Thursday, December 17, 2009

What Happened To My Breasts?


Things are confusing around here. There is Christmas, and a tree, and shiny decorations, mince pies and mulled wine. There is also the prospect of a life affected by Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. These two things do not go together, and my brain is struggling to cope. So I will use that time-honoured technique to cope with something that upsets me: talk about something else.

So, in other news, something strange has happened to my breasts. They used to be round, fleshy, not quite the same size, a bit saggy, but perfectly serviceable. You know, I had no complaints. Then pregnancy happened and they got bigger, but not stupidly big, and that was interesting. They got a bit smaller as I lost weight post-pregnancy but I am still breastfeeding so they have maintained a certain modest size. And I was pretty happy that my body had been through all that with nary a stretch mark in sight.. but then, the other day, I noticed something a bit disturbing. You see, my boobs might look fine most of the time but the skin has lost a certain elasticity. Remember the "pinch the back of the hand" test you used to do at school to see how youthful your skin was? Well my boobs would now fail. What happens is, if the skin stretches a bit (say, I lie down to feed my daughter and I let my boob flop down towards the bed) and then unstretches (say, I put the breast back in my bra) then the skin does not spring back to its previous state. No, it goes wrinkly. For a few minutes I have crepe paper cleavage. It's not a good look.

But come on, this is me writing. I'm not going to complain about the loss of my youthful skin stretchiness. I'm going to celebrate the work that my body has done, and will hopefully continue to do for more babies (just like these women). And apart from this unfortunate development, my body seems to have come through pregnancy and birth pretty unscathed.

Is it rude to ask whether your boobs are wrinkly as well? Hey, it probably is, but this is my blog and I can write what I like. So, go on, tell me what lasting effects of pregnancy and birth your body has sustained.

11 comments:

Very Bored in Catalunya said...

Mine have definitely changed since giving birth, I didn't breast feed so can only blame time and gravity.

Positives - they are bigger and for the most quite firm, I don't pass the pencil test but hey I am 38.

Negatives - they are fuller above than below so my nipples seem low if that makes any sense. I too have a crepey cleavage if I push my elbows together - not that I do this very often! They are heading South!

Cave Mother said...

Mine haven't passed the pencil test since I was about 16, unfortunately.

Very Bored in Catalunya said...

Can't believe I am the only person in blog land to share my breasts, s'not as if you need to post photos - come on ladies....

Betsy B. Honest said...

I think I could tuck a pencil, a pad of paper and a thesaurus under mine. Nevertheless, they're pretty popular around the house.

Lisa C said...

My breasts are dry and crinkly, if that's what you mean by crepe paper.

I had perfect, round, so-perky-I-didn't-need-a-bra boobs before I got pregnant. They got hug during my pregnancy, and I got stretch marks. They got even huger after my son was born. Now that they are shrinking, they hang much lower than they used to. They are no longer perfectly round. And you know what? I like them this way! Saggy books have motherhood written all over them, and it just makes me feel good.

Anonymous said...

So far, no wrinkles. However, they are definitely not as perky as they used to be. I fear that I am headed towards the 'tennis ball in a sock' look in the not too distant future.

I do believe this would happen whether one breastfed or not, though. It's the whole inflating and deflating thing that does it, and that would happen in pregnancy regardless. Yay?

Carrie said...

"tennis ball in a sock" !! LOL, love it. That is SO what I'm dealing with now.

I've gone from "okay" to "huge" (when I put on weight) to "okay" again once I lost the weight to "HUGE" with pregnancy and post-partum and now we are at "half-filled water balloons" after birthing and breastfeeding 2 kids.

Some days I'm okay with it, some days I'm searching for a pushup bra and inserts, and some days I'm plotting a trip to a plastic surgeon for some "improvements" :)

Jessica said...

Hahahaha You are too funny. And I'm with Lisa. I was able to pass the pencil test until I nursed. I have to admit that my boobs were my greatest vanity: not to big or small, very perky, rarely needed a bra. Now, they can hold a hardback book and they're the sole recipient of stretchmarks from my pregnancy.

I'm wondering what will happen after baby #2 or #3! But like Amber mentioned, I don't think it's just because of babies. We lose the firmness in our breasts as we age no matter what.

Despite the changes, I still really dig my boobs.

cartside said...

My boobs are just the same as they were. That's saggy and tiny to you. I was brought up in a household that thought bra's were rubbish so didn't wear them until quite late - not to be recommended! They got a bit bigger during pregnancy and for the first couple of months after birth, and I was oh so proud, but that was it. So 2 years of breast feeding and no change whatsoever.

Katelyn Betterton said...

Perhaps it's normal. Giving birth and aging are just two of the many factors for sagging breasts. Some suggest that exercising would help make 'em firm and look good again, just like pre-pregnancy. Also, our breasts change in size endlessly, depending on our lifestyle and health condition. But there are effective enhancers out there if you want to regain the beauty of your figure. Try asking your doctor. :)

Unknown said...

Ahh yes, the pinch test.. And here i am thinking i was the only one...lol after nusing two beautiful children , my boobs look like somthing out of a national geographic mag. I do however have a very supportive husband who says he loves them but idk, i guess love is BLIND ;-) i put faw organic honey on them and it helps, along with some anti aging face cream...