Breastfeeding Guide
Will My Breasts Sag After Breastfeeding
Our culture is obsessed with mothers “bouncing back” to our pre-pregnancy selves but let’s get real – is that even possible, especially when it comes to our breasts?
You’ve probably heard the myth that breastfeeding makes breasts sag. While there’s a sliver of truth in the post-baby sag story, breastfeeding isn’t really to blame. Several studies show that the changes in our breasts come mainly from pregnancy itself, not breastfeeding.
Does Breastfeeding Cause Breasts to Sag?
Breastfeeding has been widely attributed as a major cause of saggy or droopy breasts. However, several studies conducted by doctors have proven this to be a misconception.
These studies compared women who breastfed with pregnant women who didn’t breastfeed - and found no link between breastfeeding and breast sagging. The breasts of mothers who breastfed didn’t sag more than those who didn’t breastfeed. Instead, they found that breast sagging to be caused mainly by pregnancy-related changes, not breastfeeding.
In other words, the sag many mothers experience is attributed to overall breast growth during pregnancy, regardless of whether or not you nurse.
Other factors include:
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Age: younger people tend to have more skin elasticity than older people
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The number of pregnancies: the more pregnancies you have had, the saggier your breasts may become
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Genetics: some naturally have more skin elasticity than others
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Whether the patient smoked: smoking breaks down a protein in the skin called elastin, which gives youthful skin its elastic appearance and supports the breast.
Breast Sagging After Pregnancy
Contrary to popular belief, studies have compared moms who breastfed with those who didn’t – and guess what? There’s no evidence linking breastfeeding to extra sagging. It’s actually pregnancy-related changes, not nursing, that contribute most to breast sagging.
Throughout pregnancy, your breasts grow bigger due to increased levels of estrogen enlarging your milk ducts as well as pregnancy weight gain.
This shrinking process postpartum happens regardless of whether you breastfeed. Women who don’t breastfeed will notice their breasts shrink weeks to months after birth. Women who breastfeed will see their breasts get smaller in the weeks to months after they stop breastfeeding.
The now stretched-out skin may not have the elasticity to shrink down to match the smaller breast size, which is what causes the sagging.
How much your breast size changes during the whole pregnancy and postpartum process will also influence how much sagging occurs. If you go down by just a cup size or less, you'll likely end up with less sagging than someone who experiences a larger increase and therefore reduction in size.
What Can I Do to Help Prevent My Breasts from Sagging?
While it might not be possible to prevent breasts from sagging entirely, here are things experts say you can do to reduce sagging:
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Wear a Supportive Nursing Bra. Wearing a comfortable yet supportive nursing bra gives your breasts the support they need to maintain their breast shape and lift, especially when they’re heavier with milk.
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Wean gradually. When you are ready to plan to wean, do it gradually rather than stopping abruptly. Easing off breastfeeding gives fat tissue time to redeposit, helping breasts retain their shape better.
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Avoid Rapid Weight loss. Dropping pounds too fast can strain skin elasticity, so take it slow.
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Practice good posture. Have you noticed that while you are breastfeeding, you tend to slouch? When we hold ourselves up with good back posture, our breasts follow along and don't sag as much. Use a supportive breastfeeding pillow (our favourite is the My Brestfriend Nursing Pillow) to help maintain good posture while nursing.
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Drink plenty of water. Hydrated skin (including your breasts!) holds its shape better, so drink plenty of water!
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Moisturize your breasts. Use a safe moisturiser to take care of the delicate tissues around your breasts. Staying well-hydrated helps to maintain the skin’s elasticity and slow the progression of sagging
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A Healthy Diet. Regular exercise and nutritious food are imperative for perky breasts post-delivery. Fad diets and food low on nutrition can steal the skin of its elasticity and result in droopy breasts.
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Exercise. By exercising your pectoral and back muscles, you can help to strengthen the ligaments surrounding and holding your breasts up, making them appear more toned.
Bigger, smaller, saggy, leaky, beautiful
Our bodies are in a constant state of change. So let’s ditch the pressure to "bounce back" to a pre-pregnancy look. Whether your breasts are bigger, smaller, a bit lopsided, or yes, even saggy, they’re beautiful.
After all, they’ve done amazing work, don’t you think?