A young woman typically starts to go through puberty between the ages of 8 to 13 years old. This is the time that her breasts start developing due the to the hormonal changes that are occurring throughout puberty. Estrogen, a naturally occurring hormone produced by the ovaries – is the hormone that is primarily responsible for the development of breasts and hips. The release of estrogen during puberty causes fat to collect in the chest area and connective tissue in the breast to develop. During this stage of a woman’s life, there are many hormonal and physical changes to the body.
Most woman have fully developed breasts by the end of their teenage years, around 18-19 years old. As a woman becomes an adult, her breasts continue to change throughout different stages of her life as hormone levels change. These changes occur during phases like pregnancy, breastfeeding, and her menstrual cycle. Throughout these life cycles, the level of estrogen and progesterone naturally produced in the body continue to fluctuate and therefore, change the shape and density of the breast.
Now this is where birth control comes in – birth control usually contains two different types of synthetic hormones; estrogen and progestin (progesterone). So, when a woman is thinking about taking birth control, it’s natural to wonder does birth control make your boobs bigger. The short answer to that is, yes, birth control may increase the size of your boobs. Let’s discuss the details below.
Why Birth Control Might Make Your Boobs Bigger
As we mentioned above, birth control consists of the same hormones that stimulates breast growth. Although these hormones are chemical compounds and not produced by the body naturally, they still have the same effect on a woman’s body. Estrogen and progestin contribute to shaping a woman’s hips and chest by distributing fat cells throughout these areas of the body.
For those wondering does birth control make your boobs bigger, you should know that not all birth control methods will make your boobs bigger. Its only hormonal birth control such as combination birth control pills that will actually cause changes to the breast size (Alesse, Yaz, and Yasmin to name a few) that contain both estrogen and progestin. Other hormonal methods include the birth control shot, and IUD implant. So, if you’re planning on taking a birth control and wondering does birth control make your boobs bigger with every type of birth control – you now know that it’s only these hormonal methods that will increase your bust size.
If you are hoping for your breast size to increase from taking birth control, you might be disappointed to hear that although hormonal birth control will increase the size of your breasts, it won’t change the breast size permanently. If a woman does experience an increase in breast size, the size usually returns to normal a few months after taking the birth control, or when you stop taking it.
Other Possible Side Effects of Birth Control
Women report different side effects from birth control, and it largely depends on what method they’re using. In addition to changes in breast size, birth control may cause:
- Mood changes
- Headaches
- Weight Gain
- Breast tenderness
- Changes to menstrual cycle
Birth Control Weight Gain
Not only does birth control make your boobs bigger, it also causes many women to gain weight in other places other than the breasts. This is largely due to the increase in hormones and the distribution of fat cells in the hips and thighs (where most women store fat). While the progestin and estrogen in the birth control make your boobs look more inflated, they also inflate other parts of the body as well.
So, does birth control make your boobs bigger and make you gain weight? Unfortunately, the answer is yes to both. Bigger boobs and weight gain elsewhere go hand-in-hand when taking birth control – you can’t have one without the other! And it happens because the estrogen in birth control impacts the body’s ability to metabolize water, which leads to fluid retention throughout the body. This gives women that ‘puffy’ look and feeling bloated while taking hormonal birth control.
If you still have concerns about the topic, you should discuss with your doctor to find out does birth control make your boobs bigger and what method of birth control would be best suited for your body.