If you are considering any type of breast surgery, whether that be an uplift, enlargement or reduction and have either not finished your family or haven’t started having children, then you might be thinking about how this decision might affect your ability to breastfeed in the future.
You may even be wondering if you’ll be able to breastfeed at all – but what is the truth? From your mum to your older sister, everyone seems to have a different opinion and it can sometimes be difficult to separate fact from fiction. Here at The Hospital Group, in a free consultation with a cosmetic surgeon, all the risks of breast surgery will be explained to you fully, so you can make an informed choice about what is right for you and your body.
In the meantime, here is our guide to everything there is to know about breastfeeding post-surgery:
Can you breastfeed after getting breast implants?
Yes! Most women can breastfeed with implants as the most common incision for a breast enlargement is the fold underneath the breast. If the breast implants are placed under the pectoral muscle and away from any milk ducts, they usually stay intact and connected to the nipple without any issues.
Every care is always taken during surgery to ensure that milk production and milk ducts remain unaffected, particularly if the incisions are made underneath the breast or in the armpits, away from these areas.
However, we cannot guarantee that you will 100% be able to breastfeed with implants and as with every surgical procedure, it does carry a number of risks which will be explained to your before making any decisions to go ahead.
What breast implants are more likely to cause breastfeeding problems?
Although most women who choose to have breast surgery remain unaffected, there are certain factors which can increase your likelihood of encountering issues in the future which includes:
- The type of breast surgery procedure itself
- Which implant you choose
- Where the implants are placed i.e. ‘under’ or ‘over’ the pectoral muscle
- Where the incisions are made by your cosmetic surgeon
- The underlying reasons for choosing to have breast surgery
If the implant is placed ‘over’ the muscle, there’s the possibility that it might put pressure on the ducts and glands, which could prevent milk flow and production.
In addition to this, whilst most surgeons make the incision under the breast itself, some women choose an areola incision to ensure that the scar is less noticeable. With this, there is an increased possibility that the milk ducts can get damaged during the surgery which may decrease the nipple’s sensitivity, impacting milk production.
As a rule of thumb, women who still have feeling in their nipples after this type of surgery are generally more likely to be able to breastfeed with implants in the future.
What else can impact breastfeeding after implants?
In some cases, the actual reasons behind choosing to have breast surgery can have an impact on your likeliness of being able to breastfeed with implants in the future. For instance, if you chose a breast enlargement for cosmetic reasons then more than likely that you’ll be able to breastfeed without any problems.
Whereas if you chose breast surgery as a corrective measure, such as having tubular breasts then it could be that your breasts are simply underdeveloped, and you wouldn’t have enough glandular tissue to make milk even without having implants.
It’s also important to remember that many women without breast implants also struggle to breastfeed, while others simply prefer the idea of formula milk- it’s a personal choice. No matter how small the risk might be of being unable to breastfeed, we recognise how important this is as a consideration to future mothers-to-be and recommend that you consider your family plans before having breast surgery.
Are you thinking about starting your boob job journey?
We are the largest UK provider of cosmetic surgery, performing thousands of breast surgery procedures each year.
Our facilities include our own private hospitals in Manchester, Birmingham and London as well as a wide network of clinics across the UK. Wherever you visit us, you’ll find a team that provides exceptional care, from your first consultation right through to the comprehensive three years of aftercare we offer as standard with all our cosmetic surgeries.
If you have any concerns about breastfeeding after a boob job or about the procedure itself, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team.