Many women who are considering breast augmentation also plan to someday have children (or have more children, if they’re already mothers). Naturally, they might be concerned about how this procedure will affect their ability to breastfeed. Choosing whether to breastfeed, bottle feed, or both is a personal decision that shouldn’t be affected by whether or not a woman has breast implants. And fortunately, implants typically do not diminish a woman’s ability to nurse her children. At our practice, our board-certified plastic surgeon utilizes the most advanced techniques available to maintain the highest standards of safety for all our patients.
You should inform the plastic surgeon in advance if you know you would like to have children in the future. This allows the doctor to plan a surgery that will cause the least damage to the milk ducts (such as using an inframammary incision rather than a periareolar incision). This is simply a precautionary measure. It’s perfectly fine if you don’t know if you want kids (or to change your mind later). And if you have already had a breast augmentation, chances are you will still be able to breastfeed as long as you had the ability before the surgery.
Around 75 percent of women are able to breastfeed naturally. That means as many as a quarter of women may have difficulty or be unable to breastfeed as a result of their normal anatomy—although they may not be aware of it. Sometimes women who would not be able to nurse regardless of breast augmentation mistakenly attribute the issue to breast implants. This is usually not the case. It’s also worth noting that in the rare event of a rupture, the material inside the implant, whether silicone gel or saline, should not affect the breast tissue or milk glands.
Motherhood is a beautiful and amazing experience, and you should be able to care for your child the way you deem best. For more information about breastfeeding and implants, talk to us today.
