Vain (sorry) question to women who have breastfed

[thatsgood]

Im just wondering what to expect breast wise post weaning. I have been ebf for 8 weeks. Feeling sad at thinking how my boobs will look at the end of this, though appreciate the amazing thing my body has done for my baby. Will my breasts resemble what they look like once the LO has emptied them of milk after a long feeding session? Or even more empty? They look quite empty and a bit saggy after a big feed. I was a 32a/30b pre pregnancy and a 32c now for reference. It's been so nice actually having boobs for once and I'll feel sad to say goodbye to them! Just wondering what to expect really. Thank you!

I've been breastfeeding for nearly 7 of the last 8 years over the course of 3 children, my 34DDs have returned to how they previously looked the last two times I've weaned, but my bra size never changed through any of it, always a 34DD just a slightly fuller one when breastfeeding a small baby. At 8 weeks your supply is just settled, when your baby is older there won't be as noticeable a difference post feeds, 8 weeks is still very early days. My dc3 is 18 months now, mine are slightly less pert now but not enough that anyone would notice only me. Its usually pregnancy that causes breast changes, not the actual breastfeeding.

@thatsgood I don't know if you're doing this already but make sure you remeasure yourself and try different bra styles. I know it won't change how they look naked but seeing them in a nice supportive bra made me feel more like myself when they were still deflated

I breastfed DC1 for 2y and DC2 for 3y.

My breasts are the same size and I dont think they've been negatively affected- maybe marginally softer but same shape and orientation! They did look marginally flatter for a while after I stopped BF, but returned to normal over 2 or 3m.

Prettying?

Pretty! 😂

BF DD for 9 months, they were definitely sad afterwards.
6 years later BF DS for 3 years, stopped VERY gradually - they didn't change at all after he stopped.
They are definitely less pert than pre any of my pregnancies, but I am 11 years older now so only to be expected! But also honestly I care less how they look. They did their job, and they did it well, and that's the most important thing.

Mine went back to normal after breastfeeding too, but I don't recognise what you are describing at all, "drained of milk looking empty" isn't something that I noticed, maybe as you are smaller chested than me it's more noticeable, sorry!

I've BF 3 kids. 3y, 2y and 2.5 and counting. Breast size increased a cup size per baby, I'd say altho I'm fatter than I was before DC1! I'm 45 and while I've lost some elasticity, they are really not much different apart from being a little bigger which is as much due to weight gain as anything. No stretch marks or empty skin, reasonably perky.

Re being drained - after a few months your milk will all be 'on demand'. They don't fill and empty in the same way! I think this probably makes it seem like a balloon that has been over inflated, but skin is a huge living organ with different properties. Some women definitely have sagging and softness but certainly not all!

I went from 34B to 34F twice over in pregnancy/ BFing. A decade on I wear 32Cs. They're probably slightly less full than before but that's comparing early 40s to late 20s, and they went through 2 major changes and kept 2 bottle-refusing babies fed for roughly a cumulative 3 years. Particularly important for DS1 who had CMPA and soya intolerance.

The biggest difference is getting a well-sized, well cut bra. Going for the smaller back and bigger cup makes a big difference in maximising what I have. They did feel a bit empty for a while after stopping feeding, but bodied up again.

I'm proud of the purpose that they've achieved.

13 months of breastfeeding. They are not saggy, don’t get me wrong they are not as perky as my early 20s but they stand up on their own 😂

Similar size to you pre pregnancy. Fed for almost four years (three dc), bit deflated for about a year after but can pass the pencil case test now, nearly thirty years later!

I was a 30dd. Went to a 32f, fed for 18 weeks and 6 weeks after stopping I'm a 30dd again. They look the same as before. When I first stopped one was noticeably bigger than the other but its ok now. I do have a bigger areola on one side that I didn't notice before. They feel smaller than they used to but I think I just got used to them being big in pregnancy and feeding.

Mine deflated for a year, and now are ginormous.

I had big boobs to start with, so probably not a great person to compare with, but I was a 32E before pregnancy, 32G at end of pregnancy, 32H while breastfeeding, and a 32F now. I’m also 5kg heavier, but that is due to doing less exercise with a child around.

No difference in fullness, but 32F/G/H breasts look different to 32Es - just bigger and floppier. Not as perky.

I can't tell. I mean, they may be different, they may not. They deffo got bigger in late pregnancy & months after birth, but then went back to same size I've had forever. I have a bit of facial blindness so presumably I have breast appearance blindness, too. Oldest brfed kid is now 23yo.

Mine went straight back to how they were before, but a little bit fuller. Definitely not sagging but I don't have big breasts anyway.

Breastfed 4 babies for roughly two years each, breasts returned to normal about 2 years after feeding last baby. Rib cage stayed broader for a bit longer, now I’m a 32C and I used to be a 32A/B
honestly, I think any changes happen in pregnancy before breast feeding starts as I went from a 32A/B to a 34EE with first baby, then with one pregnancy I went up to a 34F!!

I’m about the same size as you and only ever went up to a c cup. 18 months of breastfeeding. They were deflated for a while after but returned to normal. They were possibly very slightly smaller. I’m 50 now, early menopause(periods ended 5 years ago) and breasts haven’t really changed.

I fed two babies for a year each time. 32c before, when I stopped they felt lumpy and a bit smaller. A year later all back to normal. That was 30+ years ago, I'm in my 60s now, and they still look exactly the same as before I was pregnant.

Surely they dont "drain as such though.I mean as you feed and empty them ,they are making milk all the time!(Google has advice on this) So they dont run out altogether!

It took a while after I stopped but mine returned to more or less what they were before.

Breastfeed 2 kids for just over 5 years, boobs still fairly similar to pre my first pregnancy.

I am small of breast so maybe that helps?

Mine went back to their usual size each time.

Same, I think mine look great. I bf dd1 until she was about 20 months and stopped while pg with dd2. Fed dd2 until she was 4. Two years after they are slightly larger (was a 32E before pregnancy, now a 32FF) but considering I bf for years, lost and gained weight rapidly and am nearly 40 my breasts look really good. I like them and so does dh

So I only breastfed from one boob... so was really worried about the difference. I would say overall they are saggier than they were pre pregnancy, but only a bit, and breastfeeding appears to have had no impact at all except that I can stretch one nipple much further than the other 🤣 you couldn't tell to look at me which one I fed from, I don't think.

Breast fed twins for a year and went from 32A to 34H. Breasts looked liked a joiner’s nail bag at the end of it all, but fully recovered with time, and I’m once again 32A. No sagging, just one small stretch mark on the underside. The human body can be amazing.