Many women have questions about breast implants after pregnancy, as well as what to expect if they get pregnant after implants.
Timing is an important subject to consider when you’re planning to get breast implants. As plastic surgeons in northern NJ, we get a lot of great questions about it. In fact, even if you forget to ask during the breast implant consultation, a good plastic surgeon will ask you about pregnancy and your goals for getting breast implants.
Getting breast implants, and deciding on the timing to do so, must be a truly informed decision. There are several common concerns around the subject of breast implants and pregnancy that can be quelled simply with insight into the typical risks and recommendations.
It is important to remember that each individual is unique and that this should not be construed as individualized medical advice. Discuss your specific goals for breast implant surgery and future pregnancy plans with an experienced breast implant surgeon here in the Bergen County, NJ area.
Getting Breast Implants After Pregnancy
We’ve met with plenty of patients who had plans to get pregnant in the future but were worried about the impact of getting breast implants prior to pregnancy. In many of these cases, the decision is completely up to you about whether or not to have surgery. In some cases, women decide to wait until after they’ve had their child or children before proceeding with surgery. Most times we’ve found that patients decide to go forward with breast implants prior to an eventual pregnancy.
Women on the younger end of the scale often fall into the second category. They may not want to wait and for most of these patients, it is completely safe to do so. These decisions are up to the individual. In consultations, we always discuss pregnancy and provide information so that you can align your decisions with your life goals.
Do Breast Implants Prevent Breastfeeding?
If you get implants before you’ve had children (or before you’ve had all your children) there is a possibility you may not be able to breastfeed. However, the vast majority of women, with saline or silicone implants, can breastfeed.
Preserving your ability to breastfeed is largely technique dependent. The placement of the incisions and the implant placement itself are important. Choose an experienced and dedicated surgeon with extensive experience in breast surgery. They will do everything possible to preserve the option of breastfeeding for women who get breast implants.
Make sure to discuss your plans to breastfeed with your surgeon before your breast implant procedure.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding with Implants: What About Sagging?
After working with patients in our Bergen County office, we’ve found that there were two questions that were almost always asked by different patients.
- Will my breasts sag after pregnancy even though I have implants?
- Will I need to repeat the surgery when I’m done having kids?
Many women wonder if it is breastfeeding itself that causes breasts to sag and it’s a legitimate concern. There have been many studies that show that breastfeeding does not cause sagging, however, pregnancy itself can. That means that there is a chance your breasts will sag after a pregnancy, however, it is not guaranteed.
After having a pregnancy with breast implants, you might decide to have a breast lift and/or an additional implant surgery to replace your old implants. Being pregnant will not harm the implants themselves. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, weight gain and lactation will cause your breast tissue to expand and the skin will stretch.
Skin elasticity is a very individual trait and it depends upon your age, number of pregnancies, smoking habits, eating habits, sun exposure over your lifetime and more. The degree of change varies widely and pregnancy breast changes would go on even if you didn’t have implants.
Individual taste will also play a part in whether you’ll have your breast implants replaced. Your body and mindset will change after pregnancy. For some women, post-pregnancy changes are minor and for others more obvious. Some women prefer to preserve their natural figure after pregnancy because they like the changes that happened after having children. You never know until you’re in the situation.
If you do decide on a breast lift or another breast enhancement procedure after pregnancy, a skilled surgeon may be able to perform it using your previous incision area (s) to limit scarring and to restore your desired pre-pregnancy appearance.
Breast Implant Surgery and Pregnancy: Space Them Out
Pregnancy can change your life in a number of different ways and so can breast implants. Happily, both of these life events have a great tendency to be positive experiences. But should they be done at roughly the same time? No. It’s unacceptably risky to do so. If you find a surgeon willing to do breast implants close to pregnancy–either right before, during or right after–walk away.
If you are currently pregnant when you meet with us, we would consider you to “not be a good candidate” for breast implant surgery at that particular time.
How Soon Can I Get Breast Implants After Pregnancy?
You should wait at least 6 months after giving birth to have any type of elective surgery, including breast implants. You must have completed breastfeeding and your hormonal rhythms, weight, (and your energy level) must have returned to normal–before thinking about breast implants right after pregnancy. Give each life change its chance to settle in before you begin another. After approximately 6 months we’d be happy to discuss breast implant surgery and the timing of it, as it applies to you specifically.
How Will Breast Implants After Pregnancy Fit into My Life Plan?
At your consultation, your surgeon will discuss with you: your medical history, your motivation for surgery and goals for your breast implant procedure. Part of the goals discussion includes basics like size, how you’d like to look after your implant surgery and future plans that could affect your decision to have breast implants. Besides giving you specific, personalized information, having this discussion will go along way toward helping you find the best surgeon for you.
To help clarify your plans for breast implants–and get the answers you need to go forward confidently, we’d love to speak with you about breast implants after pregnancy. We believe that having the right information truly enhances the experience.
That is why we offer a no-charge consultation to all of our patients at our northern NJ office. We want you to be comfortable with your goals and decisions and we want to be a part of that discussion.
