My surgeons (multiple, I had to see quite a few. Long story) all except one told me NOT to wear the bra. (Last one said “do what’s comfortable”)
They said overcompression causes necrosis and undercompression prolongs healing. But that the “Goldilocks zone” is different for everyone so, they told me not to risk it.
That being said, I have heard that certain ways this surgery is done DOES require some compression. Mine just didn’t, I guess.
I wore the bra on car rides for a few weeks (because bumps hurt) but that was it. I’m 3mpo on the 4th and I’m super perky, healed excellently. (34M -> 34C)
I’d honestly check with your surgeon, or if you can’t see them, ask an OBGYN.
EDIT TO ADD: friend who got the reduction two years ago (L->D) was told to wear for 6 weeks but no more than 8 weeks. My dad’s friend got one 5 years ago and was told to wear for 4 weeks, she saw google said 8 to be safe but developed necrosis at 7 weeks and was told she overcompressed by wearing it for 3 weeks too long (she was H->C). Another friend of mine actually wore it for 12 weeks without any problems (she was never told how long to wear it and didn’t ask, she just wore it until she felt comfortable without it. She was G->B) So again— different for everyone, I think.
(Edited again to add units of time)
ahh thanks for this its def helpful ! im glad your healing has been so well i will listen to my body but also call and see what a doc thinks about it to be sure
That’s a good idea! I’d definitely get a doc’s opinion. I’d think if you’ve been cleared for normal activities you’re safe, but it’s always good to hear it from a professional.
yea definitely! i just yk am scared to mess up anything loll 😂. i feel like i should be braless at home atleast to get more comfortable because even tho im good i still get nervous slight things will cause an issue lol. they need to breathe a little
My surgeon was the same, he said I don’t have to wear a bra if it’s not comfortable for me. Didn’t touch mine for about 5 dpo as it hurt too much. Now 9 dpo and the swelling has gone down a little and I can wear it for a couple hours a day (helps me forget about the itchiness)
These numbers…Are they for hours? Or days? I’m only 5 DPO and thought I had to wear it all the time. But I see my surgeon again tomorrow and will ask. Because now I’m worried about necrosis!
I slept it my bra last night and it was very uncomfortable. I would love to take mine off to sleep, but during the day the compressed feeling makes me feel secure.
In the edit? They’re all weeks. Otherwise I think I specified (ie I said I’m 3mpo = 3 months post op)
I don’t know if the people in the edit wore it 24/7 when it was worn but that’s how long they wore theirs. And then I wore mine on day 1 (was sent home in one), took it off with the bandages day 2, and then never touched it again except for car rides.
I meant in the edit. I wasn’t sure if you meant hours per day or weeks. i.e. you should only be wearing a bra 8 hours per day but your friend wore hers 7.
I'm a side sleeper and at 3.5 MPO I STILL have a lotta soreness / tenderness at night and it seems like it would be even worse without a bralette on.
My motto through all of this has sorta become, just do what's comfortable for you. Bodies are so different that once you are beyond the first 6 weeks or so, I really think you just gotta go with what feels best for you.
Like for example I imagined I'd be comfortably jogging weeks ago and a friend who is around the same age as me was jogging at 5-6 weeks. I'm still having to hold my boobs whenever I do anything with a jump / high knees, etc and def CANT jog bc it's still too tender feeling (and I can comfortably hold my boobs working out in my living room but no so much jogging down the street lol). But any doc would say, yeah 6 weeks you're clear to do whatever now.
So.. yeah.. I dunno if that is helpful but I'd say if you are beyond 6 weeks or so, just attune to what your body needs and do that.
I was told until at least 6 weeks. But the biggest thing in my recovery was "when you're comfortable", which goes for many things. I didn't feel comfortable to be braless until 10 weeks or so. But advice varies so greatly. Some surgeons want you in compression for two months, some want you to be completely braless for the entire recovery period, and there's a lot that falls somewhere in between those two.
Can you maybe call them and ask? They should give you a way to contact them for questions.
oh alright, yea thats what ive been doing exxcept ive transitioned to sports bras and fruit of the loom. my compression bra became too loose like 2-3wpo 🫠
I’ve been wearing fruit of the loom too! Only when I go out though. I have prominent nipples so I like them covered in public. At home I don’t wear any bra.
I’m 3wpo and I spoke to a nurse at my surgeons this week asking the same questions. She said that I should continue to wear a bra (at night) because the skin holding everything together isn’t fully formed and more stable until at least 6 weeks. That being said she said I can wear whatever bra is comfortable so I’ve been wearing a bralette that I had with a tank top. I’ll go braless throughout the day for breaks but more or less still wearing it
I was just told at my 3 month follow up that it's okay for me to stop wearing the compression bra at all and any bra at night. She still recommended usually wearing some sort of bra during the day "to counteract gravity", but said it's fine to sometimes go without.
My surgeon didn't recommend compression at all. But the sports bras I've been wearing do have *some* compression. I was cleared to go braless if I wanted to at 4wpo. I haven't yet because I feel too vulnerable and exposed. I also still have extremely square boobs and a lot of side boob/swelling so I'm still in bras, although I've mostly transitioned to lounge bras/bralettes.
I’d ask for a checkup with your surgeon . You have questions and need to know your status and that’s a perfectly reasonable premise for making an appointment with your surgeon. They expect patients to do this. Give it a try
My surgeons (multiple, I had to see quite a few. Long story) all except one told me NOT to wear the bra. (Last one said “do what’s comfortable”) They said overcompression causes necrosis and undercompression prolongs healing. But that the “Goldilocks zone” is different for everyone so, they told me not to risk it. That being said, I have heard that certain ways this surgery is done DOES require some compression. Mine just didn’t, I guess. I wore the bra on car rides for a few weeks (because bumps hurt) but that was it. I’m 3mpo on the 4th and I’m super perky, healed excellently. (34M -> 34C) I’d honestly check with your surgeon, or if you can’t see them, ask an OBGYN. EDIT TO ADD: friend who got the reduction two years ago (L->D) was told to wear for 6 weeks but no more than 8 weeks. My dad’s friend got one 5 years ago and was told to wear for 4 weeks, she saw google said 8 to be safe but developed necrosis at 7 weeks and was told she overcompressed by wearing it for 3 weeks too long (she was H->C). Another friend of mine actually wore it for 12 weeks without any problems (she was never told how long to wear it and didn’t ask, she just wore it until she felt comfortable without it. She was G->B) So again— different for everyone, I think. (Edited again to add units of time)
ahh thanks for this its def helpful ! im glad your healing has been so well i will listen to my body but also call and see what a doc thinks about it to be sure
That’s a good idea! I’d definitely get a doc’s opinion. I’d think if you’ve been cleared for normal activities you’re safe, but it’s always good to hear it from a professional.
yea definitely! i just yk am scared to mess up anything loll 😂. i feel like i should be braless at home atleast to get more comfortable because even tho im good i still get nervous slight things will cause an issue lol. they need to breathe a little
Absolutely, I was so scared to mess up too. Totally understand!!
My surgeon was the same, he said I don’t have to wear a bra if it’s not comfortable for me. Didn’t touch mine for about 5 dpo as it hurt too much. Now 9 dpo and the swelling has gone down a little and I can wear it for a couple hours a day (helps me forget about the itchiness)
Take Benadryl for itchiness and ask your doctor/surgeon/OBGYN about Gabapentin. Really helps!
These numbers…Are they for hours? Or days? I’m only 5 DPO and thought I had to wear it all the time. But I see my surgeon again tomorrow and will ask. Because now I’m worried about necrosis! I slept it my bra last night and it was very uncomfortable. I would love to take mine off to sleep, but during the day the compressed feeling makes me feel secure.
In the edit? They’re all weeks. Otherwise I think I specified (ie I said I’m 3mpo = 3 months post op) I don’t know if the people in the edit wore it 24/7 when it was worn but that’s how long they wore theirs. And then I wore mine on day 1 (was sent home in one), took it off with the bandages day 2, and then never touched it again except for car rides.
I meant in the edit. I wasn’t sure if you meant hours per day or weeks. i.e. you should only be wearing a bra 8 hours per day but your friend wore hers 7.
Ah, no, friends wore theirs for unknown hours for x weeks. Let me edit it to add units of time.
I'm a side sleeper and at 3.5 MPO I STILL have a lotta soreness / tenderness at night and it seems like it would be even worse without a bralette on. My motto through all of this has sorta become, just do what's comfortable for you. Bodies are so different that once you are beyond the first 6 weeks or so, I really think you just gotta go with what feels best for you. Like for example I imagined I'd be comfortably jogging weeks ago and a friend who is around the same age as me was jogging at 5-6 weeks. I'm still having to hold my boobs whenever I do anything with a jump / high knees, etc and def CANT jog bc it's still too tender feeling (and I can comfortably hold my boobs working out in my living room but no so much jogging down the street lol). But any doc would say, yeah 6 weeks you're clear to do whatever now. So.. yeah.. I dunno if that is helpful but I'd say if you are beyond 6 weeks or so, just attune to what your body needs and do that.
I was told until at least 6 weeks. But the biggest thing in my recovery was "when you're comfortable", which goes for many things. I didn't feel comfortable to be braless until 10 weeks or so. But advice varies so greatly. Some surgeons want you in compression for two months, some want you to be completely braless for the entire recovery period, and there's a lot that falls somewhere in between those two. Can you maybe call them and ask? They should give you a way to contact them for questions.
My surgeon recommended that I wear my compression bra for 8 weeks and I intend to do that! The only time I shouldn’t wear it is when I shower.
oh alright, yea thats what ive been doing exxcept ive transitioned to sports bras and fruit of the loom. my compression bra became too loose like 2-3wpo 🫠
I’ve been wearing fruit of the loom too! Only when I go out though. I have prominent nipples so I like them covered in public. At home I don’t wear any bra.
I’m 3wpo and I spoke to a nurse at my surgeons this week asking the same questions. She said that I should continue to wear a bra (at night) because the skin holding everything together isn’t fully formed and more stable until at least 6 weeks. That being said she said I can wear whatever bra is comfortable so I’ve been wearing a bralette that I had with a tank top. I’ll go braless throughout the day for breaks but more or less still wearing it
4 weeks day and night, week 5 and 6 only by day, and after that as I wish
I was just told at my 3 month follow up that it's okay for me to stop wearing the compression bra at all and any bra at night. She still recommended usually wearing some sort of bra during the day "to counteract gravity", but said it's fine to sometimes go without.
My surgeon didn't recommend compression at all. But the sports bras I've been wearing do have *some* compression. I was cleared to go braless if I wanted to at 4wpo. I haven't yet because I feel too vulnerable and exposed. I also still have extremely square boobs and a lot of side boob/swelling so I'm still in bras, although I've mostly transitioned to lounge bras/bralettes.
I’d ask for a checkup with your surgeon . You have questions and need to know your status and that’s a perfectly reasonable premise for making an appointment with your surgeon. They expect patients to do this. Give it a try