Will Pregnancy Affect My Breast Implants From a Breast Augmentation?
Women choose breast augmentation for fuller, more symmetrical breasts and greater confidence in their appearance. However, concerns arise when a woman with implants becomes pregnant and begins thinking ahead to breastfeeding her baby. Learn the facts about pregnancy and breast implants, including why implant removal is typically unnecessary before starting your family.
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Breast Augmentation Before Pregnancy
Women often undergo breast enlargement surgery long before pregnancy crosses their minds. When they do get pregnant, they may worry about how their implants will affect their growing baby and how their changing body may impact their implants. These concerns are natural, but usually unwarranted.
While your breasts change and can enlarge throughout pregnancy, your implants should withstand those changes while maintaining their size and shape. However, these changes can lead to skin stretching and sagging, which may be temporary until the completion of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Women who experience ongoing breast sagging may opt for a breast lift to restore the shape and position of the breasts to their pre-pregnancy state. Dr. Allen Doezie performs breast lifts with and without implants, achieving excellent, long-lasting results for all his patients.
Will Breast Implants Prevent Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding is a concern for many moms-to-be with or without implants. The fact is that some women without breast surgery have difficulty breastfeeding, while some with implants have no trouble. Implants alone do not determine whether you’ll be able to nurse your baby successfully.
While many women worry their implants can impact the safety of their breast milk, studies have shown this is not the case. However, your ability to breastfeed may depend on the specifics of your breast augmentation surgery, such as:
Incision Locations
Surgeons use different incision techniques for placing implants into the breast tissue, including:
- Transaxillary: Inside the armpit
- Inframammary: Under the breast in the lower crease
- Periareolar: Around the areola
Periareolar incisions in the nipple area may harm milk ducts, which may impact your milk supply and your ability to breastfeed. Transaxillary or inframammary incisions are better options, since the incisions are far from the breast tissue and milk ducts. Transaxillary incisions provide the additional benefit of eliminating visible breast augmentation scars. Dr. Doezie is well known for his ability to achieve superior results with his transaxillary technique.
Implant Placement
Implants can be placed under the pectoral muscle (submuscular placement), which often provides a more natural appearance and reduces a woman’s risk of complications, such as rippling or capsular contracture. This technique is also the least likely to disrupt milk production. However, submuscular placement often requires a longer breast augmentation recovery and may lead to distortion of the breasts when the chest muscle contracts. Most patients opt for this placement.
Implants placed above the pectoral muscle, known as subglandular placement, are often recommended for active women who are concerned about possible distortion due to muscle contractions. However, this placement has a higher potential for rippling and risk of capsular contraction. It is also more likely to affect milk production if the implants interfere with the glandular tissue and milk ducts.
Breast Augmentation and Breastfeeding: Final Thoughts
Women considering breast augmentation should discuss their future family plans with their surgeon to devise a breast enlargement strategy that is most conducive to pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you become pregnant after breast surgery, there is little reason to worry. Your implants will not affect the health of your baby or the safety of your breast milk.
If you are concerned about your ability to breastfeed, a lactation specialist can help you overcome potential challenges. For example, you may start pumping early to stimulate milk production or supplement feedings to provide your baby with sufficient nutrition in the early weeks of life. Consistent monitoring of your baby’s growth can also offer peace of mind to concerned new mothers.
Have More Questions About Breast Augmentation in Ladera Ranch, CA?
Dr. Allen Doezie is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has been helping patients achieve life-changing improvements in their appearance for more than two decades. To learn more about your options in breast enhancement, call our Ladera Ranch office at (949) 481-9850 or complete our online contact form today.