Breast Augmentation and Breastfeeding

    TAMPA, FL, May 31, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- If you are a young woman considering breast augmentation, you may wonder how it will affect your ability to breastfeed if you have children in the future. You may also wonder whether breast implants will impact the health of your breastfeeding baby. And you may be concerned about the impact breastfeeding may have on your breast augmentation results.

Can Women Breastfeed after Breast Augmentation?

Most women are able to successfully breastfeed after breast augmentation. Not every woman is capable of breastfeeding, and breast implants increase the risk that a woman will be unable to breastfeed. The exact amount of increase in this risk is unknown. Estimates range widely from a sixtyfold increase in inability to breastfeed to half a percent increase or less.

The truth is that most studies are too small to give any definitive answers to the question about how breast implants will affect your ability to breastfeed. In the FDA's postmarketing study of silicone gel breast implants, only about 70 women attempted to breastfeed, with 13 reporting problems, 9 of which were milk insufficiency.

Keys to Successful Breastfeeding after Breast Augmentation

A recent study reported as a poster at the ASPS conference in 2011 suggested that the primary factor in breastfeeding success after breast augmentation was psychological. The study showed that 86% of women who were unable to breastfeed successfully believed that breastfeeding would affect the appearance of their breasts, while only 13% of women who successfully breastfed held that belief. (See below for facts about breastfeeding's impact on breast augmentation results.) It might be said that the most important factor in breastfeeding success is a true desire to do it.

Next, it's important to be patient. It may take a number of tries to work out a successful combination of mother and infant for breastfeeding. While you are having difficulty, it is also crucial to make sure your baby is getting enough to eat. Most babies who are supplemented with bottle feeding early on make a successful transition to breastfeeding, so put your baby's nutritional needs first.

If necessary, get support. Many hospitals have lactation consultants on staff, or you can contact La Leche League for lactation consultants in your area. There are many tips and tricks to overcome the most common causes of breastfeeding difficulties.

Is Breastfeeding Safe with Breast Implants?

Another concern women have is whether breast implants, especially silicone gel breast implants are a threat to breastfeeding infants. At this point, there is no reason to suspect that breast implants pose any danger to breastfeeding infants. One threat cited is the migration of silicone through breast milk. However, the amount of silicon, a component of silicon, in breastmilk from women with implants, is much lower than that of either cow's milk or commercially available infant formulas.

Another possible concern is the presence of platinum, a heavy metal used as a catalyst in the manufacture of silicone. An early study reported that platinum in breast milk was in its dangerous ionic state, but an analytic chemist showed that this result was due to an experimental error. Because of the high activation energy of platinum, it is assumed that the platinum in breast milk is in its inert, harmless neutral state.

Will Breastfeeding Affect My Breast Augmentation Results?

No. A recent study published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons into the causes of breast sagging showed many factors lead to increased breast sagging, including smoking and pregnancy, but not breastfeeding. Neither the number of instances nor the length of breastfeeding correlated with increases in breast sagging.

The reason why is simple: your body prepares for breastfeeding during pregnancy. All the changes in your breasts to make them ready for breastfeeding have already taken place whether you decide to breastfeed or not.

If you are considering breast augmentation in the Tampa, Florida area and would like more information, please visit the website of board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Antonio J. Gayoso at http://gayosoplasticsurgery.com.

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