More and more women in America are having breast augmentation surgery each year. Many of these women are in their late teens and twenties who have not yet had any children. When they are ready to start a family, they may begin to wonder if their decision to have breast implants will create any problems with breastfeeding.
The answer is “maybe” or “maybe not” with a lot of variables. Your future success with breastfeeding may be impacted not only by the skill of your surgeon but also by the type of surgery you had. The important factors will be whether there is any lasting nerve damage around your areolas and whether your milk duct system is still intact. In both regards, if you had implants via an incision in your armpit or under the fold of your breast, it is less likely that you will have any problems.
Some implants though are inserted via an incision around your areola. In this type of surgery, there is a greater risk for the nerves and milk ducts to be cut or damaged. The nerves around your areola are key to causing your brain to release the hormones necessary for milk production – prolactin and oxytocin. These nerves react to the sucking of your baby and tell your brain to produce and let down breast milk. If you noted reduced nipple sensitivity after your surgery, this may be a breastfeeding problem for you.
Another breast implant-related concern that some women have is whether the silicone or saline in their implants will leak into breast milk. There has been no clear scientific indication that it will leak or that any leakage would be a large enough amount to affect a nursing baby.
You should discuss this issue with your obstetrician and definitely try, if you choose to breastfeed, to nurse your baby. Keep a close eye on how much milk you produce to determine if your implants have affected your milk production. Be prepared to supplement with formula if you can’t keep up with your baby’s needs. In any event, you may experience exaggerated engorgement after your milk comes in (a day or so after your baby is born) which can cause pain and even fever and chills at times. If this lasts very long, let your doctor know as it could indicate damaged milk ducts.
Many women with implants will also worry about the physical effect that nursing will have on their breasts. Don’t we all? It’s probably pretty safe to assume that augmented moms will suffer the same fate as every post-weaning mom. They just aren’t gonna be what they used to be…
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