Why Breasts Change

Do your boobs look or feel different than usual? One of these could be the culprit.

You've gained or lost weight.

For some women, excess pounds tend to go to the boobs and butt first; when you drop pounds, the weight may disappear from these areas first as well.

They can grow into adulthood.

Though most women hit their adult height during puberty, it's not uncommon for your girls to continue changing shape until your late teens or early 20s.

You went on or off the pill.

The hormones in birth-control pills can make you retain fluid, making boobs puff up. The amount of swelling depends on the hormone combo in your prescription, and it doesn't happen to all women. When you quit the Pill, your breasts return to normal.

You're pregnant.

Pregnancy hormones can make your boobs feel sore and tingly, and your breasts and areolae may swell and darken. These changes are often the first signs of conception.

Source: Women's Health Specialist Jennifer Wider, MD, Cosmo Radio Sex-Health Expert

- from Cosmopolitan Magazine, June 2008