How long after giving birth should I wait before I can undergo breast reduction surgery?
To marisol785,
Hi! This is a very common question. You really want to be sure all of your hormones are back to normal. Also women typically lose quite a bit of weight right after giving birth.
Once you are ready, it is a very good operation. It improves the quality of women's lives. We can now create good LONG TERM shape with less scarring.
Marisol785,
During pregnancy the breast tissues undergo significant change due to hormonal effects. You are correct to wait some time to undergo breast reduction after childbirth.
Another factor which would also contribute is if you are breast feeding. Basically, you want to wait for your breasts to return to their steady state, unaffected by the hormonal influences of the pregnancy.
Another factor is your mobility with your new baby. If you undergo surgery too soon, you may be hindered while you are recovering. Waiting 6 to 12 months would be appropriate.
When your breasts are of stable size and shape for one month, then you are ready to consider a breast reduction.Always carefully search out a physician that is skilled in the different newer breast reduction techniques. The latest and best techniques include: The Lejour technique; The Goes Technique; and the hall-Findlay technique. Your doctor should be skilled in all the techniques described above.
After childbirth, the breasts become engorged with milk and much larger than they were before. When you stop nursing ( or decide not to nurse) you must allow the breasts to settle and recover from their changes. It is best if you wait at least 3 to 6 month. Some physicians even like to wait longer, they feel that it takes quite a while for the glands to atrophy and all of the changes that are going to occur to have a chance. You may notice that your breasts end up smaller than they started and a bit lower.
If in doubt, just set up an appointment and consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss the possibilities. I am sure most would see you even while you are pregnant to help you.
If you are breast feeding then you should not do any breast size change till six mo after the last time you stopped pumping your breast. If you are not breast feeding then see a doctor six months after delivery and when you achieved the weight you want-as many have to loose weight after pregnancy. So both should be achieved before doing a breast reduction. You must also consider the fact that if you get pregnant again then your breasts will stretch and change size again and so perhaps you should wait till you are done with all your pregnancies. This way you will not need to repeat any more procedures on your breasts.
I would recommend waiting until your weight is stable and you have stopped breast feeding for at least 6 months to a year before undergoing breast reduction.
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