A Little More Support
When our children’s needs take priority, our own can slip down the list—even replacing a bra that hurts. A FULL Find for the bodies we have now.
Address:
What they offer:
An online bra-size calculator with instructions for taking your measurements at home. A place to start if you’ve been buying the same size for years without revisiting the evidence.
What to know:
You’ll need a flexible measuring tape and a willingness to follow instructions. If you find yourself measuring your boobs doggy style and wondering how you got here, we, too, had questions.
If your body has changed since having children and you’re still reaching for the same bras, it may be worth measuring again.
Treat the calculator’s suggested size as a starting point. Fit can vary between brands and styles, so let comfort have the final vote. Ideally, without borrowing a sweaty bra from your sister.
Website:
Our experience:
Before having children, I wore a 36B. Two kids later, my body was different. My bras, however, remained committed to the past.
They hurt to wear. Still, replacing them kept falling down the list.
As mothers, we can get used to putting our children’s needs first. Raising autistic children can bring additional expenses—therapies, appointments, specialized support—and more decisions about where the money goes. Something for ourselves can feel difficult to justify, even when we need it.
For me, that something was a bra.
Eventually, I found a measuring guide and measured again. The result: 36D. Same band. Two cup sizes up. Excuse me?
I told my mother and sisters. They required proof.
My oldest sister, who wears a 36D, went into the bathroom, took hers off, and insisted I try it on. “It might be a little sweaty,” she warned.
It fit. My boobs finally had somewhere to go.