Why aren’t we taught how to fit a bra at school?

If you’re anything like me, my Mum took me to M&S when my breasts started to grow and then I wore the same size bras for ever.

It was only when I got pregnant that I really started to become more aware of

Nursing bra by Bravado

my breasts and my bras. My breasts grew massive in the first few weeks of pregnancy, and was told by an M&S fitter that this was unusual, (I’ve since discovered that this is normal!). She put me in a sports bra, which wasn’t that comfy, but I thought they were the experts, so I wore it during pregnancy.

I discovered NCT bras for breastfeeding, which were OK. But looking back, I probably wasn’t wearing the right size.

When no.2 came along, I bought a nursing bra set that fitted one week but not the next – it was at 12 weeks, when your breasts settle down and I dropped a cup size. I wasn’t best pleased to have a lovely bra that didn’t fit right!

So it’s only 5 1/2 years ago that I started to question about bras and bra fitting. I went on a 2 day bra fitting course at De Montfort University (leaders in contour design) and discovered a whole new world. Almost a hidden and undercover (excuse the pun!) world that as a consumer I had no idea about.

Did you know:

  1. We all have one breast bigger than the other?
  2. Our breast size changes during our monthly cycle?
  3. All bra manufacturers use different measurements for their bras, so all bras fit quite differently?
  4. That an ill fitting bra can cause damage to breasts, and is a known factor in increasing incidence of breast disease and cancer?
  5. When you have a breast increase or reduction, breast surgeons don’t understand how bras are made, so the size you ask for may not match the bras you’d like to buy?

I started bras4mums, not to sell bras (but there was and still is a need for a specialist shop), but to educate women about bra fitting particularly during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Midwives aren’t bra fitters, and I’m not a midwife or breastfeeding counsellor. But we all want the best for women, their health, and their baby’s health. And as we’re not taught about bra fitting at school, how do we know what’s right? How do our Mum’s know what’s right if they haven’t been ‘taught’ how to fit a bra?

The Royal College of Midwives have agreed that their members need to be more aware of bra fitting, as women sometimes cause more problems during pregnancy and breastfeeding with ill fitting bras, and their initial point of contact is their midwife. So, they have given Professional Accreditation to the bras4mums “Bra Fitting Awareness” one day course. It aims to give an insight into general bra fitting, and the specific areas to consider during pregnancy and nursing.

bras4mums are running this course throughout the year around the UK, and also for groups and companies. We’re delighted that Mamas & Papas are using the course for their sales advisors to become more aware of bra fitting when they introduce a range of lingerie into their larger stores this month.

But, wouldn’t it be so much easier if we had a basic grounding in bra fitting at school? If we had the basic knowledge about how bras affect our health we wouldn’t put up with uncomfy bras for the sake of fashion for as long.

Maybe I should write a course for delivery in PSHE classes and submit to the Department of Education & Health. What do you think?

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