I have good news I think. Here in Canada if you qualify, our healthcare system will pay for a breast reduction and well I quality (they include a lift as well ). I have always had large breasts and now that I have had children they are bigger. Before kids I was about a 32DD or DDD, however, I would almost never find a bra in my size. Now I'm about a 36E or F but I squeeze into a DD as that's all I can find, when I was pregnant and nursing I was a G or H, off the scale I just bought whatever I could find.

So if you could pick your bra size what would it be? I thought a B cup would be good, but eveyone says it's too small, looked at bras in the stores and it does seem kind of small, so what do you think C?

I'm going to wait until I've lost a bit more weight. I have a small to medium frame, hour glass shape. My current weight is somewhere in the 140s, my goal weight is about 115 and I'm 5'4" tall. The doctor says they usually go down a cup size so that your breasts are not disportionate to your body size, but he was looking at me at my current weight. He agreed that I should be closer to my goal weight before surgery. I have 1 year to decide.

So if you could choose your size, what would it be?

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 11:13 pm:

I hear ya, Cori. I'm a 38D and I have broad shoulders. I weigh 146 and I'm 5'3". I need to lose another 10 pounds or so and have the same dilemma. My back hurts all the time but I want to have the surgery done after I've had all my babies.
I would love to be a 36C.

You can always tell the women who have fake tatas...they don't have broad shoulders to carry them. I've been carrying these puppies since the 9th grade and I've always been an athlete. So, what a relief it will be when I can have them reduced. I know you are the same way, being a runner no? Do you know if your shoulders go down in size too?

Isn't it impossible to find button up shirts that fit? I just don't wear them anymore. I can only wear stretchable material.

Being your size...I don't blame you. Will insurance cover it? I often wonder that with our insurance, now that we are on the military's dime. We go through Johns Hopkins doctors now and I'm not sure.

By Heaventree on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 11:22 pm:

Heidi, I don't know if insurance will cover it or not as it's not an issue for me. Here in Canada we pay for our healthcare through our provincial taxes so the cost is competely covered for me.

9th grade you're lucky, I've had mine sine 5th! Let me tell you the girls hated me.

As for running I wear two sports bras, that usually does the trick, but what a pain.

I actually have divets in my shoulders from the bra straps digging in all these years and big knots in my neck and shoulders which usually gives me a headache. I'm so glad it's covered here and I don't have to worry about the cost.

I do wear button up shirts but I use double sided wig tape in between the buttons, works well.

I think a C would be a good size as well, but most of the C cups I've looked at in the stores are padded, geez what's with our society and the obsession about breast size?

By Hol on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 11:26 pm:

I am happy with the size I am. I would just like to be firmer. I am a 42C. When I was younger, I was thinner, so my breasts were smaller, too. I am almost 58, overweight, and have been through menopause about five years. I used to have really fibro-cystic breasts that would get very tender just before my visit from "Aunt Flo". However, now they are mostly just fat (which is normal, post menopausal), which makes mamograms much more comfortable now.

I would just like to have them sit higher, and have more firmness. I started to sag after I nursed my second child. My Mom is the same way. She lost the tone in hers around the same age, so I guess it's hereditary. (She's 86. I can hardly wait).

My daughter has ALWAYS been a double D from high school on, but hers got SMALLER after weaning baby daughter. We went out for Mother's Day brunch this year, and I was (as usual) dropping stuff all over my front. DD was laughing. I said, "I never had a "rack" before". She said, "Mom, you have to learn how to "work it". LOL!

By Christylee on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 11:59 pm:

If I could pick I'd be a "C", I don't have that problem though. I just had to buy a new bra and I bought a Playtex 36 NEARLY A! lol... I'll take some you're getting rid of lol... My 17 year old sister has a D. I got passed up in that gene!

By Karen~admin on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 04:51 am:

I think a C would be a good size as well, but most of the C cups I've looked at in the stores are padded, geez what's with our society and the obsession about breast size?

You'd have to look like me to understand that. ROFL I used to be a nice, full C cup before kids. When I was breastfeeding I was a DD. Now I am *barely* a B. I feel happy every day for padded bras! Every time I gain or lose a few pounds the first place it shows up is my breasts; unfortunately, they still get smaller every year.

My sister had reduction/lift surgery around 20 years ago. I'd love to be the C I was in high school again. Jen and Jules don't have that problem - especially Jules, who was like you Cori, when she was breastfeeding Madison - she had to special order maternity bras in a G cup - and she is barely 5' tall. She is back *down* to a D cup. Jen's a nice C, and wasn't too happy when she found out she would probably lose some cup size after babies.

By Crystal915 on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 07:34 am:

I'd like to be a full C again. I am a C, but saggy/deflated. I'll probably get implants in the future, but they will be small implants, and a lift.

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 08:13 am:

I'm happy as is. Thankfully pregnancy and BF have been kind to me. They got bigger and stayed that way. I thought I was a 36B but when I got measured at VS a few months ago the clerk told me I was a 34D. My response was, "NO WAY!" To look at me, you wouldn't guess a D cup because I look average sized. If anything, on the small side. However, my new bras (34D) are so much more comfortable! No more bulging or constant re-adjusting! Woo hoo!

By Happynerdmom on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 10:01 am:

I'm with Hol...I'd take any size if they were firm, lol! I think a full C would be good. I'm a D to DD, which I used to hate, but we've made our peace with each other over the years.

By Yjja123 on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 10:06 am:

I had a reduction and went down to a 36C. I am 5' tall so that was big but no where near as big as I was. I had 2 pregnancys afterwards and am now a D cup. If I were you I would go to a C.

By Missbookworm on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 11:58 am:

I'm a 32 B, barely lol. I was small to begin with and nursing wrecked havoc on them. I'd happily take a little extra padding/lift but I'm pretty content being a B. After all doesn't it go A excellent, B really good, C not so bad? ;)

I look at anything above a B and think it's huge, but I'm really tiny. I think some of it is how little I weigh (5'7/110 pds), the rest nursing 3 kids. LOL

By Shellyg on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:15 pm:

I'm a 34 B/ 5'9 and weigh 130. I am very happy with my breast size. I shot up to a 34 DD when I was nursing... FOR A YEAR! Those puppies were too big and I kept running into things, and my back hurt. I had always wanted bigger boobs, but not anymore!

By Tonya on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:37 pm:

If I got sized right I would probably be a 40 or 42 D and I am 5'4 or 5 and weight around 184. I wish my size was smaller like 145-150 but the bust size is perfect for me. I like my boobs.

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 01:04 pm:

Mine are smaller (although the same size, does that make sense?) since I had Natalie. They aren't as full I should say. I'm a 34B, 5'3",120lbs., size 6 or 8,and curvy. If I could change it, I would be a 36B, but no bigger than that and no smaller than I am.

I was a 34D in H.S., but lost about 30lbs. and I've been a 34B ever since. Pregnancy did NOT give me bigger boobs. They actually are smaller in size!

By Heaventree on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 02:00 pm:

Deanna, the size 34 or 36 is for around your rib cage no? Why would you want to be bigger there but the same cup size? I'm confused. I thought the breast size part was the cup size so if you wanted to be bigger wouldn't you want to be a 34C rather than a 36B?

By Missbookworm on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 02:43 pm:

hmmmm maybe I'm confused about how it works too! lol *waits for confirmation

By Yjja123 on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 03:37 pm:

Yes the cup size is the fullness.
For those of you who shrank---was it because you breast fed? I know in my sister's case that happened. I could not breast feed because I had a reduction.

By Missbookworm on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 03:42 pm:

I was really never substantial, but nursing definitely had an effect on it It was worth it though! I'd just like to be more lifted and a bit more "solid" the way they are when I'm wearing my bra and not the way I am after nursing. I look in the mirror and it's the one part of my body that I'm really unhappy with....

By Tklinreston on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 03:47 pm:

I've been thinking about possibly getting a minor tummy tuck and breast augmentation/lift. I've never had any type of cosmetic surgery and still haven't gotten the nerve to get a consult. I BF both my boys well into their twos. Definitely got smaller and saggy. Currently a saggy 34 B (padded). I'm 5'4", 115 lbs and thinking about a full C. I recently started exercising 3-4 times a week consistently for about 3 mths now. Shamelessly this is the longest I've had a consistent exercise regiment, which was inspired by my very saggy underarms. I am amazed at the results already and hope to keep it up. I want to lose the excess fat and tone up as much as possible before getting any procedures done IF I decide to do it. Still sitting on the fence.

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 04:46 pm:

Sorry Heaven...I just did it wrong. I wouldn't want to be a 36!!! A 34C is what I should have put. Thinking about one thing and typing another...sorry! My mistake.

I didn't breastfeed, but still shrank. I also got really full during my pregnancy, but didn't change bra size. I just got full coverage bras instead of the demis. I was spilling out of the demis during pregnancy, but a full coverage bra is waaaayyy too big on me now.

By Breann on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 12:09 pm:

I'm a 36NC (nearly C). I'm a big B, but not quite a C. I'm pretty content with my size. Sometimes I feel a little bit too big, but for the most part I'm comfortable with it.

By Tink on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 01:06 pm:

Ugh, I'm turning a bit green with jealousy! I'm a 38DD (probably larger but it's just too hard to find anything else) and I'd LOVE to get to a C cup. Unfortunately, I don't have the broad shoulders to carry off the large chest area so I look really out of proportion. Given your height and goal weight, I think a C would be a good fit for you, Heaventree.