The fear of bra shopping...

I finally plucked up the courage to go bra shopping today, something I've needed to do for a while... And it got me to thinking, why am I so scared of asking for help with fitting my bra?

I tried my normal tactic, picking up some styles I like in the approximate size I think I am. Five bras later and none of them fitted. So I stood in the changing rooms and wondered if I should go home and try again another day. And then a deep breath I walked out and asked for help.

For some reason the very idea is one which I get slightly unsettled by. Even though I know I need to get some advice and buy the right size I still shy away from it and have a drawer full of semi-fitting bras.

It also made me think about all those statistics of 90% of women wearing the wrong sized bra, how did this come to be? Or is that just marketing puff. When did we not get taught how to shop for the right size. Who is to blame?!

Should there be compulsary fitting with every new purchase to try and avoid this. Should we be taught at school the importance of buying the right size. And then almost as importantly, how is it right that even once you have been sized different brands fit in different ways. I know this brand size difference is the same for clothes as well as underwear but it just doesn't seem right that it's like this.

Thankfully Selfridges have lots of very helpful and lovely staff and a lady arrived to help me with my fitting. She was very sweet and I've managed to find two bras which actually fit! Now to relax until the next time...

Update - Thoughts on the pill

Pretty much a month ago I wrote quite a long post about my thoughts on the pill. You guys were amazing and gave me lots to think about in your lovely comments. And I think I also promised an update when I had given more thought to what to do next. So here we are an update!

I went to see a lovely nurse at the family planning clinic who talked me through my options and allowed me to talk about my opinions and my experiences. Really a girl you are completely right that a family planning clinic is the right place to go for contraceptive advice.

And so on Friday I went back to the same clinic and had a Mirena IUS put in. The Mirena is a coil but is plastic with some progestergen in it which releases slowly over 5 years. So I now don't have to worry about contraception until 2015! My decision to get the coil was mainly because I didn't want to still be on the pill, as I had said it was giving me trouble, and also because I don't plan on having kids anytime soon.

It hurts though, to get it put in. If you do decide to do it take strong painkillers first. I wish I had done this, it would have made it a little easier. But the doctor was great, very supportive, talked me through it all and really made me feel at ease.

Right now it's still a little odd feeling, I'm still getting slight cramps, much better than yesterday and Friday afternoon and hopefully tomorrow will continue to improve. If anyone has got one in any thoughts on how long it took them to settle in would be great. I'll start to get concerned on Tuesday/Wednesday if it still doesn't feel right.

Anyhow, thank-you again for all your support, I truly appreciate all of you peeps who read, comment and come along on this journey with me.

Thoughts on the pill - warning long post!

I have wanted to write this post for a while now but was never quite sure of how so here goes...

I am on the combined contraceptive pill and have been now for about six years. This is the third pill I've been on and for the most part I have been very happy with it. However of late things have been beginning to change (moods, shape etc) and I've been thinking of changing contraceptive type. I have also been giving some thought to the information we are given about the pill.

The first pill I was on was Microgynon, at first it was fine, then I started to cry - a lot - and I would also cry when it was highly inappropriate to, like when getting an answer wrong in a university class. I also started to get angrier, J and I would have rows (we argue but never shout and I started shouting), these were generally fueled by alcohol I'll admit but I'm normally a sleepy drunk not a shouty drunk.

I never connected my change in behaviour to the pill. Because when I was prescribed it no-one told me to watch for it. Until talking to my middle sister and telling her about the problems I was having and she suggested it might be the pill. To be honest I was pretty surprised but went along to the Dr's and got a change of pill and lo and behold I changed too.

I think this was when I started to get a little surprised about all the things I wasn't ever told to look out for. Also the lack of checks before I was prescribed the pill (how prone one is to depression/anxiety for example). I just asked for it and was given it. I also wasn't aware of the multitude of pills available and that it was easy to change and try them until you found one you were happy with.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that were it not for being lucky and having a sister I'm close to who alerted me to the effects of the pill I wouldn't have been aware that something I was taking every day could affect me so much.

So coming full circle I'm now thinking of looking at alternatives to the pill. I feel like my body needs a change.

Have any of you experienced anything similar on the pill? Do you have any suggestions on alternatives? Thoughts in general?