Breast Lymphoedema, Bras and Swimwear – Blog by Gaynor Leech LWO Community

Gaynor Leech, Founder and Patient Advocate of LWO Community

For this year’s #LAW2022 and #WLD2022 we are very pleased that Sue Hansard have shared their knowledge on the management and treatment of breast lymphoedema. From a patient point of view, most of us understand that the daily routines of management and self care is essential for good lymphatic health and our overall wellbeing. However, there are many more issues that someone living with breast Lymphoedema must contend with that affects both physical and mental health. In this article I will be writing about Post-Operative Bras and Swimwear.

We will start by looking at Bras, often for most women uncomfortable at the best of times and for me and many women the euphoria when you remove your bra is one of those little pleasures at the end of a long tiring day. Finding the right bra can be difficult and there is plenty of advice on how you should wear your bra as the image below shows.

What about bras for women who have had a mastectomy or

breast-conserving surgery?

This article is about my experience of finding a bra after breast-conserving surgery and that took me four years after my operation. Why is that? When you have breast-conserving surgery, however tidy your scars are or not, when you have a lump or tissue removed the chances are that your breast is misshapen. There may be dents or the skin may be puckered and with Lymphoedema your breast is highly likely to be swollen.

With the swelling your boob may swell at different times of the day. For example, your affected boob may start the day as a D cup, by lunch time you may be a double D cup and by teatime a triple D cup and your boob keeps swelling. Not everyone who has had post-operative surgery will experience this, but it does happen. Therefore, when you have one normal boob and one that swells throughout the day then finding a bra can be difficult.

You will need to find a bra that has wide enough sides so that you don’t spill out of them, seams should be soft, no harsh ridges. A bra with straps that do not cut into your shoulder and leave indentations (bra straps will be wider than you are used to). You may need to use cushion straps. Fastenings need to be easy to do up and undo and not leave marks. There needs to be good separation between the cups so that the middle lies flat and if the back of the bra rides up then it hasn’t been fitted correctly. Finally, no wires.

I learnt very quickly post-surgery that wearing matching lingerie/underwear was a thing of the past and not something manufacturers of post-operative bras where keen on. I did ask one of the manufacturers why this was. The general answer was that they had briefly tried this, and the company said it wasn’t cost-effective, to manufacture matching items, and they said in their experience there wasn’t a need. This unfortunately means that whoever manufactures post-operative bras, as their customer, your choice is restricted. There is no, or very little decorative detail and colours are limited to beige, black or white.

However, a group of us where fortunate enough a few years ago to spend time at George Headquarters near Lutterworth and at the time they agreed with us and provided matching-coloured knickers for their coloured post-operative bras.

In our discussions with George, we stated that cotton linings where essential inside the cup as cotton is more absorbent and we asked for the lining to be made deeper. Good post-operative bras will have a decent size pocket so that a prosthesis or massage pad will sit comfortably inside the pocket.

How do you find a post-operative bra that fits you properly

and will make you feel comfortable and supported?

Ask your breast care clinic or Lymphoedema clinic whether they have access to a Bra Fitting service, this service will measure you properly and order the correct bra for you.

What happens when your clinic does not have this service? My advice is to look for a Lingerie Fitting Service and there are some good ones either on the High Street or within some Supermarkets. Due to COVID, it is will highly likely that you will need to book an appointment to use a bra fitting service. When booking, ask for a Post-Surgery appointment. You will find most of the manufacturers, and other fitting services have online appointments via video where they can talk through your requirements. Many of the retailers now have measurement charts on their websites so that you can measure yourself and then order. I would strongly advise you to see a fitter in person, less likelihood of the fitting going wrong.

Swimwear

One of the best exercises/movements for Lymphoedema is swimming and post-surgery swimsuits need to be functional but there is more scope to find swimwear that is attractive as well as comfortable to wear. A wide variety of colourful fabrics are used, and you can accessorise swimwear with matching cover-ups, tunics, and kaftans.

Manufacturers are more conscious of design. Swimwear needs to be able to cover scarring around the breast area and a higher neckline is needed. The pocket openings need to hold a prosthesis securely and post-surgery swimsuits will often have softer outer cups providing a smoother look so that it is harder to tell the difference between a prosthesis or a natural breast.

Swimwear can have wider gusset, a lower leg, tummy control or even a little skirt if you are conscious of the top of your legs. As with bras there are good fitting services available.

While the fitting service is free, the cost of post-operative bras is something you will probably have to pay for yourself. Mastectomy bras are VAT exempt and there should be a box to tick on the order form for VAT exemption.

Macmillan Cancer Support provide one off grants for surgical, mastectomy bras and swimwear or other financial support associated with cancer.

NHS Financial Support may be available if you are on a low income or certain benefits.