Can you still breastfeed your baby if you have breast implants?
Yes, you will be able to breastfeed your baby with breast implants! It was one of my first questions I asked the surgeon before getting my augmentation and it was definitely going to be a deal-breaker for me if he had said “No it’s not possible”. So here I am, writing about two pretty taboo topics-breastfeeding and boob jobs. But you know what, if you’re reading this it means you want to know what others have experienced and that’s why I’m putting it out there! But more than telling you that it’s possible, I’ll actually fill you in on how I believe my implants enhanced my ability to breastfeed and also made breastfeeding both of my babies a bit more difficult. Plus, what I did to overcome the setbacks and the number one incision technique to avoid.
Myths about breast implants and breastfeeding
Here are some common misconceptions about how having implants effects breastfeeding:
1. Having implants decreases your chances of being able to nurse/breastfeed your children. Actually, that’s not true. BUT one incision technique is known to interfere with breastfeeding more than others. I’ll talk about that in a minute.
2. Implants can leak into milk. Not proven to be true.
3. Implants reduce your milk supply. Definitely not true! At least not in my case.
The incision to avoid if you plan to breastfeed
Like I said, there is one incision that is known to hinder your ability to breastfeed and that is the periareola incision technique. It involves cutting around the areola, is referred to as the “smile” incision and most surgeons won’t choose that technique if they know you want to breastfeed. One study showed that women who had this technique done were five times more likely to have issues with breastfeeding due to damaged ducts and tissue.
Why having implants made breastfeeding easier for me
I do wholeheartedly believe that my implants gave me a better breastfeeding experience because had I tried to nurse my babies with my smaller boobs I’m just not sure either of us (myself nor baby) would have been comfortable at all! Does that make sense? I feel larger breasts offer some cushion and distance between our bodies. Anyway, that’s what I think.
How implants may have made breastfeeding more difficult for me
With the same token, I am almost certain having implants made my breastfeeding journey more difficult. I experienced mastitis several times. It is a fact that having implants can cause milk ducts to clog and therefore increase chances of mastitis. All of the years breastfeeding combined (some three years now) I have had at least 8 clogged ducts and I’ve had mastitis about 5 times. If you know someone who has had mastitis, they aren’t joking when they say It Is the Worst!! Fortunately, I’m now a pro at self-treating mastitis using homeopathic methods. I can cure it in under 24 hours! Watch how I do it here. Or watch for my upcoming blog to read more about mastitis and how to treat it at home without needing antibiotics. Register your email to be alerted when this blog is posted.
5 things that make nursing with implants easier
Along my journey I’ve picked up a few secrets of the trade. There are some things that just made breastfeeding easier for both myself and my babies and maybe they’ll help you too.
1. The nursing pillows on the market right now are just awkward for me. I know a lot of moms who loved them, but for me, a regular old pillow worked better. I’m talking about a super soft, fluffy one, nothing too firm or tight. Like a $4 square pillow from Wal-Mart. I just held my littles like babies with my elbow resting on the pillow and it worked perfect.
2. But those nipple creams are A MUST. I’m all about them! And I’ve tried many of the popular brands. The Earth Mama nipple butter is Non-Gmo and did the trick for me. Apply religiously before and after nursing and also let the air get to them as much as possible. Fortunately coconut oil is ok for babies to ingest so not to worry.
3. Comfortable bras and tanks!! Omg I can’t stress this enough. The right nursing bra is everything and I found that
4. Lactation cookies. First off, I don’t need a reason to eat cookies, but knowing they help milk supply is encouraging! You can make your own oatmeal raisin cookies or try some premade ones that are specifically for a healthy milk supply.
5. Breastfeeding resources saved me! Blogs like this one, videos, anything that involved real moms sharing their experiences and what truly worked for them. You learn things you hadn’t even thought of and it just makes you an even better breastfeeder! 😉
If I were to be honest, I do wish I had waited until after having kids to get my implants. Your breasts do change after birthing and breastfeeding children and while I am still happy with mine, I probably would have better end results for longer had I chosen to undergo augmentation after kids. And also, the mastitis!! Ugh, if I could have known that without implants I would not have experienced the misery of mastitis I would certainly have foregone the surgery!
But what’s done is done and I believe everything happens as it should, I really do. So I’m also very pleased and thankful for my implants and wouldn’t change the experience for anything, clogged ducts and mastitis and all. Do you have experience with implants and breastfeeding? I’d love to hear yours! Comment below and tell me if your experience was any different, better or worse! Thanks so much for reading! I hope you have a great breastfeeding journey!