5 tips to prevent saggy breasts after breastfeeding

If you are a breastfeeding mother, read this to know how you can prevent saggy breasts after breastfeeding.

 Pregnancy guide  Breastfeeding  Breast shape  Breast implants  Pregnancy  

Often breastfeeding mothers complain about saggy and droopy breasts post-nursing. While most mothers are optimistic about breastfeeding, they have to deal with unpleasant body changes lifelong. While, during pregnancy the breasts undergo a lot ofchanges, a lot can be still done to get the breast in shape post breastfeeding.

Natural ways to restore breast shape

1. Eat right: One common mistake that most women commit after delivery while breastfeeding is cutting down on the intake of saturated fat to aid post-pregnancy weight loss. However, this leads to skin damage, especially around the breasts, making them lose their shape and elasticity due to stretching and straining while nursing. This is because the cell membranes of the breasts are made up of saturated fat. In fact, intake of saturated fat can also help prevent stretch marks on them that develop due to rapid milk supply. So make sure that you eat right while you are nursing. Include foods rich in saturated fats, such as dairy products, eggs and meat, these will provide you with the right nutrition and restore your skin’s elasticity.

2. Wean your baby off breast milk at the right age: Just to save yourself from sagging breasts, don’t stop breastfeeding your baby abruptly. Instead, look for cues when your baby is ready to be weaned off. Around seven to eight months of age, most babies adapt to semi-solid foods and their frequency for breastfeeding also decreases. However, according to the WHO guidelines you can breastfeed your baby till two years of age. So if you want to breastfeed and save your breasts from being damaged, reduce the number of feeds once you start weaning. Once your child settles into a healthy meal pattern, limit breastfeeding to once a day and gradually wean off by the time your baby is two years old. Here are 10 tips to  wean your baby  off breast milk.

#3 Hold your breasts while feeding: To do this right, sit in a comfortable place with proper back support. If you want to feed your baby from the left side, let your baby’s head rest on the crook of your left arm, to be able to latch to the left breast. Use your entire arm to support your baby’s tiny body. Next, with your right hand lift your left breast a bit. This will ensure that you don’t stain the breast tissues too much while your baby feeds satisfactorily. Here is a step by step guide to help you get started on breastfeeding.

Surgical ways to restore breast shape

1. Mastopexy or breast lift: ‘Women who suffer from droopy and saggy skin after breastfeeding are most likely to benefit from this procedure where a cut is made on the breast to remove excess fat tissues from the area. It tightens the breasts making them look firmer and restores its size,’ says Dr Vinod Vij, Senior Cosmetic Surgeon at Nova Specialty Hospitals. Apart from this, it also helps reduce the size of nipples and areolas which increases during lactation. Here are10 tips to get better breasts.

2. Breast implants: In some cases, a woman might experience reduction in breast size following breastfeeding, leading to a condition called pseudoptosis, making the breasts look inflated and the nipples rest awkwardly over them, pointing downward. ‘Such women would not benefit from a breast lift and an implantation would be necessary. Usually, the implants are placed behind the breast muscles and the breast tissues remain safe. This means a woman can still opt to breastfeed following another delivery,’ says Dr Vij. Breast implantation is a surgical procedure in which an implant made of gel-like or fluid-filled flexible sac is placed behind the muscle of the breasts for reconstructive or cosmetic reasons. Here is all that you need to know about breast implants.

However, in case a woman has droopy breasts with nipples pointing down, which are below the breast crease, lacks shape and volume, then breast lift along with implants is suggested.

3. Lypo-filling: ‘In case one is reluctant to go under the knife for breast correction, lypo-filling or injections that transfer fat tissues in the breast to make them look firm can also be tried,’ says Dr Vij.

Some limitations of surgical breast restoration

• Your breasts will never be the exact same size and shape following a surgical procedure.
• You must avoid breastfeeding soon after the surgery.
• You should plan for a cosmetic surgery for breast correction only after your baby is weaned off breast milk.
• Breast augmentation procedures are usually safe, however, one should know about its side effects and learn from the doctor about its consequences beforehand.

Image source: Getty Images

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