Study: Breastfeeding Does Not Cause Sagging

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Many women choose not to breastfeed for fear that it will cause their breasts to sag, but a first-of-its-kind study shows that this is actually not the case. In fact, research showed that other factors such as smoking and body mass index (BMI) had more of a negative impact on breast shape than breastfeeding.

“Women may be reluctant to breastfeed because of this unfounded myth that doing so means the end of youthful breasts. Now, expectant mothers can relax knowing breastfeeding does not change the appearance of their breasts,” said Dr. Brian Rinker.

The Research

Researchers examined 93 women who had one or more pregnancies prior to breast surgery. Fifty-eight percent of the patients had breastfed at least one child for anywhere from two to 25 months, and 55 percent reported an unfavorable change in shape after pregnancy.

According to the study findings, the following were not significant contributing factors to breast sagging:

  • Breastfeeding
  • Number of children breastfed
  • Duration of breastfeeding
  • Weight gain during pregnancy.

More significant contributing factors included:

  • BMI
  • Larger pre-pregnancy breast size
  • Number of pregnancies
  • Age
  • Smoking

Breast Procedures Increasing in Popularity

In 2006, more than 100,000 women had a breast lift—a 96 percent increase since 2000—and nearly 330,000 women had breast augmentation procedures. If you’re considering cosmetic breast surgery, contact a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more about your options.


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