Many women with breast implants assume that they cannot breastfeed or will have difficulty doing so. I am happy to say that most women who have augmented breasts can and do breastfeed their babies quite successfully. Here are three of the most common questions I hear from my patients with regard to breastfeeding after breast augmentation surgery.
Will I be able to breastfeed?
Most likely, yes. Whether a woman with augmented breasts will have trouble breastfeeding often depends on the kind of surgery she had, namely, where the incision was made to insert the implants. Incisions made under the fold of the breast or through the armpit shouldn’t cause any problems. A “smile” incision around the areola increases the risk of having breastfeeding challenges, because this is where the milk ducts convene. If you are a woman considering breast implants, who knows that you would like to breastfeed one day, then I would recommend opting for an incision either in the armpit or under the fold of the breast.
Is it possible for my implants to leak and contaminate my breast milk?
No, both saline and silicone implants are very safe and the risk of leakage is extremely low. Additionally, if the implant was to leak, there is no “path” for contamination of breast milk, since milk production and delivery happens in its own network of mammary glands and milk ducts.
Why do some women with implants have trouble breastfeeding?
For starters, it is important to know that some women will have difficulty breastfeeding whether they have implants or not. In other words, the cause of some womens’ difficulty in breast feeding may actually be from inherent problems with their natural anatomy even before they have breast augmentation surgery.
Yet, many women who have trouble breastfeeding had their implants inserted through an incision at the base of the areola. One cause of trouble with breastfeeding is the sensitivity of the nipple. A very small portion of women with implants experience overly sensitive nipples post-surgery, which makes breastfeeding an unpleasant experience. Another very small group of women experience less sensitivity, which can make it difficult for the baby to latch correctly during breastfeeding. Additionally, if the implant puts pressure on the mammary gland, this can cause trouble with breastfeeding.
The good news is that a great many of my breast augmentation patients, who have wanted to breastfeed their children, have had success. If you have specific questions about this topic, I encourage you to contact my office and I’d be happy to answer them for you.
