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Original poster

Post pregnancy breasts

36 replies

Branster · 17/05/2004 21:21

Are you happy with you breasts after having your children? Do they look the same as before, worse or better? Anyone had plastic surgery or any other cosmetic treatment to get a nice cleavage as a result of pregnancy and/or breastfeeding? Did you get good results?
I thought it's a good topic to have a moan about. Personally, I'm very unhappy with what's left of my breasts. I tried everything I could during pregnancy to prevent/ reduce the damage, always wore a good bra during breastfeeding, but still the damage is irreversible now. I really miss my old breasts... Anyone else feels the same?

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Beccarollover · 17/05/2004 21:23

Mine are dreadful - no stuffing left after breastfeeding

marthamoo · 17/05/2004 21:25

I was thinking that mine had pretty much recovered after two lots of breastfeeding - then my Mum dig out an old picture of me about 15 years ago. OMG! They were so pert! And there I was dressed in an oversized black T-shirt, long ethnic print skirt, and Doc Marten boots. If I had those boobs now I would show 'em off!

Lisa78 · 17/05/2004 21:36

mine seem a bit saggier though DH assures me they are not
Think he is just been nice though - or thinking he might be on a promise

Soulfly · 17/05/2004 21:38

i don't think mine are too bad, although i didn't breastfeed long i only feed for about 4 days. But i like the size i wish they were abit more pert, but i think if you hvae a larger chest they don't tend to pert as much as a smaller bust would.

Lisa78 · 17/05/2004 21:41

mine are tidgy though
Tidgy and saggy

hatter · 17/05/2004 21:47

Mine aren't what they were but I guess they're ok ish. Thought that that govt stuff in the press recently about breast-feeding was a load of old rubbish. How can they expect to be believed if they churn out crap like that? I do wonder how they justify it (they said breast0feeding doesn't change your boobs - for anyone who was too busy to read the paper/catch the news)

jac34 · 17/05/2004 21:48

I breastfed twins, at the same time, mine are around my waist somewhere. They did stay quite big though, and when gathered up into sufficient support don't look too bad.I dare not go topless or braless anymore.

kittyb · 17/05/2004 21:51

I wasnt prepared for huge growth of areolas - which are now wrinkly because far too big for my now tiny breasts - eugh I've just grossed myself out

Original poster
Branster · 17/05/2004 22:06

kittyb, same here. plus mine are much lower than they should be (if i don't wear a bra, they look really weird under a t-shirt), not very full, not at all firm and basically not very nice to look at. besides, if bedning down without a bra, then they really look strange. i've used some creams and lotions, but nothing made them any firmer (despite claims on the packaging). i don't mind the size, but i'd like them to be up there where they were initially and ofcourse firmer and fuller. to be fair, they're not all that bad but nothing like what i was used to. and i've had the great misfortune of getting strechmarks too. how unlucky can a girl be? looking back, i think the sagginess & strech marks were caused by the actual pregnancy (when they did get bigger, which didn't actually impress me at the time as i was wondering how will they look afterwards. and i was right). but the nipples thing i'm convinced is due to breastfeeding & using that damn breast pump. if i knew it would affect me that much, i wouldn't have breastfed. i was never set on breastfeeding, i just took it one day at a time with the idea of bfing for a few days at least. but it worked really easily so i kept on bfing (partly because i'm v lazy and couldn't have done with all those bottles of formula). i would never reccomend using a breast pump though, i think they affect the shape of nipples. nor me or my brother , or my dh were breastfed and we turned out perfectly normal, i don't think brestfeeding is that essential, really. a few days at the beggining is quite sufficient, thank you very much.

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Original poster
Branster · 17/05/2004 22:08

i hope there are no midwifes or health visitors reading this

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Original poster
Branster · 17/05/2004 22:09

hatter, what campaign/article are you reffering to? i haven't read/heard it yet.

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toddlerbob · 17/05/2004 22:32

Caught a look at myself bending over in a mirror the other day (15 months of breastfeeding). Looked like 2 balloon with the air let out. Very horrible. Made a mental note to squat from now on.

Original poster
Branster · 17/05/2004 22:35

yes, have to be very careful about this bending without a bra, remember to wear one if you happen to be doing any bending whilst naked (bj or something of that nature, that would be a real turn-off i should think)

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coppertop · 17/05/2004 22:36

Mine are about 3 cup-sizes bigger than pre-pregnancy. The darn things refuse to deflate! Dh is thrilled but I'm not sure I like having beach-balls attached to my chest.

Original poster
Branster · 17/05/2004 22:46

You lucky lady coppertop !!!! Keep them on my dear, better to have more than less in this department. So it's not a myth then , that you can actually get bigger breasts after having babies?!

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aloha · 17/05/2004 23:02

Branster, I breastfed and expressed with a pump and I can honestly say my nipples are identical to before. My breasts are lower than they used to be but then I am 1.5stone heavier than I was before I had ds, and I really think that is the reason why they are less pert - also I'm older now - 40 as opposed to 37. I do think it's pregnancy, ageing and gravity that does it - not breastfeeding.
BTW I have seen very good results from surgery after childbirth. You need a good surgeon if you go down that route.

aloha · 17/05/2004 23:03

I was a 32DD, now a 34DD - but that's because I'm bigger all over, which I'm not thrilled with.

hatter · 18/05/2004 10:34

not sure if this will work - article in Guardian few days ago \link{http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1212957,00.html\here
most of it's ok - it's just the stuff about breasts that annoyed me as patently untrue

hatter · 18/05/2004 10:35

for some reason it didn't work but you can cut and paste the relevant bit into your address line

motherinferior · 18/05/2004 10:41

ONE of mine deflated last time. Just the one. I'm still breastfeeding this baby, and plan to go on for a little while (although I've decided to stop expressing for her when she's one) and dread the final result, I have to say.

But on the expressing: hey, I've expressed twice a day for the past six months or so. Honestly don't think it's affected my nipples at all.

Original poster
Branster · 18/05/2004 11:10

aloha, i remembered your name from a previous thread on similar subject. no wonder you don't need any kind of surgery with your 34DDs! Fantastic!!! although i still maintain my idea that pregnancy & breastfeeding affect breasts (in my case anyway).

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Demented · 18/05/2004 11:28

Don't lynch me but mine have perked up (b/fed DS2 for 16 months), finished b/feeding about 7 months ago and have come down from a droopy 32G to a 32E, which is now feeling a bit big on me. I think the passing of time combined with weight loss and exercise (firm up those pecs) has helped, they are not what they were pre-children (one is perkier than the other ) but far better than they looked when DS2 was 16 months, .

Original poster
Branster · 18/05/2004 11:53

Demented, well done! I have to say no amount of exercise did anything for me. I'm naturally slim so lack of fat might have something to do with the problem (it appears that what makes up the breast tissue: fat, and my own fat doesn't accumulate in this particular area unfortunately )motherinferior, how strage, just one going flat!! By no means would i actively encorage anyone not to breastfeed, use a breast pump, it's just something i wouldn't have done myself if i knew it would affect me that much. By all means, everyone has the right to feed their little darlings whichever way they choose. After all that's what breasts are designed for: feeding babies. I kept on breastfeeding dd because it was an easy thing to do for me and was conscious of the health benefits in terms of antibodies supplied through breast milk. In actual fact she wasn't once ill until i stopped brastfeeding at 1 . She got a major cold right after that, although it's very possible she would have got that anyway. hatter, spot on. what a lot of propaganda in this article!!! do they think women are stupid? of course there's a risk of ending up with mishapen breasts after breastfeeding, but in reality lots of women are prepared to take the 'risk' - not the best word i'm using here but can't think of a more suitable one.

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aloha · 18/05/2004 12:02

The trouble is Branster, you can't 'know' it was breastfeeding that affected your shape, as opposed to pregnancy, as very few women breastfeed without getting pregant first! It does seem to me to be pregnancy that changes your body, not breastfeeding (or at least not nearly so much). After all, nobody breastfeeds out of their stomach, but lots of people get deflated, saggy tummies afterwards, and my bum is definitely much bigger and flabbier and I may talk out of it sometimes, but I certainly didn't bottom-feed
The hormonal changes that mobilise fat etc in the breasts happen during pregnancy so by the time the baby is born, your breasts are likely to be different. How long ago did you stop breastfeeding Branster?

aloha · 18/05/2004 12:09

The trouble is Branster, you can't 'know' it was breastfeeding that affected your shape, as opposed to pregnancy, as very few women breastfeed without getting pregant first! It does seem to me to be pregnancy that changes your body, not breastfeeding (or at least not nearly so much). After all, nobody breastfeeds out of their stomach, but lots of people get deflated, saggy tummies afterwards, and my bum is definitely much bigger and flabbier and I may talk out of it sometimes, but I certainly didn't bottom-feed
The hormonal changes that mobilise fat etc in the breasts happen during pregnancy so by the time the baby is born, your breasts are likely to be different. How long ago did you stop breastfeeding Branster?