mastectomy bras - why do so few come in larger sizes??

I am 49, not fat but need a 36 E bra. i had a mastectomy in December 07 and dutifully bought the world’s most hideous but sensible high cotton content bras for post op, thinking ok, i can buy something prettier when i have the proper prosthesis and it will have the built in prosthesis holder…

UMMM NO!.. i have tried every UK website i could find via google etc, i have looked at all the brochures and came up with VERY few options. i have an Amoena prosthesis but i think they offer 1 pretty bra in my size and then the dear old Doreen from playtex(?) or similar. I am 49 not 89!!!

Tomorrow i am going to email every company and ask why they stop at D in most cases and why the range is so small -pardon the pun.

is it just me???

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,
Have you looked at ‘Nicola Jane’ I have a catelogue and seem to do about 5 bras in there in an E cup.

I was in M&S Marble Arch yesterday they do a range of post surgery bras but they all seemed to be ‘large’ probably because i was looking for 34a/b. I have bought a couple of pretty ones from there (also do matching knickers with some of them) but they don’t seem to display on their web site the range they have in their stores.

I’m back there today shopping with a friend so will check out the ‘E’s’ -my friend will think I’m about to have an enlargement!!

all the best
Magsi

I seem to have a similar problem with finding a DD size cups. I’m 40DD and so far, I’ve only been able to buy two bras in my size, one from Amonea - online - and the other from Susan-Jaynes again - online.

Very few M&S store cater for Mastectomy ladies, well, mine doesn’t in Lancashire.

Linda

We ladies at the other end of the range have problems too. I am a AA, and usually my options are a T shirt bra in black white or neutral.

I have ended up buying ordinary full cup bras (and those are very limited in AA too) and hoping for the best. Had the odd difficult moment, when the prosthesis has shifted position.

hi girls

just noticed yo are all having trouble finding bras well prhaps i can help you.

for you big girls try www.bravissimo.com and you smaller ones try littlewomen.

i just find what i wanted on nicola jane have gone the the strappy tops with the built in bra as i only had my surgery on last tuesday.

hope this is helpful.

love

liz

Hi Jennifer, don’t know where you are based, but both Nicola jane and Amoena have a shop. Nicola Jane have one in Chichester and one in London. The ladies there are brilliant and very helpful and if you could travel, would be able to help. Nicola Jane do bras in your size, check out their website.

Good luck.

Birgit

Hi girls, I’m dreading this too

At the moment I’m wearing a 34J bra, and believe me I can’t find a single mastectomy bra in that size, so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in the summer after surgery.

If anyone else (there must be other busty BC ladies) who’ve found a solution I’d love to hear about it

Rebecca x

can I suggest you search the M&S website for post surgery bras, they certainly had quite a few in larger sizes.

Angie

thanks everyone for the suggestions, which i will follow up before venting spleen!!

I think amoena irritated me slightly - it does prostheses in all sizes but nothing much to cart it about in - hmm maybe i am just feeling fractious!! I just wanted to be able to go back to wearing pretty bras again, rather than the hideous but awfully sensible.

I guess we have probs at different ends of the size range - my sympathies!!!

If i spot anything in my travels i’ll post. my local m and s stores don’t carry the post op range, so maybe a day trip is called for.

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer

M&S Marble Arch - 5 bras in E across 3 different stlyes, one stlye had E’s in the blue black and white versions. Not all M7S carry the post surgery range so probably worth a phonecall. On holiday in Norfolfk in Feb popped into the Norwich store lovely range there with matching pants etc alongside.

Also recommend Nicola Jane store one in london near Barts (useful if being treated there) good range, pleasant surroundings and very helpful staff.

Magsi

I’m a 32DD, and there’s hardly anything in my size in bras, and nothing at all in swimwear, in any of the specialist catalogues, I have emailed them about it and complained! I also emailed Bravissimo to ask if they could offer a mastectomy range but they wrote back and said no.

Bravissimo do have large cup sizes but they seem to have a limited selection of FULL cup bras which we mastectomy ladies need.

I bought swimwear in M&S, they have a bra cup inside the costumes/tankinis, in my size, and as my hospital offers a pocketing service, I will get pockets sewn in them.

xxx

Thanks magsi - maybe it’s time i hit the smoke!

maybe more of us need to write to bravissimo etc, justme - if we don’t ask we won’t get!! it’s the classic ‘there is no demand’ but there is!!!

jx

I’m also AA have had to buy full cup t-shirt bras from M&S - no choice only one style not underwired.

RoadRunner how do you keep the prothesis in? At the moment I’ve only got those softies and I’ve just fastened them in place with small safety pins.

any tips gratefully received.

Pauline

my prosthesis was from amoena and they give you a thing to sew in.

wizzbaby/pauline u talking a softie thing and pins. i don’t think there is a lot any of us can do with softies cept pins - tho I may be wrong… say it on here?

the silicon is better - it hangs better.

i always wore underwired - worked for me. i just hate soem of what is on offer - so my new mision is to make this happen!

take care

J xx

Hi Jennifer

It’s not just you! This has been a major beef of mine since my teens - I’m 32GG and have struggled to find delicate bras that don’t look like they’ve been designed by NASA or the Forth Bridge engineers. Post mx is an entirely ballgame! Check out fuzionlingerie.com who have post mx bras in sizes up to J. Admittedly, some of them still have major cantilevering, but there are a couple of brands like Royce Lingerie & Anita Care who have some more acceptable styles. Oh, and prepare to remortgage your house - why do they add insult to injury and make us pay through the nose for these ghastly designs? Grrr!

Good luck!
Jx

Pauline,

I used safety pins for the softies. The proper prosthesis sits in its place quite nicely (most of the time), just held in by its weight. I tried to sew a pocket into a bra but I didn’t feel it worked very well. If I think I’m going to be particularly active I wear a proper mastectomy bra so I feel secure. When we went skiing in Feb I was bending over on day one doing up my boots, and when I stood up I found my prosthesis down by my belly button! My daughters thought it was very funny, luckily my teenage son didn’t notice. So after that I kept my normal bras for evenings only.

Well here we are again, this is raised again.

As you all probably know and possibly read in recent posts, even as far back as a few years, I have been campaigning for better lingerie for women of ALL sizes and cups to give us better more feminine ranges, especially when wearing prosthesis (I have been wearing two Amoena prosthesis for the past 4 years, and am a 32DD or 30E, and there are very few choices for small backs big cup sizes, as well as the opposite ends, and also smaller AAA cups, ). I have written and had meetings with loads of companies head offices, with regards to their ranges, including asking them where they do their research?? As when they say we do your size, and when they show me it, it is a push up balcony bra, I am sorry ladies but If I was to wear that type of bras, my prosthesis would be up at my neck and shoulders, I think it might be a bit noticeable when I am wearing a vest!! Also, as I am a Breast Cancer Care Support Volunteer, I speak with lots of women on body image, and most of my referral calls are about wearing prosthesis and where do they get lingerie to fit, so I have been doing lots of homework and knocking on companies doors hard enough for them to hear and listen, but it will take time, they say, I said that we dont need to know about what are good sales ranges, we just want to get a bra, especially In NICE COLOURS INSTEAD OF WHITE< BLACK, SKINTONE IN ALL RANGES, When they come out with nice colours, the size range is limited, why???

For each company that isnt interested on changing their ranges when I contact them, I contact them again in 3 months time, and will continue to do so until they get fed up of hearing from me and start doing something about what we want. There are however, some companies that are interested on getting it right, and have been getting my help, but they are restricted to what their Manufacturers can give them, but they are working on it, but at least they are stepping in the right direction.

I have been just as frustrated about this too, Although when I did an article in a national newspaper last year, on the problems we have with lingerie, I got several more companies asking for my help on getting their ranges, right, but I have said to them that I am happy to help but YOU need to listen to the users and not your sales targets!, I also said that they have to do some of the hard work too, and not just get it from me, as not getting paid for this.

however they have asked if there are ladies that are wanting to be trial tester wearers for their bras, as the more feedback on their ranges they get the more they can make them to what we need and want.
This includes high street and mail order companies.So if anyone wants to help these companies on Trial wearers then please let me know and I will talk to you more.

Also, during my searches lately, I came across a great site, called www.bettyandbelle.co.uk
They are two ladies that run this shop in England, and one of the ladies has had BCC and the other working on designing lingerie. They are really nice, and their lingerie ranges are good, including size ranges too. However their stock also includes Amoena, Royce, Anita, but they have such a good range. Please give their site a visit and let me know how you get on.

I will still be pushing for all companies to stock a wider ranges of lingerie in more styles and sizes, so I am not giving up, as I am only 42 years of age, and will be wearing these ‘prosthesis puppies’ the rest of my life, so I will be needing bras for a very long time, but I want more colours, instead of neutrals, and wearing coloured camisoles, vests over the top, to go under the coloured blouse or top I am wearing. !

I have a large amount of A4 folders full in my study at home of conversations to and fro between loads of lingerie companies with some good and some disappointments with regards to my campaign for better lingerie, so I am happy to continue adding to it, until ONE DAY they will ALL deliver what we want and need.

I am not giving up, so if I can help let me know and I will add.

C xx

C… puppydog… i will help! we need the right bras.
i am dopy post chemo today but i will go back and pick up web sites u mentioned. will also do my own letters/emails. i think if comapnies say they are doing ‘we help after op’ then they blooming well ought to. most don’t. so charge a fortune and not offer. PAH! and that is polite,

please keep in touch

J

Hi all Gill Orton complimentary therapist Volunteer, UNI hospital Cov has started up a home visit service selling Mastectomy bra’ and swimsuits Website

… e mail <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%67%69%6c%6c%40%62%75%74%74%65%72%66%6c%79%62%72%61%73%2e%63%6f%2e%75%6b%22%3e%67%69%6c%6c%40%62%75%74%74%65%72%66%6c%79%62%72%61%73%2e%63%6f%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>
Tel 02476 415983 MOB 07974074689
So may be a a good starting place for Cov/Rugby patients
Bobbie

Hi girls

I buy whatever bras i can find in my size F cup and sew a pocket into them myself, you have to be careful about the shape not too low at the front etc but I find I can pick up some nice ones cheap and cheerful!!