Breast Size and Breastfeeding

I agree that it depends on your genetics. When you gain weight do they grow? And then when you loose weight do they stay they same larger size or do they shrink a bit? For me I grow every time I gain weight and then they don't shrink when I loose weight. I was a triple D when I had a reduction 9 years ago down to a full C. I did good maintaining that for a long time until I had 2 kids. Each pregnancy they grew and even when I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight they stayed the same. I'm now a DD. Most women go back to their pre-pregnancy size or slightly larger or smaller, it just depends on your body. Don't give up hope yet.

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not exactaly the same size as before, but once your milk dries up they will shrink quite a bit. they will not be as perky either as nursing is a bit hard on your body. since you are new to nursing and your baby is still young they will actually go down a bit once he starts nursing less. I was a B went to a F (baby nursed a lot for a long time) now I am a D: still nursing at 15 mo. about 5 times a day or so and not at night at all. hope this helps.

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My breasts 'calmed down' after several months of breastfeeding once they got used to how much my babies ate. I think your body holds on to more milk until it knows how much you need. As for after breastfeeding, my boobs are GONE! I was an A-cup before, a C when I breastfed, and now I'm a barely A who doesn't even need a bra. My doc says that it's common for your breasts to shrink when your body realizes you don't need them anymore!

I didn't nurse the first one, so I went from small B to D and back to small B. Then, during the 2nd pregnancy, I went up to a full D and while nursing (12 1/2 months), I was a DD. Almost 2 years after weaning, I am still a full C.

My SIL on the other hand, started out a DD, went up to an E and is now a B.

Everyone's different!

Go with genetics - what happened with your mom? Cousins? Sisters?

If no one to compare to, I would say it is 50/50. Remember too that weight gain usually increases breast size, nursing or not.

Also, remember that you are in the good old, love-big-boobs USA!!! Treat yourself to some fancy boulder holders!

yes, my breasts were a B, went to a D while nursing and then back to a B after.

Yes they will go back close to the pre-pregnancy size, when you have your second one they never grow any bigger then the first time you breastfeed.

Yes, your breasts will go down. I'm assuming right now you are breastfeeding a lot and that is why you are large - your milk came in and you are feeding your son. As you start to introduce food at 4 or 6 months and he actually eats some it will decrease the amount he will need to nurse. And therefore decrease your milk supply and decrease your breast size.

Everyone is different, mine got smaller after nursing. In the beginning they are definitely huge, but won't stay that big the whole time you breastfeed. Good luck!

Most likely, yes, they will go back to your previous size. After about 8-10 months of nursing, they will probably start looking more like normal, even if you are still nursing.

Mine ended up being smaller than pre-pregnancy after I stopped nursing.
And I didn't have much to begin with! :(

oh girl. i was maybe a B and breast fed for a year.
i have nothing left. its so hard to find a bra cuz my ribs never shrunk but my boobs did. and they sag.
but it didn't happen until #2.

Mine grew huge (B to D) the first time I got pregnant and went down to a C after I stopped nursing, so they did shrink a little but never to what they were before. I had my second baby 4 months ago and I'm still nursing, they are about the same, not much changes, so I think they are a C for good. You don't want them to shrink too much or they will just be saggy, enjoy the fullness while you can!

I nursed my first for 16 months and my breasts barely changed.

But with my second (who I nursed for 20 months) they went up a size or two (felt like more to me lol) but now are back to normal now that we have weaned.

Everyone is different and our bodies are all very different and have different reactions to pregnancy hormones and nursing. But they most likely will go down once you wean.

As everyone else has said, there's no guarantee of anything. But for me (nursing child number 3 now), my breasts always started out larger and then returned to normal a few months into nursing. I did not have to stop nursing to see the size return to normal.

I wish i could tell you yes but mine went up a size after my first child. I am currently nurseing my 2nd child and they went up again another size I started out a C and am now a DD. It may be different for you but everyone i know went up a size or two.

They may dissapear altogether. Mine pretty much did, then they got back to almost normal but never as big as prepregnancy.

I was a borderline C/D depending on the bra before being pregnant. They grew during pregnancy (along with the rest of me, lol) and stayed that while while I nursed (6 months). But after I stopped nursing, they went back to their normal size. When I gained an extra 10 lbs (non pregnancy related).. they went up to a full D. WhenI lost that extra 10, and then 10 more, I went down to a regular C. So right now, I am actually smaller than before pregnancy/nursing. :))

Hi J.,

They'll subside a little when they're adjusted to how much your child nurses. After nursing, they'll shrink down. For me, it was like blowing up a balloon: 32A (unstretched balloon) to 38something(Whoo hoo! Taut balloon). Back down to 32almostA. Lookin' like deflated balloons now. Oh well. They did their job. : )

M.

You must be huge now to not like bigger breasts! (Sorry - just had to say that!) If it makes you feel any better, a family member of mine went from a size D cup to not much bigger than an A cup after she finished nursing both of her kids. (Probably a B but on the small side of B.)

I'll bet you'll like your breasts better, regardless of size, once they're not full of milk and swelling everytime you fill up. Hang in there - I'm sure you'll be fine once the nursing is done!

All my best,
D.

It took a while before mine stopped being so huge after my son was born. Mine are about the same size as they were pre-pregnancy now. They were still a little larger after about 6 mos, but until he hit 6 mos they were about 2 cup sizes larger than they were before. I went from a C/D to a G during pregnancy, and then back down to a D about 6-8 mos. (still nursing that whole time).