After I finished breastfeeding my fourth baby and lost most of my baby weight, I was pretty depressed about my boobs.
I realize I'm not supposed to say that because it sounds vain. Plus, they fed my children and that's amazing! And awesome!
And yes that's great, really it is, but I miss my old breasts.
As it turns out, half of my problem was that I was wearing the wrong bra. Maybe you are too.
To me, getting sized for a bra in a fancy bra shop seemed like a luxury. And for all intents and purposes, it is. The thought of spending $100 on something that holds up my boobs seemed utterly ridiculous, so I'd usually just pop into any larger store, maybe try it on (usually not), and go on my merry way.
That also meant I was pulling up falling straps, tugging at the back, and constantly adjusting the front.
But after ditching the nursing bras and seeing a gaping space in my old regular bras, I decided it would be worth the time and money to get sized. Logic says that after you breastfeed or, heck, just gain weight (and then lose it, maybe) from a pregnancy, your breasts are going to be a different size. Your back is going to be a different size.
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And you're going to need a new bra.
Behold! I was correct. And after getting sized, which, by the way, is not as awkward or weird as it might sound, my life was completely changed. Because not only do they give you the correct size, they will also suggest what types of bras you should be wearing.
And guess what? It's not always the same bra with every shirt.
It's okay, I did that too.
Of course some of the bras, if not most of them, might be pretty expensive, but if you can't afford some of the higher-quality ones, you can at least get a sense of your size and what works for your breasts.
Who knew that the harder cup bras weren't actually great for me because they only emphasized the loss of tissue after nursing? And there wasn't that big of a cup size discrepancy, which really shouldn't matter that much, but let's just be honest here, IT REALLY DOES.
If you do invest in good bras, make sure you're not just tossing them into the laundry, which, I admit, I still do from time to time. Okay, more than not. Very bad. It's really important to wash them separately (and gently) and then hang them dry. You'll get way more wear for your money.
Granted, none of this solves the challenges of being bra-less. But really, how often is that happening? I just make sure I'm on my back and not standing up.
Just kidding.
Maybe.
Have you ever been sized for a bra?
Image via tracy hunter/Flickr