It is common for a woman to have breast surgery of one of its kind. This may include breast augmentation or breast reduction to increase or decrease the size of your breasts. Now the question is can you breastfeed with implants. Yes, you can breastfeed after surgery, but how successful you will be being dependent on the type of surgery and how it is performed. Even if you are able to procure a small amount of milk, it will be beneficial for you if one can supplement it with some formula.
Milk normally is produced in the glandular tissue of the breasts and then travel towards nipples, referred to as milk ducts. When you have had surgery, what really matters is whether milk ducts have been damaged or interrupted in any manner. In some surgeries milk ducts may be cut, whereas in others this will not be the case. Even if they have been cut, they may heal after surgery and milk will come to nipples.
If you had breast surgery of any kind and still want to breastfeed your baby, then seek the opinion of your doctor. Show them the medical records of your surgery and convey to the pediatrician of your baby that you had surgery so that they will pay close attention to the growth of the baby.
Breast augmentation
Normally the size of your breasts is increased by silicone implants. They are placed beneath your chest muscles or the natural breast tissue. If a woman has had breast implants, then a decent amount of milk is produced. So breastfeeding after breast augmentation can take place with ease.
The implants are not known to interfere with the process of breastfeeding as they are placed beneath your natural breast tissue. The manner of insertion might be a problem and in order to avoid scarring, the surgeons insert implants through an incision. This could have an impact on the milk ducts and restrict the supply of milk.
Breast reduction
This process is a surgical method where the size of your breasts are reduced and then developed into a smaller size. Depending on how you want the size of the breasts to be, this surgery can be extensive.
Any surgery on the breasts will reduce the amount of milk you produce. Mechanisms which remove or reattach the nipple are likely to cause problems and prevent breastfeeding. Once you give birth, the breast tissue will lead to blocked milk ducts, which has no way to move out. The swollen areas in your breast will give you a lot of pain once the milk comes out. The areas blocked will stop producing milk, but if you breastfeed the intact areas will keep on producing milk.
Many women who have had breast reduction surgery still go on to breastfeed their babies. But the amount of milk produced may not be enough and they would need to supplement it with some formula. Seeking the opinion of a lactation specialist would be a nice idea.
