Postpartum, Posteverything Boobs
Okay. Let’s talk about boobs some more.
Specifically, I’ve had more than several moms ask me about post-breastfeeding boobs. Do they…you know…bounce back?
Will they be like they were before? Will they be different? Droopy? Saggy?
Behold! My magnificent answer: IT DEPENDS.
And it depends on a LOT. Genetics. Your age. Your cup size. How long you breastfed for. Number of children. Whether you previously had a lift, a reduction, or implants. For some women, just the pregnancy alone wreaks havoc, while others can birth and breastfeed multiple children and see absolutely no breast changes.
Basically, it’s a total freaking wild card.
Breastfeeding and Your Boobs
Personally, I saw NO changes after nursing one baby. I was in my 20s, I was a 32A, I breastfed for five months but never really exclusively, as I was plagued with supply problems, my boobs never really changed much during that time — I think I was about a B cup. And after I stopped for good, everything was fine. I could still buy bras in the junior department, I could still skip wearing bras all together if I wanted to.
Then came baby number two. The clock had clicked past the 30 mark. I nursed exclusively for a good number of months (and spent several of them wearing 34D bras, yowzah). He weaned at 10 months. I never bothered with any creams or miracle serums, though I did wear bras or supportive tanks 24 hours a day for several weeks post-weaning. And honestly, things are just fine.
My boobs are DEFINITELY softer and probably not quite as (god I hate this description) “perky,” but really, they’re fine. Same size, no stretch marks, still nothing that could be described as saggy or deflated or tubesock-like. I am happy with them. My husband is very happy with them, oddly enough, and swears he prefers them now. (Hi honey! Thanks for never reading this column.) Since I got the short end of the Stretch Mark/Belly Pooch Stick, I am grateful for this small blessing of good post-pregnancy boobs.
But WHO KNOWS how I managed to luck out. Genetics? A benefit of being flat-chested? (SUCK THAT, everybody who teased me in high school.) Not nursing beyond a year? Not being past 35? Some combination of all of the above? Would another round of pregnancy and nursing completely change them all over again? Is it all just total ridiculous flat-out luck?
(And could I USE any more question marks today? Goodness. Back away from the rhetoricals, self!)
So…yeah. That’s all I can say about my boobs. Which have absolutely no bearing on your boobs, and offer no clues about what will happen to them after you birth and/or breastfeed a baby. Or multiple babies. I don’t think there’s any way to know for sure (although talking to your mother and grandmother might give you a basic idea of what to expect). The good news is that breastfeeding reduces your risk of certain kinds of breast cancer. Even if you’re not completely thrilled with the look and feel of your postpartum boobs, it’s definitely preferable to not having them around at all.
And now it’s your turn. Tell the nice Internet all about your boobs.
Photo source: Flickr/Emmaline
