A New Stage in Life
Some girls can't wait for them to come and look forward to
their arrival as they would their birthday, first kiss, or a soccer
championship.
Other girls dread them as much as eating a big plate of Brussels
sprouts or changing the kitty litter.
But most girls have mixed feelings and are not quite certain why
they have them and what to do about them. Boys don't have them,
but they're likely to be curious about them.
What's the mystery subject? We're talking about breasts.
If you're a girl, look down and there they are - or will be
soon. They are just two mounds of flesh, but they get a lot of
attention. As a girl matures and goes through
puberty
, breasts tell the world that this girl is leaving girlhood and
entering a new stage in her life.
Because large breasts get attention (just look at magazines, TV, or
movies), some girls may worry if their breasts are small or if they
mature more slowly. Girls with large breasts may be unhappy, too,
because their shape attracts attention they don't want. The
truth is that beauty doesn't come in just one bra size. There
are all sorts of female shapes and sizes in the world, and all are
beautiful.
But breasts do more than just look nice. Girls have them so they
can do an important job later in life. Someday, if the girl grows
up to have a
baby
, her breasts can provide the milk the baby needs. Breast milk is
the very best food for babies and mom is the source. And it
doesn't matter if those breasts are small, medium, or large.
All sizes can produce enough milk to feed a baby.
When Do Breasts Start Growing?
Breasts can start growing as early as age 8 or as late as 13.
Some girls' breasts grow slowly and others grow quickly. Some
girls may feel like their breasts will never start growing. But
it's just that girls start developing at different ages and
different rates. One girl might have more developed breasts at 12,
whereas her friend could be still flat as a board.
Breast development happens in stages. The first stage starts during
the early part of puberty, when a girl's ovaries enlarge and
estrogen, an important female hormone, begins to circulate in the
body. Doctors often refer to the early stages of breast development
as "breast budding." Get it?
Budding
- like a flower has buds.
A breast bud is like a small raised bump behind the nipple.
After breast budding happens, the nipple and the circle of skin
around the nipple (called the areola) get bigger and a little
darker. Then the area around the nipple and areola starts to grow
into a breast.
As breasts keep growing, they may be pointy for a while before
becoming rounder and fuller. For some girls, one breast might be a
little bigger than the other one. A girl's breasts may continue
to grow during the teen years and even into her early twenties.
Fully developed breasts come in all shapes and sizes.
Breast size gets a lot of attention and many girls may wonder
how they can make their breasts grow faster or bigger. Despite what
some magazine ads say, there isn't any magic cream or pill that
can speed up the process or make a girl's breasts larger than
they are. In fact, breast size is mostly determined by heredity and
a girl's weight. So if a girl's mother has big breasts or
small breasts, the girl can expect to have breasts of similar size.
And a girl who has more body fat is more likely to have larger
breasts.
Getting a Bra
Once a girl has breasts, a bra is a good idea, especially when
the girl is exercising and playing sports. Bras can protect breast
tissue and keep the breasts supported. Some girls may also like
that bras smooth out their silhouettes and make them feel more
comfortable. A bra can make a girl feel less exposed when she's
wearing a light shirt, such as a T-shirt.
Some girls look forward to getting their first bras, but others
dread that event. Like anything new, wearing a bra can be tough to
adjust to. They can be difficult to fasten and adjust. Once a bra
is on, it can bag or gap, ride up, dig in, or pop open. The straps
can slide off a girl's shoulders or dig into them. And a bra
can peek out of a girl's clothing. Not only that, but a
girl's brother might think it's just hysterical to pull it
so it snaps against her back. (If you are a boy, do not do
this!)
The ABCs of Bra Sizes
Wearing the right size bra can decrease the number of other
problems a girl will have with her bra. For instance, a bra
that's the right size won't pinch, gap, or slide around. So
it makes sense to spend some time learning about bra sizes.
There are two parts to a bra's size: the chest size (also
called the band size) and the cup size. The chest or band size is
represented by a number (32, 34, 36, etc.) and is the part of the
bra that runs across a girl's chest and around her back. The
cups are the parts of the bra that hold the breasts and come in
letter sizes (AA, A, B, C, etc.).
Bras come in many sizes, which are different combinations of the
chest sizes and cup sizes - 32AA, for instance. It's important
to get both the chest and cup sizes right to ensure a proper fit.
Some bra manufacturers are now starting to offer cup options in
half sizes in addition to regular cups to help girls get a better
fit.
What Size Bra to Buy?
A girl might feel shy about her growing breasts and not want
other people talking about them, looking at them, and measuring
them. But it's wise for a girl to get measured so she knows her
correct bra size.
The women who work in the bra departments of stores can help a
girl with this measurement. A girl also can do it at home if she
has her mom or a friend help her. If you are a girl, here are
instructions for how to do it:
- Run a tape measure just under your breasts, all the way
around your back and rib cage. The tape measure should rest flat
on your skin and lie straight across your back - not so tight
that it digs in, but not so loose that it sags down in back.
- Make a note of your measurement and add 5 inches. That's
your
chest size
.
- To measure cup size, take the tape measure around your body
across the
fullest
part of your breasts.
- Write down this number and subtract your chest measurement
from it. The difference between the numbers is a way of figuring
out your cup size. If the difference between the two numbers is
less than 1 inch, your cup size is AA. If it's 1 inch, your
cup size is A; 2 inches, you're a B; 3 inches you're a C,
and so on. For instance, if your cup measurement was 33 and your
chest measurement was 32, that's a 1-inch difference. Your
bra size is 32A.
- If your chest measurement comes out as an odd number (such as
31 inches or 33 inches), it's usually a good rule to round
up
to the next number. Most bras have a few sets of adjustable hooks
and eyes, so you can adjust the tightness. It's a good idea
to round up, rather than round down, because when you buy a new
bra that hooks on the first or middle hooks - rather than on the
last - you can leave room for growth.
What Kind of Bra to Buy?
A first bra used to be called a "training bra" - it
was for girls who didn't yet fit into the cups of standard-size
bras, but needed basic support and comfort. These days, many
girls' first bra is a sports bra, a type of bra worn by active
women of any age. Sports bras prevent fully grown breasts from
jiggling around when a woman is playing sports. Because they're
flatter in the cup area, sports bras also make really good first
bras for many girls. In fact, because of sports bras, and dresses
and tops that have built-in bras, a girl might not need a training
bra or a more traditional bra early on. Not all sports bras are
alike, so a girl should try on a few to figure out which ones she
prefers.
In addition to sports bras, there are a lot of other types of
bras. The most natural-looking bra is a soft-cup bra and
doesn't do much to change the shape of a girl's breasts.
Soft-cup bras come in different fabrics and thicknesses and some
may have underwires. Underwire is a U-shaped wire inside the fabric
that goes under the breasts to help support them. If a girl's
breasts are larger than a C cup, an underwire bra is a good
choice.
Other bras may have more structured cups and some come with
padding inside. Minimizer bras are also available for girls who
want their breasts to appear smaller. These bras are usually made
of relatively thick fabric and often have substantial backs and
straps.
A Girl's Changing Shape
Breasts are just one sign that a girl is getting older and on
her way to becoming a woman. If a girl has questions or concerns
about breasts or bras, the good news is that there are plenty of
women and older girls to ask. And if a girl is worried about how
slowly her breasts are growing, her doctor is also a good source of
information. More often than not, a girl is growing in the normal
range and before she knows it, she'll be bra shopping, too.
Reviewed by:
Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: November 2006
Originally reviewed by:
D'Arcy Lyness, PhD
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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