When I had a breast augmentation with Dr. Rice in 2007, I was in my early 20’s and breastfeeding was the last thing on my mind. All that changed in September of 2012 when my husband and I were thrilled to learn we were expecting. Because I work at a children’s hospital, I was very much aware of the important health benefits of breastfeeding. I had read all of the studies and even played a role in launching our hospital’s donor breast milk program! More than anything, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed my daughter, but I was not sure if I would be able to since I had very little of my own breast tissue prior to my augmentation and due to the surgery itself.
After I gave birth to our daughter, I met with lactation consultants daily during my hospital stay. Our daughter had trouble gaining weight when she was born and she was jaundiced and had a poor latch, which presented some challenges. I was able to breastfeed her with support from the expert lactation consultants and I also began to pump milk for her. When I returned to work full time, I began to exclusively pump and my daughter has had a diet of 100% breast milk since then. My goal is to give her breast milk for her entire first year of life, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I know that the reason I was able to produce an ample supply of milk (so much that my entire freezer is full!) is because of Dr. Rice’s wonderful surgical skills. He is such a careful and skilled surgeon and though I was happy with my decision when I first decided to have the augmentation years ago, I am even happier now, knowing that I had such beautiful results but that the surgery did not prevent me from also nourishing my baby.
Since having my baby, I’ve met numerous new moms who also had breast implants and were able to breastfeed their babies. I wanted to share my story because I want women considering this surgery to know that breastfeeding with implants is possible and more often than not, successful. Aesthetically, my surgical results have not been impacted by breastfeeding. While recognizing that every woman is different, I have personally not experienced any sagging, drooping or other aesthetic issues with my breasts since beginning breastfeeding nearly 8 months ago. Best of luck with your decision!*
