How Does Breastfeeding Affect Breast Implants?

Submitted by Dr. Joyesh Raj on Wed 01/22/2020 - 09:00

As soon as you find out you are expecting, it is common to have many questions about your changing body. If you have breast implants, one of those questions may be whether breastfeeding will affect the appearance of your implants. You might be curious whether breastfeeding will ruin the look of the implants you love so much, and whether you will have to undergo additional surgery to improve your breasts after nursing.

Dr. Joyesh Raj, one of Cleveland’s finest breast augmentation surgeons, hopes this post helps to shed some light on these concerns.

Nursing With Implants

Plastic surgeons agree that breast implants generally do not interfere with the ability to breastfeed. Although this is a common assumption, in most cases it is not true. The only reason why breast implants may affect breastfeeding is if they are placed through an incision around or under the area that causes nerve damage or impacts the viability of the milk ducts.

Furthermore, breastfeeding generally does not damage or ruin breast implants. The implants are protected by the breast tissue and, depending on how they were placed, sometimes the chest muscle. While nursing, the baby cannot bite or otherwise harm implants.

Although breastfeeding won’t change your implants, unfortunately the same is not always true for natural breast tissue and skin. The natural breast tissue enlarges during pregnancy as the breasts engorge with milk. This stretches the skin of the breasts. After pregnancy and breastfeeding, the breasts may stay the same size, or they may go back to their pre-pregnancy size. Unfortunately, in some cases where the breasts shrink, the skin has stretched too far to contract over the now-smaller breasts. The result is loose, saggy breast skin, deflated-looking breasts and low or downward-pointing nipples. Losing a significant amount of weight after pregnancy can also cause the breasts to lose fullness and further droop or sag.

In this scenario, it is common to undergo subsequent breast surgery (e.g., breast lift) to recapture a youthful and appealing breast appearance.

Every Woman Is Different

It is very difficult to determine how your breasts will change with pregnancy. Every woman is unique and even every pregnancy is unique. If, after pregnancy and breastfeeding, you are left feeling unhappy with the way your breasts look, Dr. Raj can help. He offers options to help your breasts look full, voluptuous and perky again.

Contact our Westlake office today and request a consultation to discuss your treatment options.