Bra intervention help

[ThinkyPantsWorryWort]

Hello, unexpectedly have a few hours to shop. Have read lots on bra intervention but haven't measured as thought it would be an age before I had the chance to shop.

So I have bought a tape measure and measured myself in m & s toilets! Not sure I should admit that!!!

So I come out as 39 under bust, and 45 over bust at a 90 degree angle.

Should I start at 38D?

Any suggestions warmly recieved!

start at 38e or f but watch out for small running m and s back sizes

Thanks very much! Am afraid the lady on the changing rooms will laugh at me! I normally wear a 38B!

I shall check in again....where else on the high st would you lovely ladies suggest??

Could I hijack please with my own intervention help request?

I cannot seem to get the hang of the measuring . I get various underbust measurements, depending on whether I breathe in or out and how straight the tape measure is on my back, ranging from 34 to 36 inches. Then I'm not sure how to measure the fullest part - does this include nipples (mine stick out a lot!)? And do I pull the tape measure tight, so that breasts are pulled towards each other, or just let it go loosely round? I get a range of 42 to 44 depending on how I do it.

Thank you and sorry for being dim!

Thank you! The 44 included my sticky outy nipples, so perhaps 43 would be better as a loose measurement over my bust. I'm already wearing a 34 G (measured a year ago in Bravissimo) but it is feeling too loose on the cups. I'm BFing but am now down to 2 feeds a day so boobs feel all empty and saggy, alas, and have definitely changed shape and become less full since then. Do I need a different size, or just a different style? Sadly there are not too many styles of nursing bra available.

Thinky Debenhams are pretty good and carry a decent range of sizes.

Jacques do you need a nursing bra for two feeds a day? Anita make one with wires which may help, wires will give you much more lift but non nursing bras will give a much wider choice.

Hmm, perhaps not - that's a good idea, Celtic. I will have a look for some wired non-nursing bras and just take them off for BFing (not so easy when out I guess, but that doesn't happen often anymore). For some reason I thought wired bras were a no-no when BFing but I don't know why, really.

I am clearly looking in the wrong places . . .

I like Sainsbury's bras they always fit really well.

Ive been wearing a 36/40c but bought a 36E after advice from here. I'm going to change it to a 40E, it was a bit tight. The cup size was perfect, I thought I'd never fill it!

Oh thanks!

ThinkyPants, sorry for the hijack! Have you tried John Lewis? TKMaxx sometimes have bargains in unusual sizes so can be worth a look. Otherwise, any independent underwear shop would be good or you could order a load online and send lots back.

Can I hijack with a question about fitting rather than about measuring?

I have had wonderfully well fitting bras from bravissimo for a good few years but now I am pregnant my boobs are changing.
The bra I have on now mostly fits ok but the bit in the centre between my boobs is no longer tight against my breastbone at the top - does this mean that i've gone up a cup size?

Thanks

Oh, and if i have gone up a cup size - what comes after F? is there a FF or does it go straight to G? is there a GG after G or H? (sorry - my boobs have never been this big before )

you need to go up at least a cup size probably two or more. the cups generally go f ff g gg h hh etc

If the centre gore isn't flat it generally means cup too small or wrong style (Freya never is flat on me)
Some places do an FF so it goes F FF G GG H HH

excellent. thanks.
i'm pretty sure i dont' need to go up two or more just yet as it's only just coming away from my breastbone now... although after my milk comes in it might be a totally different story

I'd maybe try 1 and 2. It depends a bit on your boobs, but for me 1 cup too small isn't enough to push the gore away - that's minor quad boob territory for me.

Well, not a successful day; nothing bought as literally no where had the right range if sizes in bras I like. Going to have a look online tonight & face the pain of returns! I must admit M and S was heaving so I didn't have a proper look there. Perhaps I am just too fussy?

Thank you for all the advice, no worries re thread hijack!

You will be better online - M&S bras really aren't that great! Try brastop, amazon, bravissimo, debenhams, mycurvesandme, Leia....all will have lots.

What sort of shape are your boobs - if you can tell us we can maybe suggest some good bras

I'll second Debenhams for bras - especially as some are up to 70% off. I bought two (a 36hh and 38h for £7 each)

You can suggest bras by shape of boobs?! That would be great! What do you recommend for big and droopy (actually empty on the top after 2 years of BFing)?

Empty on the top generally means t shirt bras won't work very well - balconettes like the Cleo Juna are often quite popular.

Try to have a look at your boobs objectively and work out of they are close set or wide set (i.e. how big is the gap in the middle), and whether the individual boobs are narrow rooted or wide rooted (i.e. how much breast tissue do you have workings its way round under your arms or are they very much on the front?)