Most of the time I make it to work having showered, clothed myself and even prepared breakfast. And some of the time one or all of these things don’t happen. And then it is rather hit and miss whether I make it in to work at all.
One of the biggest challenges I face first thing in the morning is the complex job of putting on a bra. The other big challenge is reaching my feet to put on socks and shoes, but in my defence, they are a really long way from my hands (I am super tall).
Today I am going to talk about the bra part of this dilemma. If you don’t wear bras then you may not have an interest in this blog, try the post about paddles, it’s got table tennis in it.
EDS and bras do not go well together. Bras are also problematic for lots of people with chronic joint pain, not just EDS sufferers. While I can fold my arms behind my back I find doing up a bra strap really hard. Once you do manage to secure your bra (and your thumb joints) you then have to work out the right fit. The problem is that EDS skin can be very fragile. Any sort of pressure can cause nasty bruising and straps that cut in can leave deep red marks that take days to go away.
I was in Bravissimo a few days ago and had tried on an exhausting 10 bras, all of which hurt or were irritating to my skin. I was about to give up when a member of staff called Cheryl stepped in. I explained the issue I was having and Cheryl gave me what I can only describe as ‘challenge accepted’ face.
It took 2 hours in total and the one of the stores most experienced bra fitters (whose name escapes me but I am so very grateful for her help) and I have come away with some great fitting underwear including a sports bra for Parallel (hooray!).
Following this success I have listed the ideas we came up with, I hope a few of these ideas are helpful:
- Lace- I avoid this, it itches. If I do really like a bra that has lace I make sure it is attached to the outside of the cup and not touching the skin. Often lace can be detached from the cups, so I check how it is sewn on so I can make any adjustments I might want later.
- Painful Seams- Where the straps are attached and the seam right behind the cup have caused nasty grazes on me. Seam free bras are great but I still take time to run my fingers along all the seams of a bra, some brands are better finished than others, once you start looking at them it is amazing how sharp some of the finished edges are.
- Cotton lined- because cotton is lovely and it’s hard to be irritated by it.
- Size-In Bravissimo I went up a size and was fitted on the middle catch so that if I am in pain during the day I can make the back band wider. Bravissimo tend to fit their bras pretty firmly around the back but once the fitter understood what ‘properly fitted’ bras were doing to my skin we had a play with back sizes and found this to be the best solution to avoid pain and keep the support. Having a fitter that takes the time to listen and help you work out what exactly is causing you discomfort is so valuable to getting this right.
- Bagged seams- this is where the fabric of the bra has been turned over to cover any exposed elastic, making the band around your chest a little more comfortable and less likely to dig in. Gossard and Boux Avenue both have bras with bagged seams but there are lots more once you start to look.
- Straps- wide straps without sharp edges are what I have found most comfy. There is also the option of buying bra strap padding, but this will only work under certain clothing.
- Bikini Tops- these tend to have less seams, are made of smooth fabric and are often stretchier than bras. No one is going to know it is a bikini when it is under clothes, and it means you are always ready for the beach. Just in case.
- Bralets- for when the ribs are just too painful for an underwired bra I always have a little crop top thing from Primark that can function as a bra in emergencies, no adjustable parts, no tricky catches. It is not ideal but gets the job done.
Hope that helps, if you have any EDS clothing related tips please do leave them in the comments.
Still Keighs 