It’s difficult to plan out every aspect of your life and can be even harder to predict what will happen in the future. I’ve come to realize many women who may be interested in breast augmentation often delay their procedure because they are uncertain of their future – as a mother. With their most common concern being the safety of having breast implants and how it will affect their ability to safely breastfeed their child, I wanted to offer my stance on this relevant debate. Can a woman breastfeed after breast augmentation?
There are generally two options for breast implant insertion during breast augmentation. One option is to insert the implant directly under the pectoral muscle; the second option is behind the breast tissue, over the pectoral muscle. Regardless of the placement, the implants themselves don’t interfere with the breast glands or milk ducts needed to produce milk for nursing. If you’re worrying about the breast implants leaking into the breast milk and “contaminating” your child’s milk supply, don’t worry. Silicone and saline breast implants have received FDA-approval for safety and are made to last. Today’s market of silicone implants includes highly-cohesive gel that reduces the chances of rupturing and leaks; saline implants are comprised of saline salt solution that can be safely absorbed by the body.
Yes, your breasts experience changes during pregnancy, most notably sagging. The sagging of the breast, however, happen after childbirth and not as a result of breastfeeding itself (regardless of having breast implants or not). For women who are concerned with their breasts changing significantly in appearance, don’t believe the hype. You won’t experience any physical changes that wouldn’t have naturally occurred with or without a breast augmentation procedure and when it pertains to breastfeeding, the breasts themselves won’t be affected.
Plastic surgery candidates should understand that any elective breast enhancement procedure comes with inherent risks (that goes for any elective surgical procedure). The best thing you can do is to make sure you choose a board certified plastic surgeon that has a great deal of experience performing breast procedures. This is not only to reduce your chances of poorly-executed surgical techniques but increases your likelihood of being satisfied with your breast augmentation results. When you meet during a consultation, discuss your goals along with your desire to breastfeed to help your surgeon tailor the best surgical plan to reduce your future chances of successful nursing.
If you’re considering breast augmentation but are worried about your chances of being able to breastfeed or have had a breast augmentation and are currently pregnant, breastfeeding can still be successful for most women. Feel free to contact Southern Plastic Surgery, P.C. with any questions you have regarding breast augmentation or any of the cosmetic breast and body procedures we perform. To stay current on the latest plastic surgery news and updates, be sure to stay connected with me, Dr. Whiteman, on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.