Can you breast feed with breast implants? Often, yes. Many women breast feed with implants successfully. Whether you can breast feed exclusively isn’t really decided by the implants themselves, since some women are unable to nurse exclusively even without them. A few choices during surgery can give you the best possible chance.
If breast feeding is important to you, it’s worth planning for before your breast augmentation. Here’s what actually affects it and how to protect your ability to nurse.
Does Breast Augmentation Affect Breast Feeding?
Here’s the honest reality: Some women are able to nurse exclusively and some are not, and that’s true with or without implants. Breast augmentation itself doesn’t determine the outcome. It’s very much an individual factor, which is why no surgeon can promise you’ll be able to breast feed, only that certain surgical choices give you the best chance of preserving your ability to nurse.
How to Preserve Your Ability to Breast Feed
If nursing after surgery matters to you, three choices make the biggest difference, and they’re worth discussing with your surgeon before surgery:
Avoid an incision around the areola. Choosing an incision under the breast instead of around the areola gives the best chance of preserving your milk supply, because it minimizes damage to the nerves and milk ducts concentrated near the areola.
Place the implant under the muscle. Positioning the implant beneath the chest muscle helps keep it away from the breast tissue and ducts involved in milk production.
Choose an appropriately sized implant. An implant that’s too large for your chest can put excess pressure on the nerves and breast tissue, which can lead to nerve damage and even atrophy, or wasting, of the breast tissue over time.
Why Incision and Implant Size Matter So Much
The nerves and ducts that make nursing possible are delicate and are most concentrated around the areola, so an incision there carries more risk to them than one hidden in the breast crease. Similarly, an oversized implant strains the surrounding tissue and nerves. Protecting both is the reason incision choice and implant size come up so often when nursing is a priority.
Is It Safe to Breast Feed With Implants?
Yes. Breast feeding with breast implants is considered safe for your baby; silicone and saline implants sit behind the breast tissue or muscle and don’t contaminate breast milk. If you’re able to produce milk, having implants doesn’t make nursing unsafe. As always, if you have specific concerns, your surgeon and your pediatrician are the best people to guide you.
The Bottom Line
So, can you breast feed with breast implants? Frequently, yes, and implants don’t decide it one way or the other. To give yourself the best chance of nursing, choose an incision under the breast rather than around the areola, place the implant under the muscle, and select a size that suits your frame. Talk through your breast feeding goals with your surgeon early.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you breast feed with breast implants?
Often, yes. Many women breast feed with implants successfully. The implants themselves don’t decide it, since some women can’t breast feed exclusively even without them. Surgical choices like incision location, implant placement, and size give you the best chance of preserving your ability to breast feed.
Does breast augmentation affect your ability to breast feed?
Not necessarily. Some women can nurse exclusively and some can’t, and that’s true with or without implants, so augmentation doesn’t determine the outcome. It’s an individual factor. What your surgeon can do is choose techniques that give you the best chance of preserving your ability to nurse.
How can I preserve my ability to breast feed after implants?
Three choices help most: avoid an incision around the areola in favor of one under the breast, place the implant under the muscle, and choose an implant that isn’t too large for your chest. Together these minimize damage to the nerves and ducts that make nursing possible.
Is it safe to breast feed with silicone implants?
Yes. Breast feeding with silicone or saline implants is considered safe for your baby, since the implants sit behind the breast tissue or muscle and don’t contaminate breast milk. If you can produce milk, implants don’t make nursing unsafe, though your pediatrician can address any specific concerns.
Can you breast feed with implants under the muscle?
Yes, and under-the-muscle placement is often recommended when nursing is a priority. Positioning the implant beneath the chest muscle helps keep it away from the breast tissue and ducts involved in milk production, which supports your chance of nursing after surgery.
Will an areola incision stop me from breast feeding?
Not always, but an incision around the areola carries more risk to the nearby nerves and milk ducts than one under the breast. That’s why an inframammary (under-breast) incision is generally preferred when preserving your ability to nurse is important to you. Discuss your priorities with your surgeon beforehand.
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Always consult a qualified surgeon and your pediatrician about your specific situation.