Am I a terrible person?

[opalescent]

First baby, so I really have no experience and limited knowledge about breastfeeding.
I want to do the right thing for my lovely baby, but cannot help feeling reluctant to breastfeed. The only reason is that I'm scared of the effect it will have on my boobs. I am ready and waiting to be told that
A) I'm terribly superficial
B) I'm very naive.
Please talk to me about what will happen to my previously perky boobs if I b/feed or f/feed. I realise I need to get over it :)

[opalescent]

Oh god, it sounds even more pathetic now that I've written it down... This alone may have done the trick!!

[NoTeaForMe]

I think it's the pregnancy and the stretching of your boobs that will change their shape and appearance rather than whether you breastfeed or not. Sorry!

[LittleLolly]

How far along in your pregnancy are you? I'm now 36 weeks and my previously perky boobs are definitely no more! So I think pregnancy may change your boobs before breastfeeding gets a chance to!

[Biggem]

I was the same tbh.
But, it came so naturally and I loved it more than I thought possible, I really missed it when I stopped.
My boobs felt weird when I stopped, mainly coz I forgot what it was like to have small boobs BUT they are the same as before! (Or were I'm 37 weeks now so they are filling again!!)

Don't pressure yourself tho, if you can breastfeed BRILLIANT if u can't don't guilt yourself out
Enjoy it & being pregnant

[MummysHappyPills]

My boobs are better than they have ever been since I breastfed. I was quite small busted before though.

[crazypaving]

What they both said, I'm afraid - actually breastfeeding makes no difference. It's pregnancy and the milk coming in, which is inevitable.

[Rockchick1984]

Pregnancy alone will have a massive impact on your boobs, breastfeeding may not make any more of a difference to be honest :)

Although it can be a blessing - my perky 32c's are now perky 34d's

[crazypaving]

x-post - when I said "they both", I meant the 1st 2 responses!

[noblegiraffe]

It's pregnancy that changes them, not breastfeeding.

That said, mine went back to pretty much how they'd been about 6 months after I stopped breastfeeding, which I did for 17 months.

[kissyfur]

It's the pregnancy that changes the shape and size of your boobs. Not breastfeeding! Give it a try, it's what's best for your baby and you've got nothing to lose

[opalescent]

Oh thankyou for all being lovely!! Im 30 weeks, and my boobs have already grown a lot, but I was kind of thinking they'd be more likely to go back to normal afterwards if I didn't b/feed. If that's not the case, then I guess the horse has bolted and I may as well crack on and give it a good go!

[PuffPants]

1. Breastfeeding doesn't ruin your boobs.

1. Boobs sag naturally whether you have children or not and whether you bf or not. Sad fact of life.

1. Mine look exactly the same as ever - and I breastfed for nearly 2 years.

1. It is what they were designed to do.

Just have a go - you might like it.

[MummysHappyPills]

Have to agree puffpants, I have washed and bathed elderly ladies and you would be hard pressed to tell who had breastfed, they all look pretty much the same by then!

[Chunkychicken]

I got stretch marks on my boobs as a result of pregnancy purely because they went up from an already full & perk 32dd to a very full 34e/f by about half way through... So the impact of the milk coming in/breastfeeding really didn't seem to be relevant - the horse had already bolted as it were!! My boobs got even bigger when my milk came in, so even if I hadn't 'used' that milk, my boobs would have never been the same.

I did breastfeed and was determined to do it, so when it was difficult, I managed to persevere. I would say that, IMO, you've got nothing to lose by trying it for a few days, and formula will be an option if you don't get on with it (but its much, much harder to decide against formula at a later date iyswim).

[WhoahThereCrazyHorse]

Mine were absolutely horrific just after I'd finished breast feeding and I despaired! A couple of months after though and they were exactly the same as they'd always been! Look at doing exercises for the chest area too, as the muscle tone under that area can have an effect.

Good luck!

[halloweeneyqueeney]

my boobs are RUINED, but hear me out, they got ruined by the pregnancy, by the time he was out the damage was done, they didn't get any MORE ruined by BFing. they did most of their growing in pregnancy and the ruination comes when they deflate afterwards. I think people think its the breastfeeding doing it because they're loosing pregnancy weight/swelling while BFing but that would happen anyway and its the loosing after gaining during pregnancy that makes them the car-wreck they are!

(not everyone's do go as wrong as mine though!)

[Biggem]

I did read somewhere that it is pregnancy that does the damage, I think a lot of woman (me included) don't bother getting measured during pregnancy and therefore wear too big/small bras and they don't support enough.
So yep damage is no doubt already done

[newtonupontheheath]

It's definitely pregnancy...

On the plus side, you'll love the effect of pregnancy on your boobs if/when you get pregnant with dc2. After the deflation post-pregnancy, the little boost of pregnancy number 2 is a treat

Speaking from experience here

[BuntyCollocks]

I'm a 32hh, breastfed my son, and my boobs are still perky. Breastfeedif and pregnancy hasn't changed that.

[DialMforMummy]

Well, mine are not as firm as they were before but they are not ruined. I ffed. I agree that the pregnancy and old age is more likely to have an impact than bfeeding.

[RubyrooUK]

Mine were definitely better post-breastfeeding. Better nipples, better shape and so on.

Now I'm pregnant again and gutted at the horrible swollen orbs getting in my way. It's definitely pregnancy that affects breasts; it did take a few months for my boobs to settle after 16 mo of feeding but they looked great afterwards.

[Jakeyblueblue]

Mine are way better now, still bf 15 month ds. They are bigger, fuller and a much better shape! Give it a go!

[GreenShadow]

Personally I don't think my boobs have changed at all, despite 3 pregnancies and several years of breastfeeding - even at 50, they still look pretty good.

[18wksplus]

I BF DD for a year and my boobs went back afterwards to exactly how they were before.

I doubt BF will have any effect on your boobs, other than giving you a great cleavage for however long you BF for. Oh and reducing your risk of breast cancer - always a positive :)

[CaringMum28]

I was a 34ff with perky boobs before v firm. Bf one for 2yrs and looked identical after. Only feeding 2nd child once a day now and look really good still.

My mum has got big firm non saggy boobs and bf 4kids for 1-2yr each.

I think it's genetic! Like stretch marks etc