Boobs after breastfeeding

[fedoragirl]

This may sound shallow but I was wondering if there was any way to help regain the "perkiness" of boobsas they were pre-BF.
I BF our first child and wore the Bravado Seamless Microfiber pretty much all year and even at night until there was no more leaking at night. I slept bra free then. I am afraid that resulted in saggy boobs and I hate looking at them now.
I am planning on BF baby #2. I just want something with more support this time and also a way to prevent more damage.

[BabbyO]

Well, I don't know if a more supportive bra will help. My "girls" are pretty saggy after BF and I wore pretty supportive bras.

Pre-BF I could pretty much get away without a bra if I wanted...definitely not the case now. I guess a more supportive bra all the time has been my solution.

I've had good luck with the Gillian O'Malley nursing bras from Target, though. I'm able to find pretty supportive bras...that hide the sagginess.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I don't think you can undo what has already been done. I think age is a bigger culprit than nursing. Mine didn't sag and I nursed each 18m, never wore a bra to bed.

Beth

[ThreeofUs]

Hmmm.... Well, I think my breasts definitely changed after nursing my second little one. My boobs looked the same for 40 years, and then nursing changed their shape.

I think Beth is right that you can't undo damage (except surgically), but I do think you can minimize the damage by wearing supportive underwear.

That can be hard to do while nursing - get a bra or nursing shirt too tight and you risk clogged ducts and mastitis. I think the balance is yours to find. What works, what feels supportive without hurting, and what (in the end) reduces the amount of sag or spread.

GL!

[AnnieW625]

The only time my girls had any shape was when I was on BCP or nursing. I guess I am thankful that they aren't any bigger (38A/B) than they are because it makes the not so nice shape of them not bother me at all. I wore a bravado bra or a wacoal bralette (with DD2, this was about all I wore, loved them) most of the time but when I went out without DDs while nursing I would wear a regular bra with a nursing pad, or if I was out wearing non mom clothes I loved my Liz Lange underwire (now the Gilligan & O Malley underwire bra). I hate shelf bras so I never found any nursing tanks that worked for me.

[hoodlims]

Mine didn't sag either, but then again there was barely anything there to begin with. I agree with the age/natural body droop culprit. Then again, there is apparently nothing surgery can't fix in that region!

[Neatfreak]

I also thought that drooping was a symptoms of pregnancy and age; not breastfeeding! I couldn't find anything to combat the effects with my second child, but did get some great fitting bras afterward!

[s7714]

I agree age seems to be a bigger factor. I nursed two DCs for 18 and 15 months each and didn't notice any loss of perkiness until about a year ago (at least 5 years since BFing). I'm currently BFing #3 so I'll have to wait and see what the results of that are.

[hellokitty]

Hey, don't blame it on BFing! Actually, it's pregnancy that makes your boobs sag. A good bra can really help. If anything, make sure you get a RECENT bra fitting from a reputable place, like Nordstroms. For me, that made a big difference.

[brittone2]

Hey, don't blame it on BFing! Actually, it's pregnancy that makes your boobs sag. A good bra can really help. If anything, make sure you get a RECENT bra fitting from a reputable place, like Nordstroms. For me, that made a big difference.

My boobs really don't get big in pgcy but do afterward (which would happen even if I was FFing). I agree w/ what you are saying. I think there was even a study on this a few years ago?

[hellokitty]

My boobs really don't get big in pgcy but do afterward (which would happen even if I was FFing). I agree w/ what you are saying. I think there was even a study on this a few years ago?

Yes, there was a study. I guess I didn't word it exactly the way I wanted to. It's just the fact that having BEEN pregnant, that makes your boobs sag. It's not that your boobs will get saggy during pregnancy. So, that's what I meant, since so many ppl blame it on BFing. I honestly think too, that when you BF, you are much more aware of your boobs than when you weren't BFing, so everything boob related is much more noticeable, lol.

[brittone2]

Yes, there was a study. I guess I didn't word it exactly the way I wanted to. It's just the fact that having BEEN pregnant, that makes your boobs sag. It's not that your boobs will get saggy during pregnancy. So, that's what I meant, since so many ppl blame it on BFing. I honestly think too, that when you BF, you are much more aware of your boobs than when you weren't BFing, so everything boob related is much more noticeable, lol.

I took your post to mean exactly that. I'm the one who typed an awkward post LOL. :wink2: I just wanted to point out (not to you, just in general) that my boobs don't grow in pregnancy, but even then, the rapid growth in those first days (BFing or not) probably causes the same changes.