Body Changes With #Breastfeeding

Before having a baby, I thought all the crazy body changes would be limited to pregnancy. I figured I’d basically have my body back after giving birth. This is true.. kinda.

I lost weight giving birth (don’t hate, I’m still curvy and plus sized), but my body is not the same. Some of that is just from having been pregnant but some of it is because I breastfeed. And some changes.. well, I like to blame breastfeeding because I don’t know what else would have caused it.

Warning to my family – I’ll be talking about nipples. Proceed with caution.

One of the most obvious body changes from breastfeeding is …. well, my breasts. They never really got HUGE like some people’s do while preggo. (I didn’t really need them any bigger) But they did grow in size. Enough that my old bras were uncomfortable. When my milk came in, I could not believe how large they had gotten. Especially that first day of Rissa’s latch amnesia and I started to get engorged. Wow. Some people notice these things right away, but I didn’t. I couldn’t wear any bras since I didn’t have a nursing bra until after two weeks post-birth and my nipples were super sensitive and tender. I had no idea how much they’d grown. Looking downward I saw the same swell and cleavage I was used to.

When I noticed was in the long mirror on the closet door.

The closet door was slid so it lined up next to the glider in the nursery. I don’t quite remember if that was on purpose or not. I had my arm on the armrest of the glider, my hand cupping the underside of my breast to support it while Rissa nursed. That made me take notice of size. They were as long as my forearm.

What? When did that happen?

Even though I’m still nursing at 8 months, they have gone back down in size. Not a lot, but they have. I’m no longer teeming with milk, after all. She favors one side so I get self conscious about looking lopsided.

Then there’s the nipples. They didn’t darken like the books said they would. They seemed to get larger though. I have noticed their shape has changed and their sensitivity. It seems to be an ongoing thing too.

And what about weight? “Everyone” told me I’d lose lots of weight breastfeeding. I’ve lost some without making any real effort but it’s not anything amazing. I only gained about 6 pounds while preggo and am down 20lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Despite this, it’s a tight squeeze to go a size smaller in my pants.I am aware that this can greatly vary, but I was kinda sorta hopin’ for it, y’know?

The last body change I’ve noticed and attribute to nursing is a change in body odor. Weird, right? I can’t describe the scent, but I first noticed it after my milk came in. My arm pits would get warm and itchy during feedings and … Well, I started to notice a distinct smell.

I wouldn’t even say it’s bad, but I continue to pick up this scent around feeding time. Is it DHA related? Something else? Once she weans I’ll have to see if it stops.

What about you? What body changes have you noticed?

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.