Breastfeeding After a Boob Job

If you are considering any surgery which involves breast implants, it is important that you speak with your surgeon about whether you would like to be able to breastfeed in the future.

Date: 9th February 2024

Last reviewed: 9th February 2024

How Do Breast Implants Affect Breastfeeding?

Breast implants can potentially affect breastfeeding, but this depends on the type of implant, the surgical technique, and your individual anatomy.

Some factors which may impact breastfeeding are:

Nipple sensation – Breast Augmentation can sometimes affect nipple and breast sensation which may make it harder to breastfeed.
Milk production – Breast implants may not interfere with milk production itself, however depending on their placement and the surgical techniques used, they may impact how the milk travels from the milk ducts to the nipple.
Implant placement – Whether the breast implants are placed under the muscle (submuscular placement), or above the muscle (subglandular placement) may impact your ability to breastfeed. Typically, placing the implants behind the muscle affects breastfeeding less, as there is less interference with the milk ducts.

If you are considering any surgery which involves breast implants, it is important that you speak with your surgeon about whether you would like to be able to breastfeed in the future.

Can You Breastfeed After a Boob Job?

Many women who have had a Boob Job (Breast Augmentation) are able to breastfeed following their surgery. If this is something you are concerned about, and you would like to be able to breastfeed following your surgery, it is vital you discuss this with your surgeon during your consultation.

If you wish to be able to nurse your baby following breast implant surgery, your surgeon will be able to prioritise preserving the milk ducts and glandular tissue to allow for this. However, the success of this cannot always be guaranteed and it is important to understand that there may be the risk of not being able to breastfeed, however careful and skilled your surgeon is.

Generally, breastfeeding with breast implants is safe for both the mother and the baby. If you are concerned about the safety of breastfeeding with implants, or would like to be able to breastfeed, and already have breast implants, it is important to speak to your healthcare provider, or a breastfeeding specialist who will be able to provide personalised advice and support to guide you on your breastfeeding journey.

Can You Breastfeed After a Breast Uplift?

It is usually possible to breastfeed following a Breast Uplift, also known as a Mastopexy. However, during a Mastopexy, there can often be significant manipulation of the breast tissue, and this may disturb the milk ducts and other structures within your breasts. If you wish to be able to breastfeed following your Mastopexy, it is important to discuss this with your surgeon during your initial consultation so they can explain how this may affect your final surgical results.

If you wish to be able to breastfeed following Mastopexy, your surgeon may have to limit the amount they manipulate your breast tissue, meaning you have less of a lifted result afterwards.

How Will Breastfeeding Affect My Surgical Result?

Many surgeons encourage patients to have finished their family and their breastfeeding journey before they consider any breast procedures, whether they include implants or not. This is usually because breastfeeding can impact the final surgical result and may cause breasts to sag or droop – often counteracting the original intentions of the surgery.

However, many patients undergo breast surgeries when they are younger, before they start a family. In this instance, it is important to speak to your surgeon about whether you may wish to breastfeed in the future, how breast enlargement and pregnancy may affect each other, and understand how breastfeeding may affect your surgical result. This may include whether you may wish to have a follow up surgery, or replace or remove your breast implants following having any children.

Tips for Breastfeeding Following Breast Surgery

There are various factors your surgeon may recommend you take into account if you wish to breastfeed following your Breast Augmentation or Mastopexy.

Some tips to help you successfully breastfeed following surgery include:

Speak with a breastfeeding or lactation specialist – Breastfeeding advisors are there to support you during your breastfeeding journey and answer any of your questions, providing personalised advice for your individual situation including breastfeeding and breast implants. If you have breast implants and are worried about how this may impact your ability to breastfeed, speaking to someone early on to anticipate any concerns, may help to reassure you.
Consider implant placement – If you know you would like to be able to breastfeed following any surgery involving breast implants, speak to your surgeon about placing the implants beneath the muscle rather than above the muscle. This will help to preserve and protect the milk ducts and the structures within your breasts making breastfeeding easier.
Think about surgical techniques and result – If you are considering a Mastopexy (Breast Uplift), make sure you understand how your surgeon will need to balance your surgical result with preserving the structures in your breasts, enabling you to breastfeed. If you are concerned that the result won’t be as dramatic as you would like, if your surgeon prioritises your ability to breastfeed post-surgery, you may wish to wait until you have finished your breastfeeding journey before you undergo any procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Breastfeed Following a Mummy Makeover?

A Mummy Makeover is a surgical procedure which combines breast, abdominal and gynaecological surgeries to restore a patient’s pre-pregnancy body. Either Breast Augmentation or Mastopexy are popular procedures as part of a Mummy Makeover.

Many patients are able to breastfeed following these procedures, however, this may affect your surgical results leading to premature sagging. Therefore, it is advisable to have finished breastfeeding, before considering a Mummy Makeover.

Can I Breastfeed After a Breast Reduction?

Breast Reduction carries a higher risk of affecting the milk supply and preventing breast feeding after surgery. This is because the procedure involves the removal of significant amounts of glandular breast tissue in order to resize and reshape the breast.

If breastfeeding after your boob job is a priority for you and you are having a Breast Reduction in particular, we recommend you make this clear to your surgeon and discuss options comprehensively at your first consultation.

Will Having Implants and Breastfeeding Harm My Baby?

Breastfeeding with implants is usually completely safe for you and your baby. If you have any worries about implants and breastfeeding or the safety of breastfeeding with implants, speak with your surgeon, and also a breastfeeding specialist who can advise on your individual concerns.

Will Having Breast Implants Affect My Milk Supply?

Although breast implants won’t affect your milk supply, the position of your breast implants and the surgical techniques your surgeon uses may impact the ability for the milk to travel from the milk ducts to your nipples. If you are concerned about this, speak with your surgeon about breastfeeding during your consultation, to ensure they prioritise preserving the milk producing structures within your breasts to allow you to breastfeed.

When Can I Have a Breast Procedure After My Breastfeeding?

We typically advise that you allow a few months after breastfeeding to allow your body to recover before you have breast surgery. This allows time for your breasts to return to a more stable size, shape and position following any breastfeeding related changes.

Allowing time for your hormones to stabilise after weaning is also a good idea as these hormones can have an impact on breast size, shape and position. This can also contribute to making sure you approach surgery in the best possible state of mind.

Should I Wait Until I Have Had Children to Get My Boobs Done?

Breast surgery can take place at many life stages for many different life reasons. There is therefore no set or ideal time for getting breast surgery.

If you are thinking about having children in the future, however, then waiting until you have had them for you to get your boobs done is certainly something to consider.

Not only can the physical results of breast surgery be affected by pregnancy, childbirth and nursing, but some surgeries do also carry a risk of impacting your ability to breastfeed.

Ultimately, this is a highly personal decision, and personal preference is the most important factor.

Get In Touch

If you are interested in speaking to a consultant breast specialist about any breast surgery, or being able to breastfeed following any breast procedure, contact our dedicated patient advisors who will answer your questions and organise a bespoke one to one consultation at our Chelsea based clinic.

Treatments mentioned in this article

Breast Surgery

Breast Enlargement

Breast enlargement and augmentation aims to cosmetically enhance the size and shape of your breasts.

Body Surgery

Mummy Makeover

The Mummy Makeover uses bespoke cosmetic surgeries for tummy, breasts, and thighs after childbirth.

Breast Surgery

Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

A breast lift helps to lift sagging or low-hanging breasts for a more youthful appearance.

Breast Surgery

Breast Reduction