks. Of course. Is this nice?

www.marksandspencer.com/Tummy-Control-Ruched-Meadow-Swimsuit/dp/B00BEPJ812?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_22&nodeId=43169030&sr=1-22&qid=1372024583

Stat - thanks I'll have a look at Freya. I'm not so worried about going a back size up as I won't be wearing it all the time, unlike my nursing bras, so it won't get a chance to rub. (I got a massive cyst on my back from wearing 34 back nursing bras with DS1, before I found MN bra intervention threads).

I am a bit concerned about underwiring giving me blocked ducts and mastitis - I'm a bit prone to it.

As long as you know what a good bra(bikini top) looks and feels like, wires are generally OK. The problem is that if the wire isn't right, as you know it can cause blockages. So if you go for wired just be very picky about making sure that the wires is sitting outside your breast tissue - if in doubt try a cup up as it's a darn site easier to spot too big than too small! Mind you, the size of my norks in pregnancy nobody was taking my scaffolding away

Ouch re cyst - can quite imagine it happening though as a 34 would move around an awful lot on me (i'm a 30 too)

Figleaves, the company, not the botanical.

I'm 32DD and was very surprised to find my size in Primark for £5 - some of them are hideous but I managed to find an ok one. Landsend are brilliant for swimwear, they often have a generous discount code kicking around. I have spent so much on swimwear and wore it so little, even on holidays.

I fb my ds when he was the same age on the beach:) boobs 32f- I wore a debenhams bikini that had giant bottoms that I bought to hold in and cover up my cs tummy. They do tummy control swimming costumes as well, which look ok. A matching sarong is handy too.

I did up my personal grooming though, and was waxed, moisturised and hair done before I went. Painted my toes, and it was a lovely holiday.

I have just bought a couple of swimsuits from M&S - the tummy control ones like this here

I am a size 16 and they are flattering so on a size 12 I am sure they will look fab. They are on offer at the moment aswell.

I think a costume looks much more sexy and stylish than a bikini. unless you are under 25 without children

I had one from matalan of all places with tummy control after dc2 and it looked really good.

I have this in the black and also the red. They do come with straps.

Here's the red one, showing the strap.

I'm also going to order a load from M&S then with the delivery to store and then just return whatever I don't want. I didn't think you could return swimwear but lots of the reviews talk about returning so I assume its OK.

I tried lots on in Debenhams and it was all very uncomfortable, I just don't think they suit my particular breastfeeding shape. I had a bikini from there which was brilliant when I was young and a size 8 so it was my first stop.

sale www.brastop.com/SearchPage.aspx?type=1&size=32F&brand=&colour=&sectionid=40&text= has lots of bikinis in a 32F. I tend to go up a backsize/down a cupsize in bikini tops for comfort.

You can then either buy the matching pants or go to BHS or Primark and buy toning ones for a few pounds a pair.

If you have big tits you HAVE to buy online. High street ones never fit.

I've just bought the fantasie key west one and a plain black one from Freya via figleaves. Order masses then try on tops first only.

I don't get on with halter necks and when I get up to wanger about I pop on a coordinating vest top. Much cheaper and cuter looking than a clingy tankini

m.figleaves.com/uk/product/FE-FS5492/Key-West-Underwired-Balcony-Bikini-Top-For-Larger-Cup/?productColourId=724289. Here.

m.figleaves.com/uk/product/FE-FS5749/Versailles-Underwired-Full-Cup-Bikini-Top/?productColourId=724358

Black one.

can't help with the top half, but with good legs try some board shorts in a length to suit. Looks much better than bikini bottoms on almost everyone.

Costumes are too hot and even harder to fit IMO. Just wear a vest

When I was bf DDs I bought mine in new look. They had separate tops and bottoms and although not labelled by cup size I bought a large top which fastened with ties so the cup fitted and I could self adjust the back. Think I was about 32G. I felt comfiest in tankinis post baby but also bought some bikinis with shorts-style bottoms for a bit of extra coverage.