> I am looking for a good supportive bra to recommend to large women in my
> practice.  If you have any suggestions, please E. Mail me privately.
> Thanks


Here is what I have learned in the years I've been wearing nursing bras.
First, underwires don't work on someone like me -- a fat women with large
breasts -- because the weight of each breast gets concentrated on the lower
edge of the underwire, which digs into my midriff bulge something fierce.  A
well-constructed soft cup is infinitely preferable.

(1) The most supportive nursing bra I've found is the Goddess model 510.  It
is white, it is nylon, it holds 'em up and comes in very big sizes.  On me, it
is moderately comfortable, though all nylon does get warm in the summer.  I have
seen it in some specialty lingerie stores, and have ordered it from a
California company called the Creative Woman (818) 358-6216.

(2) If you want pretty, comfortable, but somewhat less supportive than the
Goddess, try the Bravado.  It is 92% cotton, 8% spandex.  It comes in colors
and patterns.  Call (800) 590-7802.  It is a sports-style bra that slips over
the head.

(3) Decent Exposures (1-800-524-4949) doesn't give me enough support to be
comfortable going outside.  In other words, it is a great sleep/leisure
bra for the large-breasted, but it doesn't look very attractive because it
isn't really supportive enough, even in the maximum amount of lycra.

I ended up with one or two of each of the above.  I wore the Goddess when I
wanted to look my best, the Bravado when I wanted to be comfy but not too
sloppy, and the Decent Exposures when I wanted to be comfy and didn't care how
I looked.

Another point of concern for fat women: persperation under and between the
breasts.  Tell your patient not to use any powder that has cornstarch it
because it provides an ideal culture medium for thrush/yeast/body fungus.  I
use plain talc, with the smallest amount of scent I can find.  I also use a
little thing called the "Pambra" which is a long padded piece of cotton fabric
that you can slip under the bra band to prevent chafing and to absorb sweat. I
got mine from the Vermont Country Store (802) 362-4647

The is something you might also be able to find out more about in the FAQs for
women's clothing on the alt.support.big-folks USENET group.

J. Rachael Hamlet
Author, The Breastfeeding Advocacy Page
http://www.clark.net/pub/activist/bfpage/bfpage.html