Research-backed
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Every new mother looks forward to nurturing and caring for her newborn. And, in pursuit of this goal, she’ll often place the needs of her baby before her own self. Yet, there may be times when she may become concerned about how pregnancy and breastfeeding might affect her overall appearance. Because let us be honest, pregnancy does cause some irreversible changes to our bodies, doesn’t it? Soon after delivering her baby, a new mother dives straight into her new role of a care provider. And, after spending hours breastfeeding her baby day and night, the reality sets in. In the beginning, it would have been all about sore breasts and nipples. But as the months pass, a breastfeeding mother becomes concerned about her sagging breasts. It is then that she’ll start thinking if all those distant warnings from some of her fellow mothers might have actually been true. So, does breastfeeding actually make your breasts sag? Let us look for some answers.
The Breastfeeding And Breast-Sagging Theory
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This whole theory of breastfeeding causing sagging breasts probably got passed down through generations of mothers. Most of them would have been more of personal experiences rather than proven facts. However, the reality is that breastfeeding does not cause sagging. Pregnancy weight gain, age, genetics, and a host of such factors could be contributing to it. In fact, it is pregnancy and pregnancy-related changes that are to be blamed.
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A study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons was presented at the Baltimore Conference in 2007. This study was conducted to identify the risk factors that led to breast sagging during pregnancy and the correlation between sagging breasts and breastfeeding. It concluded that most pregnant women did experience breast ptosis (sagging) after pregnancy. And, not surprisingly enough, it also substantiated that breast ptosis was common to both breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers. As a matter of fact, the researchers confirmed that breastfeeding not only did not cause the sagging effect, it also did not worsen it. Based on their findings, it was strongly recommended that expectant mothers be made aware of these facts in order to address their concerns and encourage breastfeeding (1).
The Real Culprit: Pregnancy!
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A pregnant woman’s body undergoes a lot of physical changes and breast enlargement is one of them. When the milk glands are full of milk, they cause the breast tissues and skin to stretch. The milk glands eventually go back to their original size after you stop breastfeeding. However, the breast tissues, the skin and even the ligaments around the breast continue being stretched due to the pregnancy weight gain. All of this makes your breasts to sag.
If pregnancy is indeed the culprit, then how come some women’s breasts sag less than the others? The answer to this question is that there are other factors that might influence how much your breasts might sag. Factors like age, the amount of weight gain, size of your breasts before pregnancy, or history of smoking are some of these (2).
So, What’s The Solution?
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Giving up breastfeeding is certainly not one of them, of course. In fact, we all know the innumerable benefits of breastfeeding. However, here is what you can do before, during, and after your pregnancy to limit the breast sag:
- Wear a good supportive bra as your breasts change their size during and after pregnancy. It is even better to consult a lingerie specialist to get the best fit for yourself.
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- If you are planning to get pregnant, start with reducing weight or managing the correct BMI. In doing so, you’ll not put on excess weight during pregnancy that’ll make your breasts sag later.
- Keep your breasts moisturized as much as possible. Most women generally miss this small routine even after a shower, neglecting the breast area often.
- Avoid smoking as it breaks down the elastin around the breasts that prevent them from sagging (3).
We hope after reading all these facts, you are rest assured that breastfeeding does not cause breast sagging. You can now peacefully go back to doing what you do best: caring for that little bundle of joy in your life!
