What happens to your breasts.....

[GreenGranolaMama]

So I was cleaning out some old clothing from my closet this morning and I found some of my pre pregnancy/ pre nursing bras... and they looked like they could fit a doll... a really small, very flat chested doll DS is 7mo and there is no end to our nursing relationship in sight as I am planning on nursing as long as he wants to...but I am just curious as to what happens to your breasts when you are done nursing... I know it must vary from women to women... I'm not too freaked out about it as I am not particularly weird about my body and even if they did look a little different it would TOTALLY be worth it... but still... curious...

[Porcelain Interior]

A large number of possibilities exist. You could stay at your new larger size. They could shrink down a bit, but there is one thing that won't happen. They won't get any higher or firmer.

I was a small 32 B before kids. Now I'm a 32 C. They are lower and relaxed now, but on the whole not a ton different.

[Llyra]

For me, mine shrunk down to even smaller than they were before I had kids. They're kind of like deflated balloons...

[Ellien C]

I went from "not-quite-A" to A after nursing. I'm like whopping A+ now that I'm getting ready to lactate again. They definitely stayed a little bigger. And my nips are HUGE compared to what was.

[Golden]

I was a 36D pre-pregnant and a 36DD while nursing. 3 years since weaning I am a 36D. They don't look that different, even to me, although they do hang a tiny bit lower. I think it really varies person to person.

Here is another related question: those of you who didn't see much breast change, did you also not get any or many stretch marks? I'm just wondering if it's a connective tissue genetic tendency.

For the record, I also don't have any belly stretch marks after two big babies. I have some light ones on my lower back though.

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by Golden

I was a 36D pre-pregnant and a 36DD while nursing. 3 years since weaning I am a 36D. They don't look that different, even to me, although they do hang a tiny bit lower. I think it really varies person to person.

Here is another related question: those of you who didn't see much breast change, did you also not get any or many stretch marks? I'm just wondering if it's a connective tissue genetic tendency.

For the record, I also don't have any belly stretch marks after two big babies. I have some light ones on my lower back though.

I had no stretch marks at all on my belly or my breasts, with my first DD. I did get some on my butt, but I gained a LOT of weight. With the twins, though, all bets were off-- I have more than just stretch marks. My stretch marks have stretch marks...

[mambera]

Originally Posted by Golden

Here is another related question: those of you who didn't see much breast change, did you also not get any or many stretch marks? I'm just wondering if it's a connective tissue genetic tendency.

I've read that stretch marks correlate somewhat with tearing during labor, suggesting there is an underlying degree of skin elasticity that's specific to the individual.

Not sure whether this would have to do with breast size though. For the record, I didn't get any stretch marks in pregnancy (though I do have some very fine, light ones from adolescence) and my boobs didn't change a whole lot, went from 34C to maybe a 36D. I have somewhat low supply though; maybe they'd be bigger if I had more milk.

[Golden]

No, I didn't mean breast size. I meant sagging or deflated breasts. I hear plenty of women say that they sag way more than others seem to and I just wonder if they also had stretch marks. A tendency to stretch mark, tear during birth, and I'm guessing the suspensory ligaments that hold up breast tissue, along with the stretching of skin, I am guessing are all related. Maybe not though.

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by Golden

Here is another related question: those of you who didn't see much breast change, did you also not get any or many stretch marks? I'm just wondering if it's a connective tissue genetic tendency.

For the record, I also don't have any belly stretch marks after two big babies. I have some light ones on my lower back though.

I didn't get belly stretch marks till 38 weeks-ish with dd. I didn't gain much weight, but she was about 10# at birth (41.5 weeks). Breasts went from barely 32/34B to overflowing 38D. No breast stretch marks. For the OP, they were slowly deflating, though still much bigger than pre-dd (she's 3 next week), but now I'm pg again so they're growing again.

[GreenGranolaMama]

I didn't get any stretch marks during pregnancy. My mother, grandmother, grandmothers mother etc... all had stretch marks and are AMAZED that I escaped it. I used the Burts Bees Belly Butter twice a day religiously and think that may have something to do with it... although I used it on my breasts as well and they had some purply stretch marks that have now faded. Pre pregnancy my breasts were like a very small A...now they are like a large C, which I am totally digging And my nipples are ginormous... Sorry if this is TMI lol but it's nice to hear others transformation stories as well

[Miss Chris]

I'm very interested in this idea about the correlation between stretch marks, tearing, and breast changes. Somebody should get a grant!

Seriously, it makes sense in a way and I'm really interested to see what people say about it.

For me I got no stretch marks with my first baby and have no stretch marks from any other time in my life. I went up from a small 34C before pregnancy to a 36D while I was nursing and then exactly back to a 34C after weaning. My breasts were softer and a little lower but otherwise not much changed. My nipples which had gotten larger and browner during pregnancy and nursing also went back to the way they had been before.

Now I'm pregnant again and in my 7th month I'm up to a 34D, expecting to probably go up another size when the milk comes just like last time. Still no stretch marks and I'm hoping to keep it that way, but we'll see... I am inherently too lazy to use the creams or lotions, and I'm not convinced they make any difference. I think I have very stretchy/elastic, somewhat oily skin. Good for no stretch marks, bad for pimples . Take the good with the bad I guess.

I wonder if others have noticed that correlation? Not to hijack, but just to add on, if you don't have stretch marks, do you find you tend to get breakouts? what about vice versa?

Miss Chris

[mammal_mama]

I was a D-cup before having children and now I'm a G-cup. Though I'm not exactly sure if I know what they're like "after" breastfeeding yet.

My older dd was still nursing occasionally when I got pregnant with my younger dd, and my younger dd still nurses occasionally now. I can't express any milk any more but dd says she is still getting milk.

My breasts definitely hang low now, but they're not shapeless -- they're very round and full (they were also round and full, but firmer and higher, back when I was a D-cup pre-kids).

So I'm not sure ... I guess I'll see if there's any change after dd's gone without nursing for several months.

[mammal_mama]

Miss Chris, I have oily skin on my face, but dry hands and feet. I still occasionally get small break-outs, I used to have really horrible acne -- but I also have stretch marks.

[mambera]

Originally Posted by Miss Chris

I'm very interested in this idea about the correlation between stretch marks, tearing, and breast changes. Somebody should get a grant!

Seems it's been done:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11005345

I wonder if others have noticed that correlation? Not to hijack, but just to add on, if you don't have stretch marks, do you find you tend to get breakouts? what about vice versa?

No pregnancy stretch marks as per my previous post, but I've never had a problem with oily skin or acne. Generally the skin on my face is pretty good but if there's ever a problem it's dryness, not oil.

I did use the belly cream religiously throughout pregnancy though.

[Madalyn]

Originally Posted by Miss Chris

I wonder if others have noticed that correlation? Not to hijack, but just to add on, if you don't have stretch marks, do you find you tend to get breakouts? what about vice versa?

I have breakouts and stretchmarks woohoo. My stretchmarks are the worst on my calves though. I didn't even know you could get stretchmarks there until I got pregnant! I mean seriously my stomach is fine besides a few hardly noticeable ones I got after I gave birth yet my calves look like they carried twins.

[InMediasRes]

I have horrific stretch marks. My stomach looks like it got mauled by a tiger. They cover the entire area from the bottom of my ribs to my pubic bone, and out to about 2 inches from my waist on either side. They are still very red. They extended with my second pregnancy.

I have them on my breasts as well. Most of the change for me is that my breasts are different sizes, so the disparity gets greater because one doesn't grow. So I started our 32 A/almost A, and ended up 32 B/almost A with the first. They shrunk back after the first, but then the one got even bigger the second time around. I'm interested to see what they do when we're done. I'll be glad to have them closer to even again.

[rivkah]

Everyone is indeed different. I started out an A cup. After nursing for about 4 1/2 years straight--and going to a variously B or C Cup, mine went flat as pancakes--I wore what they call an "Almost A". So they shrunk. After 8 years, I had DD who is 6 months, and I am back to a C cup. They will likely deflate back down to an almost A over the next couple of years. .

And the tiny Almost A's sagged a lot!

I have a little bit of stretch marks on the sides of my belly, but nothing too bad.

[2lilsweetfoxes]

I started out a 32C before my first pregnancy. After I weaned my second child (got pregnant while still nursing my first), my breasts went to about a 32 Barely-B and a bit saggy. About a year later, they were a C cup again and not saggy, as my body adjusted. Now, I'm nursing baby #3 and I wear a 34C bra, but should probably be a 32D, but can't find those.

(yes, I'm skinny)