There is this minor annoyance left over from 4 perpetual years caught in the hormonal yo-yo of pregnancy and recovery: bras. Lots and lots and lots of bras. Bras spilling out of all my drawers. Bras hanging from doorknobs and towel hooks. Bras stuffed into winter/summer storage under my bed. Bras everywhere.
Having spanned every cup size from A (pre pregnancy) to DD (engorgement days), I have amassed an enormous collection.
Not one fits me right now. Cups gape. Ribs squeeze. Clasps bruise. Underwires poke. Many are just tattered and stained old nursing bras that nobody would wear if they weren't necessary to the womanly art of breastfeeding. Har har. The bras my lactation consultant stood by were hideous lace things with no shaping that showed up lumpy under every shirt I owned. Ugly from day one, they only got worse under a daily regimen of machine washing and high-heat tumble dry. What new mom has the time and focus to wash delicate separately? At least they didn't cause clogged ducts and mastitis.
Some of these bras never fit. Not at any stage of my metamorphosis were they right, and yet I have them because I heeded the TERRIBLE advice that nags expectant mothers to buy nursing bras to pack in their hospital bags for their post delivery stay. I'd have needed a psychic to tell me my post delivery size, and she would have said, "Don't bother buying for the hospital. You're going to spend the entire time in the ugly gowns, then in 72 hours, you're going from a C to a DD overnight. And yes, that's going to hurt as much as it sounds. I'd recommend boob-shaped ice packs instead. Half a dozen of them."
I've needed a decent bra for some time now. Several friends have told me, "Get measured by someone good. Your life will never be the same. You're probably wearing the wrong size." I'm sure they're right. Life is chaotic right now. It's hard to imagine breaking away for that errand.
Forty eight hours ago, I found myself staring at an ad for the most intriguing product. One of those infomercial things. (Aren't all infomercial things intriguing?) This bra claims to be the most comfortable one around -- and easy to size! No lumpy ribcage, no poky wires, no shoulder-slicing straps. I bet it actually has a magic genie in it and protects against breast cancer too! Click and click!
My three-pack of size mediums came in the mail today. Just in time. My shoulders were in knots from the sportsbra I was wearing all morning. I'm happy to report: very comfortable! Not sexy, but also not lumpy. Best of all, I get to put off learning my bra size indefinitely. I am officially letting myself go. Bring on the sweatpants.
I go through the same thing!!! I have also gone all over the place with sizes and have all the different bras to prove it. I still have yet to find a good bra even after being measured numerous times. I would love to live in my yoga pants, except the 7yo gets all embarassed when I walk him to school in them. I should check out the infomercial bras.... maybe I'll even splurge for a pair of pajama jeans. :-D
ReplyDeleteSo what's the brand??? Spill the beans!!! :) BTW - I like Spanx bras. They're pretty nice and comfy.
ReplyDeleteHa! Sorry to forget that. It's called, "Genie Bra" Reviews by some large-busted women say it isn't as supportive as they'd like, but it's very comfortable to me.
ReplyDeleteIf you're between an A or a B, I'm sure you can get away with wearing tanks with built-in bras. I do this when I'm not in the mood for a bra (which is most days). They are comfy, cheap and hard to get in a wrong size.
ReplyDelete