effects of breast feeding

[yummymum]

I was hoping you could all give me your opinions on breast feeding and the effects it as on the size/shape of your breast, does it change them in a big way or do they just go back to how they would have done if you hadnt breast fed?

[annie0000]

Bit difficult to say what the effect of pregnancy and not breastfeeding would be a I breastfed and can't really compare, so I am not sure if the effect would be the same. Personally, straight after I stopped, my boobs were like 2 droopy empty sacks! However, after a few months they seemed to replenish with body fat and are probably not much different than they were before pregnancy - maybe slightly bigger and not as pert, but then I am now 40 so what can you expect really! I don't know if it is the same for everyone - it maybe depends on what you had in the first place!

[yummymum]

is it true that when you start to breast feed they go bigger? hence there will be more to drop when u stop.

[annie0000]

Yes they do, but then they get bigger during pregnancy anyway. Also, if you start to breastfeed then decide to stop quite quickly, you will fill up with milk 'til bursting point! If you gradually wean off, this doesn't happen

[annie0000]

Meant to add, that while you are feeding, size doesn't stay constant - they will be bigger when full then much smaller and softer after a feed - certainly initially - after a while, you tend not to notice the fluctuation so much. When I went back to work, I was still breastfeeding before I left for work and when I came home - baby was about 5 months old. I didn't even notice too much change after not feeding all day.

[yummymum]

Thanks Annie, although its not something that would determine if i breast fed or not it is something i was wondering about so thanks for your advice

[Solarjunkie]

Well, it certainly improved the shape of mine which was an unexpected bonus! Rounder, fuller & a bit bigger.

[yummymum]

knowing my luck they wud go to saggy bags lol

[annie0000]

I think that it is definitely worth trying it - I had a lot of problems feeding my first, he didn't latch properly and I let him feed anyway and ended up with cracked and bleeding nipples, a couple of doses of mastitus and finished with thrush inside my boobs which was the most painful thing ever! I ended up giving up completely at about 5 and a half weeks - I was miserable, in pain and stressed and in the end I thought that that was worse of for my baby than not being breast fed. My second was absolutely fine, latched on straight away and I had none of the problems I had with my first. The only problem was then trying to wean him off again and getting him to take a bottle!

What I am trying to say is that definitely try it, take all the help you can get, but in the end if it doesn't work for you, don't beat yourself up about it.

The convenience factor is a real bonus - the amount of time you have to spend washing & sterilising bottles and making up feeds when you could be sitting just relaxing and feeding. You always have breast milk with you, it is always the right temperature and if the baby doesn't finish it, you don't need to throw any away! It doesn't cost anything and as an extra bonus you lose all your extra baby weight really fast.

Good Luck with what ever you decide.

[yummymum]

Thanks annie, with less than 3 week left i best make my mind up soon. xx