Is it possible to breastfeed after a breast procedure?

If you have been considering a breast procedure, you probably have a lot of questions – one of which may be how a breast procedure, such as breast augmentation, a breast lift, or breast implants, will affect your future pregnancies and the ability to breastfeed. It is important to bring up these questions with your doctor, but for now, here is some basic information about how a breast procedure can impact future motherhood. 

Can I breastfeed after a procedure?

Breast procedures include breast augmentation, using either the patient’s own tissue or implants; a breast lift (also known as mastopexy), which not only lifts breasts but gives them a firmness and an aesthetically pleasing shape; and a breast reduction, which reduces the weight and size of breasts. 

For most patients, future milk production is not affected by a breast procedure. In a breast lift or reduction, the breast tissue that enables milk production is left intact; in a breast implant procedure, the implants are placed in such a way that they don’t interfere with milk ducts or mammary glands. A woman will have a more productive milk supply if 5 years or more have passed since the breast procedure, according to the La Leche League, a group that strives to encourage women and educate them about the benefits of breastfeeding. 

But keep in mind….

If you do become pregnant and decide to breastfeed after a breast procedure, this can alter the work that you have had done, as both of these can really change a woman’s body! For this reason, you may want to consider putting any breast procedure off until you are done having children and breastfeeding. 

Breastfeeding can be a wonderful experience, one that not only nourishes your baby but gives the two of you the chance to bond, and it is an experience that you will look back on fondly for the rest of your life. If you are thinking about having a breast procedure but you have questions, Dr. Gary J. Price, in New Haven and Fairfield County, CT, can help. Call (203) 453-6635 for a breast procedure consultation today!