Can you breastfeed after a breast reduction?
I had a breast reduction about 4 years ago and I am now 8 months pregnant and have not had any sign of milk yet- is it still possible for me to breast feed?
Categories: Breast Reduction Tags: after, Breast, breastfeed, Reduction
i’m really not sure but that should be on the list of things to ask at your next check up. even if you can’t breastfeed its not uncommon to hear. my mom never got her milk when she had me and my sister.
it’s possible. I’ve read that you may have difficulty, though. it’s OK that there’s no sign of milk yet. your milk won’t actually come in until a couple days after giving birth. the stuff your breasts make at first is called colostrum. it’s a thick clear substance that does all kinds of good things for your baby’s system. speak with a lactation consultant before you have the baby, and make sure there’s one at the hospital after you have your baby to help you get started. my hospital has a lactation consultant/nurse on staff in labor/delivery/postpartum. good luck! i hope you can!
Surgical reduction of the breasts can damage nerves and milk-producing ducts and glands, making breastfeeding difficult. Most likely. If your nipple and areola are still attached to the breast tissue beneath them, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to nurse. However, if the nipple was removed and then placed on a reconstructed breast, damage to the nerves (which stimulate the release of hormones that are necessary for milk production and letdown), milk ducts, and breast tissue may limit your milk flow and diminish sensation in your nipples.
In general, breast reduction surgery is more likely than breast augmentation to interfere with nursing. You won’t know the extent of any nerve damage until you try nursing. Ask a lactation expert for guidance and support. On the third day postpartum, you can try pumping for five minutes on each breast after every nursing session to help bring more milk in. It’s likely that you’ll need to use a fully automated pump that pumps both breasts at once to stimulate your letdown reflex.
Let your baby’s doctor know about your surgery. She’ll need to keep a close eye on your baby’s weight gain to make sure he’s getting enough to eat. (Learn how to tell if your baby’s getting enough milk.)
Of course you don’t have milk, you have colostrum but the production is very low because your hormones suppress it. Colostrum is very, very hard to express in any case.
Some women can not exclusively breastfeed after a reduction, but that is no reason not to breastfeed at all.
There is a whole organization for support:
http://www.bfar.org
talk to your doctor about seeing a lactation consultant! i really hope this helps!
it’s more difficult for reductions than for implants but very possible. just because you have not had any premilk yet does not mean you’re not going to have any. most women don’t ge tit until after birth. consult with ob/gyn for more info on that. good for you for wanting to try sucha wonfderful thing
Check out this site:
http://www.bfar.org
You CAN breastfeed after a reduction, I know people who have.
Most people are successful at breast-feeding after implants, but not all.
While the implant, in most cases is separated from the breast by a layer of muscle, there will be some trauma to the tissue in the placement process. This may decrease the likelihood of successful breast feeding. If the milk comes in successfully, many experts think that women with implants can breast-feed safely.
To look into this further, the FDA and La Leche would be good places to start. As with any product, there are those who profess to be experts and espouse less than scientific data. I dare say, you can’t pick any topic of discussion today and find some “expert” who has a dissenting opinion and a litany of reasons to “prove” their point.
Many experts believe that silicone has no effect on breast-feeding. No one, however, can give you an absolute guarantee. Therefore, the risk/benefit ratio is an individual decision that people have to research for themselves. You will find articles with dissenting conclusions. It has been my experience that most women with implants in my practice that are interested in breast feeding, do so successfully.
I would suggest you read a good article “The Facts About Breast Implant Surgery” You can view it at:
http://www.san-diego-plastic-surgery-cosmetic-surgery-doctors.us/cosmetic-surgery-san-diego-breast-surgery-article-2.htm
Another good implant article can be viewed at:
http://www.san-diego-plastic-surgery-cosmetic-surgery-doctors.us/cosmetic-surgery-san-diego-breast-surgery-article-3.htm
http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/
http://www.medical-research-study-directory.info/san-diego-medical-research-study.htm
http://hoodia-research.blogspot.com
http://www.acne-treatment-medicine-1.info
When I had my procedure done my plastic surgeon sternly said I would not be able to breast feed since I was having a free nipple graft. You may need to ask your plastic surgeon this question because he/she knows if they damaged any milk ducts during the operation.