Bravolution! The Guide to a Better Bust Experience Presented by Brooke Smith, BS-MCH, IBCLC

Society’s Big Bra Myths Small breasts are always an A- or a B-cup Big breasts are always a D- or a DD-cup. Anything bigger than a D is reserved for morbidly obese women wearing baggy clothes.

Guess The Correct Bra Size! Answer: 30J Answer: 30D

Guess The Correct Bra Size!, Part II Answer: 28FF Answer: 30G Answer: 28F

Why a Great Bra Fit is Vital (and how MCH professionals miss the boat Hormones are one of the biggest drivers of bra size fluctuations in nulliparous women (Wood, K.; Cameron, M.; and Fitzgerald, K.; 2008) Provides women considering breast reduction a truly viable alternative (Greenbaum, A.R.; Heslop, T.; Morris, J.; Dunn, K.W.; 2003) Protects against plugged ducts (and thus mastitis and abscesses while nursing) Provides support and cosmetic benefits MCH professionals are often the first person to objectively look at a woman’s bare breasts

Why US Retailers Don’t Care Economics! Having extra stock ties up money both in purchasing and storage costs. Professional fitters at mall lingerie stores are used to keep customers in their offered bra sizes. As long as women believe they are in a bra band 34-40 and a cup size A-DD, there is no business incentive to change course.

How To Correctly Measure a Woman’s Breasts Before you begin, you need a cloth measuring tape, paper, pen, and a woman nude from the collarbone to her belly button. Measure (in inches) very snug at the root of the breasts (1). Write this measurement down. Measure (in inches) loosely around the fullest part of the breast (2). Take this measurement once with the woman standing normally, once with the woman lying down, and once with the woman bent forward, back parallel to the floor. Use the largest measurement from these three.

I Have the Numbers, Now What? Inches US Cup UK Cup 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 DD 6 DDD E 7 G F 8 H FF 9 I 10 J GG 11 K 12 L HH 13 M 14 N JJ 15 O 16 P KK The difference in inches between your band size and the size of the fullest part of your breast determines your cup size. NOTHING MORE.

Sister Sizes of Bras and What They Mean From top to bottom: 38E, 36F, 34FF, 32G, 30GG, 28H. Same cup volume!

US versus UK Sizing Inches US Cup UK Cup 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 DD 6 DDD E 7 G F 8 H FF 9 I 10 J GG 11 K 12 L HH 13 M 14 N JJ 15 O 16 P KK For this entire presentation, we will be referring to women as they fit in their UK size. Once you are above a D-cup, you will see that the US and UK size differ drastically and thus, any bras you consider for purchase should be verified that they are using the same sizing system that you are using.

Trying on Your New Size Signs of proper fit: band placement, wire placement, strap placement cup fit, tacking gore

Skills for Properly Putting on a Bra Band should be on the tightest or second tightest hook and loop. Underwire should sit directly at the root of the breast Use the swoop and scoop technique to place your breast tissue into the cups. Tissue migration from ill-fitting bras does occur quite often. You may need a new bra size in a month or two Red marks are normal, pain is not.

Swoop and Scoop with a Good Bra Same bra, top is before swoop-and-scoop. Bottom is after swoop-and-scoop.

Swoop and Scoop with a Bad Bra Same bra, top is before swoop-and-scoop. Bottom is after swoop-and-scoop.

Specials Needs of Maternity Trimesters 1 & 2 No special needs. May need to re-measure for cup size if primipara. Trimester 3 Ribcage expansion. May want a bra extender Uterus may be pushing on band. May want to switch to a wire-free bra temporarily.

Specials Needs of Postpartum/Nursing 1st 3 months Postpartum Focus on stretchy cups (not moulded) to allow for cup size fluctuations Will usually remain in the same band size as 2nd/3rd trimester 3-6 months Postpartum Re-measure for proper cup/band size. May want to retrofit a bra with nursing clips. 6 months Postpartum Re-measure for cup/band size because of potential tissue migration. This will likely be the size for the remainder of the nursing relationship.

Where to Buy Correctly-Sized Bras In-Store: Nordstrom – 30-48 bands, broad range of cup sizes (up to at least a UK J in some styles, more limited in larger band sizes) Nordstrom Rack - 30-48 bands, broad range of cup sizes, stock varies heavily from store to store as it is an outlet-style store Cacique/Lane Bryant - 36-50 bands, US cup sizes up to an H for 38-44 bands; not all stores stock large cup sizes but they are available online for free ship-to-store Dillard's - 30+ bands, limited range of cup sizes at least up to US H Intimacy - 28-52 bands, A-K cup sizes, located at some major urban centers

Where to Buy Correctly-Sized Bras Online: Ebay.com - search for bras available "worldwide" to get a larger selection Brastop.com (UK-based, ships worldwide) Figleaves.com (UK-based, ships internationally, has a US-based return center) Bare Necessities HerRoom.com (US-based) BreakoutBras.com (US and Canada) Ewa Michalak (Polish-based, ships int'l, make sure your address comes through correctly if you're not shipping to Poland)

Proper Care and Keeping of Bras A properly fitting bra is rarely under $20 – protect your investment with the following tips: wear your bra every other day at most to let the elastic relax wash your bra after 3 wears - you can stretch it, but it's not advised as your body's natural oils cause degradation in fabrics however, you can wash as often as you'd like - it won't damage your bra as long as you are gentle don't squeeze or otherwise distort moulded cup bras - this encourages wrinkles to develop on the surface

Washing Your Well-Fitting Bra Use a gentle wash like Eucalan or Orvus. Few grocery-store detergents are gentle enough. Soak bras in soapy water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse clear Dry by placing flat on a towel and rolling, pressing excess water out See resource handout for complete information

How can MCH Professionals Help? Network with a WAHM or business to offer conversions to nursing bra conversions Locate local stores and professionals who offer correct sizing Consider offering sizing or consultation services as part of your practice Let moms know prenatally or during the course of breastfeeding how they might find more comfort with a properly fitting bra

Thank you for attending! Please refer to your resource sheet for detailed information! Feel free to contact me for further questions: river.aidenn@gmail.com Welcome to the Bravolution!