The appearance of the breasts can change due to different factors that have an impact on the body. One of these factors that can affect the size and shape of the body and breasts in more ways than one is pregnancy and breastfeeding. While breastfeeding is a wonderful way to connect with your newborn, many women fear it because they think it will ruin the beautiful appearance of their breasts. Generally speaking, a vast majority of new mothers have lost the beautiful appeal of their breasts after pregnancy and childbirth. But can we blame it all on breastfeeding?
While there are no studies associating breast sagginess with breastfeeding, we know for sure that what happens during pregnancy certainly affects the breasts. During pregnancy, the breasts change with the rest of the body to prepare for ensuring sustenance for new life. The hormonal changes in the body can also affect the breasts by changing their size and making them more sensitive to the touch. Many women know they are pregnant even before taking a pregnancy test because their breasts feel different. Sometimes different means bigger and with a different consistency. Other times they are just more sensitive to the touch to the point of being painful. Different scenarios for different women, but one thing is the same – the breasts do change during the nine months of pregnancy. Moreover, even without the changes associated with the hormones, there are changes on the breasts due to the weight gain that occurs during pregnancy.
After childbirth, the breasts can be swollen, heavy and painful as they are ready for lactation, and many new mothers notice how their breasts feel rock-hard before a breastfeeding session only to become soft afterwards. This is normal, and there is nothing to worry about. The real issue is that when breastfeeding is over, the mother is left with empty, soft breasts that have a low position on the chest wall. This is a breast imperfection that most women are not comfortable with and affects their self-esteem.
Saggy breasts don’t necessarily occur due to breastfeeding. A condition of the breasts that is affected by preponderantly breastfeeding from one breast causes asymmetry of the breasts. This means that one breast can look bigger or have a different shape compared to the other because breastfeeding occurred preponderantly from one breast. This should be avoided as the asymmetries that occur in this manner are often severe and require a surgical procedure to be corrected.
To correct saggy breasts after pregnancy and breastfeeding, we can use the breast lift. The procedure can be performed as a stand-alone or in combination with other plastic surgery procedures, depending on the aesthetic goals of the patient and the initial anatomical characteristics. Often, the breast lift is combined with a tummy tuck or a breast augmentation with implants as part of the Mommy Makeover package.