Rib cage size after pregnancy?

[Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward]

Anyone know what happens to the rib cage after pregnancy?

Judging by the way I no longer fit into my old clothes, mine seems to
have expanded, and the tip of the sternum sticks out a little when I'm
lying down, which it didn't use to do before.

I'm four and a half months post-partum and wondering if I should go
shopping for a whole new wardrobe.

[Jamie Clark]

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
> Anyone know what happens to the rib cage after pregnancy?
>
> Judging by the way I no longer fit into my old clothes, mine seems to
> have expanded, and the tip of the sternum sticks out a little when I'm
> lying down, which it didn't use to do before.
>
> I'm four and a half months post-partum and wondering if I should go
> shopping for a whole new wardrobe.

I think in general, most women find that their rib cages expand during/after
pregnancy. I guess if you used to wear your tops very tight and or fitted,
you're going to have to buy some new ones...and new bras too. If you wore
your tops loser fitting, then you'd probably be able to wear what you have.
I don't know if it will eventually go back down...
--

Jamie
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[Anne Rogers]

> Anyone know what happens to the rib cage after pregnancy?
>
> Judging by the way I no longer fit into my old clothes, mine seems to
> have expanded, and the tip of the sternum sticks out a little when I'm
> lying down, which it didn't use to do before.
>
> I'm four and a half months post-partum and wondering if I should go
> shopping for a whole new wardrobe.

quite possibly, I'm relatively settled at a 34 bra size (i.e under bust
about 28), but was 32 before ever being pregnant and 36 at the end of each
pregnancy, as I'm over a year since the end of the last, I don't think my
ribs are every going to go quite back.

Another bit of evidence for this would be that I had a back injury just at
the point the bottom ribs join the spine, I was warned this would be very
painful at 27 weeks pregnancy, as the ribs expanded and it was! But I didn't
experience that in the 2nd pregnancy at all, presumably as those ribs didn't
return to position after opening out the first time.

Anne

[Kath]

My midwife told me once that it takes 9 mo to be pregnant and it takes
9 mo to become un-pregnant :) It is also a great way to remind
ourselves to take extra care (and maybe get extra spoiling) :) during
that time.

She said that it especially took that long for bones to get back and
muscle to tighten up etc...

Kath

[Andrea Phillips]

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
> Anyone know what happens to the rib cage after pregnancy?
>
> Judging by the way I no longer fit into my old clothes, mine seems to
> have expanded, and the tip of the sternum sticks out a little when I'm
> lying down, which it didn't use to do before.
>
> I'm four and a half months post-partum and wondering if I should go
> shopping for a whole new wardrobe.

My experience may be all kinds of non-standard, but I actually went
down a couple of bra band sizes after pregnancy. This is likely due to
fat, though, and not ribs, because I wound up being significantly
lighter after the baby than I'd ever been beforehand!

Anyway, your body is very likely still changing post-pregnancy, and it
might be prudent to wait for it to settle before committing to a whole
new wardrobe. But if you have the money to spare, it would be worth it
to buy a few nice things that fit you now instead of waiting. You'd
likely feel better about yourself wearing them, and that can have
pleasant spillover into many areas of your life. :)

[Caledonia]

Andrea Phillips wrote:
> Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
> > Anyone know what happens to the rib cage after pregnancy?
> >
> > Judging by the way I no longer fit into my old clothes, mine seems to
> > have expanded, and the tip of the sternum sticks out a little when I'm
> > lying down, which it didn't use to do before.
> >
> > I'm four and a half months post-partum and wondering if I should go
> > shopping for a whole new wardrobe.
>
> My experience may be all kinds of non-standard, but I actually went
> down a couple of bra band sizes after pregnancy. This is likely due to
> fat, though, and not ribs, because I wound up being significantly
> lighter after the baby than I'd ever been beforehand!

I went down one size (36 to 34) and two cups (C to A). On the upside, I
just figured out what you call those 'things you wear because you have
to wear something for propriety's sake' -- they're callled bralettes.

Back when I started wearing them, they called them 'training bras' --
but I'd guess a woman in her mid-40's wouldn't be terribly enthusiastic
about buying one. Hence, 'bralette.'

(I nursed for 2.5 years for each pregnancy, which may have had an
effect.) YMMV.

Caledonia