Double boob job for mum and daughter

MOTHER and daughter Valerie Whiting and Helen Bagshaw have proved that they are bosom buddies after both having breast reductions.

Valerie (57), of Herringthorpe, and her daughter, 32-year-old Helen, of Blackburn, are celebrating putting an end to years of aches and pains, bad posture and daily embarrassment with a night out to see the play Calendar Girls at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre.

Helen, a mum of two, found that her breasts ballooned to size 32JJ after breastfeeding her daughter for 18 months ten years ago.

She underwent surgery at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals to become a more proportionate 32DD to her size 12 frame after witnessing the excellent treatment and results of her mum Valerie’s operation a few months earlier.

Helen said: “I'm delighted with the results and it’s made a huge, huge difference to my life—you can’t put it into words.

“I just feel so much more confident. My quality of life has improved tremendously.

Before the op I couldn’t do the simplest of things like running for the bus as I always had to hold my boobs down!”

She added: “I had been thinking about breast reduction for quite a while, so when I accompanied my mum to pre-operative appointments I spoke to our plastic surgeon, Mr Lam, who explained the process thoroughly.

My mum’s glowing with confidence too. She and I are very close, we even work together at the box office at Sheffield Arena, so it will be great seeing a play about fellow body-confident women.”

Mr Lam, consultant plastic surgeon at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital, treated both mother and daughter.

He said: “An excessively heavy bust is a common condition which causes much distress physically with neckache, backache and troublesome rashes under the breast creases.

“Psychologically, patients suffer a lot of social distress and also encounter relationship difficulties because of their perceived body image.”

After 30 years, Valerie’s bra straps have left her with deep grooves on her shoulders because of her 36G chest.

Like her daughter, she is also pleased with the results of her operation, which took her down to a lighter 36DD.

Valerie said: “The first holiday I went on after my breast reduction was a cruise and it was the first time I can remember wearing a vest top with pride. “My husband even said ‘By gum lass, tha’ looks great,’ which made me smile.”

And she added: “I put up with discomfort and back pain for so long and I wish I’d had the operation 20 years ago.”