[karategrrl]

Welcome, ASC!! So happy to have you aboard!!

Why in the world would anyone think small breasts cannot feed babies? Sheesh. Anyway, I, too, am glad you have de-lurked. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the things we talk about here. I'm glad the posts have made you feel better when you were down. Now your posts can do the same for others.

Welcome!

[knorl05]

yes welcome ASC, glad to have you delurk. sorry you're having trouble finding bras. after you check out what starship found... there're also these... available in [size 34a] [size small/32a] [size small] [34a]

hope that helps? good luck!

[starship]

welcome ASC . I dont know much about nursing bras, well, I know nothing at all really..but have you tried something like this that comes in s/m/l sizes rather than cups? I also found theseee but even they only start at a 34 :/. This is supposed to fit an Acup? Doesnt look particularly attractive though. Ah I dunno. Finding small bras is hard enough without them having to be nursing ones too! Good luck with your search (I think you'll need it)....

Are American bra sizes the same as UK sizes

[ASC]

First off, this is my 1st post but I lurk every once in a while when I feel particularly down about my breasts, so thank you for always helping to make me feel better!

I'm wondering if anyone knows if A cup nursing bras exist? The smallest I've been able to find are 32B's and 30C's. That doesn't really help me, since I'm a 30A (and I think I'm shrinking...). I've searched the internet multiple times and called Lula Lu's today, but I can't find anything in an A. I'm tired of wearing oversized, baggy bras that bunch up under my shirt in an obvious manner, no matter how much I try to smooth them (and that's with nursing pads in!).

The good news is, I breastfed my 1st baby until he was 14 1/2 mos (he never had a drop of formula and didn't start ANY solids until he was almost 7 mos) and now I'm going strong with my 2nd baby, who is almost 5 mos! I'm sure there are people out there who assume small breasted women can't breastfeed successfully (hence the lack of A cup nursing bras?...), but I am proof that we most definitely can!

[karategrrl]

i guess the masses consider that type of conformity, or rather that practice of heightening one's physical appearance, brings them certain advantages... power, status, etc. and it may very well be true for people who function on that level, but i figure as long as i remain true to my own ideals i'll attract (and encourage) people who view life the same way as myself. and that makes the fighting and the resistance so worth it. much more enduring and powerful experiences this way IMO. to be empowered, legitimately, instead of being a puppet fitting into the mold.

Yes, oh yes. what it always comes downto for me is--WHO am I trying to please? If I got implants I'd be pleasing the brainless boys out there who drool over a false ideal of "woman" and the women who buy into that. Being the real me, I'm be pleasing myself, first of all, and people who are into honesty, integrity and what lies beneath. It's an easy choice.

[knorl05]

why ladies why.....? on my saturday am i stuck to the computer screen peeping out all the best threads on bust. geez.

just want to say one more time i agree wholeheartedly with what's been said. self acceptance is a rather unconventional and revolutionary concept, with plastic surgery almost becoming the norm. although i would suppose that's always been the case considering women have seemed to put themselves thru hell for the sake of trends/beauty thru the decades. i guess the masses consider that type of conformity, or rather that practice of heightening one's physical appearance, brings them certain advantages... power, status, etc. and it may very well be true for people who function on that level, but i figure as long as i remain true to my own ideals i'll attract (and encourage) people who view life the same way as myself. and that makes the fighting and the resistance so worth it. much more enduring and powerful experiences this way IMO. to be empowered, legitimately, instead of being a puppet fitting into the mold.

word. my favorite peeps are busties.

[dj-bizmonkey]

also wanted to say that there is an episode of penn and teller's bullshit on 'breast hysteria,' that my boyfriend sent me on youtube. i'd post the link, but since there is alot of bare breasts shown most of the video is blurred out. i kinda felt like a perv because i wanted to see all the breasts they were featuring so i downloaded it off i-tunes for $2. although teller gets on my nerves a bit, especially when he makes a comment about breastfeeding being sexual, the overall message is good. my favorite part is at the end where there are a bunch of women marching, protesting to be able to go topless. there is a small-breasted girl holding a sign right at the front that says 'small tits are good too!' i really liked that they included that.

[dj-bizmonkey]

my bf loathes padded bras. he always suggests that i set them on fire. if he reaches up my shirt and feels padding, his reaction is always, 'what the hell is this shite.' i only own one or two bras that i actually like and they are soft, but have underwire. i don't really need to the support of underwire, but i like the shape that it gives me. i want to work with what i've got.

i have to admit as well that i would kill to be a b-cup. i don't need to be a C, i actually like the fact that my breasts don't 'fold over,' or couldn't hold up a pencil. just a teeny-weeny bit bigger. that's why implants (other than health risk etc) are just too extreme for me to consider.

i LOVE what karategrrl said about loving yourself just way you are being radical and extreme! i have two middle fingers for all the status quo societal bullshit that tells me what to wear, how to act, what to look like. especially in the modern cultural climate of small breasts being 'abnormal' i say everyone woman who accepts hers and refuses to submit IS a revolutionary.

more power to my small-busted sistahs!!!

[edie52]

However, I have to be brutally honest and say if there was some sort of safe, inexpensive, non-radical procedure or thing I could do to make my breasts bigger--not huge, just a B-cup, or larger A--I think I'd be hard-pressed not to do it.

Yeah, I feel the same way. I'd like to be able to have my choice of bathing suits and be able to wear all different kinds of tops and dresses (ones with boob holders). I must say I never wear padded bras though. I only own a few bras, and they're all the soft fabric, triangle type (training bras?). And a few underwire a-cups that only fit me in my "bigger days" and that I honestly never wear anyway. Now I'm used to being out there sans padding, or even sans bra, just teeny curves and nipples, so I always think people would really notice if they suddenly doubled in size. I don't think my bf would like it so much either. Although once I tried one on, a serious push-up bra at H&M, and I was like "wow, BOOBS!" Just mesmerized. But I didn't buy it for the reason I stated. Not that it's a big deal- I once noticed that a classmate of mine (and fellow IBTC member) was sportin' a nice rack. The bra must have been quite good, because it was seamless looking. She was wearing a thin, clingy, t-shirt, and she looked damn good. It was flattering. And I liked that she wore it so confidently, although she wears her unpadded look just as confidently.

Man, it's ridiculous how I notice such miniscule differences in size sometimes. In myself or others. I should analyze less.

[crinoline]

I just don't like dealing with clothing not fitting right and having hubby not able to feel my nips through my (slightly padded) bras.

Haha, karategrrl, my boy HATES that! He says there's nothing worse than expecting perky nips and nice soft boob meat (his words) and encountering padded "boob armor" instead.

One of my biggest issues with breast augmentation is that it is so often billed as "reconstructive" surgery for those unfortunate women born without "adequate" breasts. The fact that it IS so dangerous, and such a lifetime commitment makes the fact that it is pressed on women like something "necessary" even worse. (and yes, I am aware that I sorely abuse quotation marks)
The fact is that unlike moles, or varicose veins, or scarring, etc., small breasts are NOT "flaws". (I've had to have several moles removed because they were "irregular")

On the cultural note, it's absolutely true that we are breast obsessed because they are taboo. To the point where breast feeding has been alienated and sexualized. Breast feeding! That's what they're for!!! I just... I'm completely baffled by this.

[karategrrl]

i always felt like if i got a waddle (you know, the flap of loose skin that hangs down from your chin/neck region) that i might have surgery, because there is no exercise you can do to get rid of that.

I've thought about that too! With so many procedures, it's a matter of weighing what you lose/give/sacrifice with what exactly you get back. Yep, for me, implants would never happen--too risky, too drastic, contributes to a bigger societal issue.

However, I have to be brutally honest and say if there was some sort of safe, inexpensive, non-radical procedure or thing I could do to make my breasts bigger--not huge, just a B-cup, or larger A--I think I'd be hard-pressed not to do it. I'm not trying to be a stripper or sex bomb--I just don't like dealing with clothing not fitting right and having hubby not able to feel my nips through my (slightly padded) bras. But for now, I know the safest, cheapest (though some may say radical) thing to do is luuuuve myself as I am!

[starship]

Sharship, you're in the UK, right? I can see why you feel that way (maybe even more than the rest of us)- I recently flipped through a copy of British Glamour (or something like that), and the back of the mag was full of boob-job ads. And the women's breasts looked pretty nice, not gross and fake. And there were tag lines like "make this your best summer yet" and stuff about revealing your "true self." Shit, I was almost convinced. It's pretty sick.

lol that's so true! I have to admit I buy magazines quite often because its nice to have something light and non-academic to read for a change. But I now completely avoid the last 40 or so pages. Theyre mostly adverts for surgery in general but theres always a large picture of a woman thrusting her huge bosoms towards the camera. And yeah, they do all have ridiculous headlines like 'be gorgeous, be smart..' (wtf, since when are breasts associated in any way with my brain), 'be stunning' or 'make yourself amazing'. I just copied those from a magazine in front of me....I found it amusing that the only other advertisements were a few for 'big bras' and one offering legal advice against negligent surgeons.ha....

Im not against all cosmetic surgery either karategrrl. I think things that slightly alter what you have are fine. Like removing a mole or getting your ears pinned back perhaps. But breast enlargment doesnt just correct something you see as a flaw. small boobs arent a flaw. I think its more of a moral issue over breasts in particular rather than completely disagreeing with any kind of surgery

[dj-bizmonkey]

i have a friend who works for a cosmetic surgeon and she always comes back to 'never say never.' i dunno, getting implants is a committment to surgery every ten years for the rest of your life. and it has serious health risks. risks that aren't the same as having a mole removed or a vein zapped. i always felt like if i got a waddle (you know, the flap of loose skin that hangs down from your chin/neck region) that i might have surgery, because there is no exercise you can do to get rid of that. i would never get implants though, i treasure the little softness that my breasts do have and i would hate to lose that and my sensitivity. it's just not worth it to me and i'd rather have some one love me for who i am.

"How can something become admired if its never seen."

starship, i think this is also a part of the problem with the obsession. breasts are NOT visible in the public sphere (in the US at least) you can't go topless, you don't see them in magazines or on tv and even nursing mother's are harassed and denigrated for bearing their breasts in public. i mean COME on people?! are we so puritanical that we can't tell the difference between when breasts are sexual and when they are serving their biological purpose?

anyway, i think if seeing breasts were more commonplace, if they weren't such a dirty little secret to be revealed only for the pleasure of men, then we wouldn't culturally be so obsessed with them.

also, starship, sorry to leave out your body type! i've always felt like a freak because i'm so bottom heavy, big thighs, big butt, little breasts.

[karategrrl]

Partly why Im so against surgery. Its increasingly portrayed as an essential and sensible step if you dont have big boobs. Like getting braces if your teeth are wonky or contacts if youre shortsighted. People are becoming too blithe about it...

I totally agree. I actually am not against all cosmetic procedures. I've had a couple of veins on my face zapped b/c I was tired of every day slathering concealer on them. I also had a small mole removed b/c it was right under one of my nostril folds--people were always looking at it...occasionally some nice person would take me aside and tell me I had a snot on my face. It was not a snot, it was my lovely mole. I got tired of that and had it removed.

I don't know, maybe I am a hypocrite b/c all that said, I am against things like breast implants. I guess it's because with that sort of procedure there is so much more intangible stuff that goes along with it--all the stuff we discuss here. Plus, procedures like breast implants are such drastic procedures which introduce permanent foreign objects into the torso (which need daily maintenance), and all because, supposedly, "bigger is better." that, to me, is not enough reason to go through major surgery and contribute to society's f*cked up views about women.

Yes, DJ, the Brava Bra--that's what it was called! I had no idea there was actually scientific evidence supporting it. But yes, 10 hours a day? How do you explain that at work?

I, too, have forgotten my bra when attending karate class. I don't have much, but it hurt the way they were bouncing around. Made me glad they weren't any bigger, that's for sure! I am s-t-r-e-a-m-l-i-n-e-d!

Love you all!

[edie52]

Partly why Im so against surgery. Its increasingly portrayed as an essential and sensible step if you dont have big boobs. Like getting braces if your teeth are wonky or contacts if youre shortsighted. People are becoming too blithe about it...

Sharship, you're in the UK, right? I can see why you feel that way (maybe even more than the rest of us)- I recently flipped through a copy of British Glamour (or something like that), and the back of the mag was full of boob-job ads. And the women's breasts looked pretty nice, not gross and fake. And there were tag lines like "make this your best summer yet" and stuff about revealing your "true self." Shit, I was almost convinced. It's pretty sick.

I guess in American magazines they have those ads, but not in such high concentration. There are also a lot of weight loss ads, and skin ads, which don't affect me on such a personal level. And I guess having lived in Canada, and now Sweden, I haven't been so exposed to that. Maybe it's just the circles I travel in, but I've barely ever seen fake boobs in my life, though of course there is still pressure to look a certain way.

[starship]

I sometimes read the large breast thread to make myself feel better. and then feel like an awful person. and still secretly want their boobies...

I cant imagine the boob frenzy ending any time soon either . If nature were left to take its course then maybe it would. But anyone with a C or below is getting surgery nowadays and the rest are usually stuffing their bras anyway. How can something become admired if its never seen. I imagine in 20years time a girl with small breasts will not just feel like a minority but an absolute freak of nature. She will have nothing to look to to reassure her that her body is normal. Partly why Im so against surgery. Its increasingly portrayed as an essential and sensible step if you dont have big boobs. Like getting braces if your teeth are wonky or contacts if youre shortsighted. People are becoming too blithe about it...
I dont fit into any of your descriptions Dj-Biz. Must be a new breed of irregular

I saw a short film clip today demonstrating how a mammogram is performed. They seemed to erm clamp the breast inbetween two large plates to take the scan. Sounds silly but it worried me a little for the future because I can imagine them having trouble finding much to grab hold of :/. Has anyone here had a mammogram and how did it go?
haha i am aware i worry too much...

[dj-bizmonkey]

sorry for a double post, but i'd like to retract my use of 'regular-shaped.' i do NOT want to imply that large or particularly svelte women are 'irregular.' maybe, average-shaped is better?

[dj-bizmonkey]

i always feel for the ladies at the gym who have to strap themselves in before they can work out. although, just because my breasts are small doesn't mean it feels good when they bounce up and down repeatedly. i was at the gym the other day and i usually just go to school early in my workout clothes and shower and change there. well, i'd picked out my entire outfit but forgot to pack a bra. one of my classmates was there at the same time and i was laughing at myself because it was going to be 'nipple-mania,' all day for me. she said, 'you're so lucky. i've got D's and if i forgot my bra, i wouldn't be able to go to class!'

another moment of vindication, if you will, while i was bathing suit shopping the other day. i came out of the dressing room to show my bf the teeny-weeny bikini. there were a couple other ladies in the store, one of them was particularly busty. she saw me in the mirror and said, 'i don't want to sound rude, but i am so jealous of you! i love that style of swimsuit but there is no way i can get these (and she grabbed her boobs) into something like that. i would just look ridiculous.' just goes to show, the grass is greener on both sides.

on a more philosophical note, i fear that the era of breast-obsession won't be coming to an end any time soon. in fact, in think our total obsession with youth and beauty will continue wax out of control with the continuous onslaught of media. the art world seems to be an area that is at least somewhat insulated from all that shite. yes, art imitates life, but in real life, women (and men for that matter) don't look like people from the pages of magazines. that's because those people are atleast somewhat computer generated. i think art will forever be a haven of true beauty, because it doesn't just speak to the exterior or the material, it has an inner beauty, an inner voice that we as human beings can connect to. when i look at a self-portrait of frida kahlo, her uni-brow, her mustache, whatever, it all looks stunning to me. that's because i'm not just looking at her exterior beauty, i feel like i'm looking into the seat of her soul, her self and that is more moving than any glossy ad in cosmo. however, i have to admit that i do enjoy some high fashion photography on an artistic level, even though high-fashion is at least partly responsible for distorted body images. what bothers me most about fashion now adays is this polarized dichotomy. on the one end there are super-slender, tall, pubescent looking women and on the other, full-figured 'plus-size' models. where is the in between? where is the average-shaped woman? where are the sizes 8-12? those are the most common sizes! it reminds me of an episode of 'america's next top model,' where they had a beautiful, plus-sized model. she made it through pretty close to the end and then she started to lose weight. the judges were criticizing her for losing weight. she was starting to look, well, alot like me! there is no space for the regular-shaped women of exceptional beauty. maybe it's the way the camera misrepresents reality. i dunno. sorry for getting so off topic

*high-fives* all around to small-busted busties!

[knorl05]

i saw a very large chested woman running today. she had boob all over the place, and i felt bad for her... she looked rather awkward and uncomfortable. another reason that small titties are good, easier to exercise!

[starship]

Knew they were the in-thing at some point Crinoline . The art stuff was really interesting. Im pretty sure most women still look that way but we just dont see it enough. It's strange how seeing someone with a body similar to your own can make you feel more validated. & i really hope youre right about the 'breast obsession bomb'. Enough with the boobies already...
Yeah, that was the bra I was talking about. I saw something about it in a magazine and thought that surely if it worked like they said, everyone would invest in one...they failed to mention the minor detail of wearing it for 10hrs though! thats crazy. And if its only swelling like karategrrl said then wouldnt it just go back down again when you stop using it? Sounds ridiculous anyway...