While nursing, your breasts have a life of their own. Full now, softer later. Lumpy at breakfast, flatter at dinner. And sometimes each one does something totally on her own. And it’s all normal.
But what happens after weaning? Well, here’s the real, un-rainbow-and-unicorn-glitter-glazed truth…..
If a mom weans quickly, she will likely experience some engorgement for a few weeks. One breast may drop in supply more quickly than the other, leading to a temporary lopsidedness. This tends to go away and things even out once the over achieving breast catches up with the program. If she weans more gradually, her supply typically diminishes slowly without excess fullness. Either way, you end up in the same place once the well has run dry.
After that – and we’ll be real with you here – there is often a period of, well…sagginess.
But Fear Not!!!! It’s temporary!
Research has shown that breastfeeding has no measurable effect on the shape of a woman’s breasts. Pregnancy and age will change things, but women who had babies and did breastfeed don’t have major breast differences from women who had babies and did not breastfeed.
But let’s get back to that temporary…flatness…because we know your mind is still stuck three paragraphs up.
When making breastmilk, a woman’s body “thinks local” – in other words, the body tends to pull from fat reserves in the breasts, upper arms, chest and upper back. (Yay! Smaller bingo wings!) After weaning, much of the fat that gave the breast its shape has been used. But great news! Generally in a matter of months the fat begins to be re-deposited and continues to re-deposit over the next few years.
So, again…temporary.
But if you find yourself in the temporary Land of the Saggys, hang in there until your boobs bounce back (and they will!)