For many women, one of the most fulfilling, memorable and rewarding moments they’ve ever experienced is giving birth to a child. But, there’s a lot – some good and some bad – that comes along with becoming a mother: postpartum hair loss, stretch marks and waking up in the wee hours of the morning to feed the baby. However, there’s one side effect that seems to outweigh them all: sagging breasts. Is there any truth to this, or is it just another myth?
The truth is that being pregnant does cause your breasts to sag regardless of whether you decide to nurse your baby or not. The reason being is that during pregnancy, your breasts become fuller and heavier, causing the ligaments to stretch.
Sagging breasts tend to be more noticeable for women who’ve had multiple children or have larger breasts. There are other factors that can change the appearance of your breasts, such as age, weight and smoking.
In short, pregnancy itself – not breastfeeding – is what causes the breasts to sag.
Don’t allow your fear of sagging breasts to stop you from breastfeeding your baby. Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months has countless benefits, including decreased risk of your baby developing asthma or allergies, higher IQ scores, and a perfect combination of vitamins, fat and protein – think of it as a more pure version of baby formula.
But, perhaps the biggest benefit of breastfeeding is that it’s one of the best and easiest ways a mother can bond with her child – and that’s really the best gift you can give your baby.
Breastfeeding: Does It Cause Sagging Breasts? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
