yup … today my mind, as well as still reeling from the excitement of being shortlisted (did I mention that before) in the Inspire category for the BiBs, is preoccupied with bras.
In particular feeding bras … over the last 15 months my feeding stations (as Hope knows them) have become heavier and heavier and lower and lower … the three feeding bras I bought when she was first born have become increasingly unsupportive and gray looking, although they have served me well.
I quite like feeding bras, although they do have the look of porn bras somehow … well in my fuddled mind anyway, I like the way they just unclip and that they really do serve the purpose well, what I don’t like is the lack of support they give.
My 3 old friends came from John Lewis and some fancy underwear shop … and once I got used to the clipy business have become a part of the wonderful ritual of breastfeeding.
However…
I caught site of my reflection the other day and, yes I know I’m old now therefore the expectation is that they will be saggier that their former perky selves, but they really looked miserable and also I had that hideous bulge at the back around the bra straps and really looked shocking.
In a former life I did on occasion buy bras from Rigby and Pellar, but more generally from M&S and was always very conscious of my profile and my cleavage, breast feeding has become so familiar a part of our daily routine that somehow my profile didn’t matter any more, until I saw it saggily walking past a shop window and realised action was needed.
Today something amazing happened. I haven’t ‘plugged’ things in this blog, there is the Hope’s Guide section which I really haven’t exploited at all yet (funny where all the time goes), but on this occasion I feel the need to stand tall and shout a big massive hurrah for Bravissimo … in particular Jude the sales lady who sized me up and patiently went back and forth looking for bikinis (yes optimistic I know) and then having burst into tears of joy when I found a bikini that made me feel sort of saucy and really happy, I asked if they had feeding bras … “Ahhh yes” she said and headed off into her Aladdin’s cave of lacy treasures and emerged with a pink and white lacy feeding bra, it had a shape, it had proper cups … it is gorgeous and I am now wearing it and my chest feels happier than a happy thing on a sunny day.
Hope was sitting in her car seat watching proceedings from the floor and kept getting all excited between try ons thinking she was about to have a feast … poor soul got a bit disconsolate in the end … but when she saw me in the pink lacy number she looked a bit surprised and then beamed … I took that as a ringing endorsement… and just now when we tested it, she pulled back after her first slurp and patted my other breast and beamed again … so I think she’s pleased to have her snack served in something more presentable … maybe it feels like the difference between drinking out of a plastic cup or a bone china tea-cup.
So, there we are … best customer service ever, from an older assistant, and also a younger one, Jess, who sang songs to Hope when we first went in while I pottered around peering rather frightendly at all the racks of frills… and not just best customer service ever, but best bikini and quite the best feeding bra I’d imagined possible.
That’s all … we’re off now to the swings, I shall push the pram standing up more proudly than usual, normally I walk in a kind of, “Isn’t my daughter amazing?” way, today it will be in a “woo hooo look at me I feel sassy again” kind of a way.
48? I feel 30 again!!!!!
Happy days.
