Mastectomy Bras-lighter more youthful looking?

roseg

That bra looks good to me too. I notice in the description they mention it's good for women who've had reconstruction.

when I first came here there was a woman who swore that reconstructed breasts looked best in mastectomy bras.  I think the extra attention to construction can flatter breast that are reconstruction or are helped out with partial prosthesis.

Can you tell that I have an inner dressmaker?

msphil

hello sweetie, I had a L mastectomy in 1993 and I like kateful use bras from JODEE from jC Penney they are wonderful, I have several of the camisoles bras, I still even have the 2 original ones I got from medicare in 1993, very good bras, about $45 but so worth it, and I also brought regular bras and my sister sewed pockets in them but now I sew them in my self but I,m sure U could get a cleaners to do it also.God Bless. msphil

Erica3681

Carol,

I think you were the first person who recommended the 5362 Anita bra to me, but I hesitated to order one because of the seams. Then one time when I was at my fitter's, she brought one out saying what a great bra it is. As soon as I put it on, I loved it. I do wear it with dark colored tees, but maybe I can even dare to try it with a lighter color or tank top! Have you tried the Gloria, 5382? I've been very happy with that one, too.

caaclark

Yes, I have the Gloria 5382 in all three colors.  I love that bra too!   If you are concerned about seams the Gloria would solve that issue.  It is very comfortable and also looks cute.

Raye99

Barbara and Carol - I do like the 5362 Anita, I will try that one and the Gloria on at the fitter (if they have either of them in stock) and see which one I will go with. Maybe one of each, although I am leaning toward the Gloria. Thanks All for the recommendations!  

Anonymous

Raye - I'm sorry....I just now remembered this thread. You would probably need to get a C cup. I LOVE your new avatar~ You and your hair... gorgeous!

geysermom

Brenda,

I so totaly agree about what is available out there for bras!  I am very very petite and the mastectomy bras I have tried on swallow me whole even in the correct size.  I am a size 00 in most clothing so as you can imagine the wide straps occupy 3/4 or more of my shoulder area.  I plan on having Nordstroms put pockets in some of my favorite bras and/or some of theirs.  The charge for putting pockets in my bras is $7.50 per cup. 

The fitter at Nordstroms did show me one brand new bra from Amoena that was really cute and actually looked like a bra I would have purchased before i needed a mastectomy bra.  it was pale gray with white polka dots.  It also seemed to have normal sized straps and an attractive shape/style. 

The companies that manufacturer these products need to realize that younger and younger women are having mastectomies and they would like to wear bras as similar to what they wore in the past as possible.  I realize the bras may need to be a little different to contain a prosthesis but do they all have to look like something an obese old women would wear?

lilith

I don't think bra need to be all that different...

I had a left side mastectomy in 2007, and eventually had my recon done a year later. Given that I was a size DD, I definitely needed a support - couldn't go without a bra on my "good" side.... but like many I hated hated HATED the mastectomy bras - I bought a couple, never wore them and threw them out.

I kept wearing my usual Victoria Secret stuff. I just cut out the underwire from the mastectomy side, and they were fine and comfortable. The full coverage were all that was needed to hold in the falsie! Frankly, the silicone foobie is heavy and its back sort of stick to the skin... no need for an extra pocket in there, it aint going anywhere! I even went swimming with my normal swimsuits..

Cheaper, more flexible, more choice... I hate the business that companies are making out of us, selling "specialty bras" when a good one can easily be adapted.  

She-ra

Wacoal full coverage bras, you can drop the forms in and they stay put. I bought a few new ones off ebay for less than $10. I wear the underwire bras though, it keeps the forms in place without having to use pockets.Anita and Amoena make nice mastectomy bras.

mthomp2020

Unfortunately, it's kind of hard to find full-coverage bras when you're only an A!  If I don't have a pocket in my bra, the form has a tendency to migrate towards the center for some reason.  I can't wear a form without a cover or a pocket, as the silicone makes me sweat big time, even through the cover, which of course makes it slippery!  So it still migrates, even more so actually.  Slippery when wet, don't ya know!

Raye99

Barbara -

If you do not mind me asking, what size do you wear in the Gloria bra? I want to get two of these, but don't have time for a fitting. I wear a 34A with my size 4 proths, would I wear the same in the Gloria? You and I seem to have similar builds.

Thanks as always!

Raye

Raye99

Oh, I meant size 4 prostheses. Thanks!

Raye99

GRRR. SIZE 3, not 4. Sorry. I can't type today.

Erica3681

I wear an Amoena size 3 Climate Control form in a 34A Gloria bra. I think the size 3 Natura form (which you wear, right?) is bigger than the size 3 Climate Control, but it should still fit in a 34A Gloria. The cup definitely has some give in it.

If you order from a place like MetroMedicalOnline and it turns out you need a 34B, it's easy to exchange for the next size. 

Let me know who it turns out!

Barbara 

Raye99

Thanks Barbara!

I called my fitter and they don't carry the Anita brand. BAH! So, I am going to order online. When you order online, do they take your insurance?

Thanks again.

Raye99

Barbara - I just ordered from the www.thepinkbra.com  - hope it works out well. Apparently, I have to pay them and then submit my bill to my insurance company for reimbursement.

Erica3681

Raye,

Glad you're able to submit to insurance, even though it's a bit of a hassle to submit for reimbursement. When I ordered my Gloria bra, I had already used up my annual insurance allotment, so that wasn't a consideration for me.

Hope the bra works out!

Raye99

Thanks, Barbara.

 Yes, I had some reservations about the whole reimbursement deal and am a little concerned about not getting my money back, as I didn't check with my insurance carrier to see if this place is even in our network. We'll see; I had to pay for bras before bc, although they were not this expensive!

unique

HI all ~ I have been just popping my foob into whatever bra, and while doing rads found myself wearing more and more comfy sports bras - anyway, 2 weeks ago I bought a Hanes sport bra that I pinned my foob into (it's in a fabric pocket) and realized this morning I don't have to do that BECAUSE this bra has two layers and if I open a seam on the side I can slip the foob in. No pinning! I like it! And this bra has the SOFTEST material I have ever felt. You can see it here, but I got mine at Walmart.

They are Item G467 - I got one in hot pink and another in lime green. May go back to see if they have any in white.

Raye99

Unique - I love the idea - especially for a bathing suit top! I saw your post on another thread about this and your concern about the form migrating to the center of the bra as the pocket is one big pocket and not separated. Can you run a quick seam down the center to hold the form to one side?

Well, I received my Anita Gloria 5382 bras - one in black and one in nude. I do love the straps and the way the forms look in the bra is quite attractive. I ordered a 34A for my size 3 prostheses and they fit in the pockets perfectly!

My only issue with the bra is that it shows a bit more of the area around the underarm, namely the chub that sicks out of the side of the bra near the front of the underarm, especially on my bad boob side, where they did node dissection. My other bras by Amoena (oh geez, I can't think of the name - the one with the thick straps, Barbara, the one we call "a lot of bra") does not do that.  Overall, however, I'd recommend this bra. Smooth cups, great for Tshirts; lightweight and slimmer straps than some of the bras.

Erica3681

Hi Raye,

Glad you like most features of the Gloria. As you say, even with the issue you describe, it should work well for you with tee shirts.

Your post points up something that I'm more and more aware of, which is how each of us has a unique combination of issues: our basic body type and weight, the nature and results of our particular surgery, whether and where we had radiation, and any sensitivity or nerve damage we experienced.These differences really effect whether certain breast forms or bras will work for us. It's still extremely valuable for me to hear about products other women like, but I try to factor in my own issues when figuring out whether they'll work for me.

I think the Amoena bra you're referring to is the Jada. For me, the problem with that bra is that it comes up too high under my arms and feels uncomfortable there. That's one reason I like the Gloria so much. As you point out, it doesn't do that! For you that's a minus, for me a plus. I would think a lot of the Amoena styles would work well for you, as many of them come up high under the arm.

Recently, I had some capillaries burst on my radiated side (creates a rash-like effect) because I tried some chest compression for a tiny area of fluid (a mistake, didn't reduce the fluid and injured my chest), so for the moment I'm being careful about putting too much compression on my chest. The unradiated side is completely fine. As my PT says about radiation--it's the gift that keeps on giving! I've mostly been wearing my Silique Comfort Lite forms (only 3 oz. each!) with a Barely There Crop Top (definitely the most comfortable bra I own). 

Raye99

Barbara,

Yes, the Jada! I also like the material on the Jada a bit better, it's a little heavier, but seems softer to me.

You are so right about our differing body types, surgery, tx's, etc. and the effect these have on our preferences and comfort levels with certain types of forms and bras.  If you feel this would be helpful information and would like me to share mine with you, I have no problem with that at all.

I am so sorry to hear about the burst capillaries. Geez, yes, the radiation - always will be will us, won't it.

Now that Barely There Crop Top - that is really something. So cute and comfortable looking.  I just love it.

Raye

mthomp2020

I actually had a couple of the Barely There crop top bras prior to BC.  Since I'm only a singleton, my fooby actually would look too perky compared to my real, and somewhat saggier, booby.  They don't make the foobs in "middle-aged braless look"!  Too bad - they really were comfortable bras.  I'm all about comfort!