Flat Chested Mama Needs a Good Bra!

ha! well at least you say you're husband is 'supportive'

I have the same issues as you're talking about. my bra of choice is Body by Victoria (victoria Secret) size 32AA.
and it works! bra straps stay... and it even makes me look like I have more of a bust. love that!

they are about $35. but completely worth it.

J.,
It's good to hear that I am not alone! I struggle with the same problem. What works for me is the Victoria Secret Very Sexy Bra, but I need it in the demi not full cup. They actually are on clearance right now for $19.99 apiece because I think they are being discontinued. I just bought a few to stock up. Hope this helps!

Thank you so much for posting this! I, too, am a 34A (A- really) and only wear a bra for smoothing and to make it look like I have some boobs. I can fit my hand in between the cups and my chest for most of my bras. I LOVED my chest when I was pregnant and nursing, a 34B! I think that after nursing for a year, the reward should be that you get to keep the boobs, alas, they left me, and left me even more flat than before, if that's possible. I have no tips to offer, only thanks for posting since everyone had good products to suggest that I now need to go look into!

I haven't tried them yet (too rich for my blood) but I was definitely interested when I read an article about www.ittybittybra.com Here's a copy/paste of the article from MSN.com:

We've had our consciousness raised over the hardship of Rubenesque women finding great plus-size garments. But what about the tiniest among us?
We're talking about the long neglected owners of itty bitties, those barely-there bosoms.
We are demanding respect! Underscoring our humanity!
And begging for a bra that fits.

Itty bitties just don't sit right in regular brassieres. The larger the band size, the larger the cups. So if you require a bra over a size 32, there's usually a lot of extra room in there.
And when you get into the smallest cups, underwire is a rarity. Just because we're little doesn't mean we're not looking for perkiness, hello.
What's more, we don't want to fake it by stuffing gelatinous wedges under our shirts.

For too long have we have we hankered for a bra to call our own. And now we have one.
From Irvine, California, comes a new line of bras constructed just for us. It's the aptly named Itty Bitty Bra. Smallness is its specialty, and cups go from size AA to B. No starter bras, these. The garments are very well designed, with underwire and wide-set shoulder straps. Cut low beneath the armpit and also low across the bust, they come in a handful of solids and a couple of prints. They're light on the padding but not so much so that you need fear a cool breeze.
At $50 to $55 a pop, these puppies don't come cheap. But they do coax some semblance of cleavage from even the ittiest of itty bitties.

And what's it worth finally to be able to say: My cups spilth over? At ittybittybra.com.

E-mail Kathryn at ____@____.com

I agree with Ruby K, I buy Lily of France bras and love them. They have a lot of extra padding and make me look like I'm a cup size bigger. They are comfortable and look smooth under shirts.

I am the same way. I like "Barely There" by Hanes (I think). You can buy it at JC Penny or Kohls. It works great for me.

I suggest Nordstroms. I think they say that 85% of women are currently wearing the wrong bra size- I know I was! They're great to measure and get you fitted correctly. One thing, though, is that their bras do tend to be more expensive, so I've just gotten measured and then got a cheaper bra on line or else where! Good luck!

I worked at a Penney's as a bra fitter, call your local Penney's and make an appointment for a bra fitting with an experienced fitter. Tell them in advance that you are having issues finding a good bra and that you want the fitter to spend time with you and help you select a bra that really fits. I would recommend Lily of France, they have nice fitting bras and can come in cute syles and colors even in the smaller sizes. They have a line of bras for $14.99 that actually fit nicely. Don't be afraid to check out the clearance rack too.

I feel your pain! I got a few cheap walmart bras and got some inserts and put them in myself. All of the sudden I've got some nice C's and I can take the inserts out and put them in my bikini so no one's the wiser ;) I used the walmart ones because they are so inexpensive and you can play around with them, cut them up if you need to and not feel guilty about it. Go to their bra/panty section and they carry the inserts there. I got the water ones that are $5, paired them with a regular lined bra (make sure you get a bigger size or you will fall out, try a 34B to begin with) that was on the clearance rack that was $3, and now I've got a super comfy bra. They also have these other ones that are push up and $10 and pretty to boot. You don't have to go to VS and spend a ton of money, which you will, to find a good bra, especially since you're going to need to experiment to find something that works for you. Here's the link to the push up one I love:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1079...
I couldn't find the inserts online, but they're at the store and I've seen them at Target, Shopko and Kmart too. Don't worry, you'll have an envy worthy rack before you know it :)

it's not silly. I was an A cup (almost) until I got pregnant. (Now I'm between an A and a B). I always hated traditional bras, so all I wear is sports bras. You can get them in a huge range of price and a huge range of comfort levels. Some of them are quite supportive, some are padded, etc. I like the ones with the wider straps. Just be sure not to wash them constantly or the straps elastic will wear out quickly. Also, don't wear them more than one day in a row for the same reason. If you can stand to hang dry them, they will last longer too. Sports bras aren't for everyone but I've found that they are way more comfortable and fit me better than anything else.

You might also be able to do what my mother does and get away with wearing a camisole under your blouses, especially if you wear a blazer or suit jacket over top. A bikini top can be your uniform for the summer under your t-shirts when you're not at work. They are so much more adjustable.

I've also found that a tankini or a tight tank top can double as a bra quite nicely. They smooth things out, so to speak, and don't slide up or off.

Again, this is NOT silly. It sucks trying to deal with this issue. My family is flat-chested and those were the range of solutions we've come up with over the years. Hope you find something that works for you.

Have you tried any from gap? There is one called the Convertible bandeau bra that I just got and love! It is shaped differently than a regular bra so may be more comfortable for you but still offers support.

Hope this helps :) You can see them on their website too :)

V. E.

Hi J.,
I am also flat chested a 34A and I went to Victoria Secret after struggling to find a bra that would fit right. They are great they will measure you to make sure that you are looking for the right size. I will say that there bras are a little more expensive than other places but I would say it is well worth it. I wanted something that was not an underwire and the sales lady helped me find one that was perfect. Give it a try, T.

I have the same problem and recently discovered that Playtex brand works extremely well for me.

J.,

My mom is small chested (seriously small chested) and she never even wore a bra for most of her life :) She has been wearing a bra for a few years now, and was having the same issues as you. I took her to Nordstrom's and she was fitted for bras there. She ended up with a tiny band size (32 I think) and a bigger cup size (C!!). She was thrilled and her bra's fit her much much better now.

Good luck!
Jessica

if your having so many issues-why wear one?? did you try sports bras??

Hi J..
I have the same problem. I have been to Victoria's Secret for a fitting, only to have them tell me that they have no bras that will fit me - most of their stuff starts at B, or it did a few years ago anyway. For a couple years now I have been wearing Maidenform The Dream Push Up. It fits great, has a decent amount of padding but not too much, straps stay up. I have five of them I bought a couple years ago and all are still in great shape and I wash them in the washer in a lingerie bag. I got them at Kohl's - about $25 each and worth the investment. Good luck in your search in this ever annoying process of bra shopping!

I too am a flat chested mama. I am currently using two brands. One is the wireless cotton bra from victoria secret and the other is Warners, you can get them at JCPenny. Both are lined so there is shape to them. I don't fill them out, but they fit and I don't look like a boy!

Although I'm not a flat-chested friend, I found out that after many years of being SURE that I was wearing the right size bra, I was not. I would highly recommend going to a store like Allure (there is one in Mequon and one in Brookfield) or a true foundations store and get a real fitting (not what the highschool girls who work at Victoria's secret do). It makes a WORLD of difference. Good luck!

I have to agree with Carol on this one. I would say go into Victoria's Secret and have them size you. (it's free) They also sell a bra called "very sexy" which is a push up bra. I know, it may sound silly if you have little to work with but, you never know. I believe I've seen AA's there and they have a huge sale coming up from June 16-29. Try out a few and see what you like, then wait until they go on sale.
Good luck on finding the bra that's right for you!

I have the same problem and my dear husband always tries to buy me new bras as gifts and I try to tell him not too cause they never fit, but this last time he bought me one from Victoria Secrets, its their Bio-Fit brand, and I LOVE it. I feel like I have boobs again (until I take it off :)) and it is comfy and the straps don't fall down on me.

Good luck and I hope you find a good one that works for you.

Sorry I don't have a great bra for you--

but I would say be sure that you are getting measured for a bra so you actually wear the correct size. Oprah did a whole show on bras and LOTs of women were wearing the wrong size.

I have heard of AA cups tho they might be hard to find--maybe look on the internet. GOOD LUCK!

Sadly, I buy my bras in the "girls" section of Target. They come by 34, 36, etc without a cup size on them. It's a little embarrassing, but at least they fit me.

Victoria's Secret for me. Really, I don't need one (34A here), but feel more comfortable wearing a bra. Plus, I run and well...better that way.

The staff at VS is always very helpful and will fit you properly. They do have something for everyone and a properly "fitting" bra is key. I have also found a cheaper brand at Target that fits, but when washed a few times, they end up not holding their shape. I'm very thin and have had this problem forever. Funny, when pregnant with each of my three, I ended up in a D cup. Sadly, it never lasts. LOL!