Pregnancy will undoubtedly cause changes in your breasts, but the causes of the most notable changes may not be directly related to nursing.
In two studies, researchers asked moms what they thought about their breasts. From 55 to 75% of women said that their mammary glands looked worse after pregnancy, describing them as droopier and with less elasticity [1, 2].
But the overall appearance of breasts is mostly influenced by:
- heredity;
- excess weight;
- large breast size;
- advanced age;
- smoking;
- and the number of pregnancies (the more babies a mom has, the greater the changes).
Notably, breastfeeding is not on the list. It may well be a myth that nursing ruins a mother’s breasts [3]. The structure of the mammary glands changes during pregnancy to prepare for lactation, but breastfeeding, in and of itself, is not that relevant when it comes to changes in the structure of breast tissue. Once lactation ceases, tissue returns to its former state [4].
In general, the mammary glands return to the same shape and size as before pregnancy. Surprises are possible, though. For example, one breast may droop a bit more or be slightly larger than the other [5]. When it comes to stretch marks, these will fade quite a bit, but will not disappear completely. All of these changes are natural, so try to concentrate on your body’s amazing capacities; this will help you appreciate and love it even more than before, not less.
