is there a bra-free tribe? - Page 9

[orangefoot]

The other week we ended up taking about bras and bra-free-ness at a home education group I go to and one mama there said that I'd feel differenlty about bras if I had something to put in one! I'm a 34AAA so that is fair enough but I put it to her that if I thought that having breasts that looked like they 'should' was important  I'd be wearing a padded bra, not no bra. Silence followed!

Anyhow, the following week another mama in the group told me that she had thought of our conversation and left the house that morning without a bra on and she felt great! She has a much larger bust than I do and when she asked if anyone noticed anything different about her no-one guessed that she was bra free under her sweater. She now says that she is going to wear her bra less and less as she was pleased not to find deep angry lines on her body when he got undressed  that night.

So it seems I have made a convert!

[les_oiseau]

subbing.... I have wanted to go bra free for a long time but have never been comfortable for more than a day or so without.... excited to read through this thread!

[EchoSoul]

Here, here! I started going bra-free on my fiance's suggestion. I read that reduced air flow across your breasts may be a cause for breast cancer; and since it runs in my family..I went forth and did it on my fiance's support. It was tough at first, I was very uncomfortable. But now I love it, and while a sports bra feels really good every now and again, and very useful when I'm out and about to reduce how much I leak breastmilk, I honestly think experiencing no pain during breastfeeding is because I've been bra-free for so long. My nipples have been de-sensitized from constantly sliding across my shirts.

[Grandm0ther]

I am a grandmother, age 57 and a 42 D, now a 42 DDD.  After having so many friends go through breast cancer, I began doing research to see what I could do to NOT join them.  That is when I came across the information that wearing a bra has no purpose, only a society expecting act.  I began going without at home, and loved LOVED the feel....and, my breasts got bigger, just as my research had stated!  Wearing a jacket during cold weather, I got brave and finally went bra free in public.  To my amazement, no one looks or cares!  I have tried the tank tops with the shelf, but being so large, that really didn't work....I am now looking for a sleep or leisure bra to wear when I have to wear one.  I love going without, see the health benefits, and am trying to spread the word to my generation!  Hurrah for the bra free ladies that have joined the tribe!  Please spread the word, maybe THIS is the way that breast cancer will be finally cured!!!!

[Magelet]

Originally Posted by EchoSoul 

My nipples have been de-sensitized from constantly sliding across my shirts.

hmmmm.... maybe that's why my nipples are less sensitive than they used to be. perhaps a plus for breastfeeding, but not for adult breast use.

ETA: I'm not quite sure that's how I meant to phrase it, not sure it sounds quite right, but you know what I mean right?

[orangefoot]

IME that hasn't been the case. My nipples haven't been a problem when breastfeeding any of my four children but I think that breastfeeding has made my nipples more sensitive in a more personal way,

[incorrigible]

I'm about 38-40DD right now, and have been mostly bra free from the get go. They always annoyed me. I didn't get my first one till my best friend's mom took me to get one because she wasn't comfortable with her son hanging around with a girl that didn't wear a bra. =/ I was a C cup by then. lol I do need to wear a bra if I'm going to participate in something really active...rock climbing, running, etc. They cause pain and get in the way do to their size, otherwise...and I'll wear one on the rare occasion I need to dress to impress. I guess I consider them either sports gear or formal attire. =D

As for the nipples, mine are incredibly sensitive. Nothing has made any noticeable impact on them. I've nursed 2 babies, and gone through bra-dependent phases through the years, but my nipples are still the same. I don't find bras to protect them from anything more than a t-shirt does though.

I did buy my daughter a training bra. She's got nothing to support, but is having nipple sensitivity sometimes now that she's easing into puberty. The thick sports bra type things are really uncomfortable on her, but the thin training bras are perfect for her right now. She only seems to wear them for a few days per month. She hasn't started her period yet, but I imagine the timing will match up when she does.

[Magelet]

I don't really find that a bra helps at ALL for active stuff, but what I like is a leotard (then again, I grew up in them, so they're super comfy to me). Wishing I had money for a nice non-underwire comfy bra for those few times I really want it, but I think if it mattered enough, I could probably find the money, and it's just not a priority for me.

[incorrigible]

oh ya, a leotard is really uncomfortable and confining for me. I don't even like regular women's swim suits! lol (Dd and I both wear board shorts and rash guards to swim. SOoooo much more comfy than regular swim suits!) I don't do underwires either though. I use sports bras for active things, and have one regular bra I removed the underwire from for "formal" wear. =D

[cottonwood]

I despise bras! I've never had one fit correctly (I have a very broad ribcage and slope-y shoulders, plus two different cup sizes) and since my first pregnancy (15 years ago) the constriction hurts. I stopped wearing a bra when I figured out that it was causing thrush. Got rid of the bras, voila, no more problems. For a while I wore bra-shelf camis, but the elastic makes my skin itch so I finally gave up on that and now just wear tanks under loose shirts.

[mamayogibear]

Hey, I used to go bra free but haven't been able to pull it off lately... I'm nursing my baby and have major leakage like all the time. He is nine months old and I have to wear lots of pressure and wool pads to keep from leaking through my clothes. I don't know how to have pressure there aside from wearing a bra as any cami that is tight enough just isn't comfortable. Any suggestions?

[minkajane]

Originally Posted by mamayogibear 

Hey, I used to go bra free but haven't been able to pull it off lately... I'm nursing my baby and have major leakage like all the time. He is nine months old and I have to wear lots of pressure and wool pads to keep from leaking through my clothes. I don't know how to have pressure there aside from wearing a bra as any cami that is tight enough just isn't comfortable. Any suggestions?

Lily Padz! They're silicone cups that are tacky on one side and they stick right onto your breast. They put just enough pressure to keep you from leaking. Trust me, they rock. I'm using them right now myself.

[mamayogibear]

do they come in natural tree rubber or only silicone?

[goinggreengirl]

Just wanted to share here. I bought some light sports bras- think soft elastic, one layer of material. Apparently I didn't get them loose enough. I wore it for about an hour before my chest started to hurt and I was having a hard time breathing. I took it off and within 20 minutes my breathing was fine and my chest didn't hurt anymore! Guess if I try those again I should go up about 2 or 3 sizes!

[betbet]

For the breastfeeding person that was complaining about leaking, there is a way to prevent that i learnt from my friend. As soon as you feel that milk is coming down and you will leak, press on your nipples  until the feeling is over. I am breastfeeding my youngest now (1 mth old) and haven`t worn any nursing pads so far. Sometimes I feel the milk coming when i am in public so I cross my arms and put pressure on the nipples (less obvious than pressing on them with index finger. It takes less than half a minute i think and  it prevents leaking.

[StudyingStones]

This thread is really interesting! I didn't read it all cause it's really long, but wondered if there are other ladies on this tribe that are large breasted.

I'm a 38DD, and I can't picture not wearing a bra during my day job (I'm an admin assistant at a hospital), but I try to be bra free whenever I'm home.

Any other large breasted ladies out there that are totally bra free? Any tips for making it work for you? I love beig bra free, I'd love to make it work for me all the time!

[mammal_mama]

I'm a 42H who works from home, and I love going bra-free around the house. Now that I've learned about the cancer link, I'm going to go bra-free all the time at home and try to work up my courage to going bra-free out in public, too.

I'm also going to share this informationn with my daughters. My 12yo began menstruating seven months ago and her breasts are growing. She had a couple of bras that she wore occasionally several months ago, but she has outgrown them and hasn't said anything about getting new ones. I'm going to encourage her to just go bra-free for as long as she feels comfortable doing so, and if she does at some point feel a need to wear one out in public, to get in the habit of pulling it off the minute she walks in the door.

I actually hope that both of them will spend their lives bra-free.

I'm so glad I saw this thread and learned how our bras are killing us!

[Sieren]

I have been going bra-free for about a year now, and I love it!  I don't even know what size I am anymore (in the last year I've gained about 40 much-needed pounds--not all fat, but the fat I did gain seems to have gone to my butt and boobs LOL) but I used to be a 36C-34D.  So maybe a 36D now? 

But, I love not wearing a bra!!!  SO much more comfortable--I've always HATED bras!--and my breasts actually are shaped better and are more perky now than they were when I did wear a bra.  I think I read somewhere that when you wear a bra, the ligaments that hold up your breast tissue aren't really getting used much so they tend to atrophy, which will make your breasts look more saggy when they don't have a bra to hold them up.  When you don't wear a bra, they actually have something to hold up, so they stay more strong.  Also, I'm guessing better blood and lymph circulation has a part in that too.  Plus, the health benefits!

At work, I wear a tank top/camisole under my scrubs (I'm a nurse), but otherwise I typically just wear whatever--shirts, tank tops etc with nothing underneath.  If something is really loose, or just doesn't look right, I'll wear a thin tank top underneath.  But typically I don't worry too much, even when you can tell I'm not wearing a bra.  I mean, really!  Since when were breasts expected to be these smooth, nipple-less things??  That don't move?? haha!  ;-)

It took me a little while to feel totally comfortable going around in public bra-less, but now I'm completely used to it.  I'm sure people stare sometimes...especially in a small city in the midwest!!...but it doesn't really make me uncomfortable anymore.  I just hope that someone who notices might be inspired to try going bra-free themselves! :-)