I loved the size of my breastfeeding chest. I am tall and thin, so the extra volume was perfect, but of course, it went away. Actually, I didn’t know what would happen to my boobs when I started my long-term commitment to breastfeeding, nor did I really care. Apparently, I am not alone. Playboy bunny Kendra Wilkinson announced she’d consider breast reduction surgery after breastfeeding because “They’re a little too big now.” Someone better tell Kendra her current lactating breast size isn’t permanent.
I’ve never heard of Kendra Wilkinson before I came across this bit of celebrity gossip, but it made me laugh. Kendra had breast augmentation to make herself a 34D at the age of 18. Fortunately, she was able to breastfeed with these implants, but I find it ironic she now thinks her boobs are too big. Earth to Kendra…once you stop breastfeeding, your boobs shrivel up.
WebMD explains:
Postpartum breast involution is the term that describes the shrinking of milk-producing structures of the breast to their pre-pregnancy size when they are no longer needed. But when you are nursing, the flow of milk can stretch the breast skin and tissue to some degree. That leaves some women with an “empty” or “stretched out” look to their breasts. It’s a common breast problem after breastfeeding, but it’s a cosmetic concern, not a real medical problem.
Not to scare anyone away from breastfeeding their infants and toddlers, but once they’ve done their duty, your boobs lose that fullness of milk storage. It’s not a bad thing; it’s just the way it is. Breastfeeding is like a temporary boob job, if your vanity is tied to your chest. Your boobs have a higher calling to nourish your babe, and maybe that is what Kendra is realizing. Kendra, just wait. Your boobs will deflate without surgery.
I’m with you. Breastfeeding a one year old these days, and I’ll kind of miss the extra size. They don’t generally go to exactly what they were before when you quit, but it’s generally near enough. If you’re pretty big already I’m sure any excess is a bit more awkward than what people like me deal with.
I’m currently nursing my second, my sister nursed four. Deflating is kind of an understatement. 🙂
But we all have to admit it´s good news to hear that a Playboy bunny decided to brestfeed!
Kendra obviously has body self-image issues if she got a implants at the age of 18. So, we should be very very proud of her, as Gerti says, that she breastfed at all. She has talked about it and twittered about it. Basically, she has advocated breastfeeding and we need more and more celebrities to do so. So we should tread lightly when talking about this subject in reference to celebrities. To tell her that breasts deflate post-breastfeeding, may scare the crap of her and lead her to not breastfeed her second!
All that being said, she spent the weekend away from her baby in Vegas (or somewhere – I don’t really follow her – I just read Eonline a few times a week) while her mother babysat. So, it’s unlikely she is nursing any longer. It looks like she did it the first six weeks and then gave up. Given all that she has on her plate (schedule, etc), her age and celebrity status, I’m happy to see she did it that long!
When my 2nd baby weaned at age 2 I actually found that the ‘shrinkage’ effect was temporary. It seemed quite pronounced at first but much of my normal breast shape returned after a while.
I always hated it the first 6 mo to a year after weaning. They look kinda flat for awhile, but always found their way back to a good shape. Support during nursing is KEY so they gravity’s affect is lessened! At least the “pancake boobs” was temporary.