I wonder how easy you find it to purchase a mastectomy bra or costume.
I would be interested to know.
I have had difficulties with my bras as they are cutting into me. when i last went to the womanzone outlet about a year ago i was measured to be 38A. there are hardly any bras available in a 38A size. With also finding the bras that i have are uncomfortable i went to my own town shops.
I was so disappointed at the lack of mastectomy bras in both John Lewis and Debenhams. I am going to email them and complain, however i did this a year ago with marks and Spencers and got nowhere.
I go on holiday on Monday and would have liked to have had a few new bras and a swimming costume but as womanzone is about 15 miles away and by appt only i havent the time to get n appt before my hols.
Suddenly feel like BC has changed me into a freak and keep looking at these ‘normal’ women with boobs…
My youngest daughter was with me yesterday and is doing a management sciences degree, i was sayin to her about setting up a business in LIverpool for mastectomy lingerie.
Ta for listening to me waffling just needed somewhere to voice my frustration.
oooh Liverbird, have I made a mistake here. Went out yesterday and bought a couple of sports bras and they are a bit expensive. I know it’s not the same, haven’t had mastectomy, but after surgery, know I won’t need anything glam with underwires. Wanted to ask the lady in M and S but was too embarrassed. Maybe one day we could set up a new business when we know what is right for us xxxxx
hiyah .like you ive had a job to find a decent mastectomy bra ,marks and spencer are a waste of time as you have to order and then if they dont fit have to wait a gain ! i went on the eloise web site and found 2 bras that i ordered on monday ,they are coming today ! but why oh why do we have to pay extra !! someone enlighten me on this !! lynn x
Hi Liverbird
I bought mine online from Amoena. They are VAT free.You can send them back if you are not happy with them, no problem. They had a sale on when I got mine and I was quite happy with the prices. ( google Amoena in, they are worth a look)
I also bought pocketed swimming costumes and a light prosthesis designed for swimming. Have worn them this year and been very happy with them.
I won’t say that I have found a bra that I am completely over the moon with but I’m not absolutely over the moon about having just one breast,that’s nothing to do with Amoena.
Hi Liverbird
I can really sympathise with you - you’d think nobody with modest proportions ever got bc. I am 36AA. I have to wear my old underwired slightly padded bras (M&S) with my prostheseis which is also a bit on the large side. Often not very comfortable because of the scarring.
Off this afternoon to look for a costume or tankini - I reckon if I can find a small cupped ordinary one that might do with my foam prosthesis frm Nicola Jane.
Hope you get sorted.
Sarcath
It’s not only small cup sizes that are a problem…I have a small back size (32) and a DD cup. I haven’t found anything suitable on any of the so-called speciality sites. I did find a few last year in M&S…cheap too, as no VAT!
Perhaps the answer is to buy appropriately sized full cup bras and have them pocketed, my hospital pockets bras and swimwear free for us mastectomy patients.
I bought a non-mastectomy swimsuit and tankini with internal bras in M&S, in my correct size, and the hospital pocketed them for me.
You may find Breast Cancer Care’s publication, ‘A confident choice’ helpful to read. It contains information about buying bras and clothing following breast surgery and has a list of specialist bra companies at the back, here’s the link:
I bought my 1st M bra last week - an Anita, from the only bra place in town.
It cost £30 and was the only one that didn’t cause pain on my 5 week old scar and the only one in a 34B with pockets, so no choice there.
I had not worn a bra since I was breast feeding 19 years ago, as I had never found one that was comfortable,so knew it would be a struggle.
I will now start looking for cheap comfortable bras and try my hand at putting pockets in.
Both the Amoena and Womanzone brochures have cami/vest tops in, which I thought I would never be able to wear again, but these are much more expensive than the ones I used to get from M&S.
Well, they told me having cancer was costly.
Sarcath - Amoena do a nice 36AA - it’s called Lara, it’s a padded T shirt bra, and comes in black & nude. It’s £20. It holds its shape well, so if you don’t quite fill it (as I don’t - am probably a AAA but not going there!), it looks fine (plus gives you a nice shape). I too use M&S ordinary padded bras, but I like the Amoena one as it feel so much safer. No boob falling out!
Is your prosthesis too big? The first one I got from the hospital was too big. As it was so much better than the comfy, I didn’t realise for a while (my daughter had noticed but I don’t think anyone else had). So I got a new smaller one from Amoena - it is a Natura 1S size 1 which is much better.
I actually found some soft ones in Primark of all places - they don’t quite fit but they cover the disfigurement and were about £12 each.
Amoena ARE worth a try for underwear and swimwear; I know they’re not cheap and it seems like we’re being penalised but they DO last a long time. Nicola Jane is a supplier and there are others if you Google. The M&S range is poor …
Sounds like we have the same problem, Roadrunner! I find my silicone prosthesis from the clinic is not only too big but heavy. However it has a cover which I can pin inside the bra so it is safe. Just a pain swapping over. Guess I could get another. My feeling at diagnosis was why not take both sides since my kind of cancer is quite likely to turn up the other side. It would save a lot of bother!
I got a foam one but the shape is not right for the only bras that fit me. It’ll do for a swimsuit or tankini. And by the way I found a tankini with padding and not too big in Tesco (!) Only snag is they had no matching bottoms but the top was the nearest thing to satisfactory! I’ll just have wear non-matching! Until I find something better.
Must have a look in Primark too - who’d have thought it!
Sarcath
Justme, I am 32dd too, & it is really dissapointing that all the pretty/ coloured mast. bras dont come in our size.There is definitely a gap in the market. I have bought a few at M&S from their nonwired range, they are about £16, give a good shape & I have had a pocket put in. also John Lewis do a budget bra for £10 (!) in black, white ,or skin which is good - plus the John Lewis ladies are great at fittings! I bought one of these and rpelcaed the strps with see through ones - for £10 is was worth a try & means I can wear strappy tops again. None of the catalogues have a seethru strapped bra in my size. I think I am going to try underwired, since however good the bras are non wired dont seem to support very well . My best mast bra is by Royce- they sell these in mast shops & John Lewis but they are quite expensive. What a saga it all is!!!
Amanda xx
Hi Amanda, yep it is a saga! I’ve written to most of the speciality mastectomy bra providers and got no satisfactory answers as to why they don’t do a full size range in their bras and swimwear! I am quite used to spending a fair bit on decent bras and used Bravissimo a lot before mastectomy…no problem getting my size there! Unfortunately, they tell me they have no plans to do a mastectomy range (shame on them)! I used to wear a lot of the balconette type bras, as I like to wear clothes that do not have to be buttoned up to the neck, but of course now I have to have full cups or else my prosthesis sticks out of the top, lol!
Bravissimo do a few full cup bras in 32DD, so, as I said before I shall probably order from there and get them pocketed myself (don’t think I am good enough at needlework to sew them in myself).
Bravissimo also do some very nice strappy tops (and nightwear too) with a built in bra in the correct sizes, so it might be possible to add a pocket to these.
Honestly, as if we haven’t enough to worry about without finding it so difficult to get properly fitting underwear…!
Oh, by the way, I always wore underwired bras, and still do, with no problems.
I don’t even bother with M and S or John Lewis as their stock is limited. M and s think a prostheisis is about 2 inches wide and are mainly ujnderwired so find they rub on rads scarringg which is a shame as lots of women here worked really hard to get M and S to listen and they wouldn’t. I get 25% discount at John Lewis so gutted all they can be bothered to stock are very plain white Anita bras.
Amoena, nicolajane and eloise all do wonderful bras, costumes and tankinis online and their helpline is good and I have often returned them when i got my size wrong and they are very quick at sending new stuff out.
I need high fronted and high underarm swimming stuff and they all do those plus the fitted prosthesis pockets for spaghetti string tops. Those tops are expensive but very useful for camisole type layering but last year I know they had ran out of them by June as the spring stuff comes out early. Yes - they are more expensive but well worth it for the peace of mind and you would never know I had a prosthesis. They do have regular sales so worth searching and once you are registered they post/email all the sale stuff out and give discounts.
I can not wear a bra without a pocket as the prosthesis doesn’t sit right (38c) and I just feel i will lose it unless its in a pocket.
This subject has been discussed so much before and the same info and problems crop up so we must be doing something wrong not to be listened to about this. Embarassment will not help us either but after my problem at Primarck when that couple walked on in me when I was in my underwear I wouldn’t feel comfortable showing all and sundry what us mastectomy women have to put with. I do sometimes feel I should appear with my bra on in public as I’m not always convinced these so called ‘proper women’ with mastectomies’ are used for the photos for their underwear or else they use an awful lot of photoshop to get ‘pretty’ but not ‘normal’ looks… At Nicolajane in Chichester, one of the assistants has had a mastectomy and that makes such a difference as she understands the problems we encounter.
Ruth - sorry that although these companies are quick mail order - i think it is too late for you to order now which is a shame. Have a wonderful holiday and hope you feel OK about yourself.
be in touch - daycare closing
Kate
I too went to Nicola Jane in Chichester and agree they are really helpful. They made me feel so much better coming out than going in. I am so glad we made the effort to travel there as I was measured properly and now that I know my correct size I can order online.
They have a great range of stuff including swimwear and have recently introduced some lovely summer tops.
Haven’t read all of your comments above but www.nicolajane.com is the company my bras were from. I bought mine though the BCN at the hospital at a reduced price. Everyone is wonderful at Castle Hill Hospital, Hull.
Don’t forget that you can clain back all VAT for mastectomy products - all cancer products too , like wigs - you need a VAT receipt from the supplier, then go to www.hmrc.gov.uk or ww.cancerlink.org for more info. Palaver, but it does save money…
For those who are bigger around (36 C +) Bon Marche do an excellent non-wired T-shirt bra with 3 hooks at the back and nice wide sides, very soft for £6 in black & white - not pocketed but full cups and nice shape (even got a slight nipple shape in the mould!)
If you have a local ‘BC Club’ (ours is called bosom buddies!) - ask them to get a speaker from the ladies that do the pocketing & have a demo - it really isn’t difficult - it’s just getting the shape of the pocket right in the first place and using the right type of fabric…
I’ve just bought a costume from Asda for £6 with pre formed cups which has pocketed well…
Hi I too was fed up with the high price of mastectomy bras and then I found some really comfortable ones in Asda! They have a pocket in both sides and are just £6 would you believe.Laraine
I have always gone through Nicola Jane who are very good and do some nice lacy feminine bras but can be costly. Last year I bought a couple of bras from M & S as they were much cheaper but when I got them home I could not get my prosthesis in the pocket as the slit in this was too small. So I took them back and told one of the assistants the problem with them and she said she would pass on my comments. Last time I looked they are still selling the same bras and no improvement with the pocket.