Will breasts become deformed during breastfeeding? How to avoid breast deformation after childbirth?

In order to maintain their figure, many young mothers would rather feed their babies milk powder than breastfeed. So does breastfeeding really cause breast deformation and body shape? How to avoid breast deformation after childbirth? Today, the editor will give you some scientific knowledge~

Myth: Breastfeeding will cause your breasts to become deformed

"After feeding my baby, my breasts started to sag like a bag." A young mother complained to the editor. It's not just this mother, many postpartum women have this confusion and trouble. They generally believe that breastfeeding will deform the breasts, and some mothers are even unwilling to continue breastfeeding for this reason.

Truth: Breast changes begin from the moment of pregnancy

In fact, breast changes begin from the moment of pregnancy. Before a woman becomes pregnant, her hormone levels remain constant and her breasts can maintain a fixed shape. But after pregnancy, hormone levels begin to change, causing breasts to change as well.

From the second month of pregnancy, the increase of hormones makes the mammary glands start to develop. In order to produce milk as soon as possible after delivery, the breasts continue to grow. But after delivery, the amount of hormones in the body decreases, and the fat and mammary gland tissue decrease rapidly. The already enlarged breast skin naturally becomes smaller and loose. In addition, some mothers do not pay attention to breast care before and after breastfeeding, and do not choose a shaping bra to assist. All these factors cause some mothers to have shrinking and sagging breasts, which is not the fault of breastfeeding.

New mothers worry: Breastfeeding will cause body shape to change

In forums, on Weibo and WeChat, in clinics, countless mothers come to seek help every day. Many mothers do not know the correct method and knowledge of breastfeeding, and they search for information everywhere, listen to rumors, and try "methods" themselves, which leads to various problems in the breasts and the baby cannot eat enough or well...

In the clinic, I also found that a difficult problem for mothers to talk about is that they are afraid to breastfeed because of these wrong theories and methods from the outside world, or because of lack of knowledge, they are worried that their breasts will change shape and their body will change...

An organization once did a statistics, and found that currently, the proportion of infants who are exclusively breastfed within 6 months after birth in China is about 30%, of which only 20% are in cities, and 80% of young mothers are unwilling to breastfeed their babies.

Is milk powder better? No milk? Worried about various problems? These countless fallacies are actually just covering up the real fig leaf for many new mothers, which is - worrying that breastfeeding will deform their bodies!

A patient once told me a joke. There are a few slangs in her husband's hometown: "At the age of 18, a girl's breasts are 'golden breasts'; after marriage, they become 'silver breasts'; after giving birth to a baby, they become 'dog breasts'!"

There are many ignorant young mothers who believe in those outdated ideas and give up breastfeeding without hesitation. They ignore possible problems and feed their children with formula, thinking that their breasts and figure will still be attractive.

Here are some mothers' confusions, I list them here:

"For many mothers, they want to give the best to their babies, and of course they want to breastfeed their children. But I really don't dare to breastfeed. I saw my good sister's breasts were severely deformed due to breastfeeding, her husband cheated on her, and she cried every day. I was trembling with fear. I don't know if it was because I thought too much during the confinement period, and I was afraid that I would repeat the same mistake." - Dudu's mother

"I love my baby very much. I am willing to give my life to him and give us this family. But after feeding him for a year, every time I lie in bed with my husband and see the way he looks at my breasts, I feel so sad." - Ming's mother

"There are so many problems with milk powder. I am worried about what to feed my baby. I can only breastfeed, but I am really worried about sagging breasts! But there is no other way. Thinking about the health of my baby, I can only sacrifice myself." - Tuniu Xixi

"It's not that I don't want to devote everything to my child. After breastfeeding for a year, my body shape may be reversed. After weaning, I still have to fight in the workplace and fight against the "mistress" that may appear. Just think about being a woman is really too tiring!" - Tong'er's mother

"I'm not afraid of being accused of being selfish or hypocritical. I really regret breastfeeding my child. Now my previous worries have come true. My breasts are seriously deformed and no longer firm. The facts have proven that they are sagging!" - Yaqian

"When I was young, I saw some women with children discussing that they were worried about their body shape and refused to breastfeed. I couldn't understand it. I thought that women would always get old, and compared with the health of their babies, they should make sacrifices. They were really self-centered women! When I had a baby myself, I saw women with sagging breasts or severe outward expansion in the clinic, as well as their husbands, mothers-in-law and doctors who looked indifferent. Then I finally understood that at this moment, no one treated you as a woman, a woman who should be beautiful. You are just a cow, and you should be like this without regrets! But what about afterwards? I want to ask my husband, when you see my black nipples, outward expansion, and loose and sagging breasts, do you really not mind at all? I can't stand it!" - Roses Have Thorns

"Before I gave birth, I didn't want to breastfeed, and my husband comforted me lovingly: "Baby, it's OK, I don't mind at all. No matter what you become, I will always love you!" But now, I am less and less confident in bed. I never dare to turn on the light, worried that my husband will see my once firm breasts become ugly." - Xiaomi who loves her husband

"During my breastfeeding period, I listened to some wrong advice from the elderly and the Internet, which resulted in my breasts being ugly now. Every time I see other women's proud breasts, I want to cry." - Mengmeng

"After breastfeeding for a year, my breasts are not as beautiful as before. I am very worried and don't know who to turn to for help. I also find the remedies offered by some beauty salons unreliable. What should I do?" - Niuniu's mother

…

Whenever I see or hear such situations, my heart aches.

In fact, compared to mothers who do not breastfeed, breastfeeding is the best thing not only for the baby, but also for the recovery and maintenance of the breasts and body shape of the mother. It is also a chance for new mothers to regain their beauty. Moreover, compared to mothers who do not breastfeed for various reasons, mothers who breastfeed are less likely to get sick, have stronger immunity, are more mentally strong, have a stronger ability to deal with setbacks in future life and work, and are more likely to succeed in all aspects. The most important thing is that the foundation of the child's life will be very good.

How to avoid breast deformation after childbirth

The change in breast shape is related to many factors. If expectant mothers or new mothers want to avoid or alleviate postpartum breast deformation, they can stick to the following practices:

1. Eat foods high in protein and gelatin regularly

Whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you can keep your breasts healthy through diet therapy. Beef, lean meat and other foods are high in protein, which can help chest muscle growth; pig feet, chicken feet, apples and cantaloupe are rich in gelatin, which can promote the fullness of breast tissue; red dates, longan, yam, wolfberry and other foods have the effects of promoting fluid production and replenishing blood, nourishing yin and tonifying yang, which are very helpful for breast enhancement.

2. Choose the right maternity bra and postpartum shaping bra

As mentioned above, it is best for expectant mothers to choose a special maternity bra during pregnancy, and choose a larger size in the third trimester. After the breastfeeding period, mothers can choose a postpartum body shaping bra. It can effectively lift the breasts and make them stand up and modify the breast curve. Pay attention to the tension of the bra straps and the elastic tension of the cups. Choose a bra with soft steel wire and pay attention to the stability when wearing it.

3. Proper massage can prevent or improve breast sagging

Proper breast massage during pregnancy and lactation can prevent or improve breast sagging.

Expectant mothers and new mothers can put the index finger, middle finger and ring finger of one hand together, place them on the opposite breast, and make circles clockwise from the outer edge of the breast to the inside with the nipple as the center. Do this 10 times on each breast. Do it before going to bed every day. It can promote local blood circulation, increase the nutrient supply to the breast, and facilitate the secretion of estrogen, relieving sagging breasts.

4. Rinse breasts with alternating hot and cold water

When bathing, use the water pressure of the shower head to massage the chest, and rinse with hot and cold water alternately. The operation method is to hold the shower head and rinse from the outside to the inside in a circular motion, and repeat this several times, first using colder water, then using hotter water, and flush the chest from the bottom of the chest to the top, or from the outside to the inside.

5. Breastfeeding posture should be correct

Correct breastfeeding posture can keep breasts healthy and beautiful and reduce deformation.