Breast Lift: Q&A

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How Long Should I Wait After Breastfeeding Before I Undergo a Breast Lift?

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breast feeding

23 Doctor Answers | Asked by amandan in columbus, oh

Doctor Answers (23)
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Wait 3 Months After Nursing

3 months is a good minmal time to wait to allow the breasts to recover from the effects of the hormones of pregnancy and nursing.

Breast lift after breastfeeding

Once you're done breastfeeding, it takes your breasts a few months to settle into their new shape and position. I would wait at least 3 months to have a breast lift done.

Carmen Kavali, MD

11 reviews

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Waiting period after breastfeeding before breast lift

It is usually best to complete breastfeeding fully and wait at least an additional 3 to 6 months before undergoing any breast lift procedure. This will ensure that your results will not be affected by changes in breast shape and volume after lactation is complete.

Wait until lactation is complete before having any aesthetic breast surgery.

Finish breast feeding and allow the milk to dry up before proceeding with breast lift surgery. The breasts will be of stable size and the position and size of the areola will be established. The volume that remains will be stable and the decision to use an implant concurrently can be made intelligently.

Wait 4 to 6 months after breast-feeding before receiving breast surgery

Congratulations on your new baby! As you have noticed, pregnancy and breast-feeding can have very significant changes on the woman's body and breasts. It is very common for women to receive breast surgery after she is completed her breast-feeding. To ensure a safe and long-lasting results, it is best to wait at least 4 to 6 months after you have stopped breast-feeding before considering breast surgery. This way, you will not have milk within your breast tissue that may... more

Breast lift after breast feeding

I believe most surgeons, including myself, would consider you a good candidate for a breast lift 6 months following your breastfeeding. This time period gives your breasts time to recuperate from the engorgement that occurs with breastfeeding and results in a more accurate representation of your true breast size, shape and condition.

Breast feeding and lift

I prefer that patients wait a good 6 months before undergoing any breast surgery after completing breast feeding. This also means that your weight is stable and the swelling of the breasts have subsided.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift (mastopexy) after preganancy and lactation

In my practice, we typically prefer to wait about 3-4 months after cessation of nursing AND achieving a stable weight to allow for satisfactory contraction of the breast skin to allow a more accurate measurements and prediction of the results see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast Lift Surgery after Breast Feeding

Breast feeding and lactation may artificially increase breast volume and dimensions because of the hormonal response of the breast parenchyma during that period. Most surgeons would recommend waiting 6 months after breast feeding before performing breast contouring surgery.

Waiting after breastfeeding for breast lift

The idea is that we do not want to operate on a breast that is still decreasing in size for the best results, we want the breast size and shape to reach a stable state. While different numbers are thrown about, most women reach that point approximately 4-6 months after stopping breast feeding. Good Luck.

Ensure that your breasts have gotten back to baseline before you have surgery

I generally recommend patients wait 3-6 months after finishing breast feeding so that your body has had a chance to adjust from the hormonal changes as well as eliminate excess fat. The most important issue to manage is to ensure that milk production has ceased because the presence of protein rich fluid, in continuity with breast flaps may increase the chance of infection. Logistically, we counsel women to avoid heavy lifting for a minimum of 2 weeks, to avoid suture failure. good luck. more

Lavinia Chong, MD

22 reviews

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.chongmd.com

Breast Lift after Breast Feeding

Amandan I recommend that you wait 2 to 3 months after you stop breast feeding and lactating. This is usually enough time for the milk glands to shrink and the breast size to stabilize. This allows your surgeon to obtain the best results.

Breast Lift ideal six months after breast feeding

Amandan, We frequently get this question in our practice. The changes that your breasts go through with pregnancy and breast-feeding resolve gradually over a period of time. As we all know, not all changes go away no matter how long you wait. Patients have noted continuing decrease in size and changes in texture for months after breast-feeding, so we wait about six months. However, other answers are reasonable too.

No set answer for breast lift after breast feeding

There isn't a one right answer. I like the patient to wait about 6 months, or at least until the milk is dry. I would like to see that the shape and size of the breast is stable, and there are no infections or other issues that may impact the surgery or outcome.

Until your breasts are stable

Certainly wait until your milk dries up but also your weight is stable and your lifestyle ( i.e. exercise, habits, diet) is stable, generally at least 3-6 months. The more stable the size and shape of your breasts, the more accurately a particular technique can be applied, and the more predictable the long-term results.

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Wait 4 months after there is absolutely no more milk.

To amandan, Hi! You want all of your hormones to return to normal, and you want to see exactly what damage to your breasts the pregnancy and breast feeding have caused. Some women need a small reduction as well as a lift, and others need implants together with a lift. The lift needs to be performed from the inside, without pulling the skin. Otherwise you don't get good long term shape. Make sure you are not planning to have any more kids. Another pregnancy may undo a lot of the benefit... more

Breastlift after breast feeding

To my knowledge, there is no hard and fast answer. The peurperal period is defined by the hormonal changes following the birth and breast feeding of an infant and can last as long as 6 mos. I like to wait 6 months for the vascularity and lactiferous changes in the breast to subside to fascilitate surgery and recovery.

Have Lift when both breasts look similar for 2 months

When the breasts look the same for 2 consecutive months and your weight is stable and in a satisfactory range, then you can consider a breast lift. Just be careful to get the proper lift, as they are not all the same.

Wait at least 3 months before undergoing breast lift

What you want is to wait until all changes in the breast that went along with breast feeding have resolved and the tissues have settled to their maximum. At that time it is safe to proceed with a lift because the surgeon will know what they have to work with. Generally, this would be a 3-month or more wait.

Have breast lift about 3 to 6 months after breast feeding

I usually tell my patients to wait between 3 to 6 months after you have stopped breast feeding before an augmentation or breast lift procedure. This is so that your breast tissue has time to undergo the normal involution process that occurs once breast feeding is completed, and for your hormones which have been in flux to get back to normal levels. You will also have time to lose any baby weight that was put on during pregnancy, and as all women know, when we lose weight, we oftentimes lose... more

3 months minimum

This is the time necessary for the effects of the pregancy to reverse. If you've gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy, I would also suggest that you get close to your pre-pregnancy weight before the procedure. One final thought, if you intend to have another pregnancy, you should consider waiting until you're finished with your family.

Reasonable to wait three months after breast feeding for Lift

Thee months is a reasonable amount of time to wait for a breast lift following the cessation of nursing. This allows the breasts to 'normalize' and involute/atrophy to their final size. Additoinally, it allow the body adequate time to normalize hormonally.

One month after breastfeeding usually adequate for breast lift

Typically, when your breasts have settled back into a stable size and configuration, and thus no longer seeing lactation effect, it would be fine to undergo a breast lift. This is usually within a month, but exam would offer guidance as to amount of gland potentially engorged.