Welcome to the book about Breasts
A
curious mix of fable, fashion, desire and identity crises! These pages were so
popular on our old website, they have been copied here.
Ahh, breasts, universally loved yet so regulated and misunderstood. The term
breast refers to the raised mound of tissue that grows on the upper anterior
ventral region of the human torso, in other words the front of the human chest.
Breasts are medically known as mammary glands common to all mammals and designed
to nurture and nourish the newly born.
Both men and women have breasts but while the male breasts are similar to female
breasts, the male breast tissues don't normally produce milk although history
shows that some men have lactated. Breast tissues are composed of structures of
adipose tissue with fat with mammary glands and milk ducts that secrete milk to
feed new born babies. They also contain arteries and veins to supply nutrition,
lymphatic nodes and ducts to remove body waste.
The breasts are
mounted to the chest wall and are supported by a delicate system of muscles and
ligaments.
Each breast has a nipple surrounded by an areola which may vary in colour from
pink to dark brown. The shape of the breasts has nothing to do with their
function to produce milk although larger breasts may produce more milk. During
pregnancy, the breasts grow due to stimulation by hormones (estrogens). Breast
growth during the latter stages of pregnancy is more uniform than during puberty
while during pregnancy, the areola often becomes darker and enlarges in size.
The
blood circulation in the breast is much the same as the rest of the body
consisting of arteries and veins. The arteries bring fresh blood to the cells
carrying the nutrition that the breast and its tissues need for proper health,
and the veins return blood back to the heart. The lymph system is part of an
intercellular fluid network that transports toxins and other waste materials
into the body for recycling and it is believed that congestion of the lymph
system is a major contributor to breast cancer as cancers often take root in the
lymph nodes. Within the breasts, mammary glands or lactiferous ducts are
distributed throughout, these produce milk and connect to the nipple to deliver
milk allowing the baby to suckle.
Human breast milk is custom produced for our babies to give them the best start
in life.
Breast Shape
Female breasts come in many shapes and sizes and each breast has a nipple
surrounded by an areola which may vary in colour from pink to dark brown.
There is a wide variation in breast size and shape for many reasons, and the
external appearance of the breasts does not indicate anything of their internal
anatomy or potential for milk production and nursing.
Many factors influence the appearance, size, shape of the breasts as well as the
position of the breast and nipple in relation to the body.
A major factor is inheritance, our bodies generally inherit characteristics for
our parents. These factors generally determine the position the breasts sit on
the chest, their size and appearance. The shape of a woman’s breasts is
dependent on the support provided by the suspensory ligaments that suspend the
breasts from the clavicle (collar bone) and the clavi-pectoral fascia as well as
the pectoral muscles and the skin.
Diet and exercise, general health, skin condition, body weight and body posture
will influence the growth of the breasts and normal life events. The hormonal
changes of menstruation, pregnancy, breast feeding, menopause and weight loss or
gain can all alter the size and shape of a woman’s breasts.
Normal and abnormal
Many
women suffer anxiety because they are slow developing or that they perceive
their boobs do not conform to social expectations. The female breasts have been
engineered by nature over millions of years and regardless of size or shape,
they generally work extremely well. The only impairments to their function may
be ingrown nipples or disease impairments, but size or shape are irrelevant. What
concerned most young women is that their breasts conform and have some
appearance to the breasts of other women.
However because the breasts don't contain any muscles and they are supported by
ligaments and the underlying structure of the front chest, neck and shoulders,
the greatest effect on breast shape comes from how carries her body. When a
woman slouches, the muscles of the front chest and shoulders relax and
consequently the breasts also sag. With continual slouching and bad posture, the
breasts take on a diminished appearance and they sit lower on the chest than
intended.
Typical early development of breasts
For a great many women seeking breast enhancement, if they simply stood tall
with their shoulders back, their breasts would sit higher and be more prominent.
The health and appearance of the breasts are related to body posture and good
physical health.
The modern lifestyle tends to be rather sedentary therefore to
maintain good health we should all be exercising for three or four hours a week.
For women this means maintaining some upper body strength. Some may enjoy the
gymnasium but one of the best forms of exercise is do because it teaches good
posture and structural alignment. The peacefulness acquired through yoga
practice leads to an inner self-confidence and is that self-confidence combined
with a self-awareness that supports good posture and overall good health.
Unfortunately in this modern time, we are taught comparison and forced to
compete. This is the capitalist way and within modern civilisation there are
forces pulling us in all directions therefore is most important to have accurate
knowledge and to disregard beliefs. Some breasts are naturally floppy and some
are naturally firm, some sit naturally low in some sit naturally high, some are
large and some are small.
We need to move beyond comparison and while there are
social advantages to having what is considered a fashionably nice bust, that is
not an indicator of health. What is more sad (and some people laugh) is the
woman who slouches and has low self-esteem but gets breast implants to improve
esteem. This desire for a quick fix often leads to complications from surgery
and breasts that just don't look right.
Nice breasts present other problems
In today's politically divisive society women are being increasingly forced to
cover up because they're told their body as a crime against God (sin) and men
are inadequately educated and socialised. In other words men stare and pass
comments about woman's bodies, and some of them are plain rude. Women need an
extra dose of self-confidence to cope with these been, but it's not only men,
other women are often jealous and cause similar unpleasantness.
You could say that in this age of clinical correctness and intense competition
an nice bust is irrelevant because it must be hidden and yet fashion dictates
that women need to show some degree of cleavage to be sociably accepted and of
course to advance their careers. To juggle all these social pressures and life
expectations, women need to become superwoman and that comes from knowing
oneself, something that can only be learned through deep meditation balanced
with healthy physical activity and a good diet.
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The Breast Book
Index
Breasts Self Care
Uneven Breasts
Bust Increase with Exercise
Reduce Breast Sagging
Mastectomy
Breast Massage
Breast Examination
Breast Enhancement
Post Augmentation
Breasts In Society
Breasts in Context
Breasts in Perspective
Cancer Myths
Braving to Bare
Going Braless
Going Braless 1
Sport and Your Bra
Women Talk
Women Talk 1
Women Lament
Breasts Outtakes
Breasts Humour
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