What no one tells you about mastectomy bras

She had folded a scarf into her bra for eight months.

Not because she did not know better. Because nobody had told her there was anything else. She had been told, in detail, what was going to be removed. Almost nothing about what came afterwards. I hear a version of this often. So let me say the part that gets left out.

The bra does half the work

A prosthesis on its own does very little. It needs something to hold it in the right place, against your chest wall, so that it stays where it should when you reach, bend or lift your arms.

That is what a mastectomy bra is for. It has a soft internal pocket sewn into the cup. The prosthesis sits inside it, secure, so you are not adjusting yourself in a shop queue or worrying every time you raise your arm.

When the bra fits properly, the weight sits where your body expects it to. Your shoulder and your spine stop compensating. That is not a small thing. Over months and years, that compensation is what turns into pain.

What to look for

Wide, cushioned straps that do not dig into your shoulder.

A soft, seamless pocket, so there is nothing rubbing against skin that has been through a great deal already.

A firm underband, because the support comes from underneath, not from the straps.

Full cup coverage on the affected side.

What to avoid

Underwire anywhere near a healing scar.

Your old bra size. This is the one that catches almost everyone. Your chest wall has changed, and the number you wore before surgery is very unlikely to be the number you need now. Please do not order online from memory.

Two things worth knowing

Most South African medical aids cover mastectomy bras and prostheses. If you are not sure what you qualify for, ask us and we will help you find out.

And you do not have to be ready. You do not have to be brave about it. You just need someone to talk to.

Come and sit down with me.

WhatsApp us on 083 250 8067.