The hormones that are released during a pregnancy mean that a woman's body goes through a lot of changes. A lot of those changes happen to a woman's breasts, because the body is naturally preparing to feed the baby.
According to whattoexpect.com, "for most (but certainly not all) women, pregnancy acts like a surgery-free breast enhancement (without any scars — unless you count the stretch marks).” In the first few months of pregnancy many women experience their breasts growing by a cup size or more, with some reporting that this size increase stays long after the baby is born. This increase in size isn’t always just in the cup size either; as your ribcage begins to expand to accommodate the baby, you may find that your band size increases too. However, this size increase doesn’t happen to everyone, and it’s impossible to say how much growth you will see. "It's really hard to say," Sharon Phelan, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, told Parents.com. "The immediate enlargement typically occurs in the first three to four months, but it can vary from woman to woman. "You may get towards the end of your pregnancy and still have smaller breasts, but this is nothing to worry about. Your breasts may only increase by a small amount, which is usually to prepare for milk production.
One thing to be aware of if you have small breasts is that this shouldn’t affect your abilities to breastfeed. According to babycentre.co.uk, most of the size difference between women who are not pregnant is down to the amount of fat in the breast. Breastfeeding is reliant on tissue that can produce and store milk, not on the amount of fat. This tissue is produced once you’re pregnant. There is no information to suggest a link between having small breasts pre-pregnancy and the amount of milk that can be produced once pregnant. The only difference that women with small breasts may find when it comes to breastfeeding is that they may need to nurse or pump more often than those with larger breasts. This is because breast size is related to the storage capacity of the breasts. After pregnancy, it's normal for your breasts to look or feel different to they did before you had a baby. This can happen whether you choose to breastfeed or not. You may have gained or lost weight, which can affect the shape and size of your breasts after you have given birth. The NHS advises that all of these changes are normal, and are just part of the changes your breasts go through at different stages in life. Try to be aware of how your breasts look and feel by doing regular self examinations so that you can be aware of any changes. For more information, visit the NHS guide to Breast Changes During and After Pregnancy.
