Breastfeeding questions!

Im almost 39 wks and keep going back and forth about wanting to bf so im just wondering if you dont bf right away do you still get milk or no? Also if you do will your boobs still get as large once the milk comes in? I keep hearing horror stories about womans boobs after they breastfeed being so saggy and never looking the same..so pretty much im just wondering if you breastfed or not and what your boobs are like now one way or another?! Thank you!

[mom2ariana]

from the research ive done on it ( cant say from personal experience ) but the sagginess i think depends on how much your breasts grow during and after pregnancy...they're gonna return back to their normal size after you wean the baby and that is what will make them saggy. i am thinking im not breastfeeding, so im hoping that my doctor will give me the shot to keep my milk from coming in..even if she doesn't want to give it to me because of risks i'll ask for it anyways!! otherwise i will wrap and wrap my breasts as much as possible and try any herbal remedies that are out there.

[mal3388]

Well if you dont breast feed right away and someone can correct me if I am wrong I but believe your milk will not come in. I breast feed both of my children and yes I am only 22 an my boobs sag . while I was breast feeding them they were real big and perky, When I was breastfeeding I wore a 36 D now I am a 34 C. After my first they didnt look alot different just a little different but after my second they looked alot different.

But if thats your concern just get a pump instead of using just your breast. When your child nurses they always prefer one side better than the other so that boob tends to get a little bigger than the other because its producing more milk. But with the pump you wont have that problem just pump them at the same time.

[freya25]

I haven't YET :) A few of my good friends have & they say it's painful but worth it! Lets face it when you have children your body will never be the same again-they say-there boobs aren't what they used to be but they still look dam fine! lol!
As far as I know your milk will come in whatever cos its a natural process but once you don't use it, it will start to dry up.
Hope this helps a little oh & Im planning on BF in a few weeks so feel free to keep in touch & we can swap info :)

xXx

[AHP84]

I've breastfed both my boys and I don't regret a moment of it. My first son was bf and supplemented with formula, and self-weaned at 8 months old. After my milk dried up, my breasts still basically looked the same as before. The only difference is my nipples were slightly larger, but only noticeable by me.
I'm exclusively bf'ing my 10 week old son. He's only had formula twice so far when I was trying to build up my supply by pumping extra (he didn't handle the formula very well). Currently, I'm in a B cup, so my breasts haven't increased in size significantly. With my first son, I was wearing a C cup until he was about 6 months old. I think I'm only in a B this time because they're getting used so much more often since I'm not supplementing formula.
Anyway, to answer you question about getting milk if you don't bf right away--yes, you should still have your milk come in if you do not breastfeed for the first day or two, unless you get the shot to keep your milk from coming in. You have colostrum for the first day or two, then your milk comes in. If you don't express the milk, it dries up after a week or two. And yes, your boobs will increase in size in a very short period of time! With both my pregnancies/deliveries, my breasts went from an A with colostrum to a C cup OVER NIGHT with milk. And it HURTS! With my first son, I stayed in the C cup, but this time around, I was back in a B cup after a day and a half and it's stayed that way ever since.

[spade22]

I breast fed my daughter while at home for 1 year and pumped from months 2-12 while at work.

Breastfeeding has a number of advantages - it provides the baby with perfect blend of nutrients, its free, can be done anytime/anywhere, provides baby with some antibodies, creates a special bond with baby, and burns calories.

My breasts are now saggy but this has been shown to happen to women who dont nurse (due to increase in breast size due to pregnancy).   I never regretting breastfeeding but it isnt for everyone and not everyone is able to nurse.  I would encourage you to give it a go and see if its something that works for you and baby.

[JoyRenee]

Breastfeeding does not cause breast sagginess. What causes sagging is age and if you have severe weight gain in the chest and then they shrink again. But breastfeeding in and of itself isn't going to cause sagging. Research has proven that time again. In the long run the sagginess is a non-issue. Breastfeeding is the perfect food for your baby.

You will get milk whether you breastfeed or not and you will get engorged. Breastfeeding will relieve the engorgement.

And as freya said- your body and breasts will never be the same again after pregnancy. ;-) But baby is so worth it! Congrats. I cannot believe your little one will be here sooooooon!!!

[feather2e]

My son is 17 months and I am currently weaning him as I am 22 weeks with my second child. I agree with the fact that the sagginess is not a result of breastfeeding but the general growth of breasts during pregnancy and engorgement.Alot has to do with your own elasticity of skin.You know the way that some women get stretch marks and some dont whether they use every cream on the market or not. I love breastfeeding and fully intend to do so with my little girl.
Your body sees milk as a supply and demand.If not used your milk will dry up and once that happens you wont get it back.

[Limonada]

My breasts would never have been the same, whether I breastfed or not:  I was fortunate to not get stretch marks on my belly (and I've been pregnant twice), but for what I missed out on there, I got on my breasts...stretch mark city!  

I was a 36C prior to ever being pregnant.  Before my first pregnancy, I was a 36C.  Now I'm a 36DD....and I don't expect to ever be a C again!!!

[NicMom]

I just stopped bfing in January, I can say my breasts didn't get any larger except for maybe a day or two. They were pretty much as big as they were in pregnancy. So if they are going to get saggy that's already going to happen. I think it has a lot to do with age and genetics.

[NicMom]

Oh but I should add... I am a huge supporter of breastfeeding! I did it with my second and will do it again with my next child so worth it!

[Willow10]

See i was dead set on breastfeeding in the beginning and then i went shopping with my friend who nursed for a yr and couldnt find anything to fit her bc her boobs are so saggy now and i saw how sad she was and she was getting depressed so itscared me. I know all the great benefits to not only the baby but myself but i like my boobs now and will probably be so uncomfortable and insecure if they sag or just arent as perky. I know it sounds so vain and really is but its my concern and its hard to get the image of how sad she was shopping. I feel to young to not have the body i worked hard to maintain. My boobs havent gotten to much bigger through out preg nor have i gained too much weight. I'll probably bf bc its best for my son but i dont want to feel resentful afterwards..did anyone else have similar feelings?

[Willow10]

Sorry for my spelling errors im on my phone and it like back types!

[smjmekg]

I agree with the others that bf is NOT going to cause your breasts to be saggy. If it's meant to happen it will eventually happen whether you want it to or not, age and gravity are your enemy not feeding your child. The best that I've heard for keeping the ladies up where they're supposed to be is to be wearing the correct size bra. I didn't get the opportunity to bf my son for very long because I wasn't producing enough for him, and had to supplement I, in the end, at 6 weeks decided to strictly formula feed because it was causing my son tummy troubles and three weeks later I ended up putting on soy formula. I'm now five weeks pregnant and plan on bf this baby as long as I can if my body cooperates. My breasts are no different than they were before I got pregnant except they have remained larger I went from a 34 B to 34 DD with my son, and I'm still a 34 DD now and he's 21 months old.