Prevent sagging breasts during pregnancy and postpartum

Have you ever seen those commercials for expensive firming creams that promise to stop sagging breasts and skin? Us too! Unfortunately, nature is likely to take its course and in the end, breasts will sag.

So, we may not be able to prevent sagging boobs, unless we opt for surgery, but surely we can slow the process down, even during pregnancy when our bodies change dramatically.

In this blog we talk about why breasts sag and some ideas on how to prevent it for as long as possible.

Why do boobies sag during pregnancy?

We all have ligaments in our breasts called Cooper’s ligaments. The Cooper’s ligaments go from under the skin of the breast through and around the breast tissue, and attach to the dense tissue that surrounds the chest muscles. These support and lift our breasts and help them keep their shape.

Over time, these ligaments will naturally stretch and lose their shape. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, your breasts change a lot, and the increase in size and weight can also strain the ligaments and stretch them out. If you have been pregnant multiple times, you may notice more of a change in your breast shape than someone with fewer pregnancies.

How else can pregnancy and breastfeeding affect Cooper’s ligaments?

Excessive weight gain can also affect the structural integrity of the Cooper’s ligaments. Putting on the recommended weight during pregnancy can prevent more strain on your breast tissue and ligaments. But hey – ice cream!

During breastfeeding, especially when your milk comes in, you will see your breasts balloon to a size you never knew they could be. This dramatic change can cause your breasts to become large and heavy, again putting strain on the ligaments and causing sagging breasts.

Can you stop the sag?

Unfortunately, it’s pretty impossible to totally prevent your breasts from sagging at some point in your life. But you can try to slow down the natural process and preserve the shape of your breasts for as long as you can. Here’s how:

Wear a supportive maternity/nursing bra:

Wearing a bra that fits you well, both during the day and night (no underwire), is always important, especially when you are pregnant and breastfeeding. A good quality and supportive maternity or nursing bra can help fight against gravity and keep your breasts from weighing down and pulling on the ligaments. If you are unsure of your size you can look for a professional bra fitter or grab a tape measure and do it yourself.

NOTE: While support is always good for your breasts, make sure your bras are not too restrictive. Too much pressure on breast tissue can lead to other breast issues like mastitis and plugged ducts. Avoid underwire bras or bras that are too tight.

Wearing a good sports bra

There are so many sports bras on the market, but a lot of them just look pretty and aren’t really designed to limit the impact put on your breasts while working out. Always wear a supportive bra when you exercise, especially if you are jumping a lot. You don’t want your girls bouncing everywhere.

Moisturize your breasts

Healthy, supple and moisturized skin may bounce back better than dry skin. Always make sure you opt for a product that is safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding. You can always make your own (recipe to come).

Lose weight slowly

Once we give birth we are expected to ‘bounce back’, but that is a lot harder for most than it seems. We want to get our bodies ‘back’ and it’s easy to go on a yo-yo diet, but that is not only bad for breastfeeding, it’s also not great for the long term. Losing weight quickly doesn’t give your skin a chance to shrink down. The skin around your breasts can then seem saggy. A slower weight loss gives your skin time to tighten, and is healthier too!

Don’t smoke

Smoking contributes to saggy skin as it triggers the destruction of collagen which helps your skin maintain elasticity. So the more you smoke the thinner your skin will become causing it to sag easier.

Embrace the new you

We know it’s easy to look in the mirror while your pregnant and after childbirth and not recognize yourself. Remember what you see on social media, TV and in magazines is not real life, so don’t compare yourself to anyone. Your boobs will sag, so will mine, so love your body, it deserves it!

Francesca