It’s not the first thing you plan for when having a child, but here in Austin, breast revision surgery is becoming increasingly popular with new moms. No, it’s not because more women are unhappy with their initial breast augmentation. It’s because pregnancy and nursing cause unpredictable changes to the breasts, and in many cases, they leave previous implants looking less flattering than they initially did.
Do your current implants look different after giving birth? It is more common than you might think.
Pregnancy Changes the Breasts
For all the truly wonderful experiences motherhood brings, particularly for new moms, let’s not mince words: Your body takes a beating. After the baby is born, there’s the lack of sleep and there’s adjusting to nursing — and then there are the significant changes to your breasts that linger even after your children grow up. During pregnancy, many women notice their breasts going up a cup size or two. They may feel itchy as the skin stretches. Also, while you are nursing, the flow of milk can further stretch the breast skin. This can leave women with a deflated or “stretched out” look to their breasts once they are done nursing. Whether the skin is capable of shrinking back down depends on multiple factors like age, sun exposure, smoking, and genetics.
It Changes Implants, Too
Think of breast implants as going through similar stretching and changes. Although the breast implants should remain intact, the changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding could disturb the results of your initial breast augmentation, which are generally quite precise and depend on the size and shape of your breasts at the time of surgery. These changes, then, cause some women to be unhappy with their current implants. A breast revision may be right for you if your pregnancy has altered your previous surgery.
Breast Revision Timing
Having said that, most doctors would suggest not rushing into anything. If you are planning on having more children, it is best to wait. This will minimize your chances of needing yet another revision further down the line. Even if you are done having children, you still must wait until your breasts have reached their stable state, which takes about 4 to 6 months once you’ve stopped breastfeeding. This is important, because it makes it easier for a surgeon to evaluate your breast size, shape, and symmetry before creating a surgical plan. The overall goal is to restore a youthful breast contour and appearance.
Enjoy this journey. Of course, pregnancy and breastfeeding are not easy, but it is much more rewarding to focus on the positive during this time. You have brought a life into this world, and that is a true miracle. Let your body heal before you start thinking about a breast revision. Then, once you are ready, take some time for yourself. A breast revision may help you regain your body confidence — and every mom deserves that.
