Thursday, June 16, 2016

#teambreastreduction

Hello, everyone! Laura here. (I know, that alone will send a lot of you in the other direction. That's okay.)

I'm so thrilled for Brittany that she's getting a breast reduction. So many women have unavoidable, miserable, life-impairing back & shoulder pain due to large, heavy breasts. A good bra can definitely help, but when good bras are literally near impossible to find due to unusual bra size, it makes things difficult. I've been lucky enough that I don't really suffer any back or shoulder pain due to my bra size, but both my mother and sister do. They've both made the decision not to get a reduction, and that is their decision. I respect it. However, Brittany has decided to go forward with one, and I couldn't be happier for her.

I think Brittany is incredibly brave for sharing her breast reduction surgery with everyone. It's a difficult decision to make, and as I'm sure you can all imagine, she's had some "dissenters."

One of the dark sides of blogging is the comments you receive from anonymous people. I tend to comb through the comments in the pending approval queue every few weeks, since this blog gets a whole lot of them and it's difficult to do it constantly.

I deleted all of these types of comments:

"nooooo don't do it"

"why would you do that to your body, you're so pretty and perfect as you are!"

"can you take before pictures at least?"

Dear Anonymous Men of the Internet,

Brittany's breasts have never existed purely for your happiness. No woman owes you the existence of her breasts. No woman must endure persistent pain just for your viewing pleasure. No woman is going to change her mind about drastically improving her health and quality of life just because you enjoy staring at her body in its current form.

Stop your whining, stop being so selfish, and stop feeling entitled to telling women what they can and can't do with their bodies. This blog was never intended for you. You somehow found it anyway, and decided to make this bra and clothing resource for women all about you.

That doesn't mean we ever agreed with you. That doesn't mean we ever decided to start catering to you.

If you're truly a fan of Brittany, you should be happy for her. Post-surgery, she will still be beautiful. Why? Because she's a beautiful person, inside and out, and her beauty is not dictated by the size of her breasts.

Regards,
Me

P.S. -- lol @ concern trolls. Brittany, and every other woman who goes through breast reduction surgery, knows that surgery comes with risks. Do yourself a favor and give some credit to the fact that Brittany has a brain as well as boobs, weighed the pros and cons, and is making the right choice for herself.

23 comments:

  1. Bravo, Laura!! And good luck to Brittany - never an easy decision to make. X

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  2. This is wonderful!

    As an aside, I started reading this blog to help out my daughter who fits in a 32F. Recently she had decided to try going braless. She wears light spandex-y bralettes when needed but feels so much better! Whatever works!

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  3. Yea, it’s kind of funny how you are banning all men from this comment section and how you are re-trolling them. It’s funny… but it is of no importance for me. Why do you even care about them? I guess they have a right to say something, or maybe not, whatever, I don’t care. This ist about us, about women. And I must say, you (meaning you, other Laura) are making it way too easy for yourself with this post. I have an F cup size and I had problems to look good and find good clothing for a very long time. Reading this blog helped me. It really did. And now, reading those news, I must say I don’t feel too good about them. Do I have to? Sorry, I just can’t. Well, let her do what she wants to. But she was important for me and I guess to others too. Somebody who showed us things are possible after all. And now… best wishes to her, yea, of course. And of course she’s going to be ok. But still it feels a little like: She gave up and let us down. Sorry to say that. But it’s just my truth at the moment. Just expressing my feelings. I wish her all the best - but I am sad. I really am. Sorry. (And no, I dont doubt her decision or whatever. Its her decision. She will be cool. I just dont wann believe that this is the only way, after such a long time of trying.)
    Laura
    (Amsterdam)

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    Replies
    1. Men aren't "banned" from this post. Men who try and tell Brittany she shouldn't get a breast reduction because she "is so beautiful as she currently is" are simply not going to get their comments published. Men who try and tell Brittany that she shouldn't get a breast reduction because it would make them sad are simply not going to get their comments published. Men who try to hit on Brittany are not going to get their comments published (it happens so much more than you probably think).

      To say Brittany "gave up and let us down" is incredibly unfair. Her breasts, compared to the size of her body, are literally weighing her down, physically and mentally. Choosing to get a breast reduction isn't giving up -- it's Brittany taking control of her life and doing what she has to do to feel good and healthy. Giving up would be settling for living in pain and misery every single day. Giving up would be listening to the men out there who tell her she shouldn't get a reduction because she'll be less attractive with smaller breasts. Giving up would be continuing to tolerate a great deal of street harassment on a daily basis because some of her followers want to see her continue to struggle to find clothes to fit this particular set of breasts.

      The information in this blog does not become invalid just because Brittany is getting a reduction. The clothing companies that makes clothes for big breasts still exist. The bra companies that have been reviewed still make bras. Considering Brittany has not been able to write a substantive clothing or bra review since 2013 due to various health/family problems, it makes no sense to me that the information she posted in 2013 and before is all of a sudden invalid to you because she is getting a reduction. If you want to see other bloggers who haven't decided to get a reduction, check out Sweet Nothings NYC, Warning: Curves Ahead, Skeptical Bra Blog (Bras I Hate and Love, for archives), Invest in Your Chest, or Quest for the Perfect Bra. There are plenty more out there.

      There is nothing wrong with wanting to avoid breast reduction surgery. There is also nothing wrong with choosing to pursue it. Breast reduction is not the right answer for every woman. As an F cup, I think there are more solutions available for you than there were for Brittany. So many full-bust bra ranges go up to GG. Brittany and I both go beyond GG. So many full-bust-geared clothing companies engineer their clothes for up to GG. I believe there are many more options for you than Brittany has, and I hope you pursue whatever options feel best.

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    2. I'm sorry that you think Brittany "gave up and let us down." I remember her saying in a previous post that she will always be a "non-standard" bra size, even after she has a reduction. So I don't think that makes the information on this site any less valid at all. Like Laura said, there are many more options for a GG and below, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Brittany go down to a 28F or thereabouts.

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  4. You are amazing for sticking up for Brittany (and pretty much anyone who gets body-shamed).

    On another note, I am wondering. Will Brittany return to write for this blog? I was not sure if her personal situation had improved enough or not for it. It is totally cool if she cannot, I in no way want to demand content from her. I just miss her and hope that she might write again.

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    1. As far as I know, if Brittany truly wanted to retire from blogging for good, she'd make a post about it. :)

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    2. Laura is the best! :-) I'm planning on writing more regularly again, assuming I can get my shoulders happier.

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    3. Happy shoulders make for energetic writing! I'm praying for you -- I've not had this particular surgery, but I've had three others, and every one changed my life for the better (and for the longer; I'd probably be dead if not for great doctors). When you get back to writing, write about LIFE -- or anything else you want to share.

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  5. As an artist who frequently draws people, I think it'd be nice if Brittany took 'before pictures'. Getting uncommon body types right can be maddening regardless of the tools being used. I'm not saying it's what she *should* do, only that it'd be helpful for artists like myself.

    Anyway, I'm happy that she's finally getting some relief, and I hope everything goes well.

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    Replies
    1. If you'd like to see before pictures for the purposes of art, there are plenty of photos Brittany has added to the blog in the past that you can use. If you need pictures of bare breasts for your artistic endeavors, you can go to 0007b (go ahead and Gooogle it) and you can look at differently-sized-and-shaped breasts to your heart's content.

      However, that was clearly not the intention behind the comments we received, and I have a low tolerance for cowardly, anonymous individuals objectifying a woman in such a manner.

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    2. Thanks for the info, and I understand. I rarely have the opportunity to search for resources myself. That's just my thoughts on the matter, and I appreciate you being relatively neutral in your response.

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  6. I hope the surgery goes well!

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  7. very well explained, great one!!!

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  8. Hey,

    Just want to send you (Brittany) my best wishes. I discovered the full-bust blogging world through your blog so you have a very special place in my heart. Seeing your blog and that other people out there have bodies like mine (I wear a 30GG) has helped me accept the body that I have. I'm sorry that your body has been causing you pain and can only imagine how scary it must be having to do the surgery. I hope you have a speedy recovery and am looking forward to seeing any new content you decide to post. Thank you for all you've shared with us readers.

    And, Laura, you rock. Love your spunky response

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  9. 34J in the house!! At five feet tall... that's me. I have yet to meet a woman in my sphere with breasts as large as mine. My head is smaller than one of my breasts. :( I've been toying with the idea of breast reduction... but, my surgeon told me I had to lose 109lbs. I have scarring, ill-fitting clothes, bras that cost almost $100 each and I can't ever be without a bra, they hang to my waist... plus, I'm a stomach sleeper... so sometimes, I don't sleep well. I lost 65lbs, but I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome so losing weight is not easy! My muscle tone as well is not good... I'm so flabby! I think Brittany's figure is beautiful... but, if she was in pain and discomfort... she must do what is best for her comfort, health and well-being. Strangely, I don't have back pain... but, I do feel "weighed down" and psychologically more so! My only issue with the idea of a much-needed breast reduction is that my stomach will now protrude... :( I feel like I can't win and this makes me feel very, very sad. How do I love, accept and transform myself??? (Rhetorically asked, of course) I'm also afraid to not be able to breastfeed in the future as that is one risk. It's so tough for me to know what to do!

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    1. Sorry for my late response on this one! I've been meaning to reply, and life's been getting away from me.

      I think it's important to do whatever will make you happier with your body. I know losing weight with PCOS is extremely difficult, and even more so if you want to target certain areas. I think it's a good idea to work on one thing at a time, or else it gets overwhelming! I'll start with your comment that you say you're flabby and don't have good muscle tone. That, to me, is the easiest thing to work with here, and there are tons of different ways to exercise that can improve muscle tone and give you more confidence. I'm personally not a fan of the gym, but I love dance classes and taking my dog for long walks in the park. The changes I've seen are gradual, but I feel stronger and healthier! However, some ladies in my life have found their home with kettle bells, others have found comfort in having a personal trainer, while still others enjoy just doing yoga. Livingsocial and Groupon often have deals for places you can try before having to commit to anything, so I would recommend checking that out!

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  10. So is Brittany gone for good now? Is the blog dead? Such a shame!

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    Replies
    1. Check out her most recent post! Patience is a virtue, dear reader.

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I always love to hear your thoughts! Please remember to be respectful. I may not publish comments that are rude, hateful, personal attacks, racist, sexist, or otherwise inappropriate. Dissenting opinions are fine, as long as they are respectful. Thanks!