6 Ways to Prevent Sagging - Your Breasts After Breastfeeding
Some moms are blessed and find no changes in their breasts after breastfeeding and pregnancy. Unfortunately, we can’t all be that lucky!
Will Breastfeeding Cause Sagging?
After weaning, the breasts deflate as the milk glands gradually return to their original state. However, following this phase, the body instinctively starts accumulating fat cells within them. This natural refilling process typically takes six months, allowing the gradual deposition of fat in the breast tissue.
What Causes Saggy Breasts Post Breastfeeding?
- When you're nursing and shed a significant amount of weight, your breasts can lose fat cells, making them appear smaller and less perky.
- Pregnancy hormones are known to wreak havoc on a woman's breasts. After pregnancy, many moms experience a decrease in breast fullness and firmness, regardless of whether they breastfeed or not.
- Your unique genetic makeup will determine how your skin responds to pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Over time, the skin naturally loses its tightness and starts to sag. It's just something we all have to accept. Some mothers may choose to breastfeed for an extended period, surpassing three years; it would be unrealistic for them to expect their bodies to stay the same.
- Smoking cigarettes often leads to greater skin sagging in mothers compared to those who don't smoke.
- Lack of exercise can also contribute to a decline in pectoral muscle strength, which is crucial for supporting and lifting the breasts.
6 Ways to Prevent Saggy Breasts After Breastfeeding
#1. Massage
Breast massage will tighten your skin by increasing blood flow and circulation; this helps keep the skin young, prevents clogged milk ducts, and increases milk supply. Use a massage oil to increase heat and decrease friction while massaging.
#2. Moisturize
Keeping your skin well-hydrated can help prevent early signs of aging. When you're nursing, opting for a natural moisturizer is best.
#3. Exfoliate
You remove dead skin cells and increase new cell turnover when you exfoliate. When done regularly (once per week), you can help tighten and firm your breasts.
#4. Stay Hydrated
Loss of elasticity is apparent when someone is dehydrated. If you stay dehydrated for long periods, your skin can lose its overall tightness. Drink enough water daily, and within a couple of weeks, you should see a massive improvement in your skin. Staying hydrated is especially important while nursing.
#5. Exercise
Exercise helps blood flow to the skin and will assist in preventing excessive premature sagging. Also, the more muscle mass there is, the tighter skin generally becomes. Exercises that fix sagging breasts include plank, pushups, dumbbell chest presses, and more.
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#6. Diet and Lifestyle
- Avoid soap and shampoo containing Sulfates. Sulfates can penetrate the skin and accumulate over time.
- Consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, and incorporate healthy fats into your diet by including sources like coconut oil, nuts, and seeds.
- Avoid toxins such as those found in cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs.
Self-Love and Acceptance for All Women
After the transformative journey of pregnancy and nurturing a baby through breastfeeding, we should embrace and love our bodies just as they are. Our bodies deserve admiration and appreciation.
Stretch marks, sagging skin, and changes in shape are not flaws to be hidden or shamed but badges of honor. It is important to cultivate a positive mindset, focusing on our extraordinary abilities as mothers. We should celebrate our post-birth and breastfeeding bodies, empower ourselves and set an example for our children, nurturing a culture of self-love and acceptance for all women.