Bosom Buddies

A closer look at cups that overfloweth...

By Meagan Francis

For many women, the first sign of pregnancy is a little extra girth in the bosom. That was definitely true for me this time--I jumped up a cup size in less than two weeks' time. (And to think I'd just gotten rid of all my bigger bras from when I was still nursing my youngest. Sigh.)

As it turns out, boobs are on the brain for a lot of women. How big will they get? What will happen to them after the baby's born, after the milk has come in...and gone back out again?

• Like this first-time expecting mom, whose cups, um, runneth over. I wonder if I should tell her that they're likely to jump up another cup size or two after the baby's born...
• Sometimes the effects of pregnancy and motherhood on our breasts can completely change the way we relate to our own bodies. Read a mom of three waxing nostalgiac about how motherhood changed her breasts--and her view of herself.
• The thing about breastfeeding is: it's the most natural thing in the world, but it doesn't always come naturally. And sometimes, no matter how much you want to nurse your baby,  it just doesn't work out in the end.
• But it's still worth trying and, if you have to, getting help from a specialist (or two or three). As this experienced nursing mom points out, often bad advice and lack of support can make breastfeeding harder than it has to be.
• While we're talking about breastfeeding, let's mention this touchy subject:  one mom asks, what's the big deal about breastfeeding in public?  True dat. I love her idea of the nursing cover-up covered with pictures of boobs.  I've always thought the cover-up draws more attention than does just lifting the shirt a little and going for it. (Hello? When you breastfeed, the baby's head is in FRONT of the nipple, pretty much guaranteeing that anything a passerby happens to see will be less than the teenage girls are already showing off in their mini-tops).  While we're on the topic, you should definitely (if you haven't already seen it) check out this gorgeous photo of Angelina Jolie (discreetly) nursing one of her twins.
• And you may be relieved to know that breastfeeding does not cause "boob sag". If we could only say the same thing about time, gravity, and the out-of-control growth that often accompanies pregnancy!