I come from a long line of big-busted women. I’d watched my aunt have a breast reduction while she was in her twenties, and by the time I was 30, I knew I’d have to have one too. I told myself I’d do it when I was done having children. Then I told myself I’d do it when my children were older. Six months ago, I realized I’d finally run out of reasons not to do it (except for my niggling fear of surgery) and booked an appointment with a plastic surgeon.
Now, almost two months after my breast reduction, I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. Here’s why:
1. It’s no longer a nightmare to sleep on my back. For years I’ve had trouble sleeping on my back. The weight of the girls made it difficult to breathe which meant I often found myself sleeping on my stomach – and waking up with back pain nearly every morning. Now, I sleep on my back every night, taking clear, easy breaths, and I wake up without a single ache.
2. Men aren’t staring at my boobs. Before I had the surgery, a co-worker and I ran into someone we’d met at a work function — and this person’s gaze rarely left my chest the whole time we were talking. (And no, I wasn’t flashing cleavage.) When your breasts resemble small watermelons, they’re the first thing some men seem to notice, no matter what.
3. The tingling in my arms is gone. One of the more alarming issues that made me decide to have a breast reduction was the numbness and tingling in my arms caused by the shoulder straps of my bra digging into nerves. Since having my reduction, I haven’t felt a single twinge of numbness.
4. I don’t have to spend a small fortune on bras anymore. While I’m one million percent behind buying supportive bras, it is an amazing feeling to walk into Target and pick up a sports bra that fits perfectly, supports beautifully, and costs under $20. After paying for the structural engineering required to keep my old boobs in place, it’s nice to know I can buy something pretty at a regular store instead of a specialty boutique.
5. I feel 10 years younger. Not only did my amazing surgeon give me smaller breasts, he perked up my nursed-two-babies girls. They’re higher, rounder, and firmer than they’ve been in years, making me finally understand the appeal of plastic surgery and happier than ever my insurance covered this procedure.
6. I finally feel normal. This is the biggest perk of all. After years of feeling like all anyone saw were my boobs, I feel like I’m finally being seen as a whole person. A friend’s boyfriend told me he’d been surprised when his girlfriend had told him I was having the surgery but after seeing the end result, he could tell I was walking taller, straighter, and, above all, was happier.
If you’re on the fence about whether to have a breast reduction and fear of pain is the only thing holding you back, just know less than two months post-surgery, I have no pain and feel amazing.
Photo: Getty
