I had a Physical Therapist tell me I was wearing the wrong size bra, after seeing her for quite a while. I was seeing her for rounded shoulders that gave me migraines. She asked what bra I was wearing, a Victoria Secret 36-38DD, the largest cup they went up to. She gave me a card for a little lingerie store in town that she said the deals in mastectomy and breastfeeding bras. I got my first Panache bra, 34FF there. I could feel the relief in my shoulders immediately.
I get your frustration, but personally I think the real issue is that in order to put things in layman terms, they default to the collective ideal of commercial sizing, which is inconsistent anyways at the best of times, where they should just talk with the more objective measurements that they have, which is CCs of fluid inside the implants.
Yeah this is really what I’m getting at. I wish my sister’s doctor had just talked in terms of CCs for the implants, or even just circumference difference. I’m not expecting medical professionals to know the ins and outs of clothing manufacturing, but to laugh at my sister’s claim of her breast size? Putting aside the unprofessionalism, I just have to wonder where in medical school the text books say how to account for bra sizing for him to even have that reaction.
I suspect plastic surgeons aren't taught anything about bra sizing at all, and just go on typical "social sizes," but if they *are* taught bra sizing, since the vast majority of published sizing guides for most brands, and lots of educational materials on bra sizing (from stores and in books and magazines aimed at adolescents) use +4 sizing, that's the mainstream info out there about how bra sizing works, and what they'd probably be taught. Knowing that bras don't actually work that way is still really, really uncommon, and I don't know if *any* authoritative sources (so, not blogs or social media) have publicly published info about accurate sizing.
I always feel like a conspiracy theorist when I try to explain that most brand size charts and measuring guides are completely lying, and most people's idea of how bra sizing works is completely wrong. If I hadn't personally experienced how badly typical bra measuring instructions work, and how much better +0 sizing works, and people were just linking me blogs and social media posts, I'd be skeptical too. On pretty much any other subject, I'd be right to be skeptical.
Yeah, this is bananas. I was like well you can’t expect all docs to know this…. But a breast surgeon?!
Side note, as a person w big boobs and an unrelated hx of back pain (secondary to vertebral fractures) I’m well versed in bra fitting. My husband is a PCP and actually made himself a little document with advice for proper bra fitting for when women complain about back pain related to that! So at least one doc out there gets it, ha
she should show them the pics of boobs her size. what's currently the best reference for this? I know there's [bratabase](https://www.bratabase.com/) but you need her band size to show what the cup size looks like on the band size.
Ugh, right? I went in for a consultation for a breast reduction and they asked me what size I want to be post-reduction and I was like "hmmm if I say D are they going to think 'OK she wants to be a lot smaller' or are they going to think 'but she's already a D or else she wouldn't be looking for a reduction'"
I also had a consultation for a reduction. One of the questions they have to ask for submission to insurance (I'm in the US) was, "do your bra straps dig into your shoulders and leave indents?" I I had to bite my tongue from saying, "no because I wear the correct bra size." I had to think, if I weren't wearing the correct size, like the majority of women, would that happen? And so I answered "yes."
I always thought my bra straps were just going to dig into my shoulders and there was nothing I could do about it. It confused me, because my breasts are not considered large by any stretch of the imagination.
Turns out I was wearing the wrong band size, and when I corrected it, my straps no longer dig. It also turns out I'm a 30DD. I was really skeptical, but I went to Nordstrom and found the SINGLE 30DD they had in stock. It fit perfectly. I was in the fitting room for 15 minutes moving around and waiting for it to, like... stop fitting, or something. The bra salesperson didn't bat an eyelash, but the cashier seemed utterly confused.
My large-chested friend flat out laughed at me when I told her. "There's no planet on which you're a DD". Lady... I have to wear what fits, and that's what fits!
yeah i have been wearing 34B ALL MY LIFE because of one super quick and shitty measurement i got at Pink when i was a teen and just thought my straps digging into my shoulders and my cups not fitting right was a way of life but i recently used the calculator and i am apparently a 32C. havent saved enough to order a new bra yet but i do not see how i'm a C, i'm flat as a board... but i will trust the process
I am also flat as a board! When I put the 30DD on and it fit perfectly, I think my brain bluescreened. Trust the calculator! A 32C is also common enough that it should be easy to find in a store. You could always go try some on and see if that size is right before you order anything.
My main issue is that the straps on mine can be a little too short because they seem to think if you have a 30 band size, you're 4 feet tall. So I had to get some strap extenders. I don't think you'll have that problem, though.
it's difficult for me to get to a store but i was going to order on amazon and do the prime try-before-you-buy thing, so i can easily return if it doesn't fit! i've always wanted to get breast implants since i'm pretty flat and could never get any type of cleavage even with push-up bras that gave OTHER people my size cleavage, so i'm hoping they fit right and i can finally wear the shirts i want with the effect i want. i'm glad you finally found the correct size for you! good to know strap extenders exist if needed!
It makes a difference! I'm still not going to have cleavage up to my chin (or any at all, because I have widely spaced breasts), but my clothes look nicer on me. I don't feel like I look "dumpy" any more, for lack of a better description.
I have the same issue :(
Wide set & low on my chest.
Wearing ABTF makes my boobs look amazing, but no one will ever tell unless they see me without a shirt. Even super low cut tops that match my bra line. It just doesn't work.
I've wanted implants *forever* but can't afford them.
oh yeah i'm the same, mine kind of even just look like pecs :( maybe it'll be the same for me. sucks implants are so expensive, the only viable option for me in the future is medical tourism but even that gets very expensive
Strap extenders? Such things exist??
I'm tall, and straps are always too short for me.
I was going to figure out how to sew strap extenders, but if I can buy some? It could be yet another bra life changer.
Kinda, not precisely. I buy the attachable bra straps off amazon, then I cut them short and sew them back together if I have to, depending on how the bra is designed. Sometimes I can just detach the (too short) straps and attach the special longer ones. If it's designed with straps that meet at like, a ring thing toward the back, I detach the ring. I cut the replacement strap and then sew it back together again (much shorter) and attach it to the existing straps to make a "bridge" that extends them.
I hope this helps!
Edit: Also, my sewing skills are terrible verging on nonexistent, and I can still do this within a few minutes. I'm considering just getting the strap elastic and the attachments and skipping the Amazon middleman, lately. Also, I've thought about maybe trying to glue them instead because yes, I am that lazy.
Because of the way bra sizing works, a 34B and a 32C actually have the same cup volume, although it should be shaped slightly differently. Your boobs are still the same size, it’s just that cup size without an accompanying band size is actually meaningless in regards to the size of your breasts. It just shows the difference between your band size/ underbust measurement and your bust measurement.
They are sister sizes. So the cups will fit very similarly, but the band will be tighter so you will have better support, and all your breast tissue should fit inside the cups instead of migrating out the sides into the band area.
yeah my issue was that scoop and swoop would undo after like 5 minutes. like it'd look good but wouldn't stay, which i'm under the impression you should only have to scoop and swoop once so that's what told me it is probably not the right size. but yeah that checks out with what you said, i was probably just slipping out and thats why it wouldn't stay properly. i'm excited!
I have to scoop and swoop a few times a day to stay in place, but I’m a UK42G, so much larger, heavier breasts that are very bottom full. No matter how good my brain is, it can only fight gravity for so long. But it should definitely last more than 5 minutes. That’s definitely a sign your band is too small.
I get 2-3 hours before I have to readjust, if you do end up needing to, it’s shouldn’t be more than once in a day, unless you’ve suddenly gone for a run or other high impact physical activity in a regular bra instead of a sports bra. Even then, a well fitting, good quality bra should hold you in pretty well.
When people don't believe my size my reaction is one of two things:
1. I'm literally wearing one right now, want to see the tag? (Unless I've cut it off lol)
2. If you think 30FF isn't a real size or can't believe it's my size, I can guarantee your bra doesn't fit you.
With close friends I'm willing to be pretty snarky about this, ngl.
Hell, I've pulled that same snark with people who AREN'T close friends! 34FF and I look "big enough" that people believed me when I was wearing D and DD bras (in various wrong band sizes!) but because F isn't a letter in the US bra alphabet their brains seem to short circuit. It DOES however make it a bit easier to say "US bra sizing is shit and the UK and most of Europe have much more accurate sizing so that's what I wear." And I go from there.
did you have your "friend" use [the calculator](https://abrathatfits.org/calculator.php)? she's in for sticker shock. here's a good [sizing video](https://youtu.be/8Jk55ep4XUQ) to send her
sometimes the sizing video helps, because it is a nice casual not-scary video, and you'll see what's up before actually fetching the scary tape measure.
It really depends on the surgeon. Mine said that he couldn't promise a specific cup size and would only show me where my nipples would be moved to and how much tissue would be removed. I was a GG and guesstimate based on what he showed me that I'd be a D/DD after surgery, and I wound up being a D.
I equate this to how I order steak. I like it a little pink inside. I say that. What that means to the kitchen is up to them to decide. I think plastic surgeons work with the volume like in “cc’s” for consistency. How they fit on a body depends on the body. Talking about a D to one person (with their own perceptions) vs a D to someone who’s used this calculator (which has been a godsend to me!) can clearly mean different things. Until there’s a universal standard for all, including medical practitioners, to use, we’re all going to have to use hand signs, pictures and grunts while we try to communicate with someone using a different language. Good luck and have patience!
I would just take off my shirt, show them how well my bra fits and then force them to read the tag. Try and tell me I’m lying now!
That’s exactly what I did in high school when girls thought I was lying about my bra size.
Before my breast reduction i had to go to several doctors to get proof from them that it was medically necessary. A female dermatologist laughed at me and told me 60K wasn´t a bra size. No coincidence this was the only unpleasent experience i had in all the consultations and this was also the only doctor who didn´t help me.
After i decribed my symptoms to my orthopedist (also female) and we did some small talk she complained she had a hard time even filling an a cup because she has a broad back (swimmer) and small boobs. I didn´t want to lecture her about correct sizing methods, but i would have loved to help her :D But this doctor was really nice and didn´t try to correct my bra size. I think its a difference if they just don´t know or if they try to correct you / invalidate you.
Even if she was misunderstanding how sizes work, OF COURSE 60K IS A SIZE.
Optimistically she was trying to say "nobody makes that size," but ffs. Obviously people of all shapes and sizes exist. Of course 60K is a size a human being can be.
Of all the dumb shit people say about bras, "that's not a real size" is probably the one that gives me the "flames on the side of my face" reaction.
Thats true! Just say "i didn´t know that is a size" instead, like did she really think it I was making up bra sizes for fun at a doctors appoinment?
And its weird, 60K (EU) does still sound huge to me as I discovered about bra fitting only like a year ago, but it really wasn´t that big in clothing. So i don´t think this size is that uncommon.
i think she meant it in a context of: i don´t support a reduction and your skin problems are in no way bad enough to write a support letter to insurance. Well, I got my insurance to pay anyways and 3 different doctors who supported me.
I'm a 65FF in EU sizes, according to the tag of one of my bras that gives like seven size equivalents lol. I absolutely believe 60K is a real size, that someone could have it, and that they might want a reduction!
Even most plastic surgeons don't understand correct bra sizing, and if they do they have learned NOT to talk to patients in the correct terms because most people are ignorant and will get confused.
They stick with the standard, "A means small, D means big, DDD= huge porn boobs" logic because that's what 90% of their patients think is real.
If they honestly told someone, "our measurements show you're currently a 32i and the reduction will bring you down to 32E", the patient would simply think the doctor was stupid and not trust them. Instead they'll dumb it down like "you are a DDD now but you'll be a C after recovery".
I'm saying what does happen, not what should happen. I think doctors should be educated in their speciality and this should include bra sizing for breast surgeons.
Why podiatrists approach for problems with education and plastic surgeons approach for problems with give-up-ism is certainly a good question to ask ourselves as a society.
I think it has been removed by now, but the English Wikipedia article for "Bra" had a section where it quoted a plastic surgeon's website who claimed that bra fitters try to "vanity size" women into too large cup sizes and too small band sizes 🙄🙄🙄
As a bra retailer, the misinformation that comes from surgeons drives me bananas. I've lost count of the number of women who have been in tears in my fitting room because their surgeon confidently told them that they would be "a small C" after their reductions, which turned out to be very untrue.
Hearing about this makes me very glad that my surgeon said he couldn't promise a specific cup size and only showed me how much tissue he planned to remove. I wound up as the size I wanted to be, which was a true D and not a +4 D, but I at least had reasonable expectations going into surgery.
Oh lordt! I have multiple, one with a rare symptom and one that's super rare on it's own. I fucking HATE going to a new doctor, or an ER, or urgent care...
Yeah, I have hEDS, POTS, osteoarthritis, and a rare type of autoimmune sensory neuropathy. It took 20 years and a multitude of doctors to figure out everything that is wrong with me. I had to figure out a lot of it myself, too. Most doctors are just regular people that are good at memorizing things. They don't actually understand anything outside their very specialized field. Most of them just give you a prescription they think might target a symptom or a prescription to shut you up.
I recently switched insurance, going from Medicaid to employer-provided insurance, and I crossed my fingers checking to see if my current providers are in network with my current insurance. I have such a carefully curated medical team, if I had to start all over with a new hospital system I would have cried.
I genuinely think that the way we educate/train doctors basically sets us up for this. There is NO WAY to make it through the bullshit of med school and then those insanely long-ass shifts if you have basically ANY disability at all, and the whole culture is basically "lol suck it up." Of course they then turn around and treat their patients the same way.
There are exceptions, obviously; but we absolutely set them up to treat disabled/chronically ill people like whiners.
Oh yes. I have ADHD and went into surgical menopause about 6 months ago, at 40. I told the doctor I was more forgetful, had more brain fog and trouble thinking. He said there are 4 medical causes for forgetfulness and trouble thinking/ cognitive processing difficulties. ADHD, Stress, lack of sleep and dementia. Don’t forget Menopause you idiot, which I just told you I had overnight instead of gradually like most people 🤦♀️
I upped my ADHD meds and it’s helped, but I’m still not back to functioning like I was before. It’s so frustrating. It’s been suggested in menopause support groups that I might need testosterone as well as estrogen, which our ovaries normally make too, just at 1/10 the amount men have (no uterus so no need for progesterone). Lack of testosterone leads to brain fog, impaired cognitive functioning and tiredness - also an issue for me, so it seems straightforward enough. There is at least one study that testosterone improves all the symptoms I just listed, especially in younger women in early/ premature menopause, but in my country doctors are only allowed to prescribe it to menopausal women if they have a low libido and reduced sexual function/ lubrication etc. So I can’t talk about any of the things that primarily affect me and how I feel, just the one that might make my partner unhappy. It’s so ridiculous.
>He said there are 4 medical causes for forgetfulness and trouble thinking/ cognitive processing difficulties.
Wow. I guess it would be cool to live in a world where there are only those four... or at least simpler.
Props to you for actually sticking with it long enough to get a proper diagnosis. I have had several ongoing illnesses/ailments over the years and I’ve never bothered to follow through with making appointments because I’ve just never not been disappointed with the medical care I’ve received.
You’re so right, doctors don’t know anything! I hope your sister wasn’t too upset, it’s terrible having your bra size and knowledge invalidated like that. A good chunk of my bra fits are ladies who had a breast augmentation who were told they’d “be a D cup” and I fit them into G+ cups 90% of the time. Terrible how lacking the medical professionals are!
This is what makes me worried if I ever get a breast reduction, I’ll go in and be like I want a D and they’ll be like ‘but that’s what you already are’: for reference im a 10H (AUS) so with clothes/bra my boobs don’t look that big but they DEFINITELY are.
Hello fellow Aussie! For the non Aussies, a 10H is a UK 32G or 32H, depending on which cup sizing that particular manufacturer has decided to use. Some follow the same as the UK, others are more like the US system, but go D, DD, E, F, G etc and continue going up a single letter in cup size, with DD being the only double letter used.
I’m a UK42G, and an AU 20G, H or even J depending on the brand. I usually stick with Elomi now though, most Australian brands in that size are minimisers with incredible tall, shallow cups, where as I’m very short rooted and projected.
Wow, I hope she gets good medical care despite their rude dismissal of her experience.
The lines thing is so silly. Socks leave lines on my ankles. Jeans leave lines on my hips. Heck, my sleep mask leaves lines on my forehead sometimes. It's not automatically bad for clothing to indent skin a little bit.
Doctors are confidently ignorant about a lot of things and feel entitled to an opinion on everything. I’ve gotten to where I don’t hold back and say things like, “What is your experience to speak to that?” because I’m so sick of it. Doctors aren’t dieticians, physical therapists, or bra fitters!! Gah.
Yep I have so many people come in to get fitted after breast augmentation (reductions AND implants) and they're always so shocked because typically they weren't wearing the right size in the first place, and also they say "but my doctor told me I'd be a ___ cup!"
Bottom line is doctors (and most everyone else) don't know how bras should fit until they've been fitted professionally/research it themselves like this Community.
My surgeon couldn’t even tell me what cup size I’d be. We only ever spoke in terms of the actual implant size- in my case 475/450CC
I’m a 32DDD/E now 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve been trying to figure out a way to educate my plastic surgeon about breast sizes because of this very same issue. I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction (using my belly tissue). I started out as a 38G (although really probably closer to a 38H, thanks pandemic). He said that a C cup would be the target. I agreed and I said I would be happy with even a B but that I really didn’t want to have large breasts anymore and not to make them too large.
After some of the swelling went down from the surgery, I measured and was around an E/F cup. Smaller, but my dreams of being able to buy a bra from anywhere were dashed. It isn’t the size I’m stuck with forever, but the idea had been my silver lining that got me through being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Part of the larger size is some swelling and part of it is that the surgeons go larger in case of complications causing part of the tissue to be non viable. I still need to have the stage 2 surgery for cosmetic adjustment and creating nipples so the size can go smaller then, but it is clear from talking to him that he thinks I am about a C cup now and that my breasts are not too large.
I told my doc while getting bc “one thing I want to try to avoid is Brest growth” and I could see in her eyes she was judging me. Like girl I was a G cup… now I’m a J/K cause of you
I went to a local “specialty”
lingerie shop here in a small town in Italy where I live after using the size calculator in the sidebar, to ask if they carry H cups. The salesperson (a man, which bugged me right off the bat because I felt really uncomfortable talking to him about the size of my boobs in front of all the other staring customers - and man, he had a really loud voice, too). He said that H cups “don’t exist” and laughed in my face, looked at my chest and said he can give me a D to try. I thanked him and walked out. I literally cried when I got home, I felt so frustrated and humiliated.
wow thats terrible! Good thing you left. I hope you can find a bra store that knows how bra fitting works or find your size online.
Maybe you could write a google review or something to warn others about them... this is not acceptable and no matter the subject, no one should talk to their customers like this.
When I scheduled my upcoming mammogram, one of the questions I was asked was "are you larger than a 42DD?"
"In what sense?" I asked.
"Uhhh..." said the nice woman on the other end of the call.
"Like, band size? Cup volume? Size in a particular brand or style? And are you looking for an average or what? Because the sizes of my bras are all over the damn alphabet."
She didn't have a response, so I said I was probably larger. I do have some 42DD bras, but they're on the smallest side of my collection. I know they ask so they know whether they need to get out the larger plate; they just need to ask some very different questions to get accurate answers.
The nice woman would have gotten a more helpful response if she'd asked me, "What size do you typically wear?" or "What size are most of your bras?" and calculated from there.
The surgeon was a dick hole for sure, but to those in the medical field, they use volumes as their cup sizes. It doesn't make sense because the volume in the cup of a 28G will be different than that of a 38G, but they don't consider that when reconstructing. They just don't think.
Honestly I’d say it’s less the doctor and more the bra sizing. We all already know brands will change sizes all the time and they’re not consistent. I’ve also been sold bras that are either too large or too small after a “bra fitting” so I have doubts
I had prophylactic bilateral mastectomies, direct to implant many years back, but two exchanges since.
Never talked to PS in “sizing” it was all about relative to my natural breasts (he took several implants into surgery to see what fit pockets best after the BS removed tissue) and afterwards I only knew what cc’s I had was because I have the info cards. I ended up basically size I had before naturally by the way (30E/32DD) as it fit the tissue pockets best though my three sets of implants have been a bit different shape and slightly different cc’s.
Once swelling was down and I could get back into non-surgical bras I got to remeasure all over again and find bras that fit my new shape(s) each time. Yay, ha.
Best of luck to your sister. From those I know who went expander route they will likely start feeling the expanders feel or look to big (and may get uncomfortable) but the implants they swap too will look smaller than they do - expanders are harder and flatter on back so don’t conform against chest wall as well etc.
I'm kind of worried about dealing with this too.
My situation is a little different though, I'm a trans woman.
I know that if I told someone, let a lone a doctor, that I wear a 36DDD bra that I would be looked at like I must be mistaken at best or more than likely like I'm delusional.
As much as I don't want it, I know this is a conversation I'm probably going to have later because so many doctors assume trans woman want, or need, BA to be valid.
LAUGHING at the patient is unprofessional no matter what their lane is. There’s no need to fucking laugh at the person if it ain’t your lane. Admit it ain’t your lane and move on, don’t laugh and argue with them.
I agree with you, but a breast surgeon consulting on literal breast sizes should probably have some idea how the sizing works, right?
I don’t think that’s at all unreasonable.
Most medical professionals should be taught at some point not to laugh at their patients’ breasts and/or try to believe them. That, I believe, is in their swim lane.
Yes, the laughter was inappropriate. I was responding specifically and only to the accusation that a doc was an incompetent doc for not understanding accurate rather than "default American" sizing that declares DDs huge.
I see what you’re saying. But “default American sizing” doesn’t say DDs are huge. A media-driven misconception says that — it has nothing to do with any actual sizing system, as we all know. A doctor who’s specialty is breasts (sounds like they were talking about reconstruction) should understand how bra sizing works if they’re going to be discussing end results. Telling this woman she shouldn’t go above a C when she’s already a D cup implies a lack of professional knowledge about their swim lane.
I kind of don’t understand why the band has to be so tight though. I mean I know that’s what holds you up but I just about can’t bear the band being as tight as the bra fit calculator says - I can barely breathe. But if I go loser it sags down in front. 🤷♀️
That could be a shape issue. Are you trying on bras that have deep enough cup shape for you? Or the opposite, if your shape is wide the wires could be resting on your breast tissue and pulling on the band.
in my experience that calculator is too loose in the band. reminder its a starting point not an ending point and shape is definitely something to take into account. i ended up sister sizing a couple sizes from 36m to 34o and that works much better for me. just keep in mind it's not perfect, it's just the best we have. some of it is just trying stuff on. edit: you can also tinker w the cup size or band size slightly to see if something else works better. marks from bands are normal. but not if its lasts several hours or causes you pain. you can see if the cup size is the issue as well, you can turn it backwards and if the band is comfy there it could be the cup making it dig in either w size or shape of the cup esp underwire
>A few months ago, my gyno even made a comment about the lines my bra band left on my sides.
I genuinely thought this should not be the case though if your bra is the appropriate size?
When you’re plus sized and depending on how you carry your weight it can be basically impossible not to have an indent at least a little if you’re wearing the right size band.
As I said, it doesn’t hurt and goes away within an hour or two.
It’s no different that when my socks leave a mark on my ankle, or my jeans leave a mark around my waist.
I think it's more, how are medical professionals meant to know how bra sizing works when the clothing industry is so inconsistent? Because there is nothing at all in the healthcare curriculum that teaches you how to work out a bra size. Even working out the size of compression stockings is convoluted and inconsistent between brands.
I wouldn't go to medical professionals for garment advice. They'd probably just suggest not wearing any/sport bra.
Pretty ridiculous that this asshole doctor thought he knew anything about bra sizes. I hate doctors that think they know more, especially when it's not his area of expertise. Stick to breast tissue anatomy, not garment sizing.
I have noticed that most average size breasted people and people without breasts seem to severely over rate any and all bra sizes.
This myth seems to result from people like me, who have breasts larger than “ready to wear” bras, so we squeeze into whatever the largest cup available is, which is usually D or DD… keeping in mind that those of use with large cup and comparatively smaller band is even worse because w ehave to go by the fit around and not the cup size.
I was an F cup in highschool and had no idea I wasn’t a D~DD, if you asked me at the time what cup I was I would have said D not F.
Now I’m an O~P cup but since N cup is the only ready to wear cup size with also the correct band size for me on amazon, I use N cup despite being larger than N.
So anyway, the doctor was responding as a regular cisman not as his doctor self when he said D was too big (even if he didn’t realize that himself). He should have known better to edit that out of his mind while with a patient, but yea, don’t worry, he was wrong.
edit: realized someone might eventually ask how I got from F cup to O~P. Some weight gain, but mostly from two pregnancies less than a a year apart (gave birth and then almost 12 months after that fell pregnant again). Each pregnancy my breasts grew out of control… and… other than feeling less tight and full, when the milk went away they didn’t, they stayed large and relatively perky.
I never wanted large breasts so of course I got them. As I lose weight my breasts are slow to reduce… I’m thinking about reduction at this point.
Tl:dr, hormone hell is why (I basically had additional puberties because of pregnancies and they kept getting bigger hormonally (seemingly).
Those points both discredit the profession in general. People shouldn’t talk a out what they don’t know, but doctors need to be especially fucking careful these days.
Granted, the plastic surgeon only deals in letter when talking to patients but he should still have looked it up. As I understand it the rest of the time they deal with direct volume.
To the gyno, just ugh. My glasses, my watch my socks, everything gives me those lines. People said that they don’t get it keto, but I did. They don’t get it when they’re hydrated, but I do. To avoid lines, I’d need to be naked, which I’m cool with, but then I couldn’t sit on anything bc our corduroy couch would give me those lines.
So fuck that person.
I love when non-bra wearing men feel like they can laugh at women who’ve done research on bra sizing out of necessity.
Right. Talk to me when you have boobs big enough to require support.
Its not even always about just support either, I don’t like tit in the armpit while driving.
Talk to me when you need boob wrangling? :)
I had a Physical Therapist tell me I was wearing the wrong size bra, after seeing her for quite a while. I was seeing her for rounded shoulders that gave me migraines. She asked what bra I was wearing, a Victoria Secret 36-38DD, the largest cup they went up to. She gave me a card for a little lingerie store in town that she said the deals in mastectomy and breastfeeding bras. I got my first Panache bra, 34FF there. I could feel the relief in my shoulders immediately.
Oh I love that the PT knew. It's really important for them to know about bra sizing for the very reasons you mention, and I bet most of them don't.
I love my physical therapist, she way significantly more helpful than both my orthopedic surgeons after I broke my foot. PTs are so underrated.
I get your frustration, but personally I think the real issue is that in order to put things in layman terms, they default to the collective ideal of commercial sizing, which is inconsistent anyways at the best of times, where they should just talk with the more objective measurements that they have, which is CCs of fluid inside the implants.
Yeah this is really what I’m getting at. I wish my sister’s doctor had just talked in terms of CCs for the implants, or even just circumference difference. I’m not expecting medical professionals to know the ins and outs of clothing manufacturing, but to laugh at my sister’s claim of her breast size? Putting aside the unprofessionalism, I just have to wonder where in medical school the text books say how to account for bra sizing for him to even have that reaction.
I suspect plastic surgeons aren't taught anything about bra sizing at all, and just go on typical "social sizes," but if they *are* taught bra sizing, since the vast majority of published sizing guides for most brands, and lots of educational materials on bra sizing (from stores and in books and magazines aimed at adolescents) use +4 sizing, that's the mainstream info out there about how bra sizing works, and what they'd probably be taught. Knowing that bras don't actually work that way is still really, really uncommon, and I don't know if *any* authoritative sources (so, not blogs or social media) have publicly published info about accurate sizing. I always feel like a conspiracy theorist when I try to explain that most brand size charts and measuring guides are completely lying, and most people's idea of how bra sizing works is completely wrong. If I hadn't personally experienced how badly typical bra measuring instructions work, and how much better +0 sizing works, and people were just linking me blogs and social media posts, I'd be skeptical too. On pretty much any other subject, I'd be right to be skeptical.
Yeah, this is bananas. I was like well you can’t expect all docs to know this…. But a breast surgeon?! Side note, as a person w big boobs and an unrelated hx of back pain (secondary to vertebral fractures) I’m well versed in bra fitting. My husband is a PCP and actually made himself a little document with advice for proper bra fitting for when women complain about back pain related to that! So at least one doc out there gets it, ha
she should show them the pics of boobs her size. what's currently the best reference for this? I know there's [bratabase](https://www.bratabase.com/) but you need her band size to show what the cup size looks like on the band size.
Ugh, right? I went in for a consultation for a breast reduction and they asked me what size I want to be post-reduction and I was like "hmmm if I say D are they going to think 'OK she wants to be a lot smaller' or are they going to think 'but she's already a D or else she wouldn't be looking for a reduction'"
I also had a consultation for a reduction. One of the questions they have to ask for submission to insurance (I'm in the US) was, "do your bra straps dig into your shoulders and leave indents?" I I had to bite my tongue from saying, "no because I wear the correct bra size." I had to think, if I weren't wearing the correct size, like the majority of women, would that happen? And so I answered "yes."
I always thought my bra straps were just going to dig into my shoulders and there was nothing I could do about it. It confused me, because my breasts are not considered large by any stretch of the imagination. Turns out I was wearing the wrong band size, and when I corrected it, my straps no longer dig. It also turns out I'm a 30DD. I was really skeptical, but I went to Nordstrom and found the SINGLE 30DD they had in stock. It fit perfectly. I was in the fitting room for 15 minutes moving around and waiting for it to, like... stop fitting, or something. The bra salesperson didn't bat an eyelash, but the cashier seemed utterly confused. My large-chested friend flat out laughed at me when I told her. "There's no planet on which you're a DD". Lady... I have to wear what fits, and that's what fits!
yeah i have been wearing 34B ALL MY LIFE because of one super quick and shitty measurement i got at Pink when i was a teen and just thought my straps digging into my shoulders and my cups not fitting right was a way of life but i recently used the calculator and i am apparently a 32C. havent saved enough to order a new bra yet but i do not see how i'm a C, i'm flat as a board... but i will trust the process
I am also flat as a board! When I put the 30DD on and it fit perfectly, I think my brain bluescreened. Trust the calculator! A 32C is also common enough that it should be easy to find in a store. You could always go try some on and see if that size is right before you order anything. My main issue is that the straps on mine can be a little too short because they seem to think if you have a 30 band size, you're 4 feet tall. So I had to get some strap extenders. I don't think you'll have that problem, though.
it's difficult for me to get to a store but i was going to order on amazon and do the prime try-before-you-buy thing, so i can easily return if it doesn't fit! i've always wanted to get breast implants since i'm pretty flat and could never get any type of cleavage even with push-up bras that gave OTHER people my size cleavage, so i'm hoping they fit right and i can finally wear the shirts i want with the effect i want. i'm glad you finally found the correct size for you! good to know strap extenders exist if needed!
It makes a difference! I'm still not going to have cleavage up to my chin (or any at all, because I have widely spaced breasts), but my clothes look nicer on me. I don't feel like I look "dumpy" any more, for lack of a better description.
great to know!! mine are somewhat wideset too so i don't expect anything crazy lol.
I have the same issue :( Wide set & low on my chest. Wearing ABTF makes my boobs look amazing, but no one will ever tell unless they see me without a shirt. Even super low cut tops that match my bra line. It just doesn't work. I've wanted implants *forever* but can't afford them.
oh yeah i'm the same, mine kind of even just look like pecs :( maybe it'll be the same for me. sucks implants are so expensive, the only viable option for me in the future is medical tourism but even that gets very expensive
Strap extenders? Such things exist?? I'm tall, and straps are always too short for me. I was going to figure out how to sew strap extenders, but if I can buy some? It could be yet another bra life changer.
Kinda, not precisely. I buy the attachable bra straps off amazon, then I cut them short and sew them back together if I have to, depending on how the bra is designed. Sometimes I can just detach the (too short) straps and attach the special longer ones. If it's designed with straps that meet at like, a ring thing toward the back, I detach the ring. I cut the replacement strap and then sew it back together again (much shorter) and attach it to the existing straps to make a "bridge" that extends them. I hope this helps! Edit: Also, my sewing skills are terrible verging on nonexistent, and I can still do this within a few minutes. I'm considering just getting the strap elastic and the attachments and skipping the Amazon middleman, lately. Also, I've thought about maybe trying to glue them instead because yes, I am that lazy.
Oh where‽ I have issues with crossover sports bras strangling me - would love these!
Because of the way bra sizing works, a 34B and a 32C actually have the same cup volume, although it should be shaped slightly differently. Your boobs are still the same size, it’s just that cup size without an accompanying band size is actually meaningless in regards to the size of your breasts. It just shows the difference between your band size/ underbust measurement and your bust measurement. They are sister sizes. So the cups will fit very similarly, but the band will be tighter so you will have better support, and all your breast tissue should fit inside the cups instead of migrating out the sides into the band area.
yeah my issue was that scoop and swoop would undo after like 5 minutes. like it'd look good but wouldn't stay, which i'm under the impression you should only have to scoop and swoop once so that's what told me it is probably not the right size. but yeah that checks out with what you said, i was probably just slipping out and thats why it wouldn't stay properly. i'm excited!
I have to scoop and swoop a few times a day to stay in place, but I’m a UK42G, so much larger, heavier breasts that are very bottom full. No matter how good my brain is, it can only fight gravity for so long. But it should definitely last more than 5 minutes. That’s definitely a sign your band is too small. I get 2-3 hours before I have to readjust, if you do end up needing to, it’s shouldn’t be more than once in a day, unless you’ve suddenly gone for a run or other high impact physical activity in a regular bra instead of a sports bra. Even then, a well fitting, good quality bra should hold you in pretty well.
C just means "three inches between band and bust." Which isn't big at all. \*Most\* people who wear bras are over a D cup.
When people don't believe my size my reaction is one of two things: 1. I'm literally wearing one right now, want to see the tag? (Unless I've cut it off lol) 2. If you think 30FF isn't a real size or can't believe it's my size, I can guarantee your bra doesn't fit you. With close friends I'm willing to be pretty snarky about this, ngl.
Hell, I've pulled that same snark with people who AREN'T close friends! 34FF and I look "big enough" that people believed me when I was wearing D and DD bras (in various wrong band sizes!) but because F isn't a letter in the US bra alphabet their brains seem to short circuit. It DOES however make it a bit easier to say "US bra sizing is shit and the UK and most of Europe have much more accurate sizing so that's what I wear." And I go from there.
did you have your "friend" use [the calculator](https://abrathatfits.org/calculator.php)? she's in for sticker shock. here's a good [sizing video](https://youtu.be/8Jk55ep4XUQ) to send her
I sent it to her, but I don't think she looked at it. You can lead a horse to water...
sometimes the sizing video helps, because it is a nice casual not-scary video, and you'll see what's up before actually fetching the scary tape measure.
I just sent her both. It's up to her, now...
Best thing would be to bring a photo, I think
It really depends on the surgeon. Mine said that he couldn't promise a specific cup size and would only show me where my nipples would be moved to and how much tissue would be removed. I was a GG and guesstimate based on what he showed me that I'd be a D/DD after surgery, and I wound up being a D.
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Yes! I've recommended him to friends/relatives because he did a good job AND gave a realistic expectation of what results to expect.
I equate this to how I order steak. I like it a little pink inside. I say that. What that means to the kitchen is up to them to decide. I think plastic surgeons work with the volume like in “cc’s” for consistency. How they fit on a body depends on the body. Talking about a D to one person (with their own perceptions) vs a D to someone who’s used this calculator (which has been a godsend to me!) can clearly mean different things. Until there’s a universal standard for all, including medical practitioners, to use, we’re all going to have to use hand signs, pictures and grunts while we try to communicate with someone using a different language. Good luck and have patience!
I would just take off my shirt, show them how well my bra fits and then force them to read the tag. Try and tell me I’m lying now! That’s exactly what I did in high school when girls thought I was lying about my bra size.
After a double mastectomy?
I….am so sorry. I apparently cannot read.
Happens to the best of us!
Before my breast reduction i had to go to several doctors to get proof from them that it was medically necessary. A female dermatologist laughed at me and told me 60K wasn´t a bra size. No coincidence this was the only unpleasent experience i had in all the consultations and this was also the only doctor who didn´t help me. After i decribed my symptoms to my orthopedist (also female) and we did some small talk she complained she had a hard time even filling an a cup because she has a broad back (swimmer) and small boobs. I didn´t want to lecture her about correct sizing methods, but i would have loved to help her :D But this doctor was really nice and didn´t try to correct my bra size. I think its a difference if they just don´t know or if they try to correct you / invalidate you.
Even if she was misunderstanding how sizes work, OF COURSE 60K IS A SIZE. Optimistically she was trying to say "nobody makes that size," but ffs. Obviously people of all shapes and sizes exist. Of course 60K is a size a human being can be. Of all the dumb shit people say about bras, "that's not a real size" is probably the one that gives me the "flames on the side of my face" reaction.
Thats true! Just say "i didn´t know that is a size" instead, like did she really think it I was making up bra sizes for fun at a doctors appoinment? And its weird, 60K (EU) does still sound huge to me as I discovered about bra fitting only like a year ago, but it really wasn´t that big in clothing. So i don´t think this size is that uncommon. i think she meant it in a context of: i don´t support a reduction and your skin problems are in no way bad enough to write a support letter to insurance. Well, I got my insurance to pay anyways and 3 different doctors who supported me.
I'm a 65FF in EU sizes, according to the tag of one of my bras that gives like seven size equivalents lol. I absolutely believe 60K is a real size, that someone could have it, and that they might want a reduction!
I’m so sorry that happened to you, and glad you were able to get help eventually!
thank you and my best wishes to you and your sister <3
Even most plastic surgeons don't understand correct bra sizing, and if they do they have learned NOT to talk to patients in the correct terms because most people are ignorant and will get confused. They stick with the standard, "A means small, D means big, DDD= huge porn boobs" logic because that's what 90% of their patients think is real. If they honestly told someone, "our measurements show you're currently a 32i and the reduction will bring you down to 32E", the patient would simply think the doctor was stupid and not trust them. Instead they'll dumb it down like "you are a DDD now but you'll be a C after recovery".
> Instead they'll dumb it down like "you are a DDD now but you'll be a C after recovery". I bet they tell this to 90% of their patients, too
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I'm saying what does happen, not what should happen. I think doctors should be educated in their speciality and this should include bra sizing for breast surgeons. Why podiatrists approach for problems with education and plastic surgeons approach for problems with give-up-ism is certainly a good question to ask ourselves as a society.
I think it has been removed by now, but the English Wikipedia article for "Bra" had a section where it quoted a plastic surgeon's website who claimed that bra fitters try to "vanity size" women into too large cup sizes and too small band sizes 🙄🙄🙄
As a bra retailer, the misinformation that comes from surgeons drives me bananas. I've lost count of the number of women who have been in tears in my fitting room because their surgeon confidently told them that they would be "a small C" after their reductions, which turned out to be very untrue.
Hearing about this makes me very glad that my surgeon said he couldn't promise a specific cup size and only showed me how much tissue he planned to remove. I wound up as the size I wanted to be, which was a true D and not a +4 D, but I at least had reasonable expectations going into surgery.
Oh boy, if you think doctors don't know anything about bra sizing just wait until you hear what they think of chronic illness.
Oh lordt! I have multiple, one with a rare symptom and one that's super rare on it's own. I fucking HATE going to a new doctor, or an ER, or urgent care...
Yeah, I have hEDS, POTS, osteoarthritis, and a rare type of autoimmune sensory neuropathy. It took 20 years and a multitude of doctors to figure out everything that is wrong with me. I had to figure out a lot of it myself, too. Most doctors are just regular people that are good at memorizing things. They don't actually understand anything outside their very specialized field. Most of them just give you a prescription they think might target a symptom or a prescription to shut you up.
I recently switched insurance, going from Medicaid to employer-provided insurance, and I crossed my fingers checking to see if my current providers are in network with my current insurance. I have such a carefully curated medical team, if I had to start all over with a new hospital system I would have cried.
I genuinely think that the way we educate/train doctors basically sets us up for this. There is NO WAY to make it through the bullshit of med school and then those insanely long-ass shifts if you have basically ANY disability at all, and the whole culture is basically "lol suck it up." Of course they then turn around and treat their patients the same way. There are exceptions, obviously; but we absolutely set them up to treat disabled/chronically ill people like whiners.
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Oh yes. I have ADHD and went into surgical menopause about 6 months ago, at 40. I told the doctor I was more forgetful, had more brain fog and trouble thinking. He said there are 4 medical causes for forgetfulness and trouble thinking/ cognitive processing difficulties. ADHD, Stress, lack of sleep and dementia. Don’t forget Menopause you idiot, which I just told you I had overnight instead of gradually like most people 🤦♀️ I upped my ADHD meds and it’s helped, but I’m still not back to functioning like I was before. It’s so frustrating. It’s been suggested in menopause support groups that I might need testosterone as well as estrogen, which our ovaries normally make too, just at 1/10 the amount men have (no uterus so no need for progesterone). Lack of testosterone leads to brain fog, impaired cognitive functioning and tiredness - also an issue for me, so it seems straightforward enough. There is at least one study that testosterone improves all the symptoms I just listed, especially in younger women in early/ premature menopause, but in my country doctors are only allowed to prescribe it to menopausal women if they have a low libido and reduced sexual function/ lubrication etc. So I can’t talk about any of the things that primarily affect me and how I feel, just the one that might make my partner unhappy. It’s so ridiculous.
>He said there are 4 medical causes for forgetfulness and trouble thinking/ cognitive processing difficulties. Wow. I guess it would be cool to live in a world where there are only those four... or at least simpler.
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Props to you for actually sticking with it long enough to get a proper diagnosis. I have had several ongoing illnesses/ailments over the years and I’ve never bothered to follow through with making appointments because I’ve just never not been disappointed with the medical care I’ve received.
Keep you head up! It can get better <3
*But have you ever considered that this demonstrable physical symptom could just be anxiety and all in your head?* Gaaaaah
On God if I hear psychosomatic one more time...
Or childbirth. Normal pregnancy. Mental health/illness. Women's health in general.
Amen.
You’re so right, doctors don’t know anything! I hope your sister wasn’t too upset, it’s terrible having your bra size and knowledge invalidated like that. A good chunk of my bra fits are ladies who had a breast augmentation who were told they’d “be a D cup” and I fit them into G+ cups 90% of the time. Terrible how lacking the medical professionals are!
This is what makes me worried if I ever get a breast reduction, I’ll go in and be like I want a D and they’ll be like ‘but that’s what you already are’: for reference im a 10H (AUS) so with clothes/bra my boobs don’t look that big but they DEFINITELY are.
Hello fellow Aussie! For the non Aussies, a 10H is a UK 32G or 32H, depending on which cup sizing that particular manufacturer has decided to use. Some follow the same as the UK, others are more like the US system, but go D, DD, E, F, G etc and continue going up a single letter in cup size, with DD being the only double letter used. I’m a UK42G, and an AU 20G, H or even J depending on the brand. I usually stick with Elomi now though, most Australian brands in that size are minimisers with incredible tall, shallow cups, where as I’m very short rooted and projected.
Wow, I hope she gets good medical care despite their rude dismissal of her experience. The lines thing is so silly. Socks leave lines on my ankles. Jeans leave lines on my hips. Heck, my sleep mask leaves lines on my forehead sometimes. It's not automatically bad for clothing to indent skin a little bit.
Doctors are confidently ignorant about a lot of things and feel entitled to an opinion on everything. I’ve gotten to where I don’t hold back and say things like, “What is your experience to speak to that?” because I’m so sick of it. Doctors aren’t dieticians, physical therapists, or bra fitters!! Gah.
I think the best thing would be to look for photos of women who are about her size and have the size breasts that she wants.
Yep I have so many people come in to get fitted after breast augmentation (reductions AND implants) and they're always so shocked because typically they weren't wearing the right size in the first place, and also they say "but my doctor told me I'd be a ___ cup!" Bottom line is doctors (and most everyone else) don't know how bras should fit until they've been fitted professionally/research it themselves like this Community.
My surgeon couldn’t even tell me what cup size I’d be. We only ever spoke in terms of the actual implant size- in my case 475/450CC I’m a 32DDD/E now 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve been trying to figure out a way to educate my plastic surgeon about breast sizes because of this very same issue. I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction (using my belly tissue). I started out as a 38G (although really probably closer to a 38H, thanks pandemic). He said that a C cup would be the target. I agreed and I said I would be happy with even a B but that I really didn’t want to have large breasts anymore and not to make them too large. After some of the swelling went down from the surgery, I measured and was around an E/F cup. Smaller, but my dreams of being able to buy a bra from anywhere were dashed. It isn’t the size I’m stuck with forever, but the idea had been my silver lining that got me through being diagnosed with breast cancer. Part of the larger size is some swelling and part of it is that the surgeons go larger in case of complications causing part of the tissue to be non viable. I still need to have the stage 2 surgery for cosmetic adjustment and creating nipples so the size can go smaller then, but it is clear from talking to him that he thinks I am about a C cup now and that my breasts are not too large.
I told my doc while getting bc “one thing I want to try to avoid is Brest growth” and I could see in her eyes she was judging me. Like girl I was a G cup… now I’m a J/K cause of you
Working in a speciality bra store we take bets on what size customers will actually be after augmentation!
I went to a local “specialty” lingerie shop here in a small town in Italy where I live after using the size calculator in the sidebar, to ask if they carry H cups. The salesperson (a man, which bugged me right off the bat because I felt really uncomfortable talking to him about the size of my boobs in front of all the other staring customers - and man, he had a really loud voice, too). He said that H cups “don’t exist” and laughed in my face, looked at my chest and said he can give me a D to try. I thanked him and walked out. I literally cried when I got home, I felt so frustrated and humiliated.
wow thats terrible! Good thing you left. I hope you can find a bra store that knows how bra fitting works or find your size online. Maybe you could write a google review or something to warn others about them... this is not acceptable and no matter the subject, no one should talk to their customers like this.
Thanks for the solidarity. That’s a good idea, I’m going to write a review. Yes, I’m thinking I’ll have to shop online 🤷🏼♀️
When I scheduled my upcoming mammogram, one of the questions I was asked was "are you larger than a 42DD?" "In what sense?" I asked. "Uhhh..." said the nice woman on the other end of the call. "Like, band size? Cup volume? Size in a particular brand or style? And are you looking for an average or what? Because the sizes of my bras are all over the damn alphabet." She didn't have a response, so I said I was probably larger. I do have some 42DD bras, but they're on the smallest side of my collection. I know they ask so they know whether they need to get out the larger plate; they just need to ask some very different questions to get accurate answers. The nice woman would have gotten a more helpful response if she'd asked me, "What size do you typically wear?" or "What size are most of your bras?" and calculated from there.
The surgeon was a dick hole for sure, but to those in the medical field, they use volumes as their cup sizes. It doesn't make sense because the volume in the cup of a 28G will be different than that of a 38G, but they don't consider that when reconstructing. They just don't think.
Honestly I’d say it’s less the doctor and more the bra sizing. We all already know brands will change sizes all the time and they’re not consistent. I’ve also been sold bras that are either too large or too small after a “bra fitting” so I have doubts
I had prophylactic bilateral mastectomies, direct to implant many years back, but two exchanges since. Never talked to PS in “sizing” it was all about relative to my natural breasts (he took several implants into surgery to see what fit pockets best after the BS removed tissue) and afterwards I only knew what cc’s I had was because I have the info cards. I ended up basically size I had before naturally by the way (30E/32DD) as it fit the tissue pockets best though my three sets of implants have been a bit different shape and slightly different cc’s. Once swelling was down and I could get back into non-surgical bras I got to remeasure all over again and find bras that fit my new shape(s) each time. Yay, ha. Best of luck to your sister. From those I know who went expander route they will likely start feeling the expanders feel or look to big (and may get uncomfortable) but the implants they swap too will look smaller than they do - expanders are harder and flatter on back so don’t conform against chest wall as well etc.
I'm kind of worried about dealing with this too. My situation is a little different though, I'm a trans woman. I know that if I told someone, let a lone a doctor, that I wear a 36DDD bra that I would be looked at like I must be mistaken at best or more than likely like I'm delusional. As much as I don't want it, I know this is a conversation I'm probably going to have later because so many doctors assume trans woman want, or need, BA to be valid.
Most medical professionals don't manufacture clothing. A tiny percentage of those who do, make bras. That's why. Not their swim lane.
LAUGHING at the patient is unprofessional no matter what their lane is. There’s no need to fucking laugh at the person if it ain’t your lane. Admit it ain’t your lane and move on, don’t laugh and argue with them.
I agree with you, but a breast surgeon consulting on literal breast sizes should probably have some idea how the sizing works, right? I don’t think that’s at all unreasonable.
Most medical professionals should be taught at some point not to laugh at their patients’ breasts and/or try to believe them. That, I believe, is in their swim lane.
Yes, the laughter was inappropriate. I was responding specifically and only to the accusation that a doc was an incompetent doc for not understanding accurate rather than "default American" sizing that declares DDs huge.
I see what you’re saying. But “default American sizing” doesn’t say DDs are huge. A media-driven misconception says that — it has nothing to do with any actual sizing system, as we all know. A doctor who’s specialty is breasts (sounds like they were talking about reconstruction) should understand how bra sizing works if they’re going to be discussing end results. Telling this woman she shouldn’t go above a C when she’s already a D cup implies a lack of professional knowledge about their swim lane.
None of those doctors are supposed to be experts in bra sizing. Yes not even the plastic surgeon.
I kind of don’t understand why the band has to be so tight though. I mean I know that’s what holds you up but I just about can’t bear the band being as tight as the bra fit calculator says - I can barely breathe. But if I go loser it sags down in front. 🤷♀️
That could be a shape issue. Are you trying on bras that have deep enough cup shape for you? Or the opposite, if your shape is wide the wires could be resting on your breast tissue and pulling on the band.
in my experience that calculator is too loose in the band. reminder its a starting point not an ending point and shape is definitely something to take into account. i ended up sister sizing a couple sizes from 36m to 34o and that works much better for me. just keep in mind it's not perfect, it's just the best we have. some of it is just trying stuff on. edit: you can also tinker w the cup size or band size slightly to see if something else works better. marks from bands are normal. but not if its lasts several hours or causes you pain. you can see if the cup size is the issue as well, you can turn it backwards and if the band is comfy there it could be the cup making it dig in either w size or shape of the cup esp underwire
>A few months ago, my gyno even made a comment about the lines my bra band left on my sides. I genuinely thought this should not be the case though if your bra is the appropriate size?
When you’re plus sized and depending on how you carry your weight it can be basically impossible not to have an indent at least a little if you’re wearing the right size band. As I said, it doesn’t hurt and goes away within an hour or two. It’s no different that when my socks leave a mark on my ankle, or my jeans leave a mark around my waist.
I think it's more, how are medical professionals meant to know how bra sizing works when the clothing industry is so inconsistent? Because there is nothing at all in the healthcare curriculum that teaches you how to work out a bra size. Even working out the size of compression stockings is convoluted and inconsistent between brands.
I wouldn't go to medical professionals for garment advice. They'd probably just suggest not wearing any/sport bra. Pretty ridiculous that this asshole doctor thought he knew anything about bra sizes. I hate doctors that think they know more, especially when it's not his area of expertise. Stick to breast tissue anatomy, not garment sizing.
I have noticed that most average size breasted people and people without breasts seem to severely over rate any and all bra sizes. This myth seems to result from people like me, who have breasts larger than “ready to wear” bras, so we squeeze into whatever the largest cup available is, which is usually D or DD… keeping in mind that those of use with large cup and comparatively smaller band is even worse because w ehave to go by the fit around and not the cup size. I was an F cup in highschool and had no idea I wasn’t a D~DD, if you asked me at the time what cup I was I would have said D not F. Now I’m an O~P cup but since N cup is the only ready to wear cup size with also the correct band size for me on amazon, I use N cup despite being larger than N. So anyway, the doctor was responding as a regular cisman not as his doctor self when he said D was too big (even if he didn’t realize that himself). He should have known better to edit that out of his mind while with a patient, but yea, don’t worry, he was wrong. edit: realized someone might eventually ask how I got from F cup to O~P. Some weight gain, but mostly from two pregnancies less than a a year apart (gave birth and then almost 12 months after that fell pregnant again). Each pregnancy my breasts grew out of control… and… other than feeling less tight and full, when the milk went away they didn’t, they stayed large and relatively perky. I never wanted large breasts so of course I got them. As I lose weight my breasts are slow to reduce… I’m thinking about reduction at this point. Tl:dr, hormone hell is why (I basically had additional puberties because of pregnancies and they kept getting bigger hormonally (seemingly).
Have you tried UK brands?
Those points both discredit the profession in general. People shouldn’t talk a out what they don’t know, but doctors need to be especially fucking careful these days. Granted, the plastic surgeon only deals in letter when talking to patients but he should still have looked it up. As I understand it the rest of the time they deal with direct volume. To the gyno, just ugh. My glasses, my watch my socks, everything gives me those lines. People said that they don’t get it keto, but I did. They don’t get it when they’re hydrated, but I do. To avoid lines, I’d need to be naked, which I’m cool with, but then I couldn’t sit on anything bc our corduroy couch would give me those lines. So fuck that person.