Breast changes after breastfeeding can be short-term or long-term. Short-term changes include relieving pressure on the breasts while long-term changes can include stretch marks and sagging nipples. Proper breast care can alleviate soreness and reduce the long-term effects of stretch marks. Permanent changes may include enlarged nipples and sagging breasts.
There are two ways to look at breast changes after breastfeeding: short-term and long-term. Short-term changes to the breast occur immediately after each feeding, while long-term changes affect the breast after weaning the baby. The short-term changes are mostly about relieving pressure on the breasts. Long-term changes can include stretch marks, enlarged and sagging nipples. Not all women experience long-term changes and their breasts may return to their pre-breastfeeding shape and form within six to nine months after weaning.
Breasts often swell and feel swollen and firm, or even hard, before breastfeeding as the breasts produce and fill with milk. When the baby sucks, the pressure is relieved and the breast is much softer after feeding. Shortly after a feed is finished, there is often a tingling or slight burning sensation as the breasts begin to produce more milk in anticipation of the next feed. Leakage of milk from the breast after feeding is common and usually minimal, although this can continue for several months as the milk dries up after weaning the baby.
It is common for women, especially new mothers, to have sore and cracked nipples after breastfeeding. This is temporary and easily alleviated by proper breast care after breastfeeding. Applying lanolin or vitamin E immediately after breastfeeding prevents cracked breasts and helps relieve previously cracked nipples. Severely sore nipples after breastfeeding are often the result of the baby latching on or off improperly. Correct positioning of the baby and switching sides often will reduce the likelihood of an excessively sore and tender breast after feeding.
Vitamin E oil and lanolin are also helpful in reducing the long-term effects of stretch marks that develop as a result of swollen and engorged breasts. While minor stretch marks are easier to treat, most stretch marks can at least be reduced with the proper care. Those with naturally smaller breasts may help reduce stretch marks by breastfeeding more often or expressing milk between feeds. Keeping your breasts from swelling excessively will also help prevent permanent stretch marks.
Permanent changes to the breast after breastfeeding has ceased often include enlarged nipples and sagging breasts. Long-term nipple size is usually determined by the size of the nipple during breastfeeding, and nursing women who do not have enlarged nipples generally do not see a change in nipple size after weaning. Women who experience larger breasts during pregnancy and breastfeeding usually see a return to normal after breastfeeding, although often with some degree of sagging. On rare occasions, women may find that their breasts after breastfeeding are smaller than their breasts before pregnancy.
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