Breast augmentation is immensely popular among women of childbearing age. Many women in this age group want to know if breast implants can pose problems if they choose to have children one day. In this blog, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Rudy Coscia discusses some of these concerns so that women can make informed decisions.
Breastfeeding Shouldn’t Be More Challenging
The number one concern women of childbearing age have about breast augmentation is its potential effects on breastfeeding. Fortunately, most women with breast implants have no trouble lactating and feeding their children. By placing an implant between the chest wall and the breast, the implant very minimally obstructs the breast ducts and mammary glands — the parts of the breast responsible for lactation.
Some plastic surgeons suggest that their patients who are concerned about future breastfeeding avoid periareolar breast augmentation (a procedure that places the incision around the areola). In reality, though, a periareolar incision has limited effect on the milk ducts. Most women ultimately choose to insert implants through an incision along the lower breast crease, making this debate moot anyway.
Implants Do Not Affect Fertility or Your Baby
Studies have examined whether women with breast implants have lower fertility rates. The good news is that implants do not in any way impair a woman’s ability to conceive. If breast implants make a woman feel sexier and more confident, that can only make conceiving a baby easier!
Research also confirms that babies do not develop health problems because of implants, so women do not need to worry about their future children’s safety.
Pregnancy Affects the Size and Shape of the Breasts
Throughout pregnancy, a woman’s breasts enlarge to produce milk. Once the baby has weaned, the breasts will shrink in volume — sometimes back to their original size and sometimes somewhat bigger or smaller than they were previously. They can also look more deflated because of stretched skin.
Breast implants are strong enough to weather these changes, so safety is not an issue. However, because the breasts can look different in size and shape following pregnancy, some women may be dissatisfied with these changes. That can happen to women with or without breast implants.
When Dr. Coscia Recommends Waiting
So many of Dr. Coscia’s breast augmentation patients have gone on to have children with zero complications that he does not hesitate to endorse this procedure for younger women who may decide to start a family one day.
The only time he may suggest that a woman postpone a breast procedure is if she is actively planning to have a child. The breasts need time to heal after plastic surgery, and the natural changes that happen to the breasts if she becomes pregnant can complicate that process. Furthermore, since sagging is a common concern after pregnancy, she may decide to combine breast augmentation with breast lift to achieve an appealing breast shape and elevation.
To discuss breast augmentation in more detail with an expert, board-certified plastic surgeon, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Coscia by calling 916-773-5559 for his Granite Bay office or 916-929-1833 for his Sacramento office.
