All of a Sudden I Have Boobs

Updated on April 30, 2008
E.G. asks from Ridgefield Park, NJ
32 answers

Hi there everyone,

Over the course of the last 4 weeks it appears as if I have put on 10 lbs. I haven't changed my eating habits, I exercise the same, and not too much in my life has been different.
But I have noticed that all of a sudden I can't fit into my size 3 pants any more without squeezing, and I have to buy new bras because I jumped 2 cup sizes.(yes my husband is very happy)
I guess my question is: has this happened to anyone else?
I bet it has but I am looking for reasons.
Could it be signs of early menopause?
No i am not pregnant i have an IUC and constanly test myself.
My aunt told me that when you hit a certain age your body just goes through changes:
I have started to get a lot of gray hair suddenly.
And I have acne again like I had in high school.

Is being 26 going to be the downward spiral of my life.
LOL.

PLEASE any advice is appreciated.

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K.M.

answers from Syracuse on

Sudden changes like that could be a sign of something serious. You should see a doctor, and probably at least have some blood tests.

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H.S.

answers from New York on

Hello E.,
Not for nothing, but if you're a size 3, have 3 kids and your boobs are growing, you pretty much have 'Mother Nature' by the balls. GO out and celebrate being absolutely perfect. Enough said. At 26 you have it all. Congratulations. I'm gealous.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.L.

answers from New York on

I doubt you're approaching menopause. This is definitely hormonal. I would guess this is either your body's response to your IUC or you are pregnant. I gained weight on every birth control I tried, plus having been pregnant 3x totally messes with your body! I have three kids same ages as you have, and after every one my body readjusted--hormonally and physically.

Make an appt. with your gyn, who will run some blood tests to rule out some other possibilities, and help set your mind at ease.

And I agree with the poster who said you have Mother Nature by the balls--I'm jealous too! :)

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R.W.

answers from New York on

26 seems a little early for this, but I guess everyone is different. Most women I know experience body changes and metabolism changes once they hit 30 to 35. Once you hit this period, it is harder to keep weight off....food and exercise just seem to affect you differently. I'm no expert, but it's probably hormones and if you think about the amount of time in a woman's life from the time she gets her period till the time she goes through menopause (30 to 40 years?), your age would be at the peak, and starting to come down.

Is there a history in your family of early menopause? Might be something to ask your relatives about and I'm sure you can do a search online about the 30 something body....no, youre not alone!!! :)

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M.B.

answers from Syracuse on

I E.,
I don't think your are menopausal. But I do think you may have a thyroid problem. I would suggest that you get some blood work done. The other thing I might suggest about your weight gain is that your metabolism does slow down some as you get older although you are by no means old. So if I were you I would see a doctor first.
M.

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S.R.

answers from Syracuse on

Hi, E.!

Sound like you have gotten some great advice about the changes you've noticed. I would agree that it is probably a hormonal shift that should be checked by a doctor.

I would also like to assure you that it is not a downward spiril at the age of 26. Nor does it have to be at any age. From my perspective as a 42 year old woman who has just had her first child a year ago and is gearing up to make baby # 2, the key is to stay healthy by eating right, being active (which with 3 children, I am sure you have no problem with this) and staying young at heart. If you do these things, it only gets better!

A still, energetic, fun-loving and hot mama....
S.
S.

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B.A.

answers from New York on

Hi E.,

It is probably nothing, but you should always tell your Dr. about any sudden and significant weight gain or loss. As one poster mentioned the Thyroid could be an issue. I'm sure that there are other things that you Dr. would want to rule out as well.

All the best,

B.

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R.L.

answers from New York on

At 26 is should NOT be menopause and while your aunt is right that your body goes through changes, it is usually hormonally driven. At 26, you're not facing what a 45 or 55 year old woman is hormonally...unless something is amiss. Now, it could be that I am going through premature ovulatory failure. That means early menopuase. Changes I noticed were my cycle changed, it got short and I spotted for a long time, frequent break outs, night sweats, weight gain and difficulty loosing weight and difficulty getting pregnant. They tested my hormones, and sure enough they were off. 10 lbs in 4 weeks is fast. That is 2.5 lbs a week, which means for it to even be calorically possible, you'd have to have eaten and additional like 8750 calories a week! That is a whole lotta food, and not a very realistic possibility. I'd get to see a doctor asap and 1) make for certain you are not pregnant, 2) get a full blood hormone work up. If you can, I'd specifically go see and endocrinologist.

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C.E.

answers from New York on

If you are a healthy person, and eat normally, than look at what type of foods you eat that might affect your growth hormones also... what can make our cells grow faster, etc.... Our foods nowadays are full of things we are not aware of.
If you have a chance to research on this...
Remember, Milk is full of hormomnes!!! Eggs, etc.
Regular milk is full of things we are not aware of until we see something in us change...

For example my daughter, 7 years old with body odor!! That was a wake up call for me. I changed to organic milk, and all that was gone.

Believe me, what you eat and drink matters on our appearance, and on our health!

It can also be many sort of things you are eating that have hormones.. If you are concerned, and it is bothering you, research for answers!

http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbghlink.cfm

Buy Organic milk, eggs, it has no hormones, and no antibiontics,.. etc.

Take Care,

C.

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J.G.

answers from New York on

hi there! you are only twentysix years old with three children! wow! it sounds to me like you should get to a doctor for a complete physical something is going with your body and you are still very, very young!

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G.P.

answers from Utica on

It doesn't sound like menopause but it does sound like you've had a crazy swing in your hormones. I would talk to your doctor if you are concerned.

After having my first - my body was way whacked out. I had hot flashes ALL the time, weight fluxuation and decreased libido. After 6 years and a second baby - the hot flashes are gone, my weight is steadily decreasing (with a proper diet) and my libido is back - hormones are crazy things!

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D.C.

answers from Utica on

My husband and I agree that what women see as attractive and what men see attractive are two different pictures.

My husband thinks Cheryl and Julie Ann are both beautiful women. They are not super thin and as my husband says they have some "meat" on their bones. You have to admit, they probably don't have any rolls of fat anywhere.

We as women, see the models that are modeling and walking down the run way and think that that is what we all should strive to be.

Look in the mirror and see how you look. It sounds like you were too thin. You can allows tone up and become solid and still very attractive.

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A.I.

answers from New York on

YES!!!!!!!

I've been there, except for me it was the age of 27. One day I went to put on a pair of pants and they wouldn't go past my behind. What the ....? Then another pair, then another. All of a sudden I went up a size and agained 15 lbs. So I went along happily with my new body until....... it happened again! This time I am 38, I've gained another 15 lbs (seemingly overnight) and now once again, need to buy new clothes.

I don't know what it means, but I've gone thru the exact same things you're going thru now. Just roll with it and love your body.

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J.M.

answers from New York on

I think that you are probably WAY too young for this to be happening to you as a result of age.

If you're absolutely positive that you're not pregnant, then RUN, don't walk to your nearest endocrinologist and have both your thyroid and cortisol levels checked!!! Could be a slow thyroid or Cushings syndrome (both treatable!) -- unfortunately, I've had both and had symptoms (plus others) similar to what you're describing.

GOOD LUCK!!

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M.K.

answers from New York on

26 NO WAY not menopause

BUT its possible your IUC has failed

I know you say you have tested but try testing again.

M

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S.L.

answers from Elmira on

Hello,

I just turned 30 and have had that happen to me after the death of my Grandmother. I realized I wasn't taking her death so well and found myself eating more often. I didn't realize it was happening to me until my pants wouldn't fit anymore. Since then I've needed to seek council to help me with my depression and stress. I have since been working on losing the weight. My stress has gone down. I'm not sure if this has happened to you but this is the reason for my quick weight gain. Have a great week.

S.

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L.G.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi E.,
After my first child, I became hypothyroid. I gained excessive weight rapidly and had other crazy symptoms like scalp/hair issues. Ask your dr to test your thyroid to rule that out. Once I was properly medicated things went back to "normal". In most cases its an easy fix of taking a pill a day.

Good luck!

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A.G.

answers from New York on

I had those changes after I had children, I had no boobs and afterwards I gained a cup size with each birth, same thing happened with my shoe size. I keep the weight on....which was bad because after 33 it seemed as if it was pretty imposible to loose anything, your body goes through changes and the weight just sticks on. I'm now in my late 40's and that weight is not going anywhere. It's a bit early for you to have early menopause.....so I don't think that is it. I would go to the doctor as a precaution, weight gain can be a trickly thing, and it could be a medical problem too, not to scare you, but have it checked.

Good luck! Aida

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A.A.

answers from Albany on

Have you changed your birth control? I guess some might make your boobs grow. Sorry, no other thoughts. It happened to me too, but I was pregnant. Kept testing negative at the doctor's, in fact he started talking to me about phantom pregnancy, I ended up having to buy nursing bras because my boobs hurt so much, but officially I wasn't pregnant (a couple of weeks later it turned out I had been pregnant for 7 weeks already!).

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T.M.

answers from Rochester on

Dear E. G. - I have help for your acne and overall well-being. I am a Consultant for a health & wellness company. Please check out the ____@____.com. I can show you how to get 35% off of EVERYTHNG! Seriously, check it out for yourself! There's help-YEA!!!!! (LOL)

T

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A.G.

answers from New York on

Hi!!! Call your doctor and set up a physical and tell the Dr. everything that has changed. Then insist the Dr. does a full blood work panel including the thyroid tests, ALL OF THEM! I was loosing weight being careful, and keeping up with a 6 month old and gained 30 lbs. My thyroid had went crazy and the exhaustion, weight gain, skin problems and other problems were all related to my thyroid. The sooner you get tested the sooner you know what is going on!! A.

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M.T.

answers from New York on

Hi E., I would suggest going to see an endocrinologist. Good luck!

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K.E.

answers from Buffalo on

Have your thyroid checked. I had a lot of those symptoms and found out that my thyroid is overactive.

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Q.F.

answers from New York on

1st of all i'd like to say be thankful that you were ever in those size 3's! i don't think i was EVER in my life in that small a size (even when i was at a thin part in my life!) as for gaining the 10 lbs, and boobs (the boobs usually come with the weight, though not always) i would still double check with the dr on the whole pregnancy thing because like i was told NOTHING is 100% foolproof and you can ALWAYS have some sort of risk of becoming pregnant if having sex (no matter what birth control you're using and no matter how great it is, there's always SOME risk!). other than that, the weight could be caused by stress (i lose with stress, my mother gains...all depends on the person). the grey hair i can't say what could cause it unless you're under an immensely abnormal amounts of stress, OR other family members are prematurely grey (like my husband and his father's side of the family..males only). the acne can come from stress, eating, just about anything. usually when you're hair is constantly rubbing against it, you're constantly touching it (especially when you eat greasy foods, then touch your face for any reason, the grease goes right into the pores). i would say if you DON'T have sensitive skin the BEST way to get rid of the acne (also cheapest way) get cotton balls, and alcohol. when you wake up, and before you go to bed (sometimes if you feel dirty during the day too) grab a cotton ball and put enough rubbing alcohol on it to wet it, but not have it dripping, and then clean your face (just to let you know, it's the alcohol in all the stuff like stridex pads and such that make those products work!). you'll see all the dirt on the cotton ball, and if not, you'll at least know your face is clean by how soft it feels afterwards when the greasy crap is out of your pores. if you feel that you're face is getting too dry, only do it 1-2 times instead of 2-3 times a day. but remember, if you have sensitive or really dry skin, don't bother doing it, you don't want to make anything worse, and in that case, you can try the proactive products (that don't work on many ppl and are expensive...i've only seen it work for ppl w/ dry and sensitive skin, not oily). other than that, try talking to your dr because i'm almost positive that you can't start menopause (my mother started early, but in her mid 30's, not mid 20's...so for that you definitely have to talk to a dr.!) good luck.

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J.H.

answers from New York on

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/weight_gain/sympto...

Hi E.,

Maybe the above website can help you. You are pretty young to be haveing these symptoms and it may be that you have developed something on your overies. My youngest daughter has a problem with weight and acne and has a condition with her overies, (I can't remember the name). Maybe you should see your doctor. God Bless, J.

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S.R.

answers from New York on

When I read that you could not get into a size three, I thought to myself that I could not even get my toe into a pair of size three pants, but here it goes...Yes you might be changing a bit, but certainly you would not be anywhere near getting old at 26. When I hit about 30, I noticed a few changes too, a little more boobs, little harder to loose wieght and eat what I wanted, and even a couple of greys that I dyed back to my natural color. But I was no where near menapause, I had my first baby 10 years later, completely without using any medical help. Since you use an IUD, however, especially if it is sudden. Your doctor can do a more sensitive pregancy test, and also run a hormone panel on you to see if there is any problem there. Changes in the thyroid are the most common culprit. Good luck to you.

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H.R.

answers from Albany on

Go to the doctor. It is not normal for these changes to happen suddenly, but it absolutely sounds hormonal in nature. I'd get my thyroid checked.

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R.C.

answers from New York on

Have you had a complete physical exam this year? Making sure you are in good health first would be a good place to start in finding some of your answers to why your body is changing....

Your Aunt is right, as we do get older our body does change...we tend to get wider which can explain having to squeeze into your size 3's.
For me this happened at age 40 when I went into early Menopause. It started with hot flushes and feeling cold 24/7 and then a short time after getting that under control, I notice that although I weighed the same 110lbs as I had through out my teen years, my body got wider and I needed to move up a size in my clothes. However, I remained very small busted and braless. At age 50 without my diet or exercise routine changing my weight changed to 120lbs.....around age 55 I was 125lbs. I just turned 61 years old in April...I now weigh 132lbs. and now wearing my very first bra...go figure! I made a change in my diet last week, I'm now eating smaller portions, and added bike riding, roller skaking and swimming several times a week to my daily exercise routine in the hopes I get down to 125lbs which is where my body is most comfortable. I also have always taken vitamins....my choice of daily exercise is Pilates.

Turning gary at an early age: My brother in law was totally gray at age 16...and I know a 13 year old who is also gray. Although pigment loss can come from illness and the body lacking in things, for the most part hair turning gray is inherited.

Everyone is different and what works for one might not work for someone else...

I know nothing about acne as I never suffered with it...

Are you sure this isn't a side effect from your IUC?

In any case I am glad that you are in fact noticing and questioning changes in your body as a lot of people tend to ignore them. As I said above, start with going to your doctor... Good luck in finding your answers.

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C.S.

answers from New York on

maybe it could be a side effect from the iuc??? i have a friend who had a somewhat similar experience on the pill. so yeah my only guess would be from the birth control.

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L.H.

answers from New York on

You're 25 going on 26 years old? That's not right. Somethings going on and you really should check it out with a doctor. Early perimenopause can start at 35, not in your 20s. You might have a thyroid problem starting. If you just started the birth control pills or have had a partial/complete hysderecomty, you will gain weight. If you are less active or start eating what your children leave behind on their plates, you will gain weight. I will admit that I have found I have gained an average of 5 pounds/decade. Part of the weight gain was due to various changes in my life-style. Here is an analysis of my weight gain and why, maybe it will help you figure out what is happening to your body:

Graduated from high school: Weight started off as 95 lbs.
Graduated from college: Went to a happy 100 lbs. due to pizza
eating contests. (Like being 100 lbs.)
Got a full-time job: Ballooned to 115 lbs. due to eating
doughnutes every day with the other
secretary. This is when I went from a
happy 34B to a 34C! (The sweets did it.)
Got married: Went back down to 110 lbs. due to eating right.
Became 34 years old: Back up to 115 lbs., but looked hot due
to adding weight lifting to my exercise
routine. Also went down 2 dress sizes!
Had a baby: During the pregnancy I was 134 lbs. After I had
the baby, I went on a 3 day diet for 2
days, because I got dizzy the 3rd day.
Then I went on an 800 cal. diet...keep
in mind that I did not nurse my baby.
Went back down to 115 lbs. in 4 weeks.
Became 39: Got high cholesterol and had to go on a low-fat
diet and exercise to keep it at bay.
I'm only 115 lbs. (Looks like skinny
people can get high cholesterol too.)
Became 40 years old: Still 115 lbs. and waiting for the
dreaded old folggy weight gain
everyone's telling me about.
44 years old: Child is now in school and has tons of homework.
Child is a picky eater and his food sure
does look good. Wow, I'm 125 lbs. in no
time. Why? My son's food is not low-fat
and I stopped counting calories as well
as total fat intake, so I'm off my low-
fat diet. (Low-fat is a life-style, not
supposed to be temporary.) I'm exercising
less, because I'm stressing out over my
child's homework and volunteering for the
school. Add perimenopause to the mix and
no wonder I've gained weight! Yes, it
is harder to loose weight at 44. I get
so darned hungry. Don't tell me about
protein, because I've already tried that.
I have to fight my body, which means beef
up the exercise and stick to my diet.

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M.A.

answers from New York on

Get your thyroid tested immediately.

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T.W.

answers from Syracuse on

E.,
I would make an appt. with your primary provider and have them run a thyroid test. After my son was born I started having problems , gaining weight, feeling tired; but even though you have an IUC I would request a test to rule that out also. Hope this helps.
T.

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