Pregnancy gives almost all women enviable breasts. Sadly, after the baby is born and once breastfeeding is done, you may notice that your gorgeously full breasts start to shrink in size, and horrifyingly, sag.
While it’s true that there’s no magic pill (other than surgery) to give you back your perky pre-pregnancy breasts, there are some special ways of minimising or even preventing your breasts from sagging after your baby is born.
1. Support is key
Even before you have your baby, you need all the support you can get… and so do your breasts! It’s important to wear good supportive bras right through your pregnancy because protecting your girls from sagging begins right now.
Now don’t rush out and buy yourself a heap of new bras if you’ve just found out you’re pregnant.
Remember that your breasts are going to increase in size, especially in your third trimester. So get yourself properly measured by a professional bra fitter and choose a bra that supports you well.
Wearing ill-fitting bras is not just uncomfortable, but will also promote sagging after you have your baby, due to the lack of support.
2. Monitor your weight gain during pregnancy
According to WebMD, a weight gain of between around 11kg to 15kg is the right amount for someone who is a healthy weight when she becomes pregnant. So with this in mind, a woman who is underweight should gain more and someone who is overweight should ideally gain less.
While it’s not a good idea to restrict your calories while pregnant, think carefully about satisfying your pregnancy cravings with low-nutrition, high-calorie foods like chocolate and ice cream.
How is this relevant to your breasts? Because the larger they become during pregnancy, the tendency to sag later on is higher due to the excess weight and stretched skin.
3. Moisturise those girls
Moisturise your breasts every day. By keeping the skin on them well moisturised, you’re helping it stay pliable, which makes recovery from all that stretching a bit easier on your breasts.
While there are many creams and lotions out there that claim to be specially for pregnant women, really, any good lotion will do the trick.
4. New bras after birth
It’s important to invest in some good bras after you give birth, especially if you are breastfeeding. As many breastfeeding mums will confirm, your breasts will change in size over the nursing period.
For example, when your little one is young and nursing frequently, your breasts will probably remain large.
As your baby starts eating solids and reduces the frequency of his or her feeds, your breasts will start returning to their pre-pregnancy size… but perhaps not shape.
However, if you wear a good, supportive nursing bra through the breastfeeding period, you will give your breasts the best fighting chance of regaining their shape as well.
5. Lose weight gradually
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You may be tempted to go on a crash diet to get rid of those unwanted pregnancy pounds. But losing that extra weight gradually can actually have more benefits to your health and how your skin looks.
This is because losing weight slowly lets the skin of your breasts gradually return to normalcy from its previously stretched position, which in turn, will prevent sagging.
6. Lift some weights
Image source: iStock
Try lifting weights to strengthen the muscles supporting your back and chest. This will not just help you lose weight, but it can help strengthen the muscles that support the breast tissue as well as the muscles in your back, helping your posture.
Both of these will help make your breasts look perkier. But do remember to wear a good high impact sports bra when you exercise. It’s also best to check with your doctor when it is safe for you to commence exercising.
