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Breast Implants and Breast Lift After Pregnancy

How long after pregnancy should I wait before I can get breast implants and undergo breast lift?

Asked 37 months ago by goldenm26 in sunrise, fl
Sort 16 expert answers by:
+1

Many factors, mainly milk production and size

Many factors will be involved in this decision. Nursing must be done and no milk production should be present for at least few weeks. The size of the breast and weight gain during pregnancy should go back to non pregnancy levels. In general, all this will take around 3 months.
Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+1

Can do breast augmentation and breast lift 6 months after pregnancy.

Hi. You want to let the hormones settle down.  So wait 6 months after your baby is born before getting a breast lift with breast implants.
George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Wait until you're done breast feeding and lactatic before breast surgery

It is in your best interest to wait till you are finished lactating and breast feeding before you consider breast surgery. Usually it take about 6 months for your breasts to return to their original shape and your breasts stop lactating. Then, you can consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. By then, your plastic surgeon can analyze your breasts and do an accurate examination of what you may benefit from.
Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

3-6months

Most people agree that waiting 3-6months is the minimum before undergoing any surgical breast procedure after pregnancy. Of course you have to be done breast feeding as well and the breasts have to be stable in their shape and size change for 3 months. First your body has to recover from the pregnancy to reduce your surgical risks and also your breasts have to stop changing so you can plan the reshaping and sizing as best as possible. My recommendation would be to seek a consultation with a... more
Bahram Ghaderi, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Breast lift after pregnancy

You want to wait at least 6 months to a year fater delivering before you should undego any  kind of breast lift or augmentation.  This is assuming that you are not breast feeding. You want to evaluate the breasts when they are no longer engorged and your weight is back to baseline.
Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Some things to consider before breast enhancement

I agree with other opinions that there is no "textbook" answer to your question, but in my practice we generally recommend waiting at least 3 months until after you are finished breast feeding before performing breast surgery. One important thing to consider is whether or not you are planning to have another child. If you are, then your breasts are likely to change again, and your ultimate result may very well be compromised! So, we recommend that you wait until after having... more
Brian S. Glatt, MD
Morristown Plastic Surgeon
+1

Three months after the breasts have stopped sagging

My Tear Drop Augmentation Mastopexy has brought many woman through my doors to have exactly what you are asking for. First, they have to wait three months until the breast tissue has stopped shrinking. Second the technique involves only an incision around the areola. Third, volume is improved by reshaping and lifting the breast. Only after utilizing that volume will we consider an implant to create the desired final volume. The goal is to maximize the patients own tissue and minimize the... more
Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Right after pregnancy breast surgery should wait.

It is very common in our practice to see women after they have completed their family to restore volume, lift, and somtimes reduce the size of the breast. Sometimes the first sign of pregnancy is a fullness and firmness in the breast which presists throughout breast feeding. This can be a prime motivation for augmentation or implants after pregnancy in those who enjoyed the fuller cup size. Few after pregnacy will maintain the fuller cup and often the breast will lose volume, particularly... more
Peter E. Johnson, MD
Des Plaines Plastic Surgeon
+1

Timing of Breast Implants after feeding

There is no widely accepted answer for this but traditionally most surgeons would wait about 4 months following cessation of NURSING and LACTATION. This means that if you deliver and then nurse for 6 months, you may want to wait for another 4 months (10 months after pregnancy) There are exceptions to this such as prolonged lactation and discharge after cessation of nursing or recurrent bouts of mastitis (inflammation or infection of the breast tissue). Occasionally, insertion of implants... more
Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Wait until your breasts return to their normal size

Every woman has a different experience, but on the whole, you want to wait until you are done breast feeding and your breasts return to their normal size. Sometimes a woman's breasts don't return to their previous size, and then you need to judge as to when they get to what we call a steady state, or a size and shape that is not going to change further. You would not be too happy if you had your breast augmentation while your breasts were still getting smaller, and when things finally did... more
Adam David Lowenstein, MD
Santa Barbara Plastic Surgeon
+1

Minimum of 6 months

It would be wise to wait at least 6 months and to be sure you are done having children before undergoing breast surgery post pregnancy. This gives you a chance to recover from pregnancy and for your tissues and weight to normalize as much as possible.
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

After Breast Milk Production Has Ceased, At Least 6 months to a Year

Before and after picture of breast lift and breast augmentation to restore breast after the patient had twins. The breast gland becomes engorged with milk during pregnancy. Breast feeding lengthens the duration of this engorgement. After pregnancy or after you stop breast feeding, the breast gland will gradually atrophy or become smaller. As this happens, the breast gland becomes smaller, and the skin does not always shrink back to the pre pregnancy size. If the breast gland shrinks more... more
Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Depends on your situation

There are several things to consider in this situation, so there is no single answer. I usually recommend a minimum of 3 months after you are done breast feeding. Another important thing to consider is your recovery with a small child to take care of. Your plastic surgeon may recommend that you avoid lifting for a period of time.
Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Best to wait 3-6 months

Hi there- Because the hormones of pregnancy obviously affect your breast tissue, and these hormones and their effects can take some time to regress, it is best to wait a few months after you've stopped breast feeding to pursue surgical improvement. I would talk to my plastic surgeon about his/her preference for the exact wait time they prefer. Once you're no longer engorged, you should be able to proceed safely.
Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon
+1

Generally 3-6 months after you have stopped nursing

There is no hard and fast rule as to when you should undergo breast surgery after pregnancy. Most plastic surgeons believe you should wait for a minimum of 3 months after you have stopped nursing, while some believe 6 months. The reason I like patients to wait some period of time is simply the fact your breasts change after nursing and waiting until that change has completed takes any guess work out of the process. If you are very small breasted, that change may occur faster... if you are... more
David L. Kaufman, MD
Folsom Plastic Surgeon
+1

Until you are stable

Wait until your breasts, and weight, are stable. Breast size and shape can change dramatically following pregnancy and breast-feeding. Some women return to their pre-partum anatomy and some are completely different. In either case, wait until all the changes and lactation have been completed and you are stable for at a few months to be assured that the correct procedure can be preformed and that your results will be as predictable and as long lasting as possible.
Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
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