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Will a Future Pregnancy Affect My Breast Reduction Results?
With good surgical technique, expert guidance from your plastic surgeon and proper aftercare, breast reduction surgery (reduction mammaplasty) can produce excellent results – aesthetically and functionally. However, it is important to understand that your improved breasts will most likely change in the future due to factors such as aging, weight fluctuations, pregnancy and lifestyle habits.
Pregnancy causes significant hormonal and physical changes that directly affect your breasts. If you’re considering a breast reduction before pregnancy, understanding how pregnancy will affect your breast reduction results in the long term can help you make informed decisions about your body.
How Pregnancy Influences Breast Reduction Results
During pregnancy, your breasts typically enlarge due to profound hormonal and glandular tissue changes. This causes the skin and supportive ligaments to stretch, leading to sagging or shifts in shape. It can also lead to one or both breasts becoming larger, heavier, looser and less contoured than they were right after the procedure. Some women may also notice a further overall reduction in breast size.
Each individual patient’s breasts respond differently to:
- Hormonal imbalances
- Swelling
- Weight fluctuations
- Gravity
- Other postpartum shifts in breast size and composition
If changes occur that you would like addressed, surgical options are available.
Will Breast Reduction Before Pregnancy Affect Breastfeeding?
Having a breast reduction can adversely impact your ability to breastfeed. This is more significantly impacted by the procedure type, extent and proportion of tissue to be removed.
For example, nipple grafts completely separate the nipple-areola complexes from the breast tissue. Consequently, because there is no longer any connection between the nipple and the milk ducts, breastfeeding is impossible.
However, with breast reduction techniques that keep the nipple-areola complex attached to the underlying breast tissue (the most commonly used approaches), there is a high probability of retaining at least some ability to breastfeed.
Should I Wait Until After Pregnancy to Undergo Breast Reduction Surgery?
This is a very personal decision and does depend on a variety of factors unique to you. There truly is no right or wrong answer here.
Some factors that can influence your decision include:
- Likelihood of a pregnancy in the future
- Time frame of possible pregnancy – very near future, a year, several years or more
- The degree of present symptoms associated with your large breasts
- The impact of your symptoms on the quality of your life
- Desire to lose a substantial amount of weight before pursuing a breast reduction
Pregnancy will affect the results of a previous breast reduction to variable degrees. However, you have to sort through your symptoms, probabilities and other factors to determine what makes the most sense for you regarding the timing of your procedure.
It is also important for you to realize that if the results are impacted by a pregnancy, you can always consider plastic surgery later on in time to rejuvenate the appearance of your breasts. This can also include a size change.
If you did decide to wait until after having your family before undergoing a breast reduction, it is generally recommended to wait at least six months after discontinuing breastfeeding or six months after delivery if you do not breastfeed before undergoing the procedure.
FAQs About Pregnancy and Breast Reduction
If I plan to have children, should I postpone breast surgery?
If you want to preserve your final results for as long as possible, it may be beneficial to postpone your breast reduction surgery until six months or more after having children and stopping breastfeeding. However, if you’re dealing with substantial neck, back and shoulder pains, it may make far more sense to pursue a breast reduction far sooner. This all depends on your priorities, the benefits and your plastic surgeon’s recommendations.
How long should I wait after pregnancy before considering breast reduction?
It is generally recommended to wait at least six months after stopping breastfeeding or around six months after delivery if you do not breastfeed before having a breast reduction.
Can pregnancy change my breasts after breast reduction?
Yes. Pregnancy involves major changes in hormone levels, weight and overall body contour, especially around the breasts. It results in at least a temporary enlargement of the breasts. The long-term outcome can be an increase or decrease in breast size compared to before surgery. There can also be varying degrees of sagging.
Will breastfeeding worsen my breast reduction results?
Both pregnancy and breastfeeding can permanently impact your breast shape, size and skin tone.
Can pregnancy worsen my breast reduction scars?
Pregnancy can potentially enlarge or widen breast reduction scars depending on how your body reacts to the changes in hormones and weight. Because the skin is stretched and under tension, scars may appear wider.
However, this varies for each patient and depends on:
- Skin quality
- Scar type
- State of healing
- How much your breasts change due to pregnancy
Learn More About Pregnancy and Breast Reduction with Dr. Turkeltaub
Determining the best time to undergo a breast reduction when there are future considerations for one or more pregnancies may not necessarily be an easy decision. Dr. Steven H. Turkeltaub, who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, has 40 years of extensive experience helping women who are considering breast reduction surgery. He and his staff provide informative and personalized care every step of the way.
If you are considering a breast reduction procedure, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Turkeltaub at the Arizona Center for Breast Surgery today by calling (480) 451-3000 or completing our online contact form.