139 Comments
User's avatar
Sar x's avatar

Dana, this note is equal parts hilarious, tender, and deeply real. Your ode to your boobs isn’t just body positive—it’s soul positive. You managed to take a topic that too often gets medicalised or sexualised and instead made it a story about joy, aging, fear, and gratitude. And damn if it didn’t make me smile the whole way through.

Also, “intrusive boob thoughts” might be my new favourite phrase. You’re definitely not the only one. Thanks for reminding us all that it’s not vain to notice the beauty in ourselves—it’s human, and maybe even healing.

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Ahhhh you really got this story and I’m so glad. Thanks so much for your kind words!

Expand full comment
Sar x's avatar

Absolutely loved it!

Expand full comment
AB1977's avatar

Agree with Sar x...intrusive boob thoughts, perfect phrase for merch

Expand full comment
charles222a203's avatar

though I don’t out in public, as I don’t like to intimidate people).

Ok I laughed out loud.

I hope your mammogram goes well :)

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Thank you! 😊😊😊

Expand full comment
charles222a203's avatar

You're welcome!

Expand full comment
Ro's avatar

LMAO I could have written this. I also have big boobs. Maybe not huge depending --only DD sometimes DDD--but the mammogram people make comments. And people often do stare at my boobs. They're still pretty jaunty for some reason, through pregnancies and breatfeeding--though it can't last. I love how you celebrate yours! I was too ambivalent--Things that I think happened to me as a woman --like not being respected intellectually--was it increased by the boobs? But I can't resent them. They've done their job!

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

We big boob ladies gotta stick together. 😊

Expand full comment
Jeff Hayward's avatar

I have intrusive boob thoughts every day.

Also, eCare sounds like a problem. Sorry you had to endure that emotional distress for nothing.

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

💜💜💜

Expand full comment
Robert Sawers's avatar

Excellent article Dana! Had to laugh at this because it’s a unique topic to discuss with your subscribers, and it’s appealing nature! Yes, I’ve noticed your boobs and hair, really how could I not, in a healthy way! Social norms want to create an ideal of modeling beauty, it backfires though, whereas one beautiful model can blur and merge into another,to create a generic look and in my opinion, is unappealing! Unique beauty features are the way beauty standards should be defined, individual characteristics need to be nurtured not hidden behind social norms! Individual characteristics are the real structures of beauty! By the way, I agree your hair and boobs stand out but so do your facial features, which show beauty and character ignored by societal norms! Your are pretty! My opinion. 👍😎😀📚📚🇨🇦🎻

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

You’re very kind, thank you. 😊

Expand full comment
LaVonne Ellis's avatar

Brilliant feminist reframe. Love it. I always wanted small boobs because when I was young, that’s what models had — before silicone. My boobs are definitely not dense and now I look like Carol Burnett’s cleaning lady with two socks hanging down with a tennis ball in the bottom of each one. Except I don’t even have the tennis balls. You might call them envelopes. I used to love my boobs and show them off. Not anymore. But at least I don’t worry about cancer much.

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Thank you—I’m so glad you get the intent of this story as a feminist reframing. I wasn’t sure it would come across that way.

Expand full comment
Untrickled by Michelle Teheux's avatar

I live in terror of breast cancer. My maternal aunt had it. My sister, who was four years younger than me, had it. (She died three years ago today in a car accident after surviving breast cancer.)

I had some not-cancerous but weird cells taken out via lumpectomy a couple years ago.

I can barely manage mammograms now — some of the procedures I’ve had traumatized me.

Mine are dense but not firm!

BTW: Nursing my children full-term was one of the best experiences of my life and if I could go back in time and nurse my babies again, I would.

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

I find I carry a low-level chronic anxiety around it all the time. I’m so sorry to hear about your sister and traumas.

I also loved nursing. I’m glad those days are behind me but I remember them so fondly.

Expand full comment
Lindsey Smith's avatar

This is the best thing I’ve read on Substack all month. I love the self-celebration and I love how you cleverly got us to think about mammograms, though I’m sorry to hear about your stress over them (it’s similar for me.) All to say: yay for boobs!

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Wow, that’s crazy high praise—thank you so much!

Expand full comment
Horror Hangouts's avatar

They do look awesome. I’m sure you are beautiful all over. Great article

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Thanks so much! 💕

Expand full comment
Erelong's avatar

I subscribed but not because of your boobs. But I admit they caught my attention. Nice work.

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Thanks so much and extra thanks for subscribing!

Expand full comment
Angus Stevenson's avatar

Yay boobs. Also punctuation!

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

I’m a fan of both!

Expand full comment
Dan Stocke's avatar

My wife has dense boobs. She often has to go back because they "found" something. Everytime it's nothing. Just dense boobs. It drives us nuts! How casual they can be about it. I like your go-straight-to-the-end-game approach. Might have to give that a try.

Have fun at your boob squish.

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Yes, it’s the best way!

Expand full comment
Debra Groves Harman's avatar

Now that's an eyeful of Dana! I would make them earn their keep too. Put those girls to work!

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Lawrence thinks they should have their own Only Fans page. Maybe if the economy keeps crashing… 😏

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

😍

Expand full comment
Theresa Griffin Kennedy's avatar

Great article. I'll never forget the morning of my daughters birth in 1991. I felt different, kind of heavy. I had woken up, following the procedure, a C Section and felt heavy in my chest. I walked to the bathroom, with my morphine drip in tow and lifted my gown. WOWSA. My boobs looked incredible. No longer the small chested girl I always was, the were 36, and perfect. Full, lovely. It lasted about eight weeks. Then, deflated balloon. I was angry at GOD. This was some kind of cruel JOKE. LOL... I had about eight weeks of my boobs looking great. But it was not to last. Yes, you are blessed. I thought I was looking at a photo of a woman in her late 20s. You are blessed. :)

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

I cracked up at “I was angry at GOD!” Yeah, I wasn’t this size till post-nursing. I’ve been told whatever you are pre-baby, it just gets more exaggerated post-nursing. So I got bigger, I guess.

They do get heavy. 😏

Expand full comment
charles222a203's avatar

Circled back around and yeah, still funny.

Expand full comment
Laurie Bunker's avatar

After every mammogram, I get a letter telling me I’m dense. Or that my boobs are.

Expand full comment
Dana DuBois's avatar

Hah! This is so relatable.

Expand full comment