I can't wear a bra!

[gal friday 176]

I'm 8 weeks out from surgery, and I am having trouble wearing a bra. At first I couldn't wear one at all, it was too uncomfortable. Now I can wear one part of the day, but if I don't take it off for a main meal I'm miserable! Now, while my husband doesn't see this as a problem, and sweaters can hide the fact that I'm not wearing one, I can't wear sweaters forever. Has anyone dealt with this? Am I crazy? Why would my ribcage be getting bigger as I rapidly drop weight?

As adorable as my husband is being with this issue, I do have to wear a bra when I leave the house!

[slimgal2015 28]

I have the same issue :-(

[katcycler 95]

I definitely had that problem for the first month post op but now at 2.5 months out I can wear one

[AvaFern 3,516]

I'm not totally sure I understand the issue...it hurts to wear a bra or your bra feels too tight and you need a bigger one? I am 15 months out and I have this pair of tights that has a control top where the top band comes up right around my bra line on my ribs. I can't eat anything when I have this on- it just squishes my stomach to the point that literally a bite or two and I will barf. The same thing happened in my compression garment after plastics. Maybe try wearing a loose sports bra? Or the cami shirts with the shelf bra? Not a lot of support, I know, but when I'm at home I always wear a cotton sports bra and very rarely does my stomach get as irritated by the bra band as it does when I'm wearing a tight underwire bra or some other form of compression near my ribs.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

What happens when you wear one?

[onmywaytobeingfound 163]

@@LipstickLady ,I'd like to understand that too! I'm thinking the band hits an incision? Mine's pretty close to hitting mine, I just avoided the underwire bras for a couple weeks.

[gal friday 176]

Initially, the problem was that one of my incisions was on my bra line. Now, the issue is that the band just feels so tight, almost like I've been wearing it all day. If i'm not eating a main meal I'm okay, but when I do, the bra band feels like it is getting tighter - like a tourniquet. It's just so uncomfortable. Maybe my new stomach is located along the bra line, so when I eat more than a small snack, it expands enough to widen my rib cage? It's not hard to do, my son spent half of his pregnancy up in my rib cage, stretching everything out.

It's just annoying, to feel this tight band all of a sudden, regardless of the bra I'm wearing.

[Jersrose43 837]

Time to buy something else. How about either a sports bra or a cami with some built in support??

[onmywaytobeingfound 163]

@ , that sucks! I'd think by 8 weeks out your weight loss would make for a looser bra band. I hope this gets better for you! Or you find something that works.

[Cococat 119]

I had the same problem. I think the bra band cuts across the liver. I am not sure, but I think that is what I was, and am still to some extent, feeling. I used to feel more pressure and that "too tight" feeling immediately after surgery, but things are slowly getting better four months out. I only wear a bra when going out, not when at home. You are not alone.

[RedSalamander 148]

I agree with the sports bra suggestion. I'm 2 weeks out and wearing my bras, but those underwires poke an incision and it HURTS. I put on my super-duper running sports bra (the Enell, if any busty ladies need a suggestion!) that's incredibly binding but has no underwire, and it was way more comfortable than a regular underwire bra. I say get thee to target or old navy and get a few cheapie sports bras just to tide you over. Then whip them off at night and do a special shimmy for the hubs.

[gal friday 176]

I have some sports bras, but they are all pretty tight. The most comfortable bra I have is actually a nursing bra, which is funny because I never nursed, I got it at my baby shower 5 years ago (we formula fed). I'll go pick up a sports bra or two.

I think I may have figured the problem out though. When they were doing the surgery, they probably had to spread my ribs a bit to get to my upper stomach, which is tucked next to my lungs, underneath the ribcage. I bet my ribs just aren't all settled back to normal. It takes longer for that to happen in women because our ligaments are a little looser (assuming we've carried a pregnancy into the third trimester) due to some of the pregnancy hormones. I did eat lunch yesterday with a bra on and no problems, so maybe things are returning to normal (I preemptively skipped the bra last night because I was at a chic restaurant with my book club, and I couldn't just take my bra off mid meal!)

[caramel6 12]

Try sports bra. I had same issue and it really helped. Get the ones that are lite weight and the band's across your incision areas are thin.

[Dee951 28]

I was having an issue like that. My bra is above one of my incisions. After a while I have to readjust my bra. I was thinking the same thing about getting a sports bra.