When it comes to feeding your baby, pediatricians and lactation consultants agree: breast is best. Breast milk gives your baby the most optimal mix of nutrients, proteins, fats, and antibodies to help him grow strong and healthy. There is even research that shows that breastfeeding decreases rates of breast cancer in women. So what is there not to love?
Well, in between feedings, diaper changes, and the chaos of childrearing, many women worry about what breastfeeding does to their breasts. Those supple curves that were once the centerpiece of feminine mystique have evolved into a combination of baby restaurant, refrigerator, and bottle warmer. They are engorged then deflated. The nipples are raw. They are covered with stretch marks.
Will my breasts ever be the same again?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Not completely, at least. Unless you are one of the genetically blessed among us, breastfeeding leads to some of the following physiologic consequences in women:
- Ptosis. This is the medical term for drooping. You may notice after breastfeeding one or more babies that your breasts sit lower on your chest wall than they used to. The nipples might point downward. There may be more contact between the skin on the underside of your breasts and the skin of your chest. If you feel that your breasts look better in a bra, when they are supported higher up on your body, this may mean you have ptosis.
- Deflation. After breasts go through the process of engorgement and deflation several times a day for weeks or months, they begin to lose their elasticity. This is manifested in the “deflated” look of the top part of the breast. You may notice that your breasts don’t fill your clothes in the same way, or that you don’t have the cleavage you used to have.
- Skin changes. With weight changes of pregnancy and lactation, the skin may develop stretch marks. Sometimes these will fade over time, as hormonal levels normalize. Other times they will stay. The skin will also lose some of its elasticity– like a rubber band that is a couple of years old, it may not pop right back into a pre-maternity position.
What can you do to fix that?
Wear a well-fitting and supportive bra at all times, even when you are sleeping.
This will reduce some of the burden on your skin and connective tissue to hold up your breasts. You may need a few different bras for the various stages of pregnancy and breastfeeding, when your breast size may fluctuate.
Keep your skin well moisturized.
There isn’t one “magic bullet” stretch mark cream on the market that has been proven to work in all women. However, research does show that using a hypoallergenic lotion to keep your skin hydrated can keep you looking younger. Don’t bother spending a fortune on a pricey department store brand. An unscented body lotion from the drug store will be just fine. Shea Butter is another excellent all-natural option.
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Try to pump or nurse on a somewhat regular schedule.
Keeping your breasts from getting maximally engorged before expectorating the milk can help limit the swing in breast size from one extreme to the other -which in turn reduces some of the tissue damage that can come with breastfeeding.
See your doctor or lactation consultant if you have cracked nipples, bleeding, or warm red breasts.
These can all be signs of a medical problem that needs to be addressed right away.
And what about after you wean your baby?
If you have stopped breastfeeding and you are unhappy with the way your breasts look, there are many options for a “mommy makeover” of your chest. These include a breast lift, breast augmentation (implants), a breast lift with implants, and a breast reduction.
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Plastic Surgery?
Plastic surgery on your breasts is not recommended if you have breastfed in the previous six months. If you are over 40 or you have a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer, you will probably need a mammogram before having any kind of breast surgery. And of course, medical advice is best given by a well-trained plastic surgeon who has actually examined you and seen you as a patient.
The good news is that cosmetic breast surgery is quite safe, extremely common, and makes many women very happy. Breast implants are one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures in America, and they are safe for future breastfeeding if you decide to have more kids later. Moreover, they have not been shown to delay the detection of breast cancer, which is something that women are sometimes afraid of.
If you think cosmetic breast surgery may be right for you, talk to your plastic surgeon.
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Dr. Lara Devgan, MD, MPH
is a Yale-educated, Johns Hopkins-instructed, and Columbia/ New York Presbyterian Hospital-trained plastic & reconstructive surgeon in Manhattan. She is an editorial consultant for The Lancet and a medical expert for ABC News. For more information, visit or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
Much needed honesty. So wrong that people don’t discuss these issues more often so women can make their own informed choices!
Katy, thanks for your comments on your good experience breastfeeding. As a physician and mother who breastfed, I too agree that breastfeeding is best for babies.
In this post, I was attempting to answer some of the common questions that my patients ask me about changes they see in their breasts over time, and what can be done to prevent and fix them. I deliberately avoided the hot-button breast versus bottle debate, as it is a very personal decision.
Best,
Dr. Devgan
Thanks Dr., for the reply. I definitely respect your writing an article to answer specific question that have been brought to you. And I’m sorry to have come off so negative. But I definitely envision some moms-to-be reading this and thinking “What?! My boobs are going to be deflated and covered in stretchmarks after I breastfeed?! No thanks.” Maybe you just didn’t need to answer your opening question with “unfortunately, the answer is no” and instead with “maybe”. Thanks again. 🙂
Of course. Thanks again for writing, and for telling women that it’s not all gloom and doom. Many women do well, look good, and feel great after breastfeeding. This article is for those of us who aren’t as lucky 🙂 I hope you are enjoying your babies. Take care,
Dr. Devgan
Ugh… This article is exactly what we don’t need in our country… something to scare new moms off to breastfeeding.
While the advice for ways to “fix it” are generally good ideas and practices, I’d like to point out that some women’s breasts certainly do go back to how they were before pregnancy and breastfeeding. I am breastfeeding my second baby and I breastfed my first for 13 months. I had/have no stretchmarks. After weaning, yes, they were deflated, but within a few weeks, they were full-looking again, and looked fairly close to how they looked pre-pregnancy. In fact, I actually think I preferred how they looked after compared to before!
And Katy’s answer to a serious problem is to withhold information from people and let them potentially deal with regrets later! What type of person advocates uninformed consent in order to promote their agenda?
Yes, we BF’d. Yes, they were good after 1. Yes they were good during the second. It was a year post lactation that the wheels came off. There is no free lunch, and there is a wear-and-tear tax on the body that every breastfeeding mom has to pay. Pretending breasts don’t change is dishonest. Pretending to prefer them while they’re resting in your armpits during sleep is probably a healthy deception for your mental state, but realistically most people want to look closer to 18 than to 80.
I do wonder how you’re doing after breastfeeding a second time. Probably not so perky but I do hope you like your new “socks” more than before!
Saggy and Unhappy
Not to leave on a completely negative note – I’m so glad we BF’d. I wouldn’t change that, despite the trade-off. However, I do wish there was nothing to trade!
New parents have enough to worry about, learn, and decide, that advocating deception or incomplete information is despicable!
SnU
Finally someone honest! I feel you 100%. I’m 21 years old and bf my first for 14-15 months and my second for a year. I’m so sad all the time.. I’m very insecure about my breasts. I’d rather look 18 then 80. Very upsetting. They are seriously ruined. I’m gonna have to look into some sort of surgical procedure.