Boobs if breastfeed

mozattack

hi there

can i just ask a quickie, if you breastfeed (completely or in tandem with bottle) will it have an adverse affect on your boobs when you have finished breastfeeding?

thanks so much.

Das Kitty

mozattack wrote: »

hi there

can i just ask a quickie, if you breastfeed (completely or in tandem with bottle) will it have an adverse affect on your boobs when you have finished breastfeeding?

thanks so much.

Your boobs will lose fullness from the swelling that happens during and after pregnancy regardless of whether the milk gets used or not. There might be a slightly more pronounced effect if you decide to breastfeed, but if it's going to happen it's the pregnancy that does most of the altering. That said everyone's body reacts differently and there might be hardly any change to fullness in some women. Pot luck really!

implausible

I was wondering the same! But my question is not about the size/fullness - will they get saggier and do your nipples change? Obviously, everyone is different, but some of the experienced moms' stories would be useful!

lalalulu

Hi.. I didn't breastfeed but my breasts did lose firmness and fullness so definitely don't think it matters if you breastfeed or not. Mine have not become saggy and i don't have stretchmark's, i think it just depend's on the person and how your body reacts to pregnancy. No change in nipples for me

Khannie

Your nipples definitely change temporarily if you're breastfeeding, but they go back to the way they were if memory serves. As for permanent change: They can grow a LOT and incredibly quickly (my mrs went up like 2 or 3 cup sizes in about 24 hours!). It's important to keep the skin supple to avoid any stretching occuring. Bio oil really does help.

twomaddogs

I breastfed for 13 months and mine didn't change much at all that I noticed. No stretch marks at all - they went bigger during BF but went back down to normal size once my daughter was only on one or two feeds a day.

silja

I breastfed twins for 6 months and afterwards, my breasts went back to exactly hiow thwy were before- no loss of firmness, no extra saggyness. I miss my D cup while breastfeeding then, I am back to a small B :P

January

Khannie wrote: »

Your nipples definitely change temporarily if you're breastfeeding, but they go back to the way they were if memory serves. As for permanent change: They can grow a LOT and incredibly quickly (my mrs went up like 2 or 3 cup sizes in about 24 hours!). It's important to keep the skin supple to avoid any stretching occuring. Bio oil really does help.

Not in my experience! Any change has been permanent. Especially the nipples. But they changed during pregnancy (got bigger and darker) and I only breastfed for a few days. I have not lost any fullness from my breasts though they are still the same as before I had my first child.

mozattack

thanks so much for all of your replies. i was actually wondering about the whole sagging thing too and i didn't know you could get stretch marks on your breast too! i was only using the bio oil on my bump.

tomcollins97

mozattack wrote: »

hi there

can i just ask a quickie, if you breastfeed (completely or in tandem with bottle) will it have an adverse affect on your boobs when you have finished breastfeeding?

thanks so much.

Obviously, yes.

Don't feeel under pressure to breastfeed if you are not into it.

mariaf24

Khannie wrote: »

Your nipples definitely change temporarily if you're breastfeeding, but they go back to the way they were if memory serves. As for permanent change: They can grow a LOT and incredibly quickly (my mrs went up like 2 or 3 cup sizes in about 24 hours!). It's important to keep the skin supple to avoid any stretching occuring. Bio oil really does help.

Am i the only one completely uncomfortable with a man replying to a question like this?

Das Kitty

mariaf24 wrote: »

Am i the only one completely uncomfortable with a man replying to a question like this?

Why does it make you uncomfortable? It's a good, valid, non sleazy reply. Why does the gender of the poster matter?

January

mariaf24 wrote: »

Am i the only one completely uncomfortable with a man replying to a question like this?

Plus he's a parent to three children so has obviously seen his wife going through these changes on each pregnancy and therefore has a valid reply to a question like this...

mariaf24

Ok point taken girls,just my opinion.

tootired

I think it all depends on your cup size before you got pregnant. If you're an A-B there doesn't seem to be much difference. If you're a C upwards I think there is a danger of sagging and stretch marks, nipples do change but in my experience not too much and do go back to what they were....almost. About a year after finishing breasfeeding I felt my breasts had gone back to normal, with some slight sagging(miond you this could just be down to me getting older!)

Khannie

mariaf24 wrote: »

Ok point taken girls,just my opinion.

Sorry. Didn't mean to upset you.

Grawns

I noticed that as I've cut back on feeds since she turned one 2 weeks ago my breasts are shrinking back to their c- cup. They look pretty much the same as before I guess. No stretchmarks but neither did my Mother.
My husband has stretchmarks on his back from his teenage years when he grew a load in a year. All down to genetics I guess.

implausible

Oh please God, I hope they shrink! I intend breastfeeding anyway for the good of the babs. A reduction would be the icing on the cake;)

Das Kitty

My bewbs look phenomonal at the moment, such a shame they're so achey. . I've noticed my nipples now go back to normal after a feed. They did look bananas for a while to begin with.

Grawns

deemark wrote: »

Oh please God, I hope they shrink! I intend breastfeeding anyway for the good of the babs. A reduction would be the icing on the cake;)

Wait until you get a load of them when your milk comes in. I felt like Jordan and I'm normally a c. Went to a double d overnight! :eek:

implausible

Grawns wrote: »

Wait until you get a load of them when your milk comes in. I felt like Jordan and I'm normally a c. Went to a double d overnight! :eek:

Oh my god :eek: I'm going to need scaffolding, I'm a G :eek:

CathyMoran

deemark wrote: »

Oh my god :eek: I'm going to need scaffolding, I'm a G :eek:

I was an E/F so I feel your pain...I dont want to know how big they are now (oddly enough hubby is very happy).

hacked

just out of curiosity...how much on average do your boobs grow by once the milk comes in? I bought 2 nursing bras in a D cup (theres a little room to grow!) there last week, but they are quite expensive, and I don't want to go out and buy more if I'm going to need to go up a size!
It's just making washing in the present quite difficult.

Grawns

I wouldn't buy anymore until at least 2 weeks after the birth. They should have settled by then and you can get measured again. Return the ones you bought if possible as they may not fit. I got by with extra lrg sports bra for the first few weeks. You're going to be at home in your jammies anyway so fancy nursing bras not necessary.

Am feeling like an expert after 1 year of breastfeeding. Do I get a medal?

Most important advice is buy a good breastfeeding book. The nurses in the hospital are busy and not very knowlegable. I had no help from them but never got cracked nipples cause I had a good book to give me confidence. Also feed lying down on your side as it's easy and comfortable for you both.

fi1979

Grawns wrote: »

Most important advice is buy a good breastfeeding book. The nurses in the hospital are busy and not very knowlegable. I had no help from them but never got cracked nipples cause I had a good book to give me confidence. Also feed lying down on your side as it's easy and comfortable for you both.

Hi grawns, what book would you recommend? I hadn't thought any book would be as beneficial as all that.

Grawns

This was leant to me by a friend
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bestfeeding-How-Breastfeed-Your-Baby/dp/1587611953

It's written by breastfeeding nazi's but it's very useful and shows you how in a step by step guide. It answers all your questions and reassures you as to what is normal and how to cope with problems. For instance in my case Bridget was feeding well but was getting jaundiced and sleeping a lot as beastfed babies often do. They have to work hard to stimulate the milk and jaundice makes them tired. By the time the nurses realized and wanted to give her a bottle I was able to knowledgably demand a medela breast pump, express and the nurses were able to cup feed her _ no effort on her part. She perked right up and was able to leave hospital on day 4. ( She was an elective section).

If I had been relying on the nurses to help me establish breastfeeding I would have left hosp with my nipples and confidence in tatters and probably would have ended up bottlefeeding. Knowledge is power!

The photos in my copy were from the 70's or something so you can have a right giggle too,

Das Kitty

That's the book I had Grawns. I found it great but I didn't find breastfeeding straightforward even with the book and the help of the excellent midwives and lactation consultants in UCHG. It's a brill hospital if you are planning on breastfeeding.

The only problem I had with the book is that having a section it was hard to feed and read at the same time and although I'd read it twice during pregnancy I was lying there a lot wondering about something and physically couldn't look it up! I would have given up if it wasn't for one of the lactation consultants talking me down off the figurative ledge!

We still find it difficult tbh, some mums and babies learn it very quickly and intuitively and others really have to work and work at it.

Grawns

Glad you stuck with it and had help at hand. Wasn't my experience. In fact the nurse who said she would be helping me to establish breastfeeding ( she offered) never came back. Total mad wagon :eek: I waited several hours and said right lets just get on with it.

My husband was bewildered but I had my book and I always fed lying down so I could have a look at it if needed. The book gave me the confidence to believe I could do it and that it was easy and natural. Worked out that way for me but it was still an overpowering task especially on top of dealing with the miracle of a baby.

Das Kitty

I had complete confidence too, until the third night when all he wanted to do was feed and got frustrated and vocal that it wasn't flowing like he wanted it to! It was really when I was reassured that I wasn't supposed to be able to get it exactly right straight away and that me and James had to learn to make it work together that I felt freed. I was feeling so guilty that I couldn't satisfy him and that he was getting jaundiced. In a lot of ways it was my confidence to begin with that went against me. Once I accepted that there is a learning curve I was able to take the time to practice without getting frustrated with myself. James was very sensitive to positioning when he was first born, literally a couple of cms either way and he'd be out of whack. Thankfully he's more relaxed about positioning now as he's gaining weight like mad and I wouldn't be able to hold him like I used to have to!

hacked

thanks Grawns. Think I'm passed the point of returning the bra's. I needed new ones anyway as i had gone up 4 sizes, and was still squeezing into the ld ones!! :eek:
We'll see how it goes!

Grawns

I really need to buy some new bras as all my nursing bras are now too big and all my nice 34c ( and I have a lot of bras) are too small . I'd say I'm a 36c now. Feck it!