Breast Weight & Size While Breastfeeding: How To Estimate

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A young mother nursing her baby near a bright doorway.

While breastfeeding your baby, your body goes through a lot of changes. Every mother is different, but most women experience increased breast size.

How much do breastfeeding breasts weigh? Breastfeeding breasts weigh about 35% more than non-breastfeeding breasts of the same size. The exact weight depends on your breast milk capacity, which is how much milk your breasts can hold. You can estimate the weight of your breasts through the water displacement method or your cup size.

In the following, we’ll go into more detail about how to estimate your breasts’ weight.

Breast Weight While Breastfeeding

While breastfeeding, you can expect your breasts to get heavier due to the milk inside of them. 

How Much Bigger Do Breasts Get When Breastfeeding?

When breastfeeding, breasts increase about two to three times their size.

Even though you’ll most likely notice the change during breastfeeding, breasts actually start changing in early pregnancy, when the body starts producing the hormone prolactin.

How Much Do Breasts Weigh While Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding breasts are about 35% heavier than non-breastfeeding breasts of the same size. The exact weight depends on your breast milk capacity.

If your breasts can hold six ounces of milk each, they’ll be about six ounces heavier than breasts without milk.

How To Estimate the Weight of Your Breasts

You can estimate your breasts’ weight through the water displacement method.

  1. Take a waterproof tray and a large bowl.
  2. Weigh the tray before putting the bowl on it.
  3. Fill the bowl with warm water all the way to the brim.
  4. Put the bowl on a tray.
  5. Fully submerge your breast in the bowl, displacing some of the water onto the tray. Make sure all the water stays on the tray and remove the bowl.
  6. Measure the weight of the tray with water on it.
  7. Subtract the weight of the tray with water on it from the weight of the empty tray.
  8. Convert the weight to a more accurate number by multiplying it by 0.9.

Common Questions About Breastfeeding Breasts

Mother nursing her baby skin to skin.

How Much Breastmilk Can a Breast Hold?

The amount of breast milk a breast can hold depends on a mother’s breast milk capacity. This number differs from woman to woman, and it can be anywhere between 2.5 and 20.5 ounces.

The amount of breast milk a breast can hold affects how many times a woman feeds her baby each day.

How Long Does a Breast Take To Refill?

A breast takes about 20 to 30 minutes to refill enough to feed your baby but an hour to get the most milk flow.

A breastfeeding breast is never fully empty, but after a feeding, your breasts lose milk. The more you empty your breast, the quicker your body makes milk.

Does Breastfeeding Make Your Breasts Sag?

No, breastfeeding doesn’t make your breasts sag. In fact, pregnancy makes your breasts sag.

During pregnancy, the ligaments in your chest stretch to compensate for your growing breasts. Even if a woman chooses not to breastfeed, her breasts may sag because of the stretching ligaments.

Deflated Breasts After Nursing

Even after you’ve finished nursing and weaned your baby, you may notice a permanent change in your breasts’ appearance.

During pregnancy and nursing, when your body creates milk, your breasts’ tissue becomes denser. The stretching ligaments around your breasts can also cause a deflated look.

When Will Breasts Go Back to Normal After Breastfeeding?

After breastfeeding, your breasts probably won’t go back to what they were before pregnancy. Your breasts will be in their new normal size around three months after weaning.

Due to the change in size and texture, you may also notice them looking more lopsided.  

Do Nipples Go Back to Normal After Breastfeeding?

Yes, nipples go back to normal after breastfeeding. During pregnancy, some women’s nipples get darker due to hormonal changes.

While some women experience a permanent change in their nipple color, most go back to their pre-pregnancy state after weaning.

How Much Does Breast Size Affect Weight?

When comparing breastfeeding to non-breastfeeding breasts, breastfeeding ones weigh about 35% more than non-breastfeeding ones of the same size.

Bigger breasts also weigh more than smaller ones. You can estimate the weight of your breasts through your cup size. 

Conclusion

Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Enjoy your new body and buy clothes that fit you to feel more confident as you adjust.

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