« Previous · Main · Next »

Does Breastfeeding Make Your Breasts Sag? New Study Says No

November 14, 2007

From December 2003 to March 2006 I was either pregnant or breastfeeding. Not a day off. I got pregnant with The Bear while still breastfeeding The Bortski. So for a while I wasn't quite sure how things would look in the boob department once I was all done with the baby feeding thing. So what happened? Let's just say my bra size has changed. I won't tell you which way it went....up or down. But let's just say that it's different. And almost any mom will tell you something similar.

All the literature I've ever read says that breast changes are due to the pregnancy itself, weight gain, weight loss and heredity. Breastfeeding has nothing to do with it. Now a study that came out last month confirms that breastfeeding doesn't make your boobs sag. Here's some information from WebMD.

"Expectant mothers should be reassured that breastfeeding does not appear to have an adverse effect upon breast appearance," report University of Kentucky plastic surgeon Brian Rinker, MD, and colleagues.

However, four other factors were linked to breast sagging:
* Older age
* Cigarette smoking
* Larger pre-pregnancy bra cup size
* Greater number of pregnancies
Age and cigarette smoking both hamper skin's elasticity, note the researchers.

When I first learned about this study, and realized it was done by some plastic surgeons, I was a bit skeptical. Their ultimate goal, obviously, is to plant the idea in women's heads that a boob job is the way to go post-baby. But put that aside for a moment, and focus on the study's bottom line. Breastfeeding is not going to change your figure. I guess it's nice to get a thumbs up for breastfeeding, no matter where it comes from.