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I expected to watch my stomach expand and contract through two pregnancies, but nobody told me I’d end up with a drawer filled with bras in five different sizes! Pregnancy, breastfeeding and weaning each resulted in another trip to the bra boutique. I brought this up at my 10-month-old daughter’s play group recently, and all of the mothers had stories to tell about dramatic changes in their breasts. Patricia D’Angelo, mother of 18-month-old Chloe, told us that her breasts had increased five cup sizes during pregnancy and the early days of breastfeeding. Within a year after Chloe’s birth however, “my breasts went back down several sizes,” she says thankfully.
1. Changes during pregnancy
Maureen Fjeld, a lactation consultant in private practice and directo of the Calgary Breastfeeding Centre in Alberta, explains that the hormones of early pregnancy cause changes in the breast tissue. In fact, an increase in breast size is a common symptom of pregnancy. The nipples and breasts may also feel tender, and, says Fjeld, “You might notice that the areolae and nipples are getting darker.” (For many women this darkening fades after pregnancy.)
When I was six months pregnant with my son, I was surprised to notice a yellow sticky substance on my nipples when I got out of the shower. Fjeld explains that this is colostrum, the nutrient-rich milk babies drink in the first 24 to 36 hours after birth. She says that women may noti...