Breast Augmentation: Cost, Reviews, Photos

Breast augmentation and breast feeding

Breast augmentation should not affect breast feeding. Implants used in breast augmentation are placed beneath the breast gland regardless of whether they are placed subpectoral, subfascial, or subglandular.

Incisions around the areola may damage some of the ducts and may in theory affect breast feeding but all data currently shows that in general breast augmentation does not affect breast feeding. (Remus Repta, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)

Breast Augmentation, Breast Feeding, and Pregnancy

These are very thoughtful, mature questions to ask when considering breast augmentation. I agree with other writers: if you are considering having children in the near future, I would recommend that you wait until you have finished having children before undergoing breast augmentation. If you are not in a serious relationship and are not planning on having children in the near future, you may want to proceed with breast augmentation surgery sooner rather than later.

The benefit of waiting to get breast implants until after you have had children, is that often times women with implants (like women without implants) will need a breast lift or other revisionary surgery after having children. Pregnancy engorges the breasts, stretches the skin, and weakens the suspensory ligaments of the breasts. This, along with the added weight of an implant, may lead to sagging and deflation of the breasts after pregnancy. Thus, postponing surgery until after you have children may save you an additional operation and make future augmentation easier than revising an already augmented breast.

While most women who undergo breast augmentation are able to breast feed, some women do have difficulty or are unable to breast feed after placement of breast implants.

Incisions around the nipple, placement of implants above the muscle, and large breast implants all increase the risk of postoperative breast feeding difficulty. Be sure to discuss these questions with your plastic surgeon at the time of consultation. (Jaime Perez, MD, Tampa Plastic Surgeon)

Pros and Cons of implants before or after having children

This is controversial and I think you can argue it either way. Many women think that life is short and they should live it to its fullest and enjoy their pre-pregancy augmented breasts while they can. Certainly pregnancy, if it happens, unpredictably effects your breasts and the rest of your body such that you may want other surgery done (breast lifts, larger implants, etc even a tummy tuck) whether you have implants or not.

For other women, being able to nurse a child is one of the most important things to them and though an augmentation may slightly decrease the chances of this, they don’t want to risk it. There are other reasons as well that may make them wish to wait. There are a multitude of issues. A board certified surgeon can help you understand all the pros and cons which is really what this boils down to. I think you can really make an argument to do it before or after having children depending on your priorities and goals! (Matthew H. Conrad, MD, Wichita Plastic Surgeon)

No Need to Wait Unless You Plan to Have Kids Soon

If you plan on having children within the next year, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to wait, although it is not necessary. The implants are below the breast tissue whether they are under the muscle or under the breast tissue. Generally, what will happen to the breasts will occur whether they are there or not, so there is no great advantage to waiting. Now, if your skin stretches and the gland shrinks so much that you will need a lift, you probably would need that lift whether you had the implants or not. So if you are planning on having children soon, I would suggest you wait to allow the breast to return to its “non-pregnant” shape and size. If not, then there is no need to wait. Because you are placing the implants beneath the breast or beneath the muscle there should be no issue with breastfeeding, although there is no absolute guarantee. Good luck with your decision. (Louis C. Cutolo, Jr., MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

A breast augmentation is very unlikely to interfere with your ability to breast feed, particularly if the incision is placed in the breast fold and implant below the gland or under the muscle.

Even if the incision is placed around the areolar there is no strong evidence to suggest that your ability to breast feed is altered.

Many women have breast fed children with implants and there is no clear evidence that silicone levels in the breast milk are any different from those women without a breast augmentation as silicone is a naturally occurring trace element in the body.

For a number of reasons up to 30% of women are unable to breast feed naturally. If you are highly concerned, the safest approach is to wait until after your pregnancy for a breast augmentation.

There are however, no strong medical reasons to delay. In regards to the shape of the breasts, it is clear that the breasts undergo significant change during pregnancy and successful breast feeding.

Although not all, a large number of women will experience changes to the skin quality, laxity, nipple position, areolar size and breast volume. I advise my patients that if they are planning to delay having children for a number of years into the future then having a breast augmentation prior to pregnancy is a reasonable option. Women who are considering children in the near future should ideally wait until after they have had children.

If a woman has already undergone a breast augmentation they just need to be prepared that their breast may undergo change during pregnancy and they may require a breast lift or change in augmentation volume after pregnancy. A breast augmentation or lift should also be delayed 6-12months after pregnancy to allow the body to completely recover. (Guy Watts, MBBS (Hons), FRACS (Plast), Perth Plastic Surgeon)

Breast Implants Before Children. Breast augmentation after breastfeeding

A large portion of patients who seek breast augmentation have not had children. If you plan on having children very soon (within 1-2 years), then it’s probably a good idea to wait, but if not, there’s no time like the present!

Breast implants cause some thinning of the breast tissue, but as long as the breast tissue is not cut then it should not affect your ability to breastfeed. (Aisha McKnight-Baron, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Childbirth & Breast Augmentation

The decision whether or not to wait to have children before having a breast augmentation is a really personal one. Really it depends on what’s right for you.

Breast augmentation should not impact your ability to breastfeed. After pregnancy and breastfeeding, your breasts are likely to change shape from where they started. It’s up to you if you’d prefer to have an implant before this time, which will still improve the overall shape of the breast, or to wait to address some of these potential changes with a breast lift combined with augmentation when you’ve finished having children. (Frank Lista, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Wait Until After Children for Breast Augmentation?

The decision to wait until after completing your family to have breast augmentation is a very personal one. Having implants does not jeopardize your health or the health of your unborn child. It is unlikely that implants will negatively impact a woman’s ability to breast feed. Pregnancy and breastfeeding may change the size and shape of your breasts whether or not you have implants. This may lead to further surgery to improve the shape of your breasts after pregnancy. (Kathleen Waldorf, MD, FACS, Portland Plastic Surgeon)

Breast implants before or after pregnancy

There is no definitive answer but rather this is a question about one’s over-arching life plans. Certainly if one is actively trying to get pregnant, then hold off on the surgery until after. Otherwise I think it is perfectly reasonable to proceed with breast augmentation. Personally I do not believe that properly sized implants increase the probability of post-pregnancy ptosis (breast droop).

I also do not believe that having breast augmentation before pregnancy increases your chances of wanting breast surgery after pregnancy. It is perfectly safe to breast feed with breast implants in place. The issue of post-augmentation breastfeeding relates to nipple numbness; a sensate nipple is necessary to initiate the suckling reflex that causes milk to drop.

The biggest risk of nipple numbness is choosing an implant that is wider than the breast because the nerve that provides sensation to the nipple comes around the side of the chest wall and is prone to injury if the implant pocket is too wide. An incision around the areola is also associated with a slightly higher risk of nipple numbness. I believe this is related to the diameter of the areola. (Michael B. Tantillo, MD, Boston Plastic Surgeon)

If you are going to have children in the next year wait it out – if not, go ahead and get implants and enjoy them until you’re ready to have kids. Breast implants shouldn’t prevent you from breastfeeding. (Grant Stevens, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

Pros & Cons For Breast Augmentation & Having Children

It is not necessary to wait until you are done having children to have a breast augmentation.

During your consultation for this procedure, your surgeon will very likely inform you that there could be some potential for impairment of successful breastfeeding as a result of your breast procedure.

Although the possibility is quite low, it should still be discussed. If a woman becomes pregnant after a breast augmentation then there may be some changes in the breast that would require revisional surgery.

In general, most woman do not require revisional surgery after pregnancy and breastfeeding. In the event that there is more laxity of the skin following pregnancy and breastfeeding, a woman might request placement of a larger implant or possibly a breast lift, or both. In general, it is not necessary to wait until after childbearing to enjoy the benefits of breast augmentation. (John J. Edney, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

Breast Aug Before Children

Having a breast augmentation prior to having children is completely fine; however, if you are actively trying to get pregnant or if you plan on breastfeeding with in the next year waiting may be your best option. Having breast implants usually does not effect your ability to breastfeed. (Peter J. Capizzi, MD, Charlotte Plastic Surgeon)

I had one pregnancy before BA and one pregnancy after BA!

I can speak from experience on this matter! As a plastic surgeon I thought it would be better to get my implants after I had my babies to decrease the chances of having to have any additional surgery IF my breasts changed a lot with pregnancy. (None of us really know what pregnancy will do to our bodies until we actually have a baby!!)

I had small B cup breasts and decided to have augmentation after having my first child at age 37. I had had no luck with another baby by age 40 and adopted my second child.

So I took the plunge and had 270cc silicone gel implants put in at age 40. Well, low and behold I had a surprise (and fortunately uncomplicated) pregnancy at age 43. I nursed both babies and had no problems with breastfeeding with either one.

The only difference between the two pregnancies was that my breasts got bigger the second time. Because they started bigger. Both babies and both breast implants remain happy and healthy to this day!My professional answer to this question is: This depends on your pre-pregnancy anatomy AND on how your breasts and body change with pregnancy.

Women with larger and more ptotic (droopy) pre-pregnancy breasts AND women who gain a lot of weight with pregnancy are more likely to need some “adjustment” of their breasts after pregnancy. The more breast tissue you have to get big and fat and engorged. The more likely pregnancy will affect your breasts. Small, non-droopy breasts are less likely to need adjustment after a normal weight-gain pregnancy.

This is a sweeping generalization but is true in most cases, assuming you lose “most” of your “baby-weight”. In most cases, a breast augmentation will not significantly affect your ability to make milk or affect the babies ability to “latch-on”, however some women are not able to successfully breastfeed and you wont know that til you try. The only surgical sequelae that I can think of that may affect your breastfeeding is if you lose some nipple sensitivity with your BA.

This could adversely affect the pleasurable feelings that many women have with breastfeeding. All that being said.I agree that if you plan to get pregnant in the near future you may as well wait, however if you do not plan pregnancy for a while.go for it. Enjoy them while you are young. I only wished I had done it sooner. However, I recommend asking your doctor for for his/her opinion on how your particular anatomy is likely to respond. An experienced board certified plastic surgeon who does a lot of BAs will be able to answer. (Mary Gingrass, MD, Nashville Plastic Surgeon)

The timing of breast augmentation is a very common and important question for all women seeking surgery.

Most of our clients have their augmentation surgery before their first pregnancy.

Pregnancy is not affected by breast implants and conversely breast implants do not affect the pregnancy.

Successful breast feeding also does not affect the breast implants. Usually everyone is happy with their augmented breasts after a pregnancy.

However, pregnancy especially with big weight changes, can cause ptosis. I advise women to not gain too much weight to avoid stretching out the skin over the implants.

Finally, for the one what developed ptosis after pregnancy, one can either have mastopexy and or exchange for a bigger implant. (Colin Hong, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

A breast augmentation can be performed before having children. Most women after breast augmentation can breastfeed without any issues.

However, losing the ability to breastfeed is a possible risk of having a breast procedure. Also, it is possible for your breasts to change and possibly develop ptosis or sagging after pregnancy even with implants. If this happens you will need a revision at some point down the road. If a revision of your breast augmentation is necessary I would recommend waiting until after you are done having children before having any additional surgeries. (Morgan E. Norris, MD, FACS, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

It is most important that you understand yourself and what you feel to be the most important to you. The general evidence is that you are not risking harm to your future children if you have breast augmentation before pregnancy.

It has been my observation that a person cannot know how their breasts will behave through any pregnancy, so you cannot predict what you will have after the pregnancy. If you don’t want to increase the risk of having multiple procedures as you might if your breasts change in some negative way after pregnancy, then wait.

If you are open to some uncertainty, which we really cannot avoid, they you can go ahead now. Many people go through pregnancy without a hitch regarding their breasts, breast feed and look very good afterward. You just can’t know ahead of time if that will be you. (Jeffrey G. Copeland, MD, Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon)

Breast Augmentation before having children?

There is no contraindication to having breast implants prior to having children. Because you have not tried to breast feed yet, if you have difficulty after having the implants in, it may not be the reason.

So you will still be allowed to successful breast feed, but we are unable to assess your ability to breast feed until you need to.

Most patients don’t have issues with breastfeeding after implantation. (Pamela Gallagher, MD, Long Island Plastic Surgeon)

When to have a Breast Augmentation

First of all women undergo breast augmentation from 18 years old to well into their 60s and above! What time is best is really a personal decision, but there are several factors to consider. Undergoing a breast augmentation will not keep you from being able to successful breast-feeding. The two major age groups that the majority of women undergo breast augmentation is at your age and then again in their mid to late forties (after their children have gone away to school). No question that pregnancy, breast feeding and weight changes can all affect the breast, however many women want to enjoy their breasts at your age and if they do have changes after having children they can have other procedures once that is complete. I encourage you to see a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options! (Johnny Franco, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)