Posture after BMX?

Whatjusthappened

Hi all, I have been looking at prosthetics and have had two different fitters tell me that wearing them would help my posture. I can definitely see that this is the case with a unilateral, but it seems to me that removing both breasts might actually help my posture, not hurt it. I don't want to replace that weight, I feel fine without it (I do understand that some weight is required to keep the forms from riding up, but I'm skeptical about the posture argument). I was fairly average sized before, about a B or a C. I have seen quite a bit of information about the need to balance out a UMX, but haven't seen much about the effects of going flat after a BMX on posture. Thoughts?

Aussie-Cat

whatjusthappened, I agree with you that most people now think that you don't need forms for weight after double mastectomy. Some women find that their posture is better when wearing a bra and forms but the forms don't need to be heavy at all. Other women may find that their posture is better when not wearing any bra or forms. It's a bit individual but it's good not to be taken in by a fitter who tells you that you need heavy forms.

Spookiesmom

I was told by a fitter wearing a bra would help maintain my posture. She wasn’t recommending heavy forms. And she was right. I’m flat, don’t wear anything, have noticed I slouch more.

CJB71

I’m just 8 weeks post-op BMX no recon and I don’t wear prosthesis of any form at all and don’t have a problem with my posture now that the “iron bra” feeling has eased up. At first I had to stay mindful of my posture because I would slouch due to the tightness, but now I don’t notice any issues. I personally feel it’s a way to sell more overpriced “medical necessities”. I do notice I tend to slouch when I am uncomfortable with my flatness, but as it becomes my norm I slouch less. I personally love being flat and don’t make any attempts to conceal it, so that might play a lot into as well. You gotta do you and what makes you comfortable, but I don’t think anyone is destin to have poor posture just because they don’t wear foobs of some sort.

Whatjusthappened

Thanks for your replies. I spoke to my BS about it and she said she thinks it's very individual, which is what I'm seeing here. I'm wearing my knitted knockers in a sports bra for now since my BS said I need to wear something to help with some ongoing fluid accumulation. I guess I'll try some different things and decide what makes me most comfortable.

Erica3681

The advice given by the fitter is outdated. It only applies to unilateral mastectomy. The American Cancer Society now asserts that if you're symmetrical due to a bilateral mastectomy, you don't need breast forms to improve posture. In fact, in my experience running BreastFree.org and corresponding with hundreds of women who have had bilateral mastectomies, women who have been weighted down with heavy breasts before surgery may experience an actual improvement in posture. I myself had medium size (small C) breasts and have found that my posture is balanced and better than it was before. It could be that the weight of breast forms can remind us not to slouch, but I don't think the slouching itself is caused by the lack of weight on the chest.