You can expect your nipples to return to their original size and color (likely lighter and smaller than when you were breastfeeding) and extra veins should disappear, says Kasper. All those stretch marks, however, are yours to keep, she adds.
Fortunately, within a few months postpartum, most nipples return to their original appearance.
Once your little one has weaned, your nipples and breasts may return to their previous size, and your body will absorb the remaining milk. Body weight is another factor that influences whether your breasts will return to their pre-breastfeeding size.
The skin on and around your nipple (areola) was intended to be stretched by breastfeeding. The nipple stretching is actually a good thing! Moms with truly inverted nipples or skin that is less elastic, are at an increased likelihood to experience issues with low milk supply, soreness, and nipple discomfort.
When breast size or shape changes a lot after breastfeeding, some women consider cosmetic surgery. A breast lift, called a mastopexy, can be performed to help sagging and to reposition the nipple and areola (the dark circle around the nipple) higher on the breast.
When you notice your nipple is white after breastfeeding, you may see that the end of the nipple is also flattened, creased or pointed; imagine the shape of a new lipstick – that's a misshapen nipple! Your nipple should always come out of baby's mouth the same shape it went in, but, maybe a little elongated.
During pregnancy, areolas tend to become darker in color and get larger as the breasts increase in size. With breastfeeding, the Montgomery glands tend to become raised, making areolas look larger.
The Procedure
Areola reduction surgery is a relatively simple day surgery procedure that can reduce the diameter of one or both of your areolas. The excess pigmented skin is simply cut away so that a smaller and more appropriately-shaped areola is left behind. The height of your nipples can also be reduced, if desired.
Generally speaking, breastfeeding your husband or partner is OK. It's not perverted or wrong if you want the person you are intimate with to breastfeed, or if they ask to try breastfeeding or taste your breast milk.
The good news is that once breastfeeding has ended, the Montgomery glands usually shrink back down, and the texture of the areola returns to its pre-pregnancy state. One thing we do recommend is getting yourself a supportive bra to help prevent sagging.
Once you stop breastfeeding you may find that your breasts look and feel very empty. The size of the breasts will likely return to your pre-pregnancy size but may look quite different. The fatty part of your breast will come back over time to make the breasts look fuller and plumper again.
Following pregnancy it is common for the areola to become larger as a result of the breast being engorged with milk. Once stretched from pregnancy, the areola may not return to pre-pregnancy size. While some women may have very little changes in the breast with pregnancy, this is the exception rather than the rule.
For pregnant people who do need to remove colostrum, hand expression can sometimes be more effective than expressing colostrum with a pump. This is because colostrum exists in such a low volume (even 5 to 7 milliliters of colostrum is good nutrition for a little one) and is a slow-moving liquid, Syms-Brown explains.
Bovine colostrum contains estrogen, which is a hormone that may negatively impact the development of some cancers. If you are at risk for breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer, talk to your doctor before using a bovine supplement.
The only necessary component to induce lactation—the official term for making milk without pregnancy and birth—is to stimulate and drain the breasts. That stimulation or emptying can happen with baby breastfeeding, with an electric breast pump, or using a variety of manual techniques.
"These changes happen in order to help your baby more easily find and latch onto your breast," says Prezas. But after you're done breastfeeding, she adds, your nipples, areolas, and Montgomery glands go back to their pre-breastfeeding state. Stretch marks will also lighten, though they won't ever disappear.
What is nipple reduction surgery? Nipple reduction surgery reduces the projection (sticking out) of the nipple. The procedure can also decrease the circumference of the nipple as well. Nipple reductions are usually performed in conjunction with breast augmentation or breast lift, but it can be performed alone.
“Some women find that when you're not nursing and your metabolism changes, they keep weight more persistently or they gain. Others don't. We all have our own experiences,” she says. If you do start to pick up pounds after weaning, don't panic.
One lasting effect of breastfeeding is that your nipples might look droopy, or settle lower than they were before, after you stop breastfeeding. While you may not be entirely pleased with your new look, remember: You birthed and fed a baby! Your body is pretty cool, regardless of how it's changed.
To find out if your baby is sucking only on your nipple, check what your nipple looks like when it comes out of your baby's mouth. Your nipple should not look flat or compressed. It should look round and long or the same shape as it was before the feeding. Get answers to common questions about breastfeeding and pain.
Just like with breasts, there's no one way that nipples are supposed to look. Both nipples and areolas (the circular skin around your nipple) come in different sizes and colors, from light pink to brownish black. The color of your nipples usually relates to your skin color.
Collecting your colostrum during pregnancy has benefits for all women and their babies. However, it is especially beneficial for your baby if they are likely to have difficulties with feeding or maintaining their blood sugar levels during the first few days after birth.
Hand expressing can help you breastfeed for longer. A research study comparing hand expressing breast milk vs. pumping in 68 mothers whose babies were feeding poorly showed that the moms who hand expressed were more likely to be still breastfeeding at two months (Source). You can use it to target a clogged duct.
Can you use a Haakaa to collect colostrum ? A lot of our Milkbar community have found that the Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump works really well to express colostrum. Simply suction it on and use the gentle suction to help the colostrum move out of the breast. Then transfer to your colostrum syringes.
Though breasts undergo changes before a period, nipples rarely undergo any change. If the nipples get bigger, or the colored area (areola) around the nipple gets dark, it may suggest pregnancy. Any other unusual changes to the nipple must be checked by your doctor.