Do Your Breasts Get Bigger After Pregnancy?

Giving birth to a baby changes your body in several ways and one of them is breasts changes. Breasts usually changes during and after pregnancy, but how?  Do your breasts get bigger after pregnancy? This is what we want to discuss in this article on Hipregnancy.

If you want to know what happens to the size of your breasts after pregnancy and whether the changes are permanent, keep reading this article to the end.  

Breast size before and after pregnancy

Breasts usually start to change from the moment of conception. Do you want to know why breasts change after conception? Let us tell you.

After conception, blood flow and the amount of fatty tissue increase in the breast to help mammary glands and milk ducts grow. This will continue throughout pregnancy and after that.

You might notice changes in your breast size even before a missed period, as a pre-pregnancy sign. Your breasts start getting bigger from the moment of conception to start preparing to breastfeed your baby. That’s why there is a difference between breast size before and after pregnancy.

Keep reading to learn more about breast changes after pregnancy.

Also Read: postpartum cellulite

Are breasts permanently bigger after pregnancy?

The purpose of all changes in your breasts during and after pregnancy is to prepare them for feeding your newborn. After pregnancy, the level of estrogen and progesterone falls, but another hormone called prolactin releases to send a signal to your breasts.

When your breasts receive a signal from prolactin, they begin to make milk. It is recommended to breastfeed your baby for at least six months after birth, and continue it if you both wish. It is worth remembering that the best ways to feed the newborns is to breastfeed.

Breasts are bigger after pregnancy in comparison with before getting pregnant. They become larger between three and five days after childbirth. That is because lymphatic fluid builds up in the vessels of your breasts, and the milk produces and fills the ducts.

Another reason that changes the size of breast after pregnancy is your body weight. Since you get weight during pregnancy, your breasts will get bigger. As a result, you have bigger breasts after pregnancy if your body weight after birth is different from before getting pregnant.

Will my breasts stay bigger after pregnancy?

Your breasts are bigger after pregnancy, but their size is permanent. In other words, they will not stay big forever and they will return to their pre-pregnancy size when you stop breastfeeding your baby.

Moreover, if you return to your normal weight or pre-pregnancy weight, the size of your breasts will change, too and they will return to their normal size. To know the best ways to lose weight, check How to lose weight after pregnancy.

Although, the size of your breasts will not stay big after you stop breastfeeding or return to your normal weight, they will not return to their pre-pregnancy shape, due to stretching their ligaments.

There are some ways to help you keep your breast size after pregnancy, which are mentioned in the following parts of the article. They might help you to maintain a big size of your breast, but just a bit. You should not expect to have a large birth, as it is while breastfeeding.

How long do breasts stay big after pregnancy?

Overall, your breasts stay big until you stop breastfeeding and return to your pre-pregnancy weight. Often, they will return to their normal size six months after you stop breastfeeding. For example, if you breastfeed your baby for six months, it takes at least 12 months after pregnancy to return to your pre-pregnancy breast size.

Since all women are not the same, the mentioned time may last longer. It depends on your body and the time you lose weight after childbirth. It is recommended to think about the life of your newborn at breastfeeding time and how to feed your cute baby to be healthy enough, rather than the size of your breasts.

Do not be worried about the size of your breasts; they will return to their normal size.

How to maintain breast size after pregnancy?

The breasts size and volume will be changed after pregnancy normally. However, there are some ways to maintain their size. Let’s see what you can do to increase maintenance of your breast size after pregnancy.

• Breastfeeding your baby should be your priority after pregnancy and childbirth.
• Massaging your breast can help maintain the breast size and volume. If you massage your breasts regularly, the blood flow will be increased, followed by speeding up cell growth.
• Another way to keep the breasts size is to lose weight slowly, not in a short time after pregnancy.
• Doing physical activities can be helpful too. Consult your doctor to know what postpartum physical activities are safe for you.
• Boosting estrogen production is another good way to maintain breast size after pregnancy. Consuming foods containing phytoestrogens, including flax seeds, nuts, soy products, strawberries, and peaches can boost estrogen production.

There are many ways to keep your breast in shape after pregnancy, like exercising, staying hydrated, and losing weight slowly. However, you should know that have in shape breasts will night happen over a night. Be patient and follow the above tips to see better results.

Possible breast problems after pregnancy

Breast problems are common among ladies after pregnancy, particularly during breastfeeding. Let’s take a look at these breast issues;

• Blocked milk ducts

You may experience block milk ducts while breastfeeding. This can be painful, but you can reduce your pain.

Gently massaging the lump towards the nipple, changing your position while breastfeeding, wearing well-fitting bra and clothes, and applying warms flannels to your breast can be helpful.

• Engorgement

Another breast problem is engorgement, and it happens when your breast becomes overfull of milk.

 You can ease your pain by using a breast pump to release milk, feeding the baby on demand, and wearing a well-fitting nursing bra. If you can tolerate the pain, get support from your breastfeeding counselor.

• Mastitis

When the breast becomes infected or inflamed due to blocked milk ducts or breast engorgement, it is called mastitis.

This breast issue is followed by symptoms, including nausea, headache, and a raised temperature as well. Breastfeeding your baby during this period will not harm the baby and can ease your pain.

It is recommended to consult a doctor to treat this issue, as you may need to take an anti-inflammatory drug or antibiotic.

• Sore and cracked nipples

When baby sucks the nipple and does not attach to the breast properly, this breast issue happens.

If breastfeeding is painful for you, and you feed up your newborn with breast milk, consult a midwife or breastfeeding counselor to get support.

Conclusion

One of the top searches question regarding postpartum breast changes is; “Do your breasts get bigger after pregnancy?” The answer to this question is yes, breasts get bigger after pregnancy; however, they will return to their normal size after you stop breastfeeding.

In this article on hi pregnancy, we covered the points you need to be aware of about breast changes and issues after pregnancy.

 If you have any other questions, or experiences about breast changes after childbirth, do share with us via comment. Wish you enjoyed this article!

FAQs

1. When will my breasts go back to normal after pregnancy?

Breasts will go back to normal after stopping breastfeeding; for about 6 months after that.

2. Do breasts stay big after breastfeeding?

No, when you stop breastfeeding, the breasts start to return to their normal size and volume.

3. How can I keep my breast size after pregnancy?

There are several ways to keep the breasts size, including exercising, losing weight slowly, massaging the breasts, etc.