Can I breastfeed with breast implants?

There has been a marked increase in demand for body altering procedures such as breast enhancements, with more and more people considering going under the knife to change the way they look and feel.

However, the breast augmentation procedure is very popular with younger women who feel that their breasts haven’t developed sufficiently and many of these women in their late teens and early twenties have not yet started or certainly finished their family at the point they are considering surgery.

Therefore, one question which many women are keen to understand when they are considering breast enhancement surgery – will they still be able to breastfeed if they decide to go under the knife?

As I always explain to patients who attend my Warwickshire breast augmentation consultations, no cosmetic surgeon can give you a 100% guarantee that you will be able to breastfeed after undergoing any form of breast surgery. The type of implants you choose, where they are placed and how the procedure is performed can all be factors and we can discuss this in full at your consultation before you make the decision to go ahead.

The type of breast implants you opt for

Some breast implants are inserted underneath the breast. This approach is more likely to result in visible scar tissue, however it is less likely to damage your milk ducts. Another way of inserting an implant is through an incision made around the darker area near your nipple, known as the areola. This approach often results in a less viable scar, as the darker skin helps to conceal it; however, there is a greater likelihood that this will damage the milk ducts as they are found in abundance in this area.

Where the breast implants are placed

There are two different approaches to the positioning of a breast implant. They can either be inserted in the space between your chest muscle and the breast tissue, or they can be placed underneath the chest muscle itself. There are aesthetic reasons why women choose either one of these options, which generally comes down to how natural they wish the implant to look once the operation is complete.

The way the operation has been undertaken

Breasts are complicated and delicate, so there is a risk that some of the internal components may become damaged during surgery. Inside your breasts are milk ducts, milk glands and many sensitive nerve endings, all of which are essential to supplying a baby with milk and all of which risk damage during incisions made to carry out this type of operation.

One consideration, though, is that women can often find breastfeeding challenging, whether they have undergone breast surgery or not. Although I can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to breastfeed after a breast augmentation, I can promise that I will fully cover all aspects of the procedure, so you’ll be a