Do you still wear padded/gel/air bras?

I dont want to be known as the moany girl but....its still bothering me that my boobs dont look as good as I expected.

Naked they look great! Wearing highish tops they also look good. Im still wearing my non-wired bras that I bought for the op cos they are lovely and comfy and give a good shape.

Its when Im wearing a cleavage showing top that I get disappointed. Pre op I was told I have an average cleavage and when Im wearing my non wired bras, low cut tops dont look great, cos my cleavage is gappy. So I've been on the hunt to buy a better bra, but I didnt really want to have a whole draw full of padded and gel bras again! But normal bras look just the same as my non wired ones so Im thinking I'll have to get padded to achieve cleavage.

But despite 3 'on-a-mission' shopping trips I haven't found one that I like! Most dont do the job well enough or do push them together but my nipples are sticking out as obviously too small in the cup, but the bigger sizes dont give the effect. Although I did find one that kinda fits from primark but its a 34" back! Im a 30", although happy to wear a 32" but 34" is just too big! Also the bra does give me cleavage but feels like battle armour! And (I know this may sound a bit contradicting) looks a bit fake! Too much to the side and oddly high up!

Has anyone else had this same frustrating start to bra shopping?

Do you find to get a good cleavage you do need to wear gel bras?

I'm really worried that I didn't take enough time before my op to explain clearly what I wanted
I just assumed that saying I wanted bigger, but keeping it fairly natural I would get a cleavage. Especially cos when I was breastfeeding it was amazing! I stupidly thought that implants would achieve the same effect, but it hasnt. Or maybe my implants are too small


I have been obsessing somewhat recently and feel so down after every failed bra shop. It kept me awake last night, and I feel like a right idiot going on and on about it but I just cant get rid of the regret that I didnt take pics in and be clearer about my expectations. And I know Im not imagining things cos my hubby even said tonight that we'd give it a couple of years and then get a re-op to go bigger! But I feel like £8k spent on a cleavage is too much. And I have noticed some comments from girls who have had re-ops don't necessarily feel 100% happy either....maybe I just need to accept I will never have those breastfeeding beauties back again....

Sorry this is so long and probably a bit all over the place, but I thought I'd just pour it all out and see what you lovely girls have to say!

Also if anyone feels they have a similar issue and has pics they are happy to share I'd love to see. It may help give me perspective, cos I always think everyone else's boobs look great, so if they are like mine maybe I'll be less critical....its worth a try!

Hiya jem,

I know what your talking about!!! I had my first boobies in 2006 and alway have bought padded bras....at first I thought it was force of habit but when I did buy a non padded bra, although I had a cleavage it wasn't as good as a padded bra! The only good thing I can say about mine is I practically have a cleavage without a bra because my gap between my boobs is very close anyway always has been so it's not that bad!
I just find wearing a padded bra gives me everything I want! Try one and see how you feel! I know I haven't been much help and hope I haven't made you feel worse but for me a slight padded bra or t/shirt bra gives me an excellent clev and does what I want for me!

Good luck babe and keep your chin up x x x x

Have you tried being measured properly in a specialist bra shop - I bought an underwired bra last week - it isn't padded but has got formed cups and creates reasonable cleavage. I had unders same as you did - but think you may get better cleavage with overs. I need to go shopping for clothes now that show off my new assets and whatever cleavage I can push together.

Ah cheers hun. No you haven't made me feel worse, just jealous lol! I have tried t-shirt bras, thats not what I mean by padded, I mean the ones where the padding actually reduces the space in the cups so your boobs are pushed together.

Did you have your second op just to replace the PIPs or did you want to go bigger any way? Or did you stay the same size? Glad your so happy with yours xxxx

Hi Jem, I sympathise because I have quite a large gap between mine too. I bought a triple gel bra in the LasSenza sales at the beginning of January and when I tried it I was bitterly disappointed as I still didn't get anything like a cleavage. However, they have really started softening over the last week and I tried that bra on again and I was like "WOW!!!! Where did that cleavage come from???" ....... and they looked huge too
So for most everyday I can have my ordinary bras, but if I'm going out somewhere special I can just put the LaSenze bra on and feel really, really good about myself.
xx

Hi JT,
Yes I did get measured, a very respectable 30DD but I prefer wearing a 32, but I didnt find a style that gave me the effect I wanted.

Im finding Im avoiding wearing cleavage showing tops cos they look smaller.

I know exactly how you feel Jem. Before my op I used to have fab cleavage in my ultimo bra's, one of my hubby's female colleagues even asked him if I'd had a boob job, because they looked that good.
But now because I don't wear padded bras I can't achieve the same look, and it's soul destroying. They look great without a bra, but like you say, if you want that extra oomph, it just doesn't happen in a normal bra. So you're not alone hunni.
xxx

Alfie do you just accept it and not wear low cut tops or do you still put on a padded bra for nights out like Carol suggested? Do you ever consider a re-op?

I found I couldn't get a good cleavage for serveral months. My boobs didn't soften until about 4 months and then I got an ok cleavage in padded bras and gel bras. At 7-9 months post op my boobs were even softer again (I thought I was done at 4 months) this was when I found it so much easier to get cleavage.

also there is no way I could get a cleavage in a non wired lacey bra ever. I have too much of a gap, but the gap is natural so I dont mind.

I have accepted thats the way they're going to be, if I'm going out and I want the extra wow, I'll wear a padded bra, I've got used to it now. I did ask my ps for a very natural look and that's what he gave me, so I can't really complain, and they do look good au naturelle, which they didn't before.
If I was younger I would possibly consider a re-op, but at 46, I'm hoping to get a good few years out of these.
xxx

My boobs still haven’t soften 100% and it’s hard to push them together. But in saying that they are slowly getting softer and are starting to be able to be pushed into a nice cleavage. My ps said that it will take up to a year to be nice, soft and not so high up (more natural).
I wouldn’t start freaking out yet your still healing and you have unders you have to let the muscle settle and relax over the implants

I'm similar to some of the girls,I have quite a gap so I still need an underwired to give me a good cleavage - unless I sit with my arms folded all night.....

Mine have also dropped quite a bit, so the upper pole fullness I had initially has gone, which I'm a bit peeved about, but on the whole I'm still happy compared with my pre-op state.....xx

Hiya jem,

I had mine removed because I had pip implants and they had ruptured beyond belief they were shocking! The implant had no casing it had all devolved and it was like the gunge you get for the kids!! I went a little bit bigger because my skin was already stretched and I thought why not! I have been lucky because they are very soft and just like they were but with a nice new implant! They are not hard or anything like that due to everything already been streched and stuff!
When I fist got them done I used the extra padded push up bras for the first 12 months I'd say before they really softened and became my own and that's when I switched to the good old lightly padded bra for a nice clev without trying!

I would just say give them time and once there all soft and fluffy you will be able to achieve what you want. As misf1 said your gap is natural and as I got told on all my consultations the gap you have now is the gap you will have with the implants because it's the shape of your body.

Hope you feel better after reading everyones comments jem x x x x

Thanks everyone. I really should remember that they still will soften more, so will be easier to squish as time goes on.

This is a lesson learned that I shouldnt rush into things!

Hi Jem,i know exactly what you mean,Im sure i ha a better cleavage as an A cup than i do now,but then when i think abut it i used to wear the side chicken fillets to push them together.They do say that the gap between your breasts doesn't alter with implants so it made sense to use them again and hey pretso i got my cleavage back!Also i think we all have very expectations regarding our post op outcomes and it isn't always as we expected.I wouldn't worry about having to add a little extra if you want the look you are after,im sure even some of the glamour girl add a little extra from time to time!! x

i dont wear gel bras or push up bras because im not that bothered about cleavage. Never seen a gel bra in a 30F anyway

Hi, I find the deco bra by freya gives a real "up and out" look! Great for cleavage and smooth so it works whatever you are wearing. I did go out and by "the one" bra by michelle mone (asda) the other day which is padded but goes up to a G cup OMG! That's all I'm saying!!

And ANewMeToBe, "Oh my god!" I exactly what I thought when I looked at your avatar! Your boobs look perfect! I definitely need to check these bras out! Thank you so much for the advice xxxx

ANewMeToBe Gorgeous bra hun and your boobs look fab, if you don't mind me saying so .... x

Jem - I feel *exactly* the same as you....remember my disasterous shopping trip a couple of weeks ago? I have tried so many bloody bras and none of them give cleavage at all. I think mine have really shrunk from when I had them done too, as all the sports bras I had are baggy now :(

I tried to get "the one" bra but it's always sold out in a 34DD...I will keep trying!

A Newmetobe - I tried the Deco bra as you recommended to me a while ago and it looked so terrible on me in every size I tried. it was all gappy on the cups :( Is this because I need to settle more? My boobs feel really soft and dare I say it like they could be saggy already, so I can't see how much softer they will get?!

Hi,
I had the same problem at first - it does take a while with unders. I measure a 30E but nearly always wear a 32dd. The best cleavage bra I have got at the moment is the balconette push up one from la senza think its called ultimate uplift - my boobs look fab in that!
Claire

I'm nearly a year and I find curvy Kate bras to be really good.
I definately get a v shape!
My boobs are firm so I still can't push them in a bra but I stated out with itching before!

I don't use padding or chicken fillets anymore. What I do if I want a bit of 'oomph' is buy a wonderbra a size smaller and WOW does that work for me!!! lol xx

Hi girls!
Jem I totally know where you're coming from, I too still feel the need to wear padded bras and still struggle to get a cleavage.
Personally I feel my boobs only get a cleavage and push together quite low down where my top starts, so for anyone to see the best part of my cleavage I would have to go out with no top on. So although I get a slight cleavage it isn't very deep... If that makes any sense!!!!

Basically I haven't got the booby look I really dreamt of, even though I can make them look quite big with triple gel bras. But I got more than I had so I need to keep reminding myself!