MELISSA RAWSON: 'I only own one bra. It tells you everything about my life as a mum.'

Let me tell you a little secret: I own precisely one bra.

Oh yes, you read that right.

But not just any bra — it's the $4.75 Kmart bra, which has likely increased in price due to the cost of living but significantly decreased in quality and comfort due to significant wear trauma.

Watch: A spoken word video staring Laura Bryne articulating the contradiction of pressures that mothers face in their daily lives. Post continues after video.

The timeline of the 'Ugly Bra'.

Once upon a time, I owned a small drawer full of beautiful, lacy bras and sets. I was financially content with shopping at Bras N Things every now and again. I also enjoyed perusing (but never purchasing) the sexy, lacey, barely-there pieces from Honey Birdette.

During pregnancy and after childbirth, I lived in maternity sports bras for comfort and efficiency.

Fast-forward to now, and here I am, clinging to my one bra that barely clings to me these days. It's the bra that I purchased about six months after the twins were born because all the others had either become too big or small. Seeing as I don't have the perkiest of breasts these days, I don't see the point in wearing nice undergarments. So, as you can imagine, my singular bra is not pretty. And here comes one of the most embarrassing photos I'll ever post…

Here is my bra:

The bra in question. Image: Supplied.

It's pale, it's worn, it's losing its elasticity, and its padding has sagged – just like the breasts said bra is meant to be supporting. But it gets the job done. I'm all about comfort these days, and this bra is functional, practical, and slightly worn out — like me most days — but it always gets me through the day.

I feel like Carrie Bradshaw in that episode of Sex and the City. She started constructing a story about 'men as socks' when she had nothing to write about – episode 2, season 5.

Why I haven't bought a new bra (even though I need one)?

It's not that I don't want a new bra. Now and then, I'll think to myself, maybe today is the day I'll 'splurge'.

Suddenly, I remember all the things we need for the kids, the overdue bills, and the fact that I still haven't started working. Somehow, the idea of spending money on something as "frivolous" as a bra doesn't make the cut in my mind.

And have you seen the cost of a half-decent bra? It's almost extortion! I simply couldn't justify the excessive purchase for myself.

For better or worse.

I wouldn't want anyone, including my husband, to see me wearing it. However, he signed a contract agreeing to "for better or worse." Well, this is the "for worse" for both of us. Bryce has offered to take me bra shopping on countless occasions. Of course, any husband would. The poor bugger has never seen me in anything other than my nude bra for the last three years. Again, I always come back at him with, "Don't waste your money".

Between us, I tend to go braless 50% of the time, much to Bryce's pleasure and the general public's displeasure. But don't worry, I'm not totally free-boobing it. I wear a super tight-fitted singlet shirt underneath the main top I'm wearing. You can imagine how incredibly hot it gets, especially now that I live on the GC.

Instagram.

To relieve my embarrassment and support my curiosity, I reached out to my following-family on Instagram, posing a philosophical question:

"How many bras do you own, and from which brand?"

I spent a considerable amount of time collating this data and here are the results:

A 'bra graph', if you will. Image: Supplied.

These figures could suggest that the undergarment market is flooded with options. Those with fewer bras tend to visit more budget-friendly stores, possibly due to financial circumstances and/or a reluctance to justify the expense.

On the other hand, owning more bras could indicate a passion or interest in them, an accumulation over time, or, quite possibly, a higher income. This is merely speculation, of course.

The Ugly Bra is my symbol of motherhood.

My one ugly bra may not look like much, but it's been with me through a lot. I've even grown a little fond of it, if I'm being honest. As mums, our priorities shift entirely, even when we say before motherhood that they won't. Everything about ourselves is pushed to the back burner; self-care especially.

But in all of this chaos, my singular ugly bra has somehow become a symbol of this new chapter of my life.

Not only has it survived countless washes, long days of chasing the twins and even being worn inside out by accident occasionally, it's my reminder that mums don't have to be perfect. It's about showing up for my kids every day, even when my intrusive thoughts kick in: "What happens if you're carted off in an ambulance and they have to cut away your clothes to reveal your little secret?" If anything, the paramedic would be doing me a favour in cutting up the bra I so desperately cling to.

There will come a day when I will take that leap and invest in a functioning, supportive and somewhat visually appealing bra. But for now, I wear my ugly bra as a badge of honour. In honour of every sacrifice and selfless act that I do as a mum, a wife, the primary parent and the mental load parent.

Here's to all the mums out there wearing their own "ugly bras" and embracing the reason behind how they came to be.

This article originally appeared on Her Second Shift and has been republished here with full permission.

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Feature image: Instagram @lissrawson.