Post - Pregnancy Breasts

There is very little in the literature about the permanent changes that can occur in the woman’s body as a result of pregnancy.

I refer to this group of changes as the Post - Baby Body Syndrome.

In my experience, some women after pregnancy have all of these changes, while others have moderate to merely a few changes.

The following story is an example of the changes that can occur in a woman’s breast.Kathy (not her real name) is a 31-year-old mother of two healthy, active boys. She breastfed each of them for about four month, after which her breasts were noticeably smaller. They were, in fact, shrunken, shriveled and sagging. Kathy’s breast volume had decreased from a full C cup to barely a B. She had deep stretch marks and thinning skin that hung loose and lifeless. Her breasts lacked form – were more like empty sacks - and the nipples actually pointed to the floor. Our 31-year-old mother was embarrassed by her body.

She told me she felt both sickened and ashamed to be naked.

Each day when she stepped out of the shower and saw herself reflected in the mirror, she was so discouraged. Despite diet, exercise, time and attempting to maintain a positive attitude, the breast anatomy did not change.AnatomyIn order to understand the changes you must understand the anatomy of the breast.

There are four anatomical structures of the breast.

1. The breast glands, which are the milk ducts that produce the milk post-pregnancy.
2. Varying amounts of fat, which is spread between and around the gland structures.
3. The skin envelope, which holds the breast.
4. Connective tissue structure - called Cooper’s ligaments - which is the basic support structure, the scaffolding that helps the breast maintain its shape.

Hormonal Changes Occurring During PregnancyDuring pregnancy, specific hormones are released in the body.

These affect the breast in two main ways.
1. They cause the fat, in particular the gland system in the breast to expand and enlarge.
2. They cause the connective tissue system in the breast to become softer.

Anatomical Changes That Occur After the Post - Partum Period.
The breast’s glandular system shrivels, shrinks and nearly disappears. The fat within the breast decreases or conversely increases in some circumstances. The skin becomes thinned, looses its elasticity and often develops stretch marks. The nipple area, areola, can increase in size while there is generally an overall loss of volume of the breast.

Appearance of the Breasts.
The appearance of the breasts can change dramatically. There is loss of volume or fullness in the upper part (pole) of the breast. The general contour becomes rounder; loosing its pyramidal shape and becoming more globular. There is a general hollowing of the breast as it deflates and flattens, sometimes having an ‘empty sack’ appearance. The areola can spread, become lighter or darker, and the nipple often will droop in position.

Many women tell me their body feels out of balance; they look old and tired with Granny Moses-like breasts. They describe their breasts as used up and sloppy-looking. Many report they have a desire to hide their bodies.

That once they become mommies they forget who they used to be.

Categories of Breast Types.
There are five main of types of breasts that exist after the post partum period.

Type 1: There is minimal stretching of the skin and some loss of volume . The breast changes shape slightly.
Type 2: The breast has a significant loss of volume and the nipples are starting to descend, sagging to a position almost level with the breast fold.
Type 3: There is extreme loss of volume. The skin is considerably stretched with a resulting drooping shape to the breast and the nipples have actually descended below the skin fold.
Type 4: The breast is very large and droopy.
Type 5: One of the breasts may have lost volume and the other may have gained volume. The breasts are lopsided.Times Have ChangedThere appears to be a shift in the perception of how women view their bodies after pregnancy.


In the past, the belief was women had to live with what pregnancy did to their bodies. There is now a growing awareness of not only the different changes affecting a woman’s breast post partum, but a realization that these changes can and are being corrected by cosmetic surgery.