Can we prevent sagging breasts- naturally? Breastfeeding

Daniela Knaan

UX/UI Designer at - Adobe

Overview

If you have children, you already know how it feels when your body is not your own anymore. Starting with pregnancy, everything changes. Not only our belly grows, but our breasts also do, too, and with that, our skin stretches in a way we would never have imagined, it could! And once stretched skin- we all know- does hardly go back to its previous condition. Instead, it will become saggy once empty of the content that caused the stretch in the first place!

But before we surrender and say goodbye to our “before-I-became-a-mom-bodies”- what is the real reason for the change, and more important- can we prevent it from happening – in a natural way?

What causes saggy breasts?

Surprisingly, recent studies showed, that it is not at all breastfeeding that makes our breasts sag. It is still unclear, but there may be more than one reason for our breasts to sag, and one of them is pregnancy. During pregnancy, our breasts get bigger, and the ligaments stretch.

But not only pregnancy does have such an effect on our bodies. Having large breasts, aging, and smoking have similar effects. the last two make the skin lose elasticity, and so over time, our breasts will get saggy.

There were several studies done with patients for breast correction which were asked how many pregnancies they had, if they breastfed, smoked, and if they exercised.

So what is the surprising outcome? Smoking, age, and the number of pregnancies have the greatest impact on how our breasts look! There were no significant differences between women who nursed their children and those who did not.

Prevent breasts from sagging??

So is there really a way to prevent nature from taking its course with our bodies? We all know that we can’t stop the aging progress. And yes, I find it scary to age. But do we really have to look like 20 forever? Aren`t the things that change in our bodies also signs of achievement? Looking the best at every age should be our goal.

With that being said, no miracle will change nature`s way. But there are a few things we can do to slow down aging, to keep our body good-looking and healthy, and- to let our breasts sag a little bit less!

What helps?

Don`t smoke! Smoking reduces skin elasticity and leads to early aging.
Wear a comfortable bra during exercise in order to prevent too much motion of the breasts
Exercise! Growing muscles and maintaining a straight posture help with a natural lift and fight gravity.
Keep your weight constant. Gaining or losing weight rapidly can lead to saggy breasts.
Protect your breasts from the sun, since UV rays also lead to early aging.

Do our breasts go back to normal?

Like everything, time heals… If you noticed that your skin belly seems loose after delivery, and stays this way for quite several months, the same applies to your breast. Our body renews itself all the time, but with increasing age, and environmental impacts like sun, unhealthy lifestyle, and lack of exercise it becomes increasingly difficult for our body to repair all the damages. Further, during pregnancy, our body undergoes some changes that cannot be undone or reversed.

Does my breast size reduce after pregnancy?

Unfortunately, this is also one of the things we cannot control. Some women report having larger breasts after- those would be the lucky ones- others say they reduced in size, and a few even say their breasts are the same. It may be hereditary, it may depend on the change of hormones, and it surely has a lot to do with the number of pregnancies you had.

Conclusion

The good news is, once you have made the decision to become pregnant, it is already done. You can breastfeed your baby without hesitating or being afraid of what it will do to your breasts.

If you want to look good you have to do good to your body! Eat healthily and work out. You should feel good about yourself, and even if you have a bit of saggy breasts, carry them high and with pride! Maybe we can`t prevent saggy breasts totally, but maybe we can definitely change the way we feel about them!

You are a mom, you created life! And those breasts may have nourished a baby to grow! This is so much worthier, isn`t it?