Very Heavy Breasts: Exercises & Reductions

michelegbowman

This is a serious post.

I have always had very heavy breasts, even when I was very thin.

I am very uncomfortable.

My ultimate goal is to reduce my breast size, which will very likely require breast reduction surgery.

I would appreciate any women posting here if you have had breast reduction surgery...what to expect before during and after. All details and advice is welcome...

but in the meantime, I would like to strengthen the muscles that involve supporting the breast tissue. I do not want to look like a female body builder. I dont' want prominent trapezoid muscles, biceps and so on.

I would like to improve my appearance -- to look elegant, not sloppy.

Most of all, I want to feel less pain. I often have back pain related to the weight of the breasts.

So if you are a trainer who has advice or a person who knows how to best work the muscles, please post.

I am also a very busy single mother -- I would like to do these type exercises at home with hand weights, not gym equipment. I can't manage going to the gym more than once a week on my schedule.

I sincerely appreciate your help.

M

ambermichk

i am very interesting in this too, i am large on top...... i swear i am going to find a way to have a reduction once i get down to 200 pounds......i have lost weight in my brest, dropped a cup or 2 and several band inches....but it will never be enough. I know what you mean by the pain and heaviness......i hate the bounce and flop when i am working out !!!

Daisygurl7

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Fat2FitChick

I had a breast reduction when I was 19. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it did and I still have the scars all under each breast and down from each nipple but it was a small price to pay for comfort.

It did feel like a small car was on my chest the first day, tons of pressure but not pain because I was on pain meds. I also didin't need drains put in, but I have seen others who had to have drains put in to drain off excess fluid retention in that area.

Also there was some nipple numbness for a few years but then it started coming back. They will warn you that the feeling may never come back though so that is a chance you must take. Depending on your doctor also if they can preserve the links to your mamary glands ask them to so that in the even you have kids and want to breast feed it would still be possible. I didin't have that option so when I had all 5 kids I had to bottle feed. No big deal for me but for some it is a deal breaker.

jewelzz

well with my weight loss i went from a d to a b....soooo can i have some of yours

herbalgirl011

Ok...I understand where you are coming from. A couple of years ago I tried chest presses. You would assume that helps but what I found was for women with larger breast it doesn't actually reduce the "fat" on the chest. I think yoga has been the most helpful for me. Yoga helps strengthen your back, chest, arms everything you need without bulking you up. What I have also had to do is do double bras to be comfortable working out. I do the first layer with underwire and the second being a tight bra with out underwire. Champion athletic also has a good support shelf bra tank. ( i'm a 38ddd)
I one day want to get reduction as well.
I had a friend who had it done when she lost a lot of weight but she told me she had to end up get implants because the weight loss produced so much lose skin. I think her exercises of choice were running and weights though. Thats why I suggest yoga to strenghen your core and back.
Good luck

believetoachieve

I had a breast reduction done at 22. It's pretty easy and worry-free, but it hurts and you'll need to take time off work/school. The scars are pretty bad ,but they do fade eventually. The biggest issue for me was the rule of not lifting ANYTHING for the first while... it was pretty irritating, lol. I live in Canada, and it was covered by our health system. I know that they often won't do it unless you're at (or near) a healthy body weight, so use it as motivation!

Any other questions, just let me know!

Phoenix_Rising

I had a breast reduction when I was 19. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it did and I still have the scars all under each breast and down from each nipple but it was a small price to pay for comfort.

It did feel like a small car was on my chest the first day, tons of pressure but not pain because I was on pain meds. I also didin't need drains put in, but I have seen others who had to have drains put in to drain off excess fluid retention in that area.

Also there was some nipple numbness for a few years but then it started coming back. They will warn you that the feeling may never come back though so that is a chance you must take. Depending on your doctor also if they can preserve the links to your mamary glands ask them to so that in the even you have kids and want to breast feed it would still be possible. I didin't have that option so when I had all 5 kids I had to bottle feed. No big deal for me but for some it is a deal breaker.

I had a breast reduction done at 22. It's pretty easy and worry-free, but it hurts and you'll need to take time off work/school. The scars are pretty bad ,but they do fade eventually. The biggest issue for me was the rule of not lifting ANYTHING for the first while... it was pretty irritating, lol. I live in Canada, and it was covered by our health system. I know that they often won't do it unless you're at (or near) a healthy body weight, so use it as motivation!

Any other questions, just let me know!

Ooooh honey, this is my favorite topic to advise other women on!!!!!

In high school, I was thin with a C.
By freshman year of college, I was a D.
By sophomore year, I was a DD.
After that.... I was well beyond a DDD.
It was HORRIBLE.

I had a breast reduction about 3 years ago. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE. Ever.

The hardest part was cutting through the insurance red tape. RESEARCH YOUR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS NOW. Mine required "alternative treatments" DOCUMENTED for at least a year or maybe it was two. I can't remember.

"Alternative treatments" (per my insurance company) were taking tylenol for the pain, going to a chiropractor, wearing a support bra.... oh jeez, I can't even remember all their stupid, stupid, STUPID "alternatives".

My first request was denied. It was based on a doctor doing measurements (if your nipple falls below the crease of where the bottom of your breast meets with your chest) and verifying I was a candidate. I submitted an OVERWHELMING appeal to them.

I had my nurse (who was very sympathetic) pull my records and provide me documentation of every complaint of a back ache or head ache I'd ever had. (So complain to your doctor now!!). I had them provide documentation of my weight loss over the years (30 lbs at that point??) to show that my breast size hadn't decreased (or if it had decreased as I'd lost weight, my breasts were still HUGE regardless.) I had been to a neurologist for migraines and had them write a letter stating my breast size caused severe tension to my shoulders and neck, thus a contributing cause to my debilitating migraines.

I even included a personal statement of how my quality of life was hampered by my encumbering breasts -- couldn't get into positions in yoga, couldn't run due to the pain, had a difficult time holding my toddler due to my breasts being in the way!!!!, couldn't fit into normal shirts, couldn't find a bathing suit, my poor posture due to slouching to hide them, how it impacted my self esteem.... I laid it all out for them.

In the end, I won the appeal and had my surgery with a WONDERFUL surgeon in my area. If you get to that point, research your surgeon well. Shop around, not for price but for SKILL. My surgeon specializes in breast reconstruction for cancer patients. He did an AMAZING job. The docs should have pictures on file to show you the before and afters you can expect. I was able to see an album that had about 20 reductions so I could get a realistic idea. They will not turn out like Pam Anderson. They will still be slightly saggy and even odd shaped depending, BUT the pain from the weight will be GONE!!!!

The surgery itself left me in pain for a day or so. Achy muscle type pain. Drainage tubes run "under" the breast, where it meets with the chest. The tubes extend down to about waist level, with bulbs at the end. (You pin these to your shirt.) It allows for the wound to heal properly. You empty the drainage bulbs and record the amounts, so the doc can measure and make sure everything is healing correctly and nothing is pooling on the inside. They remove the tubes after a week (???) which is an odd sensation but not painful.

Generally, I think they say it takes 2 weeks to fully heal. It was HARD for me not to lift ANYTHING because I had a 2.5 year old who wanted to cuddle. She adapted well and was cognizant of mommy's 'boo boo'. I ended up taking 3 weeks to heal. I had more severe pain at the incision sites. (Taking a shower resulted in pain as the water hit them. Um.... a comparison of pain levels.... like a shower when you have engorged breasts from nursing?? Not severe but OW.) Instead of losing sensitivity, I was HYPERsensitive for a long time.

My sister had a reduction when she was 15. Her situation was extreme. I was 26. Neither she nor I lost nipple sensation. She had a small spot under the breast that wasn't healing correctly. (It was a small open wound, nothing gory, just not healing over.) They placed a small patch of skin cells (looked like a tiny piece of clear tape) directly on the wound. The new healthy skin cells began reproducing and healed over the wound quickly.

I still have numbness on my incisions on the side of my body. Look online for pictures (but make sure no one is around, as they are very graphic.... topless, duh! lol). The cuts are "anchor cuts". They circle the nipple (lift it out, do not detach it, cut down the size of the aereola to match the smaller breast size), cut down the breast to the bottom crease, then cut from the inside (near the breast bone) to the outside, all the way back to under the arm pits. (The length of the side incision depends on how much skin they have to remove from your body, due to the size of your breast. They have to taper the skin back in.... like you would if sewing cloth together, I guess.) Under my armpits is where I have numbess on the scar lines. Not an issue at all.

In some swimsuits, tank tops, halter dresses, my under arm scars show. I don't mind. I'm SO HAPPY with my reduction that I gladly tell everyone how wonderful it is and how much my quality of life has improved!!!!!

I think my happiness shows by this novel I just wrote

Find out your insurance requirements for them to cover (even a fraction) of the surgery. Start cutting through that red tape now.

Seesaa

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road2peachtree

Ugh...I totally feel your pain. I'm working with a size 42H, yes H that's not a typing error. I have had large heavy breasts too since about 13ish and have been dealing with back pain since then. The one thing I can say is that concentrating on my core helps a bit. That and a fabulous bra. Working out requires 1 reg old bra, 2 sports bras, and sometimes a super tight tank if I'm running to hold down the girls. I would suggest working the core and really concentrating on strengthening your back. It won't be easy but it helps a bit. I'm also starting to sit on a stability ball. That helps to keep my back straight, although after a while it can be taxing so I do have to take a breather. As you lose weight they will go down a bit, and that may help some too.

I'm cutting through the insurance red tape right now to get these puppies cut down to size. It's a damn shame that we have to fight to literally get the weight lifted off our shoulders. Good luck!

believetoachieve

I'm cutting through the insurance red tape right now to get these puppies cut down to size. It's a damn shame that we have to fight to literally get the weight lifted off our shoulders. Good luck!

That sucks. For me, I just had a doctor's visit, and she did all the paperwork, and sent it to the appropriate office. In about 4-6 weeks they sent me back a letter saying they'd be paying for it all. It's so easy for Canadians! Good luck getting yours, I'm sure you'll succeed!

Phoenix_Rising

I'm cutting through the insurance red tape right now to get these puppies cut down to size. It's a damn shame that we have to fight to literally get the weight lifted off our shoulders. Good luck!

That sucks. For me, I just had a doctor's visit, and she did all the paperwork, and sent it to the appropriate office. In about 4-6 weeks they sent me back a letter saying they'd be paying for it all. It's so easy for Canadians! Good luck getting yours, I'm sure you'll succeed!

I'm glad Canada has it right!!!

It sucks that in US any man who "needs" it can get viagra but a woman who is in pain and meets standard requirements for a reduction (sheer size and measurements) has to go through years of pain and "PROVE" it to get the surgery she needs. *smh*

redheadmommy

I had a breast reduction done at 22. It's pretty easy and worry-free, but it hurts and you'll need to take time off work/school. The scars are pretty bad ,but they do fade eventually. The biggest issue for me was the rule of not lifting ANYTHING for the first while... it was pretty irritating, lol. I live in Canada, and it was covered by our health system. I know that they often won't do it unless you're at (or near) a healthy body weight, so use it as motivation!

Any other questions, just let me know!

Could you tell me how did you get it covered in Canada? I am a Canuck as well and i never heard of such thing. I complain about backpain to my family doctor, but she never said anything about free reduction.
I always had big boobs like 34 E, but pregnancy and 2 yr breastfeeding left me with an 36HH. It actually now shrinked from J cup, but it is still unbearable. I want to wait until I loose all the weight, but I have been thinking about reduction for many many years.
I wanted to wait until I am done with children breastfeeding, but will be ready soon.

chevy88grl

I had a breast reduction in 2005. Went from a 38F to a 38C (I am now a 36C).

I had a rough recovery with mine because I am allergic to the dissolving stitches they put in (never knew I was allergic to them until they started sticking out of the incision - OUCH).

The worst part of it was when the sensation came back in the nipples - which took about 6 months post op. It was downright painful.

The scars have faded to the same color as my skin and don't look bad at all. It did take awhile before I could wear an underwire bra and I still have to buy better quality ones so the wires don't irritate the scars.


My insurance paid for mine completely because it was affecting my back (I have steel rods in my spine).


Oh and my breasts were large in high school when I weighed 95lbs and was thin as a rail. So, mine were NOT due to weight gain OR pregnancy. Mine were just big. lol. BTW, advantage I have now? As I lose weight, THEY are not shrinking because they are tissue and not fat anymore. BONUS! LOL

If you have any questions, let me know.