Is It Possible to Breastfeed After Breast Augmentation and Breast Reduction?

Is It Possible to Breastfeed After Breast Augmentation and Breast Reduction?

Breastfeeding is one of the most beautiful feelings a woman can experience. However, most women care about the beauty and form of their breasts as much as the breastfeeding experience.
 
If you have performed augmentation or reduction operations in order to have breasts of ideal size and steepness, which is the dream of every woman, "Is it possible to breastfeed after breast augmentation and breast reduction?" You may be wondering.

Plastic Surgeon Mustafa Nihat Koc MD answers our questions about breastfeeding function after breast augmentation and breast reduction surgeries.

Does Breast Reduction Operations Affect Breastfeeding?

“Every year, almost half a million women in the world have breast reduction surgery. Breast reduction surgery is among the most common plastic surgery procedures.
 
These reduction procedures greatly improve a woman's quality of life, including reducing shoulder, back and neck pain, reducing headaches, and reducing anxiety and depression.
 
Breast reduction techniques have been constantly evolving since the early 1990s, and many different breast reduction techniques are now used today.
 
However, the biggest concern about the breastfeeding function is about breast reduction operations. Because some of the mammary glands are removed during this procedure and therefore there is a risk. However, this is not as big of a risk as you might think.
 
There is a common urban legend about this issue in society. Therefore, we can say that the feared risk is very small.
 
Moreover, in these procedures, we use methods that will cause the least damage to the lactation function, even for women who have not given birth, and we apply less reduction to large breasts.
 
However, we prefer more radical methods for women who have completed their birth and breastfeeding processes.”

Well, Can The Same Be Said For Breast Augmentation Operations?

“At least, there is the same concern in augmentation operation as in breast reduction operation. However, breast augmentation surgery does not prevent breastfeeding. Because in this surgery, the milk gland and milk ducts are not touched.
 
In fact, we can say that breast augmentation surgery contributes positively to the breastfeeding function. With this surgery, the nipple that is pushed forward is more easily grasped by the baby. Thus, the suction function works effectively.” 

Does Non-Surgical Breast Augmentation Have Any Harm to Breastfeeding?

“It would be more explanatory to answer this question by first describing the non-surgical breast augmentation.
 
Non-surgical breast augmentation is the shaping of the breasts using medical fillers. This procedure can be applied without a small incision scar and an alternative is offered to women who do not want to go under the knife.
 
Since the injected area is not close to the milk ducts and glands in the non-surgical breast augmentation, it may not interfere with breastfeeding.

However, since the products used in non-surgical breast augmentation are restricted from entering Turkey and we do not find these products appropriate for our patients, we do not apply this procedure in our clinic.” 

Numbness After Breast Augmentation / Reduction and Breastfeeding

“When we look at the studies on the possibility of numbness after breast augmentation/reduction, we see that the rate of numbness in the nipples does not change much and there is a loss of sensation between 2% and 5%.

Moreover, this feeling of numbness returns to normal over time. The same is true of feeling excessive, which is the opposite. Although there is a small increase in sensitivity, this situation returns to normal in time.”

How Long After Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Ends Breast Augmentation Surgery Can Be Performed?

“First, pregnancy and subsequent childbirth cause changes and deformations in the female body.
 
The breast area is one of the places most affected by these changes and deformations. Especially after the breastfeeding process, sagging and loss of form may occur in the breasts.

Many women wonder if their breasts will be the same after breastfeeding.
 
If these deformations in the breasts have become disturbing, breast lift or volumizing surgeries can be applied after the breastfeeding period is completed.

The best time for this is 5-6 months after the period when breastfeeding is stopped.”