Breast Implants and Breast Feeding

Many women contemplating Breast Augmentation surgery want to know if they will be able to breast feed future babies after the surgery. The answer, in most cases, is "Yes". For most women who have had this type of surgery,  breastfeeding is no more difficult with implants than without.

Today, breastfeeding is a growing concern with patients who are considering opting for Breast Augmentation surgery. In previous years, women who received implants were married and had already finished with childbearing. However, these days more and more single women, and women who have not finished or even begun childbearing, are having the surgery.

In 1992 the first report of a Silicone Illness hit the media. At that time there was fear that breastfeeding with silicone implants would endanger the child. There have been studies performed to show this not to be the case. The main reason is that the silicone molecule is too large to pass into the milk ducts.

Later, silicone was removed from general use, and saline implants became the only available devices on the market. Even if the saline does leach into the milk, it is an inert substance, with no harmful effects on mother or baby.

Some concerns are placed on implant placement, and incision site. It is said to be more optimal to have the implants placed under the muscle, and to avoid the peri-aerolar incision. The reasons are simple - using these guidelines, there is less interference with the milk ducts which reside directly under the skin and in the tissue above the muscle of the breast. However, as with everything in science, this is not guaranteed. There are many women who have had placement of implant and incision in sub-optimal locations, and are still very successful with breastfeeding.
 

FDA Breast Implant Consumer Handbook - 2004

The FDA, in their handbook, states:

" Women of childbearing age should know that they may not be able to breast feed after breast implantation. Some women who undergo breast augmentation can successfully breast feed and some cannot. Women who undergo a mastectomy will be unable to breast feed on the affected side due to loss of breast tissue and glands that produce milk.

The IOM report⁴⁷ said that women with either silicone gel-filled or saline-filled breast implants showed lactation insufficiency (not enough milk) ranging from 28-64%. The periareolar approach (incision site is around the nipple) was the factor most associated with lactation insufficiency.

Having a breast implant may also influence a woman's decision about whether or not she will try to breast feed, particularly if she has capsular contracture or is worried about problems with the implants.^48"

Consultation with Surgeon

It is very important to discuss your plans for future breastfeeding your babies at the time of your consultation. Your surgeon will be able to work with you, to get the best possible results, even if you are not planning on having children in the near future.

Breastfeeding remains the preferred method of feeding a baby, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
 

Alternative Breast Enlargement Methods

These days many better-informed women prefer to avoid the possible complications associated with breast feeding after breast augmentation surgery. These women consider natural, non-surgical breast enhancement the better option by far.
 

Natural breast enhancement techniques have developed enormously in recent years and are now proven to be highly effective, safe and free of all side-effects -
Breast Actives by Breast Gain Plus

⁴⁷Safety of Silicone Breast Implants. Institute of Medicine National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 2000. {IOM Report}. Also available through IOM website at www.iom.edu.
⁴⁸Strom SS, Baldwin BJ, Sigurdson AJ, Schusterman MA. Cosmetic saline breast implants: a survey of satisfaction, breast-feeding experience, cancer screening, and health. Plast Reconstr Surg 1997;100:1553-1557