Post Pregnancy Breasts

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Post Pregnancy Breasts

by Anonymous

Before I got pregnant I had small but nice breasts. They were firm and perky.

Now that I've had the baby and stopped breastfeeding they just kind of hang there like they have become deflated and they are covered in stretch marks. They're still small but I feel like they're smaller now because they're deflated for lack of better words.

How can I get full breasts back and get rid of all the stretch marks without high costs of plastic surgery? I would love implants but that's a dream.

Baby Help Line Response:

Hi!

The post pregnancy breasts can really be a sad story, especially just after weaning! The previosly full breasts are suddenly very empty and saggy, often small and maybe full of stretch marks. Still, research indicate that it is pregnancy rather than breastfeeding that causes all the changes in your breasts.

What to do? Love the situation and be grateful for your baby...? Easier said than done!

Well, one important thing to do is to have some patience. Right after weaning (or giving birth if bottle feeding), the breasts are as saggy as they will ever be (well, within 20 years or so). But just like the extra skin on your belly will slowly disappear, your breasts are also likely to get a bit of their pre-pregnancy appearance back. The extra skin slowly diminishes and in many cases fatty tissues will to some extent start filling out your breasts again.

However, to what extent your post-pregnancy breasts will go back to their pre-pregnancy look, is related to genetics, skin elasticity and amount of weight gain. Smoking and lots of sun exposure has also been shown to be harmful to skin elasticity.

Remember that it can take up to six months after weaning before your breasts have returned to some sort of pre-pregnancy look.

So patience is one thing. The other is to fix what is possible. You mention lots of stretch marks. Have you tried using a good stretch mark cream? A good one that has received a lot of attention for its positive results is TriLASTIN-SR. It doesn't create miracles, of course, but many women notice real improvements by using it.

Third, doing push ups may not improve the appearance the actual breasts, but by strengthening the muscles behind the breasts, it can give your bust a slight lift. (And will be great for your back and shoulders too, of course).

Last but not least, pamper yourself with nice underwear. That might seem like a really stupid advice, but it is so easy to forget yourself when having a new baby. A really good push up bra can make you feel content at least with your clothes on.

I hope all this helps you a bit. Coping with the rapid changes of your post pregnancy body is hard! And honestly, not everything about your body will become as great again.

Doing all we can and want to improve what we can and then trying to accept the rest is really our best option. Walking around feeling miserable over something that just can't be changed is so self destructive!

Give it 6 months, do some exercising and try a stretch mark crème and hopefully, your breasts have improved enough for you to be able to accept them!

I wish you all the best!

/Paula

Comments for
Post Pregnancy Breasts

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Jul 18, 2008

Re: post pregnancy breasts
by: Anonymous

Man, I read your post and thought, this is me... I could have wrote this word for word! My son is now 14 months old and I thank God for him every day. But I have to tell you, I am so self conscious about my breasts. I went from a B cup to a DD when my milk came in. I almost fell over when the lactation consultant measured me for a nursing bra. Now, I can't even look at myself in the mirror, my breasts are smaller with stretch marks, the best word to describe them is deflated. I can't even fill my 34B bra anymore, though I haven't had the heart to try on a 34A. I was never a "boob" person, but I'm going on 33 years old and finding myself wondering about implants, which surprises the hell out of me because surgery in general scares the daylights out of me.

Jan 21, 2009

yep
by: Anonymous

yep this is me too....and while i find that pushups do lift the area a bit they are at best ...deflated. i have never ever considered surgery because i am happy with what god gave me but i will say that now more than ever i would love implants or to at least get pregnant again and this time not breast feed to get my breasts back....

Jan 22, 2009

Tough bi product of having kids...
by: Paula

Hi there!

I think this is probably one of the hardest parts of the post pregnancy changes the body goes through... And I can totally relate to the feeling of suddenly starting to actually considering implants.

Just a quick note on the comment about avoiding breastfeeding; It doesn't help.

There are now two studies that have been done on this subject, and both give the same result; it is the pregnancy not the breastfeeding that causes the breasts to become saggy.

You can read about the saggy breast research here.

Cheers,

Paula

Feb 10, 2009

Time will make it better...
by: Kiara

I just stopped weaning my second child about three weeks ago and I am going through the same thing. I hate this part, but I will say that I feel a little more confident now because with my first child after about six months after weaning my breasts did get more dense again...a little more saggy than before, but nothing a good bra couldn't fix. I feel like this time around it will get better with time as well...in the meantime, get yourself a bra that has some enhancing features until your breast get back to normal...your breasts will come back! Just give it time... :0) Good luck!

Apr 29, 2009

post baby boobs.
by: Anonymous

Its nice to know im not alone with my non exsistant post pregnancy boobs! Ive always had a small bust but I didnt mind as they was firm. Since breastfeeding my daughter for 6 months and just recently weaning her, my breasts have to say the least vanished! Just reading your comments has made me feel a little better and your comments about how 6 months after weaning they may 'perk up abit' has gave me hope!...thanks. I refuse to buy 34a bras ( very silly i know). Every day I feel blessed with my gorgeous daughter and wouldnt change things for the world, but i will be paying alot more now for good jelly bras as opposed to my usual 2 for a fiver!lol...

Jun 11, 2009

Non-Existant Breasts
by: Orchid

I was always in a 34B until getting pregnant with my son, when my boobs suddenly went up to a 34C...I was so happy with them. I breastfed him for 5 months, and my boobs deflated a bit after weaning, but not too bad. A few months after I weaned they started to perk up again and fill up, retaining my 34C (I was so happy they were bigger than before!). Then I got pregnant with my daughter, my breasts went up to a 34D, I was SO elated, I thought for sure it would be the same as after my son. HA! I was mistaken! I breastfed her for 7 months until my supply again ran short (same with my son), and my boobs deflated. She is a year old now, and I refuse to buy a 34A..I had to break down and buy a 34B which hurt badly, and even that is too big. They are not perking back up this time, and they are not regaining any firmness or filling..and are as small as they were when I was 13 years old and had no breasts. I'm not married, a single mom, and it has killed my self confidence drastically. Sure a bra fixes it on the outside, but once it comes off...well I never want to take it off. I'm tempted to get implants.

Jun 23, 2009

post baby boobs
by: Anonymous

I've been feeling exactly as all of you had. I was a full 34B (almost C). I breasfed my boy for more than a year and got my boobs back almost the same as before, but then with my second child, which I breasfed for 11 months, it wasn't the same story. I was refusing, but finally had to buy 34A bras. My boobs are now very small and saggy that I dont even like to look myself in the mirror any more. They were what attracted my husband the most, and now I dont even want to take out the bra in front of him. It's very frustrating. I thought I'd never thought of breast augmentation, but I think that's the only solution for me. :(

Jun 29, 2009

breast enlargement
by: Anonymous

I can sympathise with you all. I have two kids now and stopped breastfeeding about two months ago. I was a 32E when I was feeding but am now back to a saggy B cup. I was also one to never think of surgery and couldn't understand people who did it but now I think that is the way I am going. I am very scared about it, side effects, things going wrong etc but I am so unhappy with the way they look that I have to give it a chance. I never take my bra off, shower in the dark and won't let my husband see me. That is not healthy.

I always had a really good figure before the kids and I think that makes it harder to accept. Now between the varicose veins and the saggy boobs I feel ugly! But I try and keep it all in perspective as much as possible and think at least I have two healthy kids and I wouldn't change that for anything.

Jul 06, 2009

I feel all of you
by: Anonymous

Hey. I have 3 kids. Nursed both of them. First I looked good...2nd child...wow...the whole damn body changed? Whats going on with that? I have a self image issue...Where I dont want to be fake...because I feel everyone would know..but gesh....I want to pump my boobs up again! Any one tried any good firming lotion for the tummy part?

Jul 23, 2009

saggy boobs
by: Anonymous

My breast are uneven now my right breast is like a 34c if it wasnt so saggy and my left breast is like a 34a both are saggy though im only 20 years old and this is my first child she is 3 months and 6 days why is my bf talking about my saggy boobs all the time hes fat he has man boobs and theere perkier than mines i feel lack of confidence in my upper body i dont even want to go swimming or to a night club anymore i have no cleavage to show its all chest bones then my boobs are resting on my tummy

Aug 17, 2009

boobs
by: Anonymous

Totally sympathise with everyone. Same story with me and I now have uneven saggy boobs ! I did find that exactly 2 years after each birth my boobs did start to fill out a bit but not quite the same as my old boobs ! I then went on the combined contraceptive pill and they filled out quite a bit more. Am now pregnant again and enjoying lovely boobs (for the time being!!!)

Aug 25, 2009

No Surgery Option
by: Anonymous

If anyone is interested, there are options such as Brava and Enhance that help you grow your own breast tissue. I am not sure how much it helps with sagging, but it's worth a try if you're considering surgery. It is much less expensive, I believe. However, it is intensive, something like 10 weeks of use of 10 hours a day. Do your own research on it, of course, but I would say to use this before you try surgery.

Oct 07, 2009

Last Resort!!!
by: Anonymous

I have to say I am in the same boat...the only difference is my youngest daughter is now 5 years old. I was barely an A cup when I got pregnant with my first child and swelled to the point I was busting out every direction of a DD! Now im just like you, they look deflated, stretch marked all around, and just kinda hang there.I have tried absolutely EVERYTHING and none of it has worked. After all these years I have finally decided to see a plastic surgeon. It's gonna be my birthday present to myself for my 25th birthday :) SO EXCITED!!!! I really hope things work out for you. Word of advice...if you aren't happy with how they look after the first year go ahead and turn to surgery because, unfortunately, that is how they will most likely stay. Good luck!!!!

Oct 23, 2009

Sad Boobs
by: Nicole

Mine are the same way. After I stopped breastfeeding my boobs "deflated" and are covered in stretch marks, my son is now 3 months old and my boobs seem to be getting a little firmer but theres still a lot of extra skin and saggy. They were a 34B and perky before I got pregnant then while I was breastfeeding they got up to a 36D still perky, and now they are to small for my 34B bras. I also have been considering implants, but I will look into other ways besides surgery. If they help I will repost with my reults!! Good luck to every one else! =]

Nov 13, 2009

I now shop in the kids bra section
by: Anonymous

I too have felt the glum of post pregnancy breasts. I am 24 and 130lbs and before I was pregnant I was a 36B and after the birth I was spilling out of my 36C bra. I was happy, content and then saddened when my milk came in and within a month of pumping and trying to get my daughter to latch with failure it was gone so I could no longer breast feed (same thing happened to my mother)My daughter is now 15 months old today and I`ll admit it, I`m rocking a childs Lrg Hannah Montana bra because I can`t seem to find one that fits in the adult section. It`s very depressing, I have been hounding my bf for implants, but we can`t afford it and he doesn`t want other guys to look at me that way. It`s rather annoying my fathers side of the family all have huge breasts and I have been cursed with my mothers genes in the small breast department. But like some others have said...you can fix the way it looks from the outside, but once the bra is off I feel like I am lying to the world as to what I have....just nipples and small bumps....so saddening! And to think my friends and I used to joke in high school saying that I would finally get breasts when I had children because everyone seems to think that the breasts stay...ha ha ha I guess my body is laughing at me now