We're not the same!

Effath Yasmin is India's leading IBCLC, a biodynamic craniosacral therapist from Mumbai, India and founder of Nourish & Nurture. Her special interests lie in infant oral and sucking dysfunction, tongue-tie assessment, treatment and rehabilitation, biomechanics of breastfeeding and treatment of birth trauma, anxiety and depression. Yasmin serves on the national board of Birth India and international advisory board of ICAP (International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals) and GOLD Conferences. She is also the producer and director of an award-winning international documentary film Untying Breastfeeding screened across many countries.

Effath Yasmin

The human body is truly remarkable. Adaptation and change is inevitable to the body through experiences and age. Our bodies as women, go through changes through Infancy, childhood, puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, menopause and old age.

The phenomenal changes that occur for both baby and mum through the act of breastfeeding is not often known or discussed. Here are some of the remarkable physiological changes that occur in a mum’s and baby’s body through the loving act of breastfeeding.

While breastfeeding is often linked to physical changes like sagging breasts and, therefore is discouraging for women, research has shown to be otherwise. It is clearly indicated that breast tissue sagging is more to do with pregnancy related weight changes, and is a normal ageing factor rather than due to breastfeeding. Similarly, there is a widely accepted idea that a woman’s bone density reduces during breastfeeding. Again, this has not been shown to be true with evidence-based research. While it is normal to notice reduced bone density during the period of active breastfeeding due to lowered estrogen levels affecting calcium absorption. However, the mum’s body replaces this with fresh renewed bone. Therefore, longer duration of breastfeeding actually improves bone density and strength.

CHANGES IN THE BREASTS DURING PREGNANCY