When thinking about getting a breast lift, one of our biggest questions is “how will a lift affect my ability to breastfeed?” The breasts are a very complicated part of the body, so altering them MUST have some effects on breastfeeding, right?
Because of the risk of complications, most surgeons recommend that mothers wait until they are done breastfeeding to get a breast lift, but exceptions to this rule do exist. Keep reading to find out all about the relationship between breast lifts and breastfeeding.
Breast Lifts & Breastfeeding
To understand how a breast lift can affect your ability to breastfeed, it is important to understand how the procedure is done. Depending on your case, the surgeon may make incisions around the areola, in a horizontal line along the breast creases, or in a vertical line between the areola and breast creases. After removing the excess, the surgeon may use stitches to reshape the breast tissue, reposition the nipple, or alter the areola size before closing the incisions. The end result of a breast lift is typically higher and round busts, but the breastfeeding worry is still there.
In most cases, it is possible to breastfeed after getting a breast lift. The procedure only removes excess skin, so it won’t rid you of your milk ducts or anything. In lifts that include nipple repositioning, the nipple is normally moved without being separated from the tissue underneath. As long as the nerves and milk ducts remain intact, it is possible to breastfeed.
However, there is always a risk that ducts may be severed or blocked during the procedure. In some rare cases, women find that they are unable to breastfeed or produce adequate amounts of milk after getting a breast lift. There can also be issues with decreased nipple sensitivity that can make it more difficult for a new mother to breastfeed. Though these situations are very rare, women who really want to breastfeed might want to wait on a breast lift so they can ensure that they avoid this unusual complication of a lift.
What About Breast Shape?
According to Dr. Jason Altman, a Miami breast augmentation expert, it is best to wait until breastfeeding is done to get a breast lift, as this will alter the shape of the breasts. During pregnancy and lactation, the breasts gradually grow larger. The breasts return to a smaller size after you finish breastfeeding, so you end up with a lot of excess skin. Hormonal changes can lead to decreased skin elasticity and thinning skin which further changes the shape of the breast.
Though getting a breast lift beforehand may prevent some sagging, the breasts will inevitably be saggier and droopier after being pregnant and breastfeeding. If you just want a single surgery, it is more effective to wait until you finish breastfeeding for good before you begin to fix the shape of your breasts.
What Bad Can Breastfeeding Do?
Yet another concern I hear often: will breastfeeding damage the incision scars left over from the lift? Breastfeeding will not cause any drastic changes, but it can result in some minor cosmetic changes and discomfort. The hormones associated with pregnancy can cause concentrated melanin, so some find that their scars darken a little during pregnancy. This effect may fade after pregnancy is over, but it can be permanent for some of us.
Incision scars will stretch as the breastfeeding increases the size of your breasts. However, some women do find that there is a little tightness or stiffness around the area as the scar stretches, and it can feel rather itchy. All of the issues that breastfeeding causes are not enough to actually impair functionality, but they can be inconvenient. Women who would prefer not having to deal with these problems will benefit from waiting to get their breast lift until after they breastfeed.
What Should You Do If You Want a Breast Lift Before Breastfeeding?
It might be ideal to wait until you are no longer breastfeeding before getting a breast lift, but this is not always possible. Some women may need a breast lift long before they plan to have children, and others might change their minds about having more children after they get a breast lift.
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