Weigh Your Breasts

Have you wondered how much your breasts weighed? As you may have discovered, it's difficult to figure out how much they way by simply using a scale. Since everyone's breasts are a different size and shape, making a guess based on body weight and bra size isn't much help, either. There are two fairly accurate ways to estimate the weight of your breasts: the water displacement method and the cup size method. They aren't strictly accurate, but using both methods will give you a clearer picture of the weight of your breasts in proportion to the rest of your body. If you're seeking a more accurate number, talk with your doctor.

Steps

Using the Water Displacement Method

  1. Gather your supplies. The most accurate at-home method of weighing your breasts is to submerge them in a bowl of water filled to the brim set upon a tray. Your breasts will displace some of the water into the tray. You can then weigh the water-filled tray and subtract the weight of the tray. You're left with the weight of the water, which you then convert to the weight of breast tissue. This experiment can easily be performed at home with these supplies:
    • A kitchen scale. A regular bathroom scale won't be as accurate; you need a scale that measures down to fractions of an ounce.
    • A bowl large enough to hold one breast. Choose a medium or large-sized bowl that easily fits one of your breasts.
    • A tray to catch the water displaced by your breast. Make sure it's a waterproof tray large enough to hold the bowl, with sides high enough to hold the water without spilling any. A lightweight baking pan would also work.
  2. Weigh the tray first. You'll need to know the weight of the empty tray before it gets filled with water. That way you'll be able to subtract the weight of the tray and end up with an accurate number for the weight of the water your breast displaces. Set the tray on the scale and write down how much it weighs.
  3. Put the bowl on the tray and fill it the brim with warm water. The temperature of the water won't affect the experiment, but warm water will feel a lot more comfortable against your skin. Test the temperature of the water to make sure it's comfortable.
    • It's important to fill the bowl all the way to the brim for the most accurate measurement. If you don't fill it all the way up, your breast won't displace as much water, and you'll end up under-mesuring the weight of your breast.
  4. Submerge your breast in the bowl of water. The positioning will be slightly awkward, but try to lower yourself over the bowl so that one of your breasts is fully in the water. The water level should come up to your chest and rib cage, the area surrounding your breast. Your breast will displace water that will drip onto the tray.[1]
    • Don't wear a bra, since this will affect how much water is displaced. A bra will add girth to your breast as well as absorbing some of the water.
    • Make sure the water is caught in the tray. If any spills, the measurement will be inaccurate.
  5. Weigh the tray filled with water. Place it on the kitchen scale and write down the weight. It should be significantly higher than the tray alone. For example, if the empty tray weighed 8 ounces, the water-filled tray might weigh 42 ounces.
  6. Subtract the weight of the empty tray from the weight of the water-filled tray. This will give you the weight of the water alone. For example, if the water-filled tray weighs 42 ounces, subtract the weight of the empty tray, 8 ounces, to come up with 34 ounces. This is the weight of the water your breast displaced.
  7. Convert the weight of the water to the weight of your breast. Breast tissue has a different density than water, so it's necessary to use a conversion method to figure out the weight of your breast. Multiply the weight of the water by .9 to find out how much your breast weighs. Using the example above, you'd multiply 34 ounces by .9 to come up with 30.6 ounces.[1]
  8. Weigh the other breast. It's common for each breast to be slightly different. Repeat the steps with your other breast to find out its weight. Be sure to fill the bowl of water completely to the brim to end up with an estimate as accurate as possible.
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Calculating by Cup Size

  1. Find out your bra size. The diameter and volume of standard cup sizes can be used to calculate the estimated weight of breasts. If you know your typical cup size, you can get a relatively accurate picture of how much your breasts weigh.[2]
    • The issue with this method is that bras are not custom-made to fit the individual breasts of a woman. Two women who both wear a size 36B might have very different breast weights.
    • There is no common standard manufacturers use to determine bra sizes, so it can be tricky to know your true size. The best way to use this method is to try on bras in many different stores and figure out your average size.
  2. Determine the weight of your breasts by cup size. Once you're fairly sure where you fall on the spectrum of bra sizes, use the chart below to figure out how much your breasts might weigh. These weights were determined by calculating the volume of the breast using the average underwire size and cup diameter of common bra brands.
    • Bra sizes 32A, 30B, 28C = about .5 pound per breast
    • Bra sizes 34A, 32B, 30C, 28D = about .6 pound per breast
    • Bra sizes 36A, 34B, 32C, 30D, 28E = about .7 pound per breast
    • Bra sizes 38A, 36B, 34C, 32D, 30E, 28F = about .9 pound per breast
    • Bra sizes 40A, 38B, 36C, 34D, 32E, 30F, 28G = about 1.2 pounds per breast
    • Bra sizes 42A, 40B, 38C, 36D, 34E, 32F, 30G, 28H = about 1.5 pounds per breast
    • Bra sizes 44A, 42B, 40C, 38D, 36E, 34F, 32G, 30H, 28I = about 1.7 pounds per breast
    • Bra sizes 44B, 42C, 40D, 38E, 36F, 34G, 32H, 30I, 28J = about 2 pounds per breast

Talking With Your Doctor

  1. Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss breast weight. Breast weight is not typically taken in the doctor's office, but if you have concerns, discuss the matter with your doctor and see if he or she can help you come up with a more accurate number. Your doctor will be able to address your needs and answer any questions you have about the health and size of your breasts.
  2. Realize that breast health is unrelated to weight. Breasts, like other body parts, are a little different on every person. Rather than comparing the weight or size of your breasts to that of others, the best way to stay healthy is to attend to the needs of your individual body by doing the following:
    • Get regular pap smears and mammograms according to the recommendations for your age group.[3]
    • Conduct regular self-examinations so you'll notice if something changes.[4]
    • Wear a bra that fits instead of one that's too constricting or not supportive enough.

Tips

  • If you don't have a scale, measure the volume of displaced water as accurately as possible with your measuring cups. Multiply the volume of water by the density of water (8.34 lb/gallon or 1 kg/L) and multiply by the breast tissue specific gravity of 0.9.

Things You'll Need

  • Bowl, large enough to fully contain one breast
  • Warm water
  • Kitchen scale
  • Baking tray large enough to hold the bowl and any water that overflows from it.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-492169/How-bowl-warm-water-help-buy-bra-fits-better.html
  2. ↑ http://www.herroom.com/bra-fitting-advice,901,30.html
  3. ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/screening.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.healthywomen.org/content/publication/breast-self-exam-shower-card

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