When could rib flare and breast size reduce

[Rooandtwo]

Hello

im currently still exclusively breastfeeding my 4 month old. I know it’s possible neither of these things will ever return to anything like how they were, but for now I’d love to hear some stories that might just give me some hope they still could. I’ve never been happy with the size of my boobs and being so many sizes up has been hard. I love breast feeding and I’m so happy to be able to feed my daughter, but I am finding it tough especially whilst not being able to get much exercise. Any stories of later reductions in size desperately appreciated!!!

I'm not sure about rib flare (I had this mildly) but after I stopped breastfeeding my boobs shrunk to smaller than they've ever been before 😬 I hope this is what you want to hear!

Yes sorry this is what I’m hoping to hear - that just because it hasn’t happened yet it could happen later on. Rib flat especially - I seem numerous inches wider and I’m pretty sure it can’t really all be due to carrying a bit of extra weight still.

I had major rib flare and also went up several cup sizes - like you I wasn’t too keen! Like the previous poster, my boobs went back to normal (ish!) pretty quickly after stopping breastfeeding at 15 mos. The ribs also took a while - maybe a year? To be honest I didn’t feel my body went back to ‘normal’ until I stopped bf. Hope that helps - give it time!!

My boobs never went back down after the first or second pregnancy. They just got a lot less firm . Thankfully with this pregnancy they haven’t got too much bigger

Thanks @Jumperwoo . So basically similarly to the weight which seems intent on staying for the duration, not much is likely to change until I stop feeding? Is that stop completely or start weaning? I’m trying so hard to double my focus on my body as an amazing thing 😮‍💨💙

My ribs went back to normal pretty much straight after birth. I marvelled at how slim that part of my body looked so quickly when just a week before, at 40 weeks pregnant I was so wide around where my bra strap sits!

My boobs went up a cup size during pregnancy and stayed that big throughout breastfeeding. A week after breastfeeding they shrunk 3 cup sizes overnight (2 sizes smaller than I was pre-pregnancy!)

Currently 24 weeks pregnant and I've finally got my pre-firstpregnancy boobs back!

Things definitely improved over time, particularly after I started weaning. However, I only lost the last few kilos after I completely stopped. I know it’s so hard - I found it really difficult especially as I had been in good shape (for me!) before getting pregnant. In hindsight though it feels like such a short time that I was bf. Second time round I was much more relaxed because I knew it would be ok in the end. You are doing the most fantastic thing for your baby! Your body has gone through the craziest changes with pregnancy and giving birth - which is amazing - but give yourself permission to take time to recover from that rollercoaster!

Thank you. I really am trying to focus on all the things my baby (and me!) are getting from breastfeeding, and the miracle that she is. I just have always found my boobs so…I don’t even know the word. I feel like they just don’t belong to me. I think feeding is helping actually but I guess not so much that I don’t still feel super self conscious especially feeding in public. I’m trying to buy some good bras to improve this but measuring myself has upset me and set me back. The rib flat in particular is bothering me because it feels so different and I am less clear how likely it is to change in future.

@Rooandtwo I remember feeling like this, mine got so huge they were almost alien and I hated them. Try to remember that it will all go back to (near) normal with time after you stop feeding, and if you can, try not to rush the process. I was so keen to get my body back I stopped feeding before I really wanted to and I regret it now, knowing that it doesnt take that long for them to shrink after, and actually they went so flat it was wose after! Also bf really helps with the weight loss, in my experience, so the longer you can do that the better.