What to Know About Sagging Breasts After Pregnancy
It's normal (and expected) for your body to change post-pregnancy. Here's what experts want you to know about breast or chest sagging after pregnancy.
Medically reviewed by Yamel Belen, R.N., IBCLC
Throughout the course of pregnancy, your body will change in many ways, some anticipated and others quite unexpected. (Hello, new stomach shelf to rest snacks on!) Plus, even after pregnancy, your body can continue to surprise you. One of the most common differences people see is with newly sagging breasts or chests. This is why many people worry about changes in their breasts before and after pregnancy.
Every pregnant person starts out with a different body size and shape—breasts or chest included—so the impact pregnancy has on breast sag will be different as well. Factors like genetics, your chest size before pregnancy, whether or not you nurse or pump breast milk, and your age can impact how your breast tissue changes after birth. Some breasts may look unchanged, others may get bigger or smaller, and still others may sag in places they never did before.
There's no "right" or "wrong" way for your breasts or chest to look after pregnancy. But here's what the experts say about what to expect and if there's anything you can do to minimize breast changes like sagging.
Related: 9 Ways Your Breasts Change During Pregnancy
Why Do Breasts Sag After Pregnancy?
Throughout pregnancy, your breasts will likely get bigger—as much as one cup size or more—as the result of estrogen enlarging your milk ducts and pregnancy weight gain. Your breasts or chest will also grow more after delivery as your milk comes in. It's important to keep in mind that breastfeeding itself does not cause sagging breasts, but rather, it's due to the physical changes in your body during and after pregnancy.
Once breast milk production halts, the breasts shrink back down to their original size (or in some cases, smaller). However, the now stretched-out skin may not have the elasticity to shrink down to the smaller breast size. As the result of a higher ratio of skin to breast tissue, the breasts may sag, explains Constance M. Chen, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York.
Age and DNA also are determining factors when it comes to breast skin elasticity, notes Dr. Chen. “Some [people] naturally have more skin elasticity than others,” she says. “Younger women tend to have more skin elasticity than older women, but at the end of the day a lot depends on genetics.”
How much your chest size changes during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and weaning will also influence how much sagging occurs. If you go down by just a cup size or less you'll likely end up with less sagging than someone who experiences a larger change in size. Additionally, weakened chest muscles and less dense breast tissue can exacerbate sagging, which in turn can cause potentially breast pain (this is called mastalgia) by putting strain on surrounding ligaments.
Related: Answers to Questions About Pregnancy Boobs
What Experts Say About Preventing Breast Sagging After Pregnancy
Sagging is a very normal and natural part of breast changes that can occur with pregnancy and aging, and there is nothing that you have to do to "fix" sagging breasts. Pregnancy can and does change the body and those changes are nothing to be ashamed of. Also, note that aging is a big contributor to sagging breasts or chests, so even those who don't have children will eventually experience this issue as they get older.
Ultimately, because many of the factors that affect how breasts change after pregnancy are out of your control, prevention isn't necessarily in your control either. But if you're looking for some tips that may help minimize breast sag after pregnancy—and help you feel more comfortable and happy in your body—here are a few expert-backed tips you can try on for size. (Along with a new bra, because odds are, your breasts will change in size too!)
Wear a supportive bra that fits you properly
“A good supportive bra can help minimize the pulling down of a heavy breast,” Dr. Chen says. While wearing a bra doesn't necessarily reduce the risk of breast sagging (and not wearing one doesn't cause sagging), wearing a supportive, well-fitting bra can help minimize discomfort, especially if you have larger breasts.
Wearing a quality, well-fitting bra while you’re expecting and following your baby’s birth can support breast tissues and muscles, notes Heather Bartos, MD, FACOG, an OB-GYN at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton in Denton, Texas. And the more often you can keep your breasts supported, the better. “I wore a nursing bra even at night,” Dr. Bartos shares. That said, if you're more comfortable without a bra, that's fine, too.
Related: What Pelvic Organ Prolapse Feels Like—and How To Treat It
Try targeted strength training or yoga
You'll usually get the go-ahead from your medical provider to begin hitting the gym around six weeks postpartum. Try incorporating workouts like yoga, pilates, or strength training that strengthen your pectoral and back muscles, and specifically, your latissimus dori muscles (aka lats), which are on the sides of your middle to lower back, advises Dr. Bartos.
While strength training won't change your breast tissue, strengthening the pecs that support the chest can provide the breasts with a bit of lift. Working the back muscles will also improve posture, which can help your breasts appear perkier. A hunched back (which often comes with holding a baby) accentuates the look of sagging breasts while holding your shoulders back lifts up your chest.
“Practicing yoga will strengthen those pecs—and can induce weight loss which can sometimes make the fatty tissue of the breasts smaller—leaving the toned pectoral muscles holding up the smaller breasts,” adds Pamela Crane, a yoga teacher in Montclair, Virginia.
Crane recommends strengthening the pecs with poses like plank, side plank, and warrior 2. And for posture support, try chest-opening poses like supported fish, bow pose, and dancer.
Related: What to Know About Sex After Birth
Don’t underestimate the power of nutrition
You may have been focused on your nutrition throughout your pregnancy and after giving birth for the health of you and your baby, but as a bonus, eating a balanced, nutritious diet can also be a boon for your breasts’ appearance. Drinking enough water is also key to keeping your skin healthy, and may improve skin elasticity.
Mary Rosser, MD, an OB-GYN at ColumbiaDoctors and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, explains: “A nutritious diet and hydration will keep skin supple, helping to maintain and maybe improve the skin’s natural elasticity.”
Key Takeaways
If you're having a baby, you're likely interested in the ways breasts change before and after pregnancy. Changes in shape and size and an increase in sagging are all common among new parents. Little can be done to prevent these changes, however, avoiding excessive weight gain (or loss), working out to build chest muscle strength, improving posture, and wearing supportive bras can all help reduce these effects.
Related: 30 Tips for the First 30 Days With Your Newborn
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