Will Future Pregnancies Impact My Breast Augmentation Results?

Over 300,000 women chose to undergo breast augmentation in 2018, making it the most popular plastic surgery procedure performed over the last year. For the many women seeking breast augmentation in their 20s, starting a family may not be something on the immediate horizon. However, if you are planning on having children down the road, it’s important to understand how pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding may impact your breast augmentation results.

The good news is that the desire to have children in the future doesn’t impact your candidacy for breast augmentation. However, you should expect that future pregnancies may impact your results.

Will My Breasts Look Different after Pregnancy?

Your breasts will undergo certain changes when you have children. Hormonal changes during pregnancy often result in your breasts becoming fuller and heavier. Once you’ve given birth, your milk glands will become engorged in order to facilitate breastfeeding. This can cause your breast tissue to expand and the skin in your breast region to become stretched. While these changes won’t adversely impact your breast implants, they can cause changes to the appearance of your augmented breasts.

Common changes to your breast appearance that may occur after pregnancy and childbirth include:

• Changes in breast shape
• Sagging
• Upper pole deflation
• More sloped appearance

The extent of these changes in breast appearance are different for every woman. It’s common for women with breast implants to experience less volume loss and a more subtle change in breast shape since the implant remains the same size after pregnancy. In these situations, you may find that the primary changes to your breast appearance are associated with stretching skin.

If you experience significant changes in the appearance of your breasts following pregnancy, you may want to consider a revision procedure to restore your desired look. Changing your implant size can help restore lost breast volume, and a breast lift can be performed to address sagging issues and restore a more youthful breast appearance.

Can I Breastfeed with Implants?

In most instances, your breast implants won’t impact your ability to breastfeed. In addition, numerous studies have found that breast implants don’t pose any safety risks to babies who are breastfeeding.

If you’re planning on breastfeeding in the future, it’s crucial that you discuss this with our surgeons during your consultation since this may impact the ideal location for your incisions. In most instances, our plastic surgeons will recommend either the inframmary incision (along the breast crease) or the transaxilary incision (under the armpit) to avoid any potential damage to nerves or milk ducts that may occur if you make the incision around the areola. It’s possible that loss of nipple sensation may occur with the periareolar incision, and this may make it harder for your baby to achieve a good latch while breastfeeding.

It’s also a good idea to take a breastfeeding class if you are planning on breastfeeding with implants. This will help you ensure a smooth, successful breastfeeding process. We also recommend that you meet with a lactation consultant after childbirth to ensure that your baby is positioned properly on the breast and getting a good latch. A poor latch can potentially result in a reduction in your milk supply, so this consultation is an important safeguard that will help ensure your child is getting the proper amount of milk.

If you’re planning on having children in the future, you should discuss your family goals with our plastic surgeons during your initial consultation.

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