Here’s What Happens to Your Boobs When You Have a Baby
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Once you get pregnant, you realize quickly that you will never look at your boobs the same. They are not purely something to make a low-cut shirt look great or an erogenous zone. Once you get pregnant, you realize that boobs have a purpose. Your boobs are now working boobs. And your working boobs will look, feel, and behave differently than ever before.
During Pregnancy
Tender, larger breasts are some of the first signs of pregnancy. This will usually start to happen in the first trimester. During this first trimester, fat builds up and milk dud grow in size. It may seem like a benefit to have bigger breasts, but often times, this is not the case. Sure, you’re boobs are bigger. However, you may not be able to enjoy them very much, because your breasts are so sore.
Possibly, aesthetically pleasing, you will have very sore boobs. Increased blood flow is what causes the tenderness. This symptom will also generally start during the first trimester.
Later in pregnancy, expect to have significant leaking of your breasts. Yes, before you even have your baby, you will notice leakage in the last trimester of your pregnancy. Your breasts are getting ready to feed and are full of milk. This will cause leakage on occasion.
After Birth
Your breasts, while preparing, are not ready to feed immediately after you give birth. First, you produce colostrum. After that, you produce transitional milk for three- five days that is very high in protein. During this time, your breasts will feel exceptionally painful. This is due to extra blood and lymph fluids in the breast tissue helping the breasts get ready for feeding. At about ten days after birth, you will finally be producing mature milk that you can use to breastfeed your child.
Now that your breasts are producing milk regularly, you need to learn how to live with working breasts. You will be using them often. You should generally feed 8 – 12 times a day. That may seem like a lot, and it is, but your growing baby needs the nourishment. Also, be sure to let the baby finish feeding one breast before going on to the other. If feeding doesn’t go as planned, you’re not able to breastfeed your child regularly, or you don’t let the baby finish each breast, this can lead to engorged breasts.
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You will know your breasts are engorged because they will be sore, your baby will have a harder time breastfeeding, and, um, because they are engorged. Besides the above mentioned reasons, your breasts can become engorged from large implants blocking the proper production of milk and bras that are too tight. So, don’t try using your old bras after you have a baby. Get new bras that fit you correctly.
Another necessary thing to talk about at that stage are your nipples. Remember, your child will be sucking on your nipples for ten to twenty minutes on each breast eight to twelve times a day. Every day. This can cause serious pain on your nipples. They can crack and bleed. And this is if breastfeeding goes according to plan. If your baby has trouble latching, you can experience even more pain in your nipples than normal. Use creams, ice, and any other method you can think of to help sooth your nipples if you’re determined to breastfeed.
While many mothers want to breastfeed for the bonding, remember you can use a breast pump to remove the milk and bottle feed if it gets too be too painful.
After Breastfeeding
Different women have different experiences after breastfeeding. Many women’s breast remain the same size. Some women go back to their old breast size. Some women’s breast dry up faster than others. There’s no perfect time to stop breastfeeding, but generally, the earlier that you take to stop breastfeeding, the longer it will take for your breasts to dry up. Many women worry about their breasts sagging after breastfeeding, but a sturdy bra is one of the best things you can do to prevent that. Be sure to have a sturdy bra throughout the process.
Pregnancy will make you look at your breasts in a very different way than before. They may be sore and become saggy or get steetch marks during the process. But remember, that they are beautiful, and it’s all worth it. It was to feed and nourish your child after all.
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