Does breastfeeding make your breast sag?

Your breasts will go through significant changes during pregnancy and become larger to prepare for lactation. The increase in blood flow and milk causes your ligaments and skin to stretch, as your breasts grow fuller. When your baby is born, your breasts stretch even more, as it is filled with milk. 

Does breastfeeding make your breast sag? 

Although breast sagging is a common problem after breastfeeding, it is not breastfeeding alone that causes the breasts to sag. Your stretched ligaments and skin might not return to their original shape after pregnancy, which contributes to sagging breasts, regardless of whether you choose to breastfeed or not. This is because other factors contribute to sagging breasts, such as being overweight, ageing, larger bra size pre-pregnancy, smoking, and the number of pregnancies. 

How To Minimise Sagging Breasts

1. Wear a Supportive Nursing Bra

Choose a nursing bra that provides ample support for the ligaments in your breasts, to reduce the stretch of the ligaments. Do wear your nursing bra diligently throughout the day, until you sleep, to provide maximum support for your ligaments while you are breastfeeding. If you plan to exercise, do ensure that your bra can support your breasts to limit bounce, as more bounce will result in more sag. 

2. Watch Your Weight Gain During Pregnancy

It is important to stay within the weight gain guidelines during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding, because the more weight gained, the larger your breasts might become, resulting in stretched or looser skin when you lose weight, making it more likely to sag.

3. Lose Your Pregnancy Weight Gradually

Do try to lose your pregnancy weight at a moderate pace, to give your skin and ligaments time to recover and strengthen, or else your skin might not be able to regain elasticity as quickly as your weight loss, and may end up sagging. This also holds for breastfeeding. Mothers who wean slowly will be less likely to have sagging breasts, as their skin has had enough time to tighten. 

4. Keep Your Skin Moisturised

Make sure your breasts are healthy and moisturised to reduce sagging. Moisturised skin has better elasticity and can bounce back from stretches better than dry skin. Consult your doctor or pharmacists for recommendations, and make sure that your moisturiser is safe for breastfeeding mothers. 

5. Avoid Smoking or Smoke

On top of contributing to saggy skin, smoking is also harmful to both you and your baby. This is because smoking breaks down elastin, a protein in your skin that has elastic properties to support your breasts to stretch and recover. If you smoke, do consult a doctor to help you quit smoking. Do avoid areas with heavy smoke to reduce its negative effects on you and your baby. 

Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for you and your baby. Do remember that breastfeeding does not cause a drastic negative impact on your breast shape and volume, so do not let that hinder you from breastfeeding and its benefits. 

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