If you're not satisfied with the size of your breasts -- whether they're smaller, larger, or more misshapen than you'd like -- you may be considering augmentation surgery or a breast reduction. However, if you plan to have children, you may be worried about how breast surgery may affect your ability to breastfeed. Is there anything you can do to improve your odds of being able to successfully breastfeed your child after surgery? Should you delay this surgery until after your childbearing years have passed? Here is how surgery could affect your milk ducts, as well as how you may be able to avoid any permanent effects on your ability to produce milk.
If you're having augmentation surgery
Generally, augmentation surgery won't have a significant impact on your ability to breastfeed as long as you didn't already have a risk of low milk production. If your breasts are widely spaced or tubular-shaped, or if you have flat or inverted nipples, you may have trouble breastfeeding even without surgery due to the placement and spacing of your milk ducts. If a milk duct is inadvertently severed during surgery, this could further decrease your milk production and make it harder for you to get started on the breastfeeding process.
If you don't have any of these potential risk factors, it's likely that you'll be able to meet your child's nutritional demands through breastfeeding. If you nurse on demand and work with a lactation consultant, you'll be able to provide enough milk for your child, even if your production is slightly lower than it might have been if you hadn't had augmentation surgery.
If you're having a breast reduction
Although large breast size is often a good sign when it comes to milk production, because a breast reduction removes much of your breast tissue, it runs the risk of decreasing your naturally plentiful milk supply. Along with excess fat and skin, a surgeon may remove milk ducts and glandular tissue that is largely responsible for the amount of milk you can produce.
However, a skilled breast augmentation surgeon should be able to work with you to help determine your ideal breast size, as well as to figure out which areas to avoid during surgery in order to preserve your ability to breastfeed. In many cases, as long as the milk ducts closest to the nipple remain in place, you'll be able to meet your child's needs without supplementing with formula.
Share22 June 2015
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