If you’re among someone who has had breast implant surgey recently, or you’re someone who’s considering going for the surgery, it’s quite common to wonder whether it will affect breastfeeding or not.
Most women who have undergone breast implant surgery are able to breastfeed, but there are a few exceptions. Your ability to breastfeed depends on how your breasts were before the surgery and possibly the type of incision used.
During breast augmentation, breast implants are set between the chest wall and your breast. This is done to avoid interference with the mammary glands, which are responsible for milk extraction. Generally, surgeons make sure that enough breast tissue is left so that milk production gets enabled after the surgery.
Considering breast augmentation surgery cost, it’s pretty obvious for women to pose questions about any possible complications. When it comes to breastfeeding post breast augmentation, there are certain factors that would determine its success —
- Where were the cuts made: If it goes across your nipples then it’s likely that some of your milk nerves and ducts might have got damaged. In that case, breastfeeding may not be possible. However, if cuts are made elsewhere saving your major nerves, then you’d be able to breastfeed.
- Sensation in your nipples: It’s a good sign if you can feel the sensation in your nipples, which means your nerves are intact. Although, if you had your surgery recently, you might not feel the full sensation. But you’d be able to breastfeed.
- Location of your implants: If your implants are placed under your chest muscle, then you don’t have to worry about breastfeeding. Implants placed under the glandular tissues can affect milk production sometimes.
Many women still believe that they won’t be able to breastfeed after undergoing breast implant surgery, which is not true at all. Although, experts say that it’s hard to say whether she will have a full supply of milk or not. Most women with implants are able to breastfeed according to the surgery they’ve had as explained earlier.
Also, it’s quite normal for your breasts to change their shape and size after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The bottom line is undergoing breast surgery doesn’t mean you can’t breastfeed. Most women are able to breastfeed after the surgery. And according to CDC, there haven’t been any recent clinical reports of problems in babies of mothers with breast implants. Hence, to answer the initial question, breast augmentation does affect breastfeeding, but it depends on the surgery you’ve had or you’re going to have.
