Accustomed Chaos™: My Breasts are Fabulous & I Breastfeed

One of the biggest myths that I hear about breastfeeding and a question I am asked about a lot since I am an open and honest breastfeeding mama is :

"Does breastfeeding make your breasts sag?"

My answer: not according to research! I have breastfeed 3 children & am now still breastfeeding my 20 month old daughter and my breasts are still fabulous. Yes I am nursing still so they are full & in milk production but I know when Baby E decides she is done nursing the changes in my breasts will not be because of breastfeeding.

According to new research done in May 2010 the saggy-ness of breasts (ptosis) is not caused by breastfeeding itself; a very common misconception about breastfeeding. I have heard some new mothers use this as a reason to not breastfeed.

According to the study done by The Division of Plastic Surgery at Kentucky University the participation in breastfeeding (for any extent of time), lack of upper body exercises and weight gained in pregnancy are not the factors that link to saggy breasts. This study showed that in 85% of women polled in the study (who had at least one pregnancy) reported changes in breast shape after pregnancy; 35% reported an increase in size and 30% reported a decrease in size.

The study showed that smoking, body mass index, pregnancy, and weight loss ( and gravity/age) were factors that contributed to breast saggy-ness and that whether a woman breastfed or bottle fed their child/children had no affect on size or shape of their breasts.

So ladies, please don't put off breastfeeding just for fear of getting saggy breasts. It has no play in if that will happen to you or not - just another myth that needs to be busted (ha).

I have breastfed 3 children - a total of 26 months &counting and my 34 DDD beauties are not going to go down hill because of it.