How Big Will Your Pregnancy Breasts Be?
Experts weigh in on how much you can expect your breasts to grow during pregnancy.
Pregnancy brings a lot of changes to someone's body and the size of your chest will most likely be one of those changes. But just how much bigger do breasts get during pregnancy? Well, just as every pregnancy is different, there is no one-size expectation for breast tissue changes during pregnancy.
Still, you can most likely anticipate that your pregnancy breasts will be bigger than they were before a plus sign popped up on your pregnancy test. Here is some information on what kind of breast changes you might see.
Related: Pregnancy Boobs: All About Breast Changes During Pregnancy
How Much Bigger do Breasts Get During Pregnancy?
Cisgender females may see their breasts change by at least one cup size before their due date has come and gone, says Patrick Duff, M.D., an OB-GYN at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
"On average, it's safe for [pregnant people] to expect to go up at least one bra size over the course of the pregnancy," Dr. Duff notes.
But some people may see even more growth. "The pregnancy hormones progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) cause an increase in blood volume, making breast tissue swell—possibly by as much as two cup sizes larger," adds James E. Ferguson II, M.D., professor and department chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
Related: Breast Changes Before and After Pregnancy
When Do Pregnancy Boobs Grow?
Typically, pregnant people notice the most immediate change in their breast appearance and characteristics, like sensitivity in the first trimester.
"It's really hard to say," says Sharon Phelan, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center School of Medicine. "The immediate enlargement typically occurs in the first three to four months, but it can vary."
For instance, some people with larger chests might not see any changes or they could experience a significant increase, and the same goes for those who start out smaller than A-cups.
"I've seen [those] with small breasts hoping to finally experience cleavage be disappointed during pregnancy, while others have reported weight gain in their chests of up to two whole pounds," Dr. Phelan adds. "It really is unpredictable."
Related: 9 Ways Your Breasts Change During Pregnancy
Other Pregnancy Breast Changes
In addition to an increase in breast tissue, other breast changes someone might experience during pregnancy include:
Increased areola size (the dark pink or brown area around your nipples)
Increased nipple size
Increased breast sensitivity
Nipples leaking colostrum, especially in the third trimester
Increase in the number and appearance of veins
Individuals who are trans and experiencing pregnancy may also see breast changes. For instance, trans men who have kept their reproductive organs capable of gestation can expect enlargement of chest tissue similar to what a cisgender female would experience during pregnancy. As the pregnancy process is started, trans men may decrease hormone therapy that kept female hormone levels decreased, so the natural rise in female hormones will also cause chest tissue enlargement.
Pregnant trans men can also lactate and chest feed, as they choose, and the same hormones responsible for breast tissue changes will guide the lactation process.
Trans women who do not have reproductive organs capable of gestation may also be able to induce breast tissue that's indistinguishable from a lactating cisgender female. However, this can be a years-long process, so anyone who is interested in inducing lactation for the future should talk to their doctors as far as possible ahead of time to begin the process and find out if they are a candidate.
Key Takeaway
There's no way to know for sure how big your breasts will get, but most people will see a significant increase in breast tissue during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester and approaching your due date.
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