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Original poster

Vain (sorry) question to women who have breastfed

134 replies

thatsgood · 10/04/2023 00:18

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!

OP posts:
SquidwardBound · 10/04/2023 10:53

It isn’t the breastfeeding that generally is the problem. Pregnancy can have an effect on anyone’s breasts.

The pernicious myth that breastfeeding inevitably leaves you with horrible, saggy breasts puts so many women off.

MithrilCostsMore · 10/04/2023 10:54

Admittedly I have huge boobs but mine looked exactly the same after EBF two children. Mine weren't saggy before or after (age however has finally kicked in and I can no longer say this but my children are teenagers now). My nipples stayed darker too.

IHeartGeneHunt · 10/04/2023 10:55

Mine are by my belly button now, but I have lost a lot of weight and I think that's done the damage rather than the breastfeeding.

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Families
thejadefish · 10/04/2023 10:56

Mine went back to pre pregnancy size but were no longer pert afterwards - changed shape and were saggier. I had my DC at ages 39 & 45 though which I think probably had more to do with it than bf per se, being older I suspect my body was less able to cope with the fluctuations in size (no idea if its true, just my theory - you lose elasticity as you get older and all that).

OhVicIveFallen · 10/04/2023 10:57

Mine have sagged but that's because of age not breastfeeding. I do have a dry itchy dark patch of skin under the nipple that appeared when dd was breastfeeding( I think due to her biting me 🙄) and its never really gone away after 12 years. That's a bit annoying.

buzzy06 · 10/04/2023 11:00

Mine are deflated. Less so than a year ago, not still if you pull the skin, it looks quite loose.

It was definitely breastfeeding for me, not pregnancy. It's a pet peeve of mine when I keep hearing this being said as fact when it depends in each person.

  • breast change dieting pregnancy was minimal.
  • my boobs were engorged and went up about 3 sizes when the milk came in a week post birth. That left stretch marks after.
  • Then they'd be engorged when I was away from baby in the week, then they'd go down after feeding. So they're constantly bouncing between sizes.
  • Towards the end of breastfeeding, baby used to drink everything and there was none left in the boob. It was just floppy and saggy (so we had to stop in the end). It was like all the fat stores had been liquidised, never seen anything like it
Natsku · 10/04/2023 11:05

I breastfed two babies, mine are slightly bigger than before breastfeeding but otherwise the same. Though after my first my nipples pointed in different directions, which was weird, but went back to normal after my second.

SoyMarina · 10/04/2023 11:08

I breastfed 4 children, each fir well over a year and the youngest for almost two years.
I am now in my late 50s and my breast are still relatively firm and full.
Yoga, weights occasionally and HRT may all be helping.

Mummynew08 · 10/04/2023 11:15

OhVicIveFallen · 10/04/2023 10:57

Mine have sagged but that's because of age not breastfeeding. I do have a dry itchy dark patch of skin under the nipple that appeared when dd was breastfeeding( I think due to her biting me 🙄) and its never really gone away after 12 years. That's a bit annoying.

That doesn't sound quite right that biting would do that, is it worth showing a gp? Sorry if you've already done that obvs

SkyandSurf · 10/04/2023 11:23

EBF three children well into toddlerhood. My breasts are maybe a little lower on my body than they were but not deflated or anything. But also it's been 6 years so it might just be time as well.

I think they still look ok. It's not a given that they will sag.

OrlandointheWilderness · 10/04/2023 11:29

I breastfed for 9 months. Mine went completely back to normal

Original poster
thatsgood · 10/04/2023 13:27

Thanks everyone.Do they definitely change post weaning? Or could they look the same as they do once they settle down during breastfeeding? I don't know what to do about bra purchases as nothing fits!

OP posts:
Oopswediditagain2023 · 10/04/2023 13:46

Mine were back to normal pretty quickly. I'm a 34D so was a bit concerned 🤣 but they were fine

Scottishskifun · 10/04/2023 13:49

thatsgood · 10/04/2023 13:27

Thanks everyone.Do they definitely change post weaning? Or could they look the same as they do once they settle down during breastfeeding? I don't know what to do about bra purchases as nothing fits!

Get some nursing bras which have some flex in your supply will still be at the high end for a while.

It can also take some time foe your ribcage to move back if you had this as a pregnancy symptom. I got a pack of 3 reasonable nursing bras and wore them til supply fully settled and boobs settled. Bralettes are also handy too.

Once you stop feeding again give it some time before going to buy new bras just so everything has settled and also to reduce liklihood of mastitis if getting a underwired bra

GudiBrallan · 10/04/2023 13:54

BFed for a total of 5 years, with a 5 month break between DC1 and 2. Boobs 6 years later are like nothing ever happened.

OhVicIveFallen · 10/04/2023 14:07

Mummynew08 · 10/04/2023 11:15

That doesn't sound quite right that biting would do that, is it worth showing a gp? Sorry if you've already done that obvs

Show quote history

Well it appeared about 12 years ago and I'm still here so I guess it's fine 🤷‍♀️ I have had a mammogram in the mean time as my nipples kept going inverted but thit was fine. They still go inverted all of the time which I think is due to the bralette things a wear now as I wfh and can't be doing with a proper bra.

TheEarlofButties · 10/04/2023 14:11

Mine are saggy, but finished bf at 40 and wore bralets rather than feeding bras so I think it’s my own fault. They were no great loss tbh

Yellowdays · 10/04/2023 14:50

It never affected mine, though I expected it to.

Crunchymum · 10/04/2023 15:14

Pregnant / BFing for 5 years without a break. I am now very fat (illness / steroids) but boobs are probably the thing I'm happiest with.

Corcra · 10/04/2023 16:37

I breastfed for 8 years. Happy to say mine are still the same many years later.

Original poster
thatsgood · 10/04/2023 18:31

Thanks everyone. Seems like a mixed bag! Mine look quite sad when LO has drained of milk followed by a pump. I hope that's not what will be the new normal (or worse) but I guess I'll have to wait and see!

OP posts:
Buzzinwithbez · 10/04/2023 18:33

Absolutely fine here after breastfeeding for ten years.

Redebs · 11/04/2023 16:44

Mine went down a bit after I stopped feeding, but all the firmness returned a few months later. They definitely weren't any smaller than before. I think I produced extra tissue by breastfeeding

mindutopia · 11/04/2023 17:06

Exactly the same as before and I was 38 when I had my last baby.

Glitterstars · 11/04/2023 17:14

I feel the same like normally my boobs are on the smaller size, a lot bigger now bf but when baby has fed noticeably smaller IMO. Also I find I can pull at the skin more that I would have previously ha ha so I don’t hold much hope for once I stop. I think they are gonna be like deflated water balloons