5 Things You Need to Know About Pregnancy, Motherhood, and Breast Implants
Women who are thinking about getting pregnant often worry whether pregnancy will affect their implants.
After investing thousands of dollars to make their boobs look fantastic, who wants to jeopardize that investment? When it comes to getting pregnant and breastfeeding, protecting your implants can become a mission.
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It’s a well-known fact that pregnancy causes many changes to a woman’s body. Hormones released during pregnancy can wreak havoc, resulting in weight gain, stretch marks, loss of waistline, and an increase in breast size. As such, it is natural and reasonable for potential mothers to worry about their appearance.
Before you go into panic mode, you need to know that you can get pregnant, have that baby, and still keep your prized possessions intact. It’s time to give you the 411 on what to expect when you’re expecting and have implants.
What are Breast Implants?
An implant is a saline or silicone gel-filled medical device used to increase or augment breast size, also known as a “boob job.” They come in various shapes, sizes, texture, and thickness.
The device is implanted over or under the breast tissue or the chest muscle, and can also be used to reconstruct breast tissue lost due to mastectomy or damage to the breast. Those who have implants and want to make changes or improve their looks can benefit from revision surgery using any of these two types of implants.
Pregnancy and Breast Implants
The hormone estrogen causes breast enlargement and can change the shape of the breast during pregnancy. Breasts also become engorged once breast milk sets in after giving birth.
The good news is that breast implants usually stay in place and preserve their shape. Studies show that augmented breasts are more resistant to volume loss or shape changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Even when changes do occur, they’re usually unnoticeable. So there’s no need to panic. Since pregnancy affects each woman differently, even if a noticeable change to the breast does result it can be restored with cosmetic surgery.
Risks of Breastfeeding with Implants
It is generally safe to breastfeed with implants without compromising the baby’s health. This is why both saline and silicone gel-filled implants remain FDA-approved devices for breast augmentation.
Implants inserted under the chest muscle provide an extra layer of protection between the implants and the milk ducts. This means new moms who have implants are usually able to produce milk and breastfeed their babies the same way other moms do.
However, a mother’s ability to breastfeed may be affected if the surgical technique used to place the implant caused any nerve damage to the breast. This can happen if the incisions were made around or directly below the areola. It’s also possible for the milk ducts to be affected. That being said, these complications are rare as modern breast augmentation techniques are very common and safe.
If you are unable to breastfeed for some reason, you can share your concerns with your doctor. Your doctor may monitor the amount of milk you’re producing to determine if your baby is getting adequate nutrition.
Treating Your Implants After Childbirth
A mommy makeover is a trending cosmetic surgery among women seeking to get their pre-pregnancy looks back. It involves a set of procedures, but primarily a breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and butt lift. Breast augmentation can be done with or without a breast lift.
If you need corrective surgery for your implants, your cosmetic surgeon can perform a mastopexy or breast lift. This procedure corrects sagging breasts and lifts the nipples to a preferred position.
A breast augmentation can be performed where there is significant loss of breast volume. This procedure restores the breasts and can even improve their shape, size, and firmness. For maximum results, many moms opt for both a breast augmentation and breast lift at the same time.
Corrective surgery is typically done after breast milk dries up, but your doctor will determine if you are a good candidate for breast restoration an the best time for you to undergo the procedure.
Bouncing Back After Childbirth with Breast Augmentation
It should be reassuring to know that you can become pregnant, give birth, breastfeed and still maintain your attractiveness. Implants don’t usually interfere with pregnancy nor does pregnancy usually interfere with implants. Most women can breastfeed with implants since the modern incision techniques used avoids damage to the nerves and milk ducts.
Nevertheless, each woman’s body and breasts are affected differently and there is always the chance that post-pregnancy implant re-treatment could be necessary. A little touch-up with revision cosmetic surgery may be just what you need to make you feel gorgeous again. Many mom’s have said they got a boost of self-confidence after receiving a breast augmentation or lift. Talk about bouncing back!