Maintaining Breast Size After Pregnancy: Preventing Sagging & Improving Firmness

It’s no secret that pregnancy and breastfeeding can change a woman’s body. One area that can be particularly affected is the breasts. Everyone’s breasts are different, and how they react to pregnancy is unique. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, go with the flow and cherish this precious time. After pregnancy, if you are not happy with the changes to your breasts, we can advise you on the steps you can take to regain your pre-pregnancy shape.

We have many years of experience performing breast surgery to increase the size and improve the shape, firmness and lift of the breasts after pregnancy. We also have a long list of satisfied customers you can talk to about the process and their results.

Here, we discuss some common concerns of new mothers after giving birth. That includes how you can maintain breast size after pregnancy, whether breastfeeding makes your breasts sag and the solutions that are available to help you address these concerns.

How do your breasts change during and after pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the body goes through major changes, which isn’t surprising given that it’s supporting and growing another life. This is no mean feat, and while it is an incredible journey for any woman to go on, it can have a noticeable impact on your body’s appearance. 

The breasts become fuller and heavier during pregnancy, which causes the ligaments supporting the breasts, known as Cooper’s ligaments, to stretch. This can lead to sagging post-pregnancy as the ligaments and breast tissue lose some of their elasticity. 

As well as sagging, you can also expect changes to the size and firmness of your breasts. Breasts become large as they fill with milk. However, when you stop producing milk, they empty, and the milk-producing glands are replaced by breast tissue. The breast tissue that replaces the milk glands may not create the same size or shape of breasts, and the distribution of the fat may change, potentially leading to a loss of volume.

What affects how much your breasts change during and after pregnancy?

Several factors determine the extent to which the size, shape and firmness of the breasts can change during and after pregnancy, including:

• Genetics – Your breast size and their composition are influenced by genetics. Genetics also plays a part in the extent of the changes during and after pregnancy.
  
• Breastfeeding duration – Breastfeeding for longer can increase the likelihood and extent of sagging. Your heavy breasts cause the ligaments to stretch, which can affect their ability to support the breasts after pregnancy.
  
• Weight changes – Significant weight gain and loss during and after pregnancy can impact breast size and cause the breast tissue to stretch and lose elasticity, leading to sagging. 
  
• Age – As we age, the skin loses elasticity and the breast tissue becomes less dense. This can affect the shape of the breasts and contribute to sagging, particularly after pregnancy. 
  
• Smoking – Smoking reduces the skin’s elasticity and can contribute to sagging breasts.

Of these factors, genetics is arguably the most important. For example, if you take two 30-year-old women who both have a C-cup before pregnancy and all else is equal, it’s very possible for one to still have a C-cup and very little sagging after pregnancy, while the other may lose more breast volume and firmness.

How to maintain breast size after pregnancy

One of the main concerns for some women is how they can maintain their breast size. If you research how to maintain your breast size after pregnancy online, you are likely to find advice about exercise, moisturising, diet and weight loss. While this advice can help to support breast health and your overall wellbeing, the reality is that the only way to achieve guaranteed results is with cosmetic surgery.

Moisturise and stay hydrated

Staying hydrated, exfoliating, and moisturising the breasts can promote overall skin health and help with breast support. Regular massaging with a quality moisturiser can also increase blood flow to the breast tissue to counter stretch marks and improve skin tone around the breast area.

Maintain a healthy weight

Some women want to lose their extra pregnancy weight as quickly as possible, but losing weight too quickly can have a detrimental impact on breast volume and breast sagging. 

To avoid losing significant weight from your breasts, aim to shed no more than half a kilogram a week. You should also eat a balanced diet containing the nutrients and calories to support you and your baby’s overall health. Most women need around 2,000 calories a day, but you can add an extra 500 calories when breastfeeding. 

Wear a support bra

Wearing a proper support bra during and after pregnancy will not enhance your breast size or volume but may reduce the impact of sagging. A professionally-fitted bra can also boost the appearance of your breasts and increase your confidence. 

Do regular exercise

Regular exercise promotes good physical and mental health, which can be particularly after pregnancy. Strength training and yoga can strengthen the chest muscles and arms which help to support and maintain the breasts. However, it won’t increase the volume of the breast tissue itself. When exercising, wear a supportive bra to reduce the impact of sagging. 

Consider cosmetic surgery

You may want your breasts to return to your pre-pregnancy condition, or you might have enjoyed the fuller breasts you had during pregnancy and want to maintain that size. In either case, breast augmentation with implants can increase breast size and improve their shape, fullness and projection. 

Alternatively, if breast firmness or sagging is an issue, a breast lift can reposition and reshape the breasts and correct an asymmetry. You can also combine breast implants with a breast lift to get the best possible result. Whatever your goals, we have a solution to make you feel comfortable and confident in your post-pregnancy body.

Read more: Dispelling myths about how to fix saggy breasts 

Does breastfeeding make your breasts sag?

Your breasts go through different changes during and after pregnancy. They grow larger during pregnancy, becoming fuller and heavier as the body prepares for breastfeeding. As they fill with milk, the breasts become larger and then reduce in size when empty. This continuous expansion and contraction causes the skin to become stretched, making it unable to maintain your breasts’ previous shape and leading to sagging.

However, while breastfeeding can impact the appearance of your breasts, it’s not the primary cause of sagging post-pregnancy. Your breasts will increase in size during pregnancy regardless of whether you intend to breastfeed. This change to your breast shape and weight during pregnancy is what contributes most significantly to sagging.

I have saggy breasts after breastfeeding – what are the solutions?

It’s a misconception that breastfeeding is one of the main causes of saggy breasts. Although it can be a contributing factor, other changes during and after pregnancy have a greater impact. 

If you have sagging breasts after pregnancy that are negatively affecting your confidence and body image, you do have options. A good bra can greatly improve the appearance of your breasts, although it will not fix the underlying causes of sagging. Lifestyle habits such as maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking and sun damage, having a healthy diet and doing regular exercise may also reduce the impact of sagging in the first instance.  

However, once your breasts have started to sag, the only way to return them to a more youthful and pert appearance is through cosmetic surgery. A breast lift, also called a mastopexy, can reposition and reshape the breasts. The surgeon will remove excess skin and tighten the breast tissue to reshape and lift the position of the breasts and nipples on the chest. 

If you are also experiencing a loss of volume and firmness, a breast lift combined with implants, known as augmentation-mastopexy, can increase breast size and volume while providing additional lift. 

We recommend that you wait at least six months after you have finished breastfeeding before having a breast lift or augmentation procedure. That will give your breasts time to establish a settled size and shape. You should also wait until your family is complete, as your body and breasts will continue to change as you have more children, and that can affect the results of the procedure. 

Do Breast Implants Sag After Pregnancy?

Breast implants do not change during or after pregnancy, but the supporting tissue around the implants will. As your natural breasts increase in size during pregnancy, the extra weight will cause your ligaments and skin to stretch, potentially leading to sagging.

If you become unhappy with the appearance of your breast implants after pregnancy, you can have a breast implant replacement, which will allow you to regain and even improve the original size and shape of your breasts. Alternatively, you could choose to have a breast lift procedure to tighten the skin and reposition your original implants on your chest. 

Read more: How do breast implants look after pregnancy? What you need to know

High-quality and affordable cosmetic surgery with Enhance Medical

If you want to maintain breast size after pregnancy or have saggy breasts after breastfeeding and want to discuss possible solutions, please book a free consultation with our cosmetic surgeons. We will discuss your goals and talk you through your options, including a breast lift and breast augmentation procedure, in a pressure-free environment. Find your nearest clinic and start your journey today.