When you were pregnant, everybody from your well-meaning aunt to your OBGYN probably talked to you about breastfeeding. Once your new baby was born, nurses and lactation consultants were available to help you as you began your breastfeeding journey. Unfortunately, you may not get as much advice from others when you are done breastfeeding. Stopping breastfeeding is an emotional and physical transition in both your and your little one's lives. Understanding the changes that will occur can better prepare you for the experience.
What Happens to Your Body When Weaning Occurs
During pregnancy, your body prepared your breasts for breastfeeding by causing them to increase in size and your areola and nipples to darken. During breastfeeding, your breasts continued to change as your body began to produce milk. Once you are done breastfeeding,
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Your breasts continued to change during pregnancy and nursing. Now that breastfeeding is over, it's normal to wonder if they are every going to return to their "normal" appearance.
You may have heard that breastfeeding can make your breasts look droopy. This isn't true; pregnancy is actually responsible for the appearance of your breasts due to stretching. Your breasts don't have any muscle. They are attached with ligaments to your chest wall, which allows them to move. This lack of muscle, along with the stretching skin, can give them a droopy appearance.
After breastfeeding and once you've returned to your pre-pregnancy weight, your breasts will be approximately the same size as they were before you were pregnant. Because of the changes your breasts went through, however, they will no longer be quite as "perky" as before. Approximately six months after weaning, fatty tissue will be redistributed to your breasts to replace the milk-producing tissue. This will give your breasts a fuller appearance.
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