Lexington, Ky. — A study conducted at the University of Kentucky suggests that contrary to popular belief, breastfeeding does not cause breasts to sag, reports news source HealthDay.

The study included 132 women who sought breast lifts or augmentation. Most had been pregnant at least once and nearly 60 percent had breastfed at least once. After analyzing each woman’s medical history, height and weight, smoking habits and pre-pregnancy bra cup size, researchers found no difference in the extent of breast sagginess between women who had breastfed and those who hadn’t.

The researchers did find, however, that pregnancy itself is a contributing factor to breast ptosis, noting that the degree of sagginess increased each time a woman was pregnant. Smoking is another factor that contributes to ptosis according to the study, because it breaks down elastin, which gives youthful skin its elastic appearance and helps support the breasts.