A Texas woman who went from a DD cup to a P cup in just four years lost her nipples after undergoing surgery to remove 15 kilograms of excess skin and tissue. Daniela Ridener, 27, from Lubbock, Texas, attributes the rapid growth to her intrauterine device (IUD) fitted in 2020.
Breast Growth Timeline
Ridener, a programme director for intellectual disabilities, had DD-cup breasts when she started college in 2018. By 2020, when she became engaged, her breasts had grown to an H cup. By the time of her wedding in January 2022, they had reached a size P. The 5ft 7in mother-of-two says the growth caused extreme pain, back spasms, and wounds from stretched skin.
“Every time I would do the dishes or stand up for a long period of time, I would then have to go and lie down because my back would start to spasm,” Ridener recalled. During her period, the weight was so heavy that her husband would lift her breasts to relieve the pain.
IUD as Suspected Cause
Ridener believes the IUD she had fitted at age 21 triggered the growth. “I feel like it was birth control,” she said. “The doctors were adamant that it wasn’t but I had just got an IUD fitted and they immediately started growing. I gained 50lbs but I didn’t change pant sizes. Nothing changed apart from how big my boobs were getting.”
According to Healthline, hormonal contraception can cause temporary breast size changes due to hormones like oestrogen and progestin. On the contraception review site The Lowdown, 24% of 600 reviews of the Mirena coil reported breast growth. A 2021 study by RWTH Aachen University found that IUDs can have systemic side effects similar to hormonal medication.
Wedding Dress Nightmare
The rapid growth complicated wedding planning. Ridener had chosen a dress, but by the wedding day the top had to be completely remade. “I had picked out a beautiful dress for my wedding, it was so pretty,” she said. “But by the time my wedding came around they had to completely remove the top and I had to get it completely remade.”
In public, she attracted stares. “People have mistaken me for having plastic surgery because they were so big,” she said. “I was more self-conscious going to work and being out in public.”
Surgery and Recovery
After multiple failed attempts to get a breast reduction, a doctor in Dallas approved a mastectomy. In August 2022, Ridener had her IUD removed and underwent surgery, dropping from a P cup to a B cup. The procedure cost roughly £3,000. Surgeons removed 15kg of skin and tissue but could not save her nipples due to extensive skin stretching.
“They had to rebuild everything because they were so heavy, everything had dropped to the bottom,” she explained. Despite the loss, she was elated: “I was just shocked at how small they were. I was so happy and they were so light. The recovery was good and super easy.”
Life After Surgery
Ridener now manages daily tasks with ease. After giving birth to two children, her breasts returned to a D cup, which she finds manageable. She has since had a different IUD fitted without further growth. “I’m losing weight now and my boobs are getting smaller,” she said. “People don’t stare at me now. I can go to the store now and buy clothes and I don’t have to buy them all online.”
