My nipples do not feel the way they did pre-breastfeeding. In fact, they do not look OR feel the same. They are incredibly pointy now, which can mostly be blamed on using my electric breast pump so often. I was even told that for some women, their nipples stay that way and never go back to normal!

When going to the gym these last few times, it was a challenge to figure out what bra to even wear. The first time, I squeezed myself into one of my pre-pregnancy sports bras, which fit fine throughout pregnancy, But now, my nipples almost felt like they were being squeezed in and being inverted, and my breasts definitely were not happy with me after. The second gym workout, I tried to go sans bra altogether and just with an oversized t-shirt, and that was also terrible: my breasts were bouncing up and down like I’d never experienced before while on the elliptical, and it was also just very uncomfortable. Finally, the third visit, I did what felt the most comfortable: I wore one of my pregnancy/nursing bras that I started wearing in the second trimester of pregnancy onward, and my breasts were not only supported but comfortable. Plus, my nipples had space to exist and breathe.

So who knows what my nipples will be like after my breastfeeding journey with Kaia is completed. They may remain pointy. They may go back to pre-pregnancy size and shape. All I know is that this experience has really amazed me in terms of how much my body can change just because I birthed a baby into the world.