Is bra necessary 24/7?

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mvspaulding
mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
edited December 2015 in Breast Reconstruction

hi, I am 2 weeks out from a BMX and my PS has told me that it's best to wear a tight fitting bra to help control swelling. I'm just wondering is everyone else been told that and for comfort I was wondering if I could not wear it at night sleeping.

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  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 3,731
    edited November 2015

    No they didn't say anything except keep the one they put on after surgery on for 48 hours. I have been going back and forth for two weeks, sometimes it's more comfortable with sometimes without. Sometimes I wear it to bed and sometimes I don't. I have some normal swelling but I think that's to be expected after 2 hours of surgery. Same thing happened with the needle biopsy. If you have a drains make sure it's not pulling on them. Hope that helps.

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  • grammakathy
    grammakathy Member Posts: 407
    edited November 2015

    My PS ( for my prophylactic Mx and TEs in both sides) had me wear a front zipping tight bra for the first month (24 hours a day). After that I switched to a stretchy bra and wore it for another two weeks. Then it felt ok to take it off at night like normal people!

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  • Beatmon
    Beatmon Member Posts: 1,562
    edited November 2015

    My PS had me wear mine forever! I so hated it riding up. Found some skin adhesive that I used on the bottom to keep it from moving around. After you are all done, no bra...so that it is something to look forward to

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  • mvspaulding
    mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
    edited November 2015

    thanks for your quick replies everyone. I was afraid you would say that lol. My PS says all the time right now I just hatewearing a bra to bed. Not like it isn't hard enough to get comfortable enough to sleep as it is.

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  • SummerAngel
    SummerAngel Member Posts: 1,006
    edited November 2015

    It's funny how it varies. My PS didn't have me wear one at all, after BMX with TEs or after implant exchange. I had a bandage wrap for about three days post-BMX and a surgical bra for the first 48 hours after the exchange.

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  • DaisyQ
    DaisyQ Member Posts: 123
    edited November 2015

    Greetings! My PS had me in a underwire bra 24/7 for 4 weeks post reconstruction. Now I can take it off while sleeping at night, but put it right back on in the morning. As he explains it, "We're fighting gravity." I see him again in a few weeks--so we'll see if anything changes.

    I will say that exchange surgery wasn't easy at all. Lots of pain and discomfort. I had significant scar tissue from radiation so he had a lot of rework to do on my right side, and my body was completely worn down from a year of treatment. I don't want any more surgeries so I happily wear the "iron maiden" every day!

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  • SummerAngel
    SummerAngel Member Posts: 1,006
    edited November 2015

    It seems to me that it's mainly what the PS "thinks" you should do, not what actual studies have shown. (I would love to see studies about this, personally.) So to each her own, but I've enjoyed being free of bras as often as I like and haven't had any issues whatsoever.

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  • mvspaulding
    mvspaulding Member Posts: 446
    edited November 2015

    It is funny how there are differing views. My PS also said a sports bra or tighter fitting front closure with no underwire. So I will just keep wearing my "pillow bra". I jokingly call it that to my daughter because the fillers I bought to put in the pockets just feel like little pillows.

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  • trailrose
    trailrose Member Posts: 219
    edited November 2015

    I am 3 weeks out from my revision surgery. My new PS put in Inspira high profiles. He asked that I wear a bra 24/7 and especially while sleeping because if I moved the wrong way it could displace an implant. He did say that if I'm at home just sitting and watching TV that I could go without a bra. I personally like the Coobie bras and front zipper sports bras such as the Helly Hansen high impact bra. Soon I'll be heading over to Nordstrom for a real bra fitting. My previous PS had the same recommendations as far as bra wearing goes but you will see each one has a different set of instructions!

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  • Live4them
    Live4them Member Posts: 65
    edited November 2015

    I just had a double masectomy direct to implants last Monday 11/9 my PS sent me home with some adhesives the first 48 around the breast , but as of yesterday he took it off and told me not to wear anything . He wants nipples and everything free without constraints . How crazy that there so many different opinions. Mine feel so hard !! Has anyone placed heating pad or ice to relax that muscle

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  • CateM
    CateM Member Posts: 39
    edited November 2015

    I too had direct to implant reconstruction and am 6 weeks post op. My foobs are still very firm but I put that down to the fact that my surgeon wanted me to 'double' up for 6 weeks. I had to wear a post op bra AND cropped elastic sports bra. I am so relieved to finally being able to just wear my genie like bra as my back has been very painful and I've put that down to the 'double' up.

    Live4them....you are exactly 10 days ahead of my and I'm wondering if yours have soften any? Not many people have had the direct to implant reconstruction! What size implants do you have?

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2015

    Like Marijen, I only had lumpectomy & SNB, but was instructed to keep the (ill-fitting, way too small) surgical bra on for 48 hours post-op, and to wear a supportive bra 24/7 so long as I had swelling. But I'd begun wearing a soft bra for sleeping, starting a couple of weeks before my biopsy, because I was staying in hotels in New Orleans, Scranton, Cleveland and Geneva, IL and didn’t want to answer the door for room service with the “girls” hanging visibly at half-mast beneath my nightshirt. (Turns out I didn’t order room service). It also helps if I’m wearing a t-shirt and yoga pants as PJs and I have to answer the door (and for the first month or so, when it was warm enough, to go out back and harvest herbs or tomatoes). It just feels more comfy to have my breasts--especially now that I have Teenage Mutant Ninja Tit--somewhat confined in a soft leisure bra or shelf-bra cami.

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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited December 2015

    My PS didn't have me wear a bra at all after either the BMX or the exchange and when I asked about it his nurse smiled and said "honey, you have college girl boobs...you don't ever need a bra again unless you want one"

    Weird how they're so different. Might matter what kind of MX was done though? I had a total skin-sparing MX with the incision underneath the breasts and it wouldn't be comfortable to wear anything except maybe a sports bra anyway.

    Dunno but I'm happy to go without and I don't care that my nipples show sometimes because I'm just glad I got to keep them!

    Beka

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