To say breastfeeding does ruin your boobs?

[booblessmonster]

When I was pregnant, everywhere said ‘breastfeeding doesn’t change your boobs, pregnancy does’ now pregnancy did change my boobs everytime however, the child I did breastfeed - once I weaned, my boobs pretty much disappeared like someone had deflated a balloon on a completely different level. I went from an E to barely filling a B cup once milk dried up.

Speaking to other mums, I was certainly not alone.

So AIBU to call bullshit on the popular advice ‘breastfeeding doesn’t ruin your boobs, pregnancy does’

I understand this is probably said so people aren’t put off breastfeeding but there is no need to treat woman like idiots. Informed choices is important. I struggle so much with body image and confidence and it’s been shattered. I wish people were honest with woman from the beginning.

OP, I’m with you! 3 babies nursed and I’d be a liar if I said ‘no change’.

Though it’s been 4 years since my last DC and they’re better than they were a couple of years ago, less pruny/saggy though forever changed. I have always had tiny boobs. So I think going up from AA to D then back down again 3 times was always going to be rough on me. Now that I’m so many years postpartum and my boobs haven’t had to adjust to any size or hormonal changes, they’re looking perkier. Still tiny. A bit saggier than before kids. I’ll live and die a tiny breasted woman. But that’s ok. It bothered me more in my 30s than in my 40s.

Mine are exactly the same. Quite a big cup size and I was wearing the same bras again after breastfeeding for over a year.

@booblessmonster YANBU out of 7 people including myself, only 1 persons breasts remained firm and in good shape

The rest of the 6 have been left with the deflated balloon look that OP talks about.

I honestly think it’s the breastfeeding and not pregnancy as everyone is back to their pre pregnancy dress sizes too (6-12).

I think this depends on many individual variables OP, that's the truth of it.

1. You age and skin condition when you fed your baby.
2. collagen condition of your skin - entirely individual.
3. how long you fed your baby for, how big a feeder baby was, how much milk you made when feeding. I was a small boobed woman - a nice pert B cup. When I fed my two hungry vigorous feeders for 2 years I hyper lactated and had big D cups. Post feeding I was left with floppy empty spaniel ears and an A cup. It did impact my self confidence particularly with DH in bed. I got a boob job. That was all fixed. But boob jobs are not forever. My implants were replaced earlier this year after 13 years; no complications, confidence restored, cost £8k. So that's what you have to bear in mind. I've no regrets on any front. I'm lucky.

Also just to add this was after first babies.

@AllTheCakes so true!!
I didn't bf my first two and my boobs were fine, bf my third only for a few months and they are def ruined. Nipples are now huge and ugly and boobs are deflated and saggy... I'm only 32, it def makes me self conscious but not enough to have cosmetic surgery.

Yabu. Mine are slightly bigger and still perky after 2 years of feeding. Feeding DC2 now so shall see how they are when I finish.

I've breastfed 3 babies and 4.5 years and counting.

They haven't changed a bit (only when I'm actually lactating are they different. They go back to normal about 2 months after I stop).

But I've never been overweight and I have teeny tiny bee-stings and I think the latter is the main reason why they went back to normal. Gravity doesn't work against because there really is nothing much to work against!

Oh and I didn't gain much weight and lost it quickly and back to normal, few stretch marks on my boobs but they've faded.

Mine changed, but the changes were temporary. Mine felt a bit saggier after but they completely firmed up again after a couple of years, mine are not huge though and I am slim. (DD/E) It sounds like you haven’t stopped for long, they may improve.

I've recently weaned DD and my boobs went from an A to a C (miracle!) and back to an A. Although a very deflated A cup. It all looked so promising

It's true for me but they recovered. My dds didn't have any formula and I'm very relieved. My c sections caused far more damage

What @kaytee87 said:

"Is it 'ruined' when they've done what they're meant to and have naturally changed?"

Once I'm done breastfeeding my son personally I won't care what my boobs look like.

Mine were fine after 5 years of breastfeeding. I recently lost weight and there's not much left, wearing 34b but think a 32b would fit (I don't do the super tight band thing). I weigh the same as I did as a teenager in my mid thirties so I don't care!

First time I breastfed they were bigger after and a nicer shape. Second time they have an empty look now for sure. But they fed my gorgeous kids - who cares.

Mine are bigger now (went from a D to an F) and they're the same shape as before breastfeeding, just bigger. I fed DS for about 14 months. Having said that, they looked empty and saggy for a good while after I stopped, I lost fullness at the top, but it did come back.

I agree with you. After breastfeeding my boobs were like empty socks!! Feeding again now and they're big again

It's pregnancy for me. 3rd pregnancy and they are huge and have drooped/stretch marked. Breastfeeding before and after were fine. This pregnancy, total change in breasts.

Mine didn't change size but now hang a lot lower/seem to be affected by gravity a lot more so can't wear my wireless bras that i wore before and during pregnancy, i need and underwire.

I though i had escaped, it wasn't till i stopped breastfeeding that it all went south...literally

It didn't change my boobs. They've always been small!

Op apparently they seem empty when you stop...over a year or so the breast tissue will fill you stretched boobs. Most peoples end up bigger from who iv spoken to

Mine weren't ruined at all after feeding 3 babies for around a year each.
However, my tummy....
This is purely anecdotal, but it seems to me that women after pregnancy and breastfeeding either get to have a flat stomach or full / perky boobs, but not both.
Maybe there'll be a few lucky people coming on to say that they are an exception, but not very many of them.

I only managed to breastfeed for a week and mine are definitely bigger and saggier than they were pre-baby, so I think its probably pregnancy that’s to blame

Nope but I didn't breast feed - they look exactly as they did before!

Definitely pregnancy for me. 2 pregnancies, never breastfed, boobs pretty much disappeared a few months of DC2's birth - 2 or 3 cup sizes smaller than they were pre-pregnancy and much, much lower

Hips also rapidly disappearing but that could be the menopause