Hi ladies,
I was wondering - which type of bra has worked for you after your lumpectomy?
Are you using the same type of bra, or a softer one? Have you been given any medical advice on bras?
After a mostly braless 2012, I feel very unconfortable in my bra now. Also, the elastic band and wire are right over the scar, and lately it hurts quite a bit, and I don’t like the marks it leaves in the area either.
Any ideas, tips or recommendations will be welcome. Thanks!
Hi Carmy,
I can’t offer specific advice after WLE as I had MX, but I would strongly recommend that you get re measured before you choose, most departments offer measuring if you book, and some companies offer the service in your home (I am lucky enough to live within the catchment for BraLady). I was also advised to wear a non-wired bra. I was surprised at how much support I got as I am 32E (after believing myself to be a 34D for years!), and these are very comfortable against the scar.
Good luck!
MM
Hi Carmy
I have also had problems with bras following left sided WLE/SNB because of where my scars are. My WLE scar in particular is upper quadrant and have found most bras either cut into my scar or make my scar ‘bulge’ by the end of the day. It does not help that I am a larger lady up top although there is a noticeable difference between both breasts which will probably get worse by the time I’ve finished radiotherapy 
not quite sure what I’ll do then… just hope I won’t end up having to stuff one bra cup with tissues!!
I would suggest that you get yourself measured properly - especially if you have finished active treatment. I bought loads of bras pre-surgery mainly soft sports type bras but I don’t personally find them as supportive and they don’t give me the same uplift as under wired bras!! Tho I’m given to understand from others on this site that I should avoid under-wires during rads treatment so will probably either go back to wearing the sports soft cups type or the one-piece vest style ones I wear at night and which although not truly supportive for my size does not rub against any scars 
I’ll see if I can find a web link for you so you can see what I mean for the vest type bras!
Love Lozza xx
Hi all I wear the genie bra and I think they are very comfotable as I had a double masc and they do not hurt your scars at all.
Hi Carmy…i had my op just over a year ago, and find two bras fantastically comfortable. One, bizarrely, is the bravado silk seamless nursing bra from John Lewis, and the other is Belvia bra.
For more ‘comfy’ days M and S non-wired crop,tops are fab!!
Hi All,
I am very very new to this and I have no idea what im doing really, so I am sorry if this is in the wrong place!!!
I am having and the milk ducts in one of my breasts removed next week and it has only just dawned on me that my usual bras may not be very comfortable afterwards!!
Does anybody have any idea of what to wear afterwards??
Genie bra type or camisole with secret support are great. Primark now also sell these genie type bras. I got my first lot from Peacocks. Also a soft bra is more comfortable than underwired although for special occasions I do wear nice wired bra.
Here’s a couple of useful links to give you an idea.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delight-Bra-Pack-Black-White/dp/B00A6PAM0C/ref=sr\_1\_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1361053819&sr=8-6
I agree with Maryland. The Bravado seamless silk nursing bra. Available from John Lewis or Bravado website. Forget the fact that its a nursing bra. Seriously. They are SO comfortable. And surprisingly supportive too, as I am a “fuller breasted lady”!. I wore mine after my WLE and SNB and also during and after my radiotherapy, as I was advised to avoid under wired bras due the the risk of the underwire sheering the skin under my breast, as the skin became very very red and sore. They are really soft and completely seamless, so there is nothing to rub in scars or sore skin.
good luck
Mandy xx
Thanks Mandy - the reviews on this are great - I shall try this … the link is below if anyone else is interested!
http://www.johnlewis.com/bravado-silk-seamless-nursing-bra/p40298?s\_pccid=pc\_gs\_\_#media-overlay\_show
Thank you so so much for the advice everyone. I am definitely going to have a look and buy these type of bras this week. I am ashamed I never even thought these sort of bra could be the answer to my problems. You’re stars! xx
I had my WLE/SNB on 7th Feb, back on Friday to have more scooped out (3cm DCIS) so am going to have a significant difference I think… Lozza I think it will be a filling the cup with tissues job…!! lol
I searched high and low in the backs of drawers for a non underwired bra…but I seem to have dispensed with them and have only the padded cup balcony underwired variety…not exactly ideal…I went braless for the first 48 hours post op because that felt more comfortable, then I bought myself a sports bra, but to be honest after a week I was back in my normal bra’s because I felt they offered more support (found it abit uncomfortable where I had my SNB but once the bruising had gone havent had any problems), I’m going to give the Bravo Ultimate Comfort Bra’s a go this time round though…so thanks for the tip 
xx
Hope you find one that suits you, LS1972. I had surgery exactly the same day as you last year.
I bought one of the bras you recommended and it’s sooo comfy! I need to get more in other colours.
Thanks for the tips! xx
hi every one i also wear genie and belvia they have know wires and are so comfortable around my scar area i bought post surgery bras and they were so uncomfortable when i first had my op but now going to stick to genie belia asda also do there own make like belvia for half the price and they are lovely too x
Hi, I also had a lumpectomy after chemo, I found after the wounds had all healed that I needed a really good support bra. My breast care nurses were brilliant and they have bra’s for ladies that have not had a mastectomy. Any bra made by Anita or Royce are very good.
I had a lumpectomy and removal of a node in February 2014. On the recommendation of this forum I bought a Bravado-silk-seamless-nursing-bra from John Lewis. It was perfect for the purpose. I am a size 36D and needed a bra that was soft and comfortable but gave good support. The Brevia bras were not supportive enough and all the sports bras I tried were far too tight to be comfortable the operation. The Bravado bra was perfect it was comfortable enough to wear all day and night which is what I was advised to do after the lumpectomy. It also gave good support whist the wound was healing. Any movement of the wound is painful initially and this bra gave very good support without digging in or rubbing. This bra is sold in small, medium, large and extra large sizes I would recommend if you buy one that you make sure that it is large enough. The manufacturer showed medium was appropriate for a 36D bust measurement on the box. This was too small I needed a large. For a few days after the operation I also needed to add an extension to the back strap to accommodate the slight swelling and wound dressing. The extensions can be bought in large M&S stores.
I also found this bra very comfortable to wear during the radiation treatment period. Please note that if you buy a light coloured one it will show stains from the felt tipped marker pens that the radiotherapist use. These are difficult to wash out.
I don’t know what I would have done without this bra. It made the recovery period a great deal more comfortable and helped provide the support I needed to aid the healing. Thank you to everyone who recommended the Bravado-silk-seamless-nursing-bra.
My surgeon did a great job with my surgery but the scar hurts with a underwire. I hate that most bras I find that do not have a wire look more like something my grandmother would wear. I just want to feel a little pretty again and this experience is not helping turn this around.
Hello,
I am having a lumpectomy next week and I want to know what type of bra I should buy. I have read the many posts and they suggest support bras, sports bras, etc. There are many types in the stores and I am confused on which to purchase. Cotton, spandex, front closure, back closure, over the head, racerback, spaghetti straps, big straps? Low impact, medium impact? I searched Walmarts site and they have Fruit of the loom 2 and 3 packs of a few nice looking ones. Any recommendations would greatly help. Thank you.
Hi Suzie415 I don’t go on the site much these days but saw your post and had to respond. I too had a lumpectomy and had various complications which I won’t go into now. However I experienced the strange irony of spending more time shopping for bras post surgery than I had ever done beforehand when I just picked up anything I fancied in my size and it fitted.
I varied from larger cup size than normal cotton bras to maternity bras to cami vest tops from M & S with cups built in. I found Sports bras too tight and restrictive when you are swollen and tender. The cami tops were very good but got too hot especially in the summer or in the radiotherapy days. I finally found comfy soft bras from Asda and still where them know 2 years on. They have a small range of colours which change summer and winter, have no fastenings and removable soft cups which help even out my different sides. I step into them as I have shoulder trouble and they are just great. I highly recommend you give them a try later on. Initially the large maternity cotton bras were great when I had dressings etc. hope that helps. Good luck with your surgery x
Hi Suzie
I found that ebay did some really simple comfy front opening crop tops - one was beige and the other black (ok in winter but maybe not so good now under white clothes) but they were really good immediately following surgery (bilateral mammoplasty) when my arms were a bit duff. Since then I have ‘moved on’ to Avon crop tops in white, they do plain or pretties with a lacy cover across the front that works under a blouse or low top where you might want to raise the neckline a bit. However, I have recently found all of the synthetics a bit hot and have resorted to going braless (three months post surgery and will probably get shot by BCN) and feel so blooming liberated as I had F/G cup breasts and now have pert C’s…we are all different and it really is a bit of trial and error. Also I was offered a specialist measuring service by the Breast Care Unit which I will take up as I am heading back into ‘grown up’ bras again. Good luck. Katie x