Ronke Adeshina RA: BREAST AND BRAS

Hey guys, its been a while. Trust y'all good.

So am going to deviate a bit from what I usually post and do something else...talking about breast and bras. Yup.

'I can't get my bra size in the stores', 'I don't know my bra size', 'My breast keeps spilling in the bras I buy', 'The cup size of bras I buy is either too big or too small', these are the usual complaints females make about bras.

Many women wear the wrong bra size and fit, which can cause discomfort with straps that dig in and a lack of support.

Ladies wearing the wrong bra won't do your milk shakes any good. We all want firm breasts and that starts with getting your perfect bra size.

To our men, don't ignore this thinking its none of your business. In fact it should be your business and your cup of tea too because if your lady's got firm boobs, its to your advantage. So help her out. Be her knight *wink*

First let's get to know the 5 ways to find out if you are wearing the right bra.

1. Does the underwire sit flat to your body?
The wires of your bra should sit behind the breast tissue along the natural crease of the breast.

Check this by pressing on the underwire when wearing your bra, if you feel soft breast tissue

underneath then the cup is too small and the wire will dig in throughout the day. If you feel bone

this means that the wire is behind the breast and the cup size is correct. The center front of the bra

should also lie flat against your body.

2. Does your bra move?

Your bra should not move throughout the day. The band around your back should feel firm and sit in place all day long, if it moves it means that the back size of the bra is too big and is likely to rub. A quick way to check if you have the correct back size is to pull the band at the hook and eye away from the body and there should be an inch of give. Less than an inch means go up a back size, more than an inch means go down a back size.

3. Do your bra straps leave a mark?
Straps should not leave indentations on your shoulders or equally slip off. Like the back band, your straps should give an inch when pulled. Adjust the straps until the breasts are supported in a natural position which is usually half way between the shoulder and the elbow.

4. Does your bra sit around the middle of your back?
The back of your bra should sit around the middle of your back and in line with the front. If the back is riding higher it means that your bust isn't getting supported properly and it will slope downwards.

5. Does your cup runneth over?
The cup of your bra should be big enough to hold the entire breast with no excess flesh spilling over the top or around the sides. A too small cup size is not only uncomfortable but causes the unflattering 'four boob' bulge. If this is happening you need to go up a cup size.

Wearing the wrong bra size also has side effects. They are:

1. It can cause breast pain;

2. It can cause back pain;

3. It can cause sagging breasts;

4. It can lead to shoulder and neck pain;

5. It can cause blockage of the lymph nodes

6. It can ruin your posture

7. It may trigger breast cancer

This is one of the side effects of wearing a wrong bra size. In extreme cases, using the wrong bra size can also trigger breast cancer. This could happen because of the size of the bra that is too tight. This will block blood flow to the breasts, which can cause cancer. Women must stay very careful while picking up the bra size.

8. It may also cause skin abrasions

OK lets get to it. Here's a guide to help know your perfect bra size.

To know your perfect bra size, you need to know your band and cup size.

Step 1:

Determine your Band Size With the first tool (mirror) in front of you and putting on your best fitting bra with fastened straps until your breasts are aligned in the middle of your chest – natural cup (for best results, don’t use un-padded, minimizer or sports bra) a full-length mirror, measure around the rib cage, just beneath your bust. Ensure that the tape is leveled around your body and close or tight fitting. If your result is an even number e.g. 30, add 2 to it, giving you a band size of 32. If your result is an odd number, e.g. 29, add 3 to it because band sizes usually come in even numbers. That would also give a band size of 32.

Step 2:

Determine your Bust Size To determine your bust size, put on your best fitting bra and then measure the bust around the fullest part. Ensure that the tape is leveled around the body and loose fitting, barely touching the breasts. Subtract the number you arrive at from your Band size. The difference is your cup size. See Bra Size table below.

Determine your Bra size:

Let's assume the band size is 32. Then your measured bust size is 36. The difference is 4. Then the Cup Size is D. The Bra Size in this case would be 34D.

"PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST A STARTING POINT, YOUR EXACT BRA SIZE MAY VARY SLIGHTLY."