If you've had a breast augmentation or surgery it could bring up other questions in your mind. "If there are no complications associated with breast implants, if the implants are not too big, most women can breastfeed their babies successfully (approx eight out of ten), and the success rate is similar to the general population, " explains plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Goda Astrauskaite, "there is no evidence that implants have any impact on milk quality or if silicone causes toxicity to babies. " Most breast implants are made with saline and silicone gel. The materials won't affect your baby if you choose to breastfeed and if you're at all concerned you can speak to your doctor or a specialist at an antenatal appointment. "Ever since silicone and saline implants were developed in the 1960s, the question about their safety has been raised repeatedly. Concerns grew over the possible implant rupture, contamination of the body, implant-caused diseases and other complications, " explains Dr. Astrauskaite, "The debate among medical societies, political structures and the general public around the world culminated in the 1999 study of the U. S. Institute of Medicine, which found no evidence showing that breast implants caused systemic health problems.
"The rate of this complication is slightly higher if the implant is placed under the gland (above the pectoral muscle) rather than under the muscle, and if the implant is placed through periareolar incision rather than through axilar or inframammary incision, " says Dr. Astrauskaite. A periareolar incision is a cut below the lower half of the areola and an inframammary incision is made in the crease under the breast. It's been reported that incisions made under the fold of the breast or through your armpit should cause fewer problems when it comes to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can be daunting and for so many people, it's a long journey to become comfortable. You may not have considered breastfeeding when you had breast surgery or be under the impression that there are dangers to nursing with implants. Dr. Astrauskaite explains that the best thing you can do is speak to a specialist and ask questions. "Women mustn't lose faith in themselves and their ability to breastfeed after an augmentation.
This conclusion became a major turning-point in establishing breast implants as safe medical devices. Perhaps those previous associations of implants not being safe might still lead to misunderstandings nowadays. " People with implants can face many of the same issues with breastfeeding as people who haven't had surgery. If your baby doesn't latch on properly or isn't positioned well then it can cause cracked or sore nipples. It's also extremely common in the early days of breastfeeding to suffer from breast engorgement. This is when the breasts become too full of milk. This can happen when you're working out how much milk your newborn needs and in the later stages of breastfeeding when your baby doesn't feed so much. Some unique issues can arise after you've had surgery and Dr. Astrauskaite advises that if you think there's even a slim possibility that you may want to breastfeed in the future then you should talk through your breast surgery with your doctor. One of the most common issues people with implants face is insufficient milk production.
#2: How Might Different Breast Augmentation Surgery Techniques Impact Breastfeeding? If the incision is close to the areola there is a greater risk of damaging nerves that are important for the let-down reflex (milk ejection reflex). The let-down reflex is important to allow the milk stored in the breast to be made available to the baby. Hence, if your let-down reflex is affected (or doesn't occur), then less milk gets removed from your breasts and this can affect your supply. Also, if the implant is above the pectoral muscle, there is a greater risk of it affecting your milk making ability. This is because if it is above the pectoral muscles, it can put pressure on the milk making (glandular tissue) in the breast. This could somewhat inhibit the growth of glandular tissue in the breast (e. g. during pregnancy). Also, if the implant is above the pectoral muscle it could also put pressure on milk ducts, reducing the flow of milk through them. Breastmilk not flowing well? The reduced flow will result in less breastmilk being removed from the breast… meaning less milk will be made.
Once the engorgement settles and breastfeeding habits become stable, a mother with implants should be able to feed however she sees fit. Have a strong group of supportive people. All mothers who want to nurse should have a community of people who understand and value that decision. For a woman with implants, this is even more important to discuss with doctors, coparents, and lactation consultants early on. Cardenas recommends mothers identify their "breastfeeding support team before the baby is born and especially with a high-risk factor such as breast augmentation. That way, moms have the support they need in place and problems can be identified early on to set the mother and baby up to meet their feeding goals. "
Image Source: Flickr user David Leo Veksler Considering our longstanding fascination with bosoms, it should come as no surprise that breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States. Nearly 300, 000 women in 2016 decided to use implants to change the look, size, and shape of their breasts. Since the majority of women who choose to undergo this procedure do so while within their childbearing years, the discussion about breastfeeding with implants is a pertinent one. However, the answer as to whether or not a woman can breastfeed after augmentation is complicated. While breastfeeding is conceivable with implants, there are a variety of factors that can hinder nursing. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Corwin Martin tells POPSUGAR, "There are four approaches to place breast implants: inframammary, periareolar, transaxillary, and transumbilical. The only incision that could possibly impede breastfeeding would be the periareolar approach. " The location of the incision, size, placement of the implant, and amount of time that has passed can all affect breastfeeding.
If your implants are located on top of your chest muscle, they sit on top of your milk ducts, which flattens your milk ducts and inhibits the amount of milk traveling to your nipple. This is like flattening a straw along its length and then sucking from it. If the straw remains flattened, it will limit the amount of liquid that can pass through to the tip end. The types of implants can affect your ability to breastfeed The most common types of implants filled with saline water do not cause any harmful effects if they diffuse into your breast milk. Silicone implants are not known to have any adverse effects on your breast milk. Although, it is important to consult your doctor before deciding to breastfeed with silicone implants. Silicone is generally considered to be chemically stable, which means it is not bound to become toxic. Still, the FDA warns that injected liquid silicone can have serious health consequences if it is allowed to move through your body. It can block your blood vessels, which would result in cell death because your cells will not be able to receive oxygen and nutrients that help them function at their best.
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