Personal stories archive
Your breasts matter to you. Their size and shape, how they relate to the clothes you wear, and the power they have to make you feel sexy all play a part in how you feel about yourself.
Women choose breast augmentation for a variety of reasons, but share the common belief that the way their breasts look is important enough to them to ensure they take steps to have the breasts they dream of. We've compiled some inspirational personal stories about the breast augmentation surgery experiences of real women — from Los Angeles to New York.
- Wanting More than a Padded Bra. By Lora, 49.
- Wanting Even Breasts. By Kari, 28.
- The Aftermath of Children. By Allison, 36.
- Who Doesn't Want To Feel Sexy? By Heather, 30.
- The Joy of Fitted Shirts. By Elaine, 33. Costa Mesa, California
- Renewal After a Divorce. By Barbara, 35. Provo, UT
- Gaining Self Confidence. By Carol, 41. Los Angeles, California
Wanting More than a Padded Bra
Lora, 49Like many women, Lora, 49, thought about breast augmentation for years before going through with the surgery.
"I'd always been so flat, and I was sick of looking ridiculous in fitted tops and dresses," says Lora. "Everything was always baggy where my breasts should have been. There's only so much a padded bra can do for you."
She did some reading about augmentation options, but she was nervous. Though the thought never really left her, she put it off year after year until she talked to her cousin who'd recently had her breasts augmented.
"Corrine was so happy with her results," Lora continues. "She gave me the courage I needed to finally call a plastic surgeon."
Lora had the procedure done 5 years ago; and how does she feel now that her 34AA chest is a full 34C?
"I can wear all the clothes I've always wanted to wear,' she declares, "and I love how I look in everything. I don't know why I waited so long! I look at my breasts every day and think, wow! They're amazing!"
Women, like Lora, who have small breasts and long for a little something on top to even out their proportions choose breast augmentation because it finally puts an end to their battle. They don't have to struggle to find a bathing suit that tricks the eye into looking like they've got cleavage. They don't have to find just the right padded bra to make it look as if they have voluptuous breasts under that tight fitting T-shirt. Finally, after surgery, they have the breasts they have always wanted and they never have to break down in frustration in a fitting room ever again. As Lora puts it,
"I stopped looking like a boy!"
Wanting Breasts that are Even
Kari, 28Dissatisfaction with small breasts isn't the only reason that women choose breast augmentation. Kari, 28, had noticed practically from the moment her breasts began to develop that they were uneven, with one side markedly larger than the other. She hoped they'd even out as she went through junior high and high school, but by the time she finished college it was clear that one side was significantly larger than the other.
"I looked completely weird," Kari says, "I couldn't buy a bra that wasn't baggy on one side, and I was constantly struggling to find clothes that made my asymmetry less noticeable."
After her augmentation, her breasts are even.
"It's so great not to feel self-conscious anymore," she says.
Women might choose augmentation because their breasts change over time, after weight gain and loss or after breastfeeding, and they want them to be more like they used to be.
The Aftermath of Children
Allison, 36Allison, 36, happily breastfed all three of her children. Afterwards, her breasts just weren't as they used to be. She didn't regret breastfeeding her children, but she did miss her bosom!
"I wouldn't have done it any other way," she says, "but I had nice 36C breasts before my children, and when I was finally done breastfeeding all of them I was a saggy 32A."
After breast augmentation, her breasts are back to a 36C, and Allison feels like herself again.
Who Doesn't Want To Feel Sexy?
Heather, 30Heather, a 30-year old mother of two, had wished vaguely for larger breasts since high school. However, it was only when she began nursing her first child that she realized how much difference it could make to her life.
"When I was nursing my A cup breasts swelled up to C cups. I had never felt sexier or more beautiful!" she says.
After she finished nursing her second child and saw her breasts again return to their much smaller size she decided she wanted to feel as great about her body as she'd felt when she was nursing, all the time. She had a breast augmentation shortly thereafter.
"I know some people might think it's silly," Heather says, "but it makes a big difference to me. I wanted to feel and look sexy for myself and my husband, and now I do."
The Joy of Fitted Shirts
Elaine Jones, 33. Costa Mesa, CaliforniaThe big joke among my roommates in college was that I should wear my shirts backward because I could fill them out better with my shoulder blades than I could with my breasts. I had blossomed earlier than all the other girls, but the 32A that was so exciting when I was in 5th grade had ceased to thrill me by the time I was in my 20s. My husband had always tried to make me feel sexy; even if I had a boyish frame, but after we divorced (when I was 33) I decided I wanted breast implants for other reasons. I had been wearing padded bras since junior high, and I was tired of it! I exercised every day to keep my body fit, but my proportions were never what I wanted because my chest was so small. My hairdresser had had implants a few years earlier, and she recommended her surgeon very highly. I spent hours looking at pictures of breasts, deciding exactly what I wanted mine to look like. I heard that women who've had implants often say they wish they'd gone bigger, but I finally decided I wasn't ready for too much of a jump; after so many years with nothing I decided a B cup would be plenty for me. Also, I didn't want the change to be blatantly obvious to everyone. So, I ended up going with the 300cc size. The day of the surgery was terrible; my stomach didn't handle the anesthesia very well, and in addition to feeling sore and groggy I kept throwing up. I had hardly any bruising though, and after a few days I was much less sore. The change is subtle like I wanted it to be, but I think my 34B breasts are beautiful!
Renewal After a Divorce
Barbara Shingleton, 35. Provo, UTI was 35 and my husband and I had just filed for divorce when I decided I wanted to have a breast augmentation. I had always had a really small chest and wished for a more "womanly" figure, but when we'd been married I had never really considered augmentation because I knew my husband wouldn't support paying for elective surgery. It felt so great to find the money and go ahead on my own. I had four children, all under 14, so my sister came to help me through the surgery. The initial recovery was much easier than I thought it was going to be. I went from a 34A to a 36C, and after a week I was taking care of my family again without problems. I wasn't sure at first, because of the swelling, but I began to be concerned that my breasts looked uneven. I was afraid perhaps the surgery had gone wrong or that I had somehow damaged the implants post-surgery. I have scoliosis (meaning my spine isn't straight), and though it's not enough for me to generally think about it, the surgeon figured out that it was affecting the way the implants looked. The only way to fix this was to go back in and put a larger implant in my left breast. This was a definite kink in the plan, and going through the surgery twice was rough. But luckily I have a great sister and great kids and I recovered quickly both times. My breasts look great now, and it was so nice in the period right after my divorce to have people telling me how great I looked instead of telling me how sorry they were to hear about me and my husband. It gave me so much confidence.
Renewal After a Divorce
Carol Travis, 41. Los Angeles, California When I was younger I never thought about breast augmentation. My breasts were large enough to satisfy me (I was a 36D). But at 41, after three children, all of whom I breast fed, and several rounds of weight gain and weight loss, I still wore a 36C but had lost most of the firmness and fullness that was part of what I had loved about my breasts. I really hadn't noticed how significant the difference was, since it had happened rather gradually, until I got a new digital camera and just for the fun of it took a few nude photos of myself (no one else would have to develop them before I got to see them!) I really couldn't believe what I saw. After that incident I researched augmentation for several months, and with the support of my wonderful husband, I decided to do it! I didn't have anyone who could give me a personal recommendation, so I found several names and had consultations with about three doctors before I finally settled on one. My husband wanted to be there with me, so we both used our vacation days for my surgery. The doctor I chose preferred to put implants behind the chest muscle, even though it meant the recovery might be a little more painful. Even with that, the recovery was actually a lot less difficult than I had imagined. I didn't have any complications and though I felt sore for a couple of weeks and then continued to have occasional pains for another couple of weeks after that, I was up and around after only a couple of days. I have the fullness and the firmness that I wanted, and even though my breasts are a little bigger than I originally thought I wanted, my husband and I don't mind at all.
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