The Post Breastfeeding Body

Happy Wednesday everyone! I feel like I am kind of in a bit of a funk this week. I feel like I want to go into hibernation this week! Here’s hoping that the week goes by a little fast!

As you read on Monday, we had an awesome Sunday School Picnic at our place which include some swimming! I love hanging out in the pool and Ryan and I are really trying to get Sam in the pool as much as possible so that he likes it.

On Sunday I wore a newer (got it this Spring) tankini top with black bottoms (Old navy, my favourites!) and got a comment about officially wearing a “mom” bathing suit. I could only laugh at how true that statement was!


While most Moms consider their stretch-marked stomach to be the issue and reason to cover up with a more modest swim suit, that isn’t my reason. My stomach is full of semi-faded stretch marks but it actually doesn’t bother me. But I can say that my bikini wearing days are LONG over!

2008 - Jamaica (TAKE ME BACK TO THE BEACH)

Now - 

 For one, I am a lot more modest than I use to be. You rarely catch me without a tank top under my shirt in case when I bend down, my cleavage is visible. Another thing that greatly altered my wardrobe is breastfeeding my baby for a year.

Breastfeeding for a year was hugely rewarding to me but it did a number on my body! So often you read articles talking about the post-partum bodies but not very often you read one about what happens once you are done nursing.

While you are nursing you have larger than normal and perky bust. Your clothing has to be adjusted accordingly. Nursing tops and bras. You expect to be able to fit into your normal pre-pregnancy clothing afterwards but once you are done weaning you get a huge surprise….nothing fits right.

No matter if you lost all your baby weight or not, your bust line is affected negatively by gravity after a year of nursing. EVERY thing fits weird. Dresses needed extra support, not 1 bra I owned fit, bath suits (tops) didn’t fit, and any shirt that was in my closet hung funny now that my bust line has changed. I was SO looking forward to this summer so that I could wear clothes that were in my closet, that I didn’t want to wear last year because it wasn’t easy access for breastfeeding. But now, I feel like my closet is more limited than ever!

Financially, it doesn’t make sense to purchase a whole new wardrobe this summer. So I stuck to the basics…1 new bathing suit top with EXTRA support, a few new bras which are a new size and type, and a few new shirts that are in constant rotation. Most of the time if I do wear one of my pre-pregnancy shirts, I wear a jean jacket or cardigan to help disguise what I consider my problem area.

If I had known that this would have been an issue, would I have chosen to breastfeed my baby for a full year? Probably. However, I might have been more mentally prepared to face these body issues and wardrobe problems (I know, First World problems). I can never go back even if I wanted to so I might as well embrace my new mommy style and change things in my closet accordingly. Good excuse to go shopping at least!  :)

Mom’s out there, how has your style changed since you had a baby?

xo