Five common breast myths you should discard

Let’s talk about your breasts. Sounds weird? Well, I’m sure as a female you would have heard and believed some kind of myths about breasts especially when you were younger.

It is understandable you believe them due to ignorance so this article is a disclaimer of those myths.

Without further ado, these are the five most common misconceptions attached to the breast you need to discard.

• Exercise can make your breast bigger

The truth is the breast is made of tissue not muscles. Even though there are muscles behind your breast tissues, working them out won’t affect your breast size in any way.

However, breast size changes due to some factors like hormonal changes, weight loss, or gain but certainly not exercise. Don’t be deceived!

According to Karl B. Hiatt, a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in many cosmetic and surgical procedures, “since a significant percentage of breast volume is fat, weight gain or loss may contribute to changes in breast size and shape much like nursing a baby increases breast size due to the increase in the size of the glandular tissue (breast parenchyma).

“The chest muscles beneath the breasts and the connective tissue within the breasts support their weight but do not contribute to their size. Therefore, working out does not directly affect the breast tissue, but exercising and strengthening the surrounding muscles can enhance the appearance of the chest.”

• Wearing a bra causes breast cancer

In recent years, there have been rumours about bras and breast cancer. It is claimed that wearing a bra is one of the causes of breast cancer.

However, the simple fact about this myth is that there is no proven connection between wearing a bra and breast cancer.

Research conducted by the American Cancer Society also states that there are no epidemiologic studies that have proven that bras directly contribute to breast cancer.

• Breast stops growing after puberty

This is a myth and the fact about this is the tissue in the breast continues to change over time.

According to John Hopkins Medicine, “breast development happens in certain stages during a woman’s life: first before birth, again at puberty, and later during the childbearing years. Changes also happen to the breasts during the menstrual cycle and when a woman reaches menopause.”

It should be noted that nothing unusual is growing in the breast if you experience breast growth after puberty.

This growth occurs mostly because of a woman’s normal physiology like hormone change, pregnancy, and weight.

• Breastfeeding makes breast sag

Most women dread breastfeeding due to this myth. However, according to a study, this isn’t true.

Breastfeeding doesn’t affect breast shape or volume. Instead, the ligaments that support a woman’s breasts stretch as breasts get heavier during pregnancy.

After pregnancy, even if a woman doesn’t breastfeed, the stretching of the ligaments might contribute to sagging breasts.

Another study also found that breast sag is due to age, breast tissue weight, and body mass index (BMI).

• The size of the breast determines the volume of the breast milk production

Some people think that the breast milk produced by a woman depends on the size of her breast.

A study involving 57 women who practiced exclusive breastfeeding proved that breast size is completely irrelevant when it comes to how much milk you produce.

So a woman with small breasts can produce the same quantity of milk just like her friend with big breasts.

According to Wic Breastfeeding Support, the quantity of the milk you produce is determined by how much your baby feeds.

As a mother, you get to produce breast milk naturally to satisfy your baby’s needs.