Will Breasts Grow Back to Pre-surgery Size if I Have Children?

I'm 27, 5'8" and 150 lbs (no kids). I'm a 32G. My doctor & chiropractor have recommended reduction to help with my back problems. I've visited 3 plastic surgeons but received different answers from each to all my questions. One said if I get pregnant, hormones will cause me to swell back to pre-surgery size. Another said this will not happen because he'll have removed all tissue that would respond to pregnancy hormones. A third said they'll only regrow if I try to breastfeed. Who's right?!

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age 25-34 breasts female 5 ft 8 in to 6 ft 0 in 150-169 lbs pregnancy

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by Rachel2068 in GA

Doctor Answers (6)
Community Comments (0)

Breasts Reduction and Pregnancy?

Thank you for the question. Based on your description, it sounds like you are an excellent candidate for breast reduction surgery. If you are planning on pregnancy in the near future I would suggest you hold off on the planned breast surgery. There is no accurate way of predicting exactly how the breasts will change after pregnancy and there is not much that can be done to avoid these changes ( if they are going to occur). Maintaining a stable weight ... more

Pregnancy and breast reduction

It is difficult to predict how the breast will respond to pregnancy. They may deflate or they may get slightly bigger. Also, some patients tend to keep weight on after pregnancy and that can contribute to the breast volume as well.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Pregnancy and lactation always affects breasts

The hormonal effects of pregnancy and lactation can cause a) stretch marks; b) regrowth of the breast tissue; c) drooping of the breast shape; and d) loss of the breast volume. It is virtually impossible to predict how reduced breasts will behave. I usually advise my breast reduction patients that breasts are "challenged" during 1) adolescence; 2) pregnancy/lactation; 3) weight gain/loss; 4) menopause. Big busted women are understandably more challenged... more

Lavinia Chong, MD

22 reviews

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.chongmd.com

Effect of pregnancy on breast reduction is unpredictable.

Hi. After pregnancy, your breasts can grow or they can atrophy. If you are uncomfortable now, and don't plan to get pregnant soon, I would say have the reduction. You can always have a touch up after you are finished with babies.

Pregnancy and Breast Growth

Pregnancy and its potential effect on your breasts should not deter you from having children. Children are wonderful and anything a pregnancy undermines, Plastic surgeons can reverse and greatly improve on. When it comes to pregnancy (with or without breast feeding) after breast reduction, the remaining breast tissue will engorge and stretch out the breast skin. A small minority of breasts will stay larger, a smaller minority will further decrease in size but the largest segment will... more

Difficult to predict shape, size, and sag of breasts after pregnancy

They could be all right. There are no definitive answers when it comes to predicting this. Most commonly you will experience a greater degree of sagging (ptosis) after pregnancy. I will add even a fourth opinion and confuse you even more. Some women even experience atrophy after childbirth and are smaller than prior to pregnancy and this could happen to you as well.