Question:
MY BRA HURTS
I am 3 weeks out and when i leave the house and have to wear a bra it rubs the top of my incision and puts pressure on it... without a bra i'm fine what did you do when you had to wear a bra early post op.. i am a 46DD so i don't know it size matters here, but the bra is very uncomfortable.. does anyone have any tricks of the trade, don't know how to make bra not rub against incision — tracy W. (posted on September 4, 2003)
September 4, 2003
Congratulations on your procedure. Your on your way to better health! I did
not have open, but I was your size and I wore a sports bra....No under
wire, of course! lol Around the house I let it all hang out under a very
comfortable over sized shirt. If, you get a sports bra....Get it in a size
smaller and it won't cover all your hooters towards the bottom, thus not
effecting your incision. Worked for me, since I started walking the minute
I got home, so I needed support, but not from a regular bra. lol Good
Luck!LAP RNY .... 2/11/03.... 250/158/140
— Hazel S.
September 4, 2003
pre-op i was in a 48F so i know where you're coming from. i cut the legs
off some of my control-top pantyhose and used the top portion as a tube-top
of sorts. not the most flattering of undergarments, but there was no
bottom band to irritate my surgical wounds and it kept me adequately
supported and was <I>so</I> comfortable, i was almost sad to go
back to normal bras.. Good luck to you, and congrats on your WLS! this is
the greatest thing you will ever do for yourself. :)
— maurer_power
September 4, 2003
Hi- I was 44DDD at surgery time and had the same problem. At first, I
used a loose sports bra. Then when I had to venture out of the house, I
started cutting the center (between cups, between wires...that little
upside-down triangle) out of the bra so it didn't rub. These bras got too
big very fast, so I knew I was going to throw them away anyway. I always
made sure to keep the area being effected covered with at lest surgical
tape, too. Always keep that area clean, too. We OPEN RNY-ers run a huge
risk of infection. Good luck!
— toolio
September 4, 2003
I was a 46 DDD (actually larger- it was hard to find larger cups sizes)
Any way my advice may sound a little crazy, but I am one of those gals that
can't stand going anywhere w/o a bra on- I was wearing mine the day I rode
home from the hospital with a thick sanitary napkin tucked between my bra
and incision- if you try this please don't forget to keep the adhesive side
off of your incision- that may not be optimal! lol. I just tucked it in my
bra vertically so it would hang over the incision. Any way It wasn't my
first choice of barriers between my bra and incision, however I had to be
resourceful for the trip home- I refused to go out in public w/o the bra.
I guess I'm afraid if I don't have the old sand bags bound up I'll trip on
em. lol The thicker pads were more comfortable to me than the thinner
ones. They actually helped keep the incision site dry too which was a plus
since I have a tendency to sweat alot in that area. I know this sounds
humorous but it worked for me and I continued to use sanitary napkins for
about the first month, after that you shouldn't really need it anymore as
you should be fairly well healed. Best of luck to you!
— lyndaleigh
September 4, 2003
You can also try folding a panti-liner or thin pad of cotton and placing it
between your bra band and the incision. I know it helped me when I
absolutely "had" to wear a bra.
— LLinderman
September 4, 2003
Try putting your surgical binder in a position that the bra will not put
any pressure on your incision. I was able to do that and it was more
comfortable. By the way I was slightly larger than you and it worked for
me.
— ChristineB
September 4, 2003
I had to wear a bra, too, so I just cit a little slit up the center to
relieve that band pressure, and also put either a piece of gauze or 1/2 a
sanitary napkin there to keep it from rubbing the incision. The bra will
be way too big soon enough, so I didn't care what I did to it. Good luck!
— Leslie F.
September 4, 2003
I had to quit wearing "underwire" bras.After finally getting use
to them and liking them, I can't wear them. Now I wear the bras without the
wire and feel much better.
— Debbie W.
September 4, 2003
Try wearing a strappy tank top THEN putting your bra on, and then your
shirt. It might be more comfortable if the bra isnt making direct contact
with your incision. Good luck!
— kathy B.
September 4, 2003
I found the world's most comfy bra at Lane Bryant, a store I'm happy to say
I no longer have to shop at! :-D In fact my only regret is these bras don't
come in my smaller size. It's called the Cacique bra, made for LB, and is a
cotton blend knit w/no underwire. Very good support too. I was so huge that
6 months post op I was an H cup; I cannot imagine what I was pre-op!! Now
at 15 months I'm a D, so there IS hope!! Chris, DS 6/02 duodenalswitch.com
— Chris T.
September 4, 2003
I didn't think I could be the only one that had that problem. LOL I have
been almost completely braless since wls on 7/15. I am a stay at home mom
so it is easier for me. BUT DH has me convinced that don't have enough
chest for people to know if I am wearing a bra. Not sure that is good or
not. LOL I do wear a bra if I have a tee shirt on, but it hurts. I have
the same problem with underpants and pants. Yeah, I pull them WAY up like a
granny, though since my underpants are so big now I usually tuck them under
my panni. But I have a very sore spot on my incision, I put heavy duty
bandages over that part when we were camping and I could not wear my
nightgown till it felt better. Good luck to all!
— TheresaC
September 5, 2003
I wore a sports bra and it really did not hug me under the breasts in an
uncomfortable way.
— Carol S.
September 5, 2003
There is a whole new series of bra's out there with gel pads in the straps.
I was having shoulder pain until I got the new bra's at Walmart. $14 each
and the pads are pretty think and not noticiable under clothes.
— M B.
September 5, 2003
I'm a DD also and I cut out the underwire from my old bras and I LOVE them
this way now. I'm 4 months out but still choose the old raggedy bras
without the underwire over my nice, pretty underwire ones because they are
so much more comfortable. Good luck to you!
— [Deactivated Member]
September 5, 2003
I had the same trouble with my incision. I bought a bra that hooks in the
front and only hooked it at the very top- or even a sports bra will help.
— Janie I.
September 5, 2003
I went to the notions dept in a yardage store and got an
"extender" for my bra. They are a piece of elastic with the
hooks that a bra has (right and left). That way I could "bridge"
my bra and make it really loose. I'm 8 weeks post op and didn't give up
the extender until last weekend.
— Margaret G.
September 11, 2003
Here's a very simple solution that won't cost you a penny. Put your bra on
as usual and take a piece of yarn or ribbon and wrap it around the center
of your bra in front and tie it as tight as you possibly can. This cinches
up the center of the bra and lifts it up off the top of your incision. Any
color will do....but a matching color or plain white won't be as
noticeable....of course, at this point it doesn't really matter what it
looks like, does it! Good luck to you!
— Lynette B.
Click Here to Return