Breast Reduction Best Before or After a Pregnancy?

There is no right answer to this question - it is nice to have everything be stable and without a planned change in the future.  However, if the size of your breasts really bothers you now, then pregnancy may make it even worse.  Either way works, and usually getting pregnant after having the surgery does not ruin the results.  Also, it does not matter pre- or post- children with regarsds to insurance.  I hope this helps.

Thank you for the questions and congratulations on your decision to undergo #breastreduction. Many women that experience complications related to excessive breast size, struggle with the same questions. In general when the excessive breast size causes functional problems, #insurance will generally pay for #breastreduction if more than 400 – 500 grams are removed from each breast dependent on your individual insurance company requirements. These problems may include neck #pain, back or shoulder pain, hygiene difficulty, and breast pain. Whether it is pre-pregnancy or post-pregnancy, it does not matter.If you're thinking about having your breasts reduced but want to be able to #breastfeed your baby, you may want to consider postponing surgery until after you've weaned your last child. A large majority of women can breastfeed after breast reduction surgery, but may experience decreased production. The other thing to consider is that pregnancy and lactation can change the size and shape of your breasts. During pregnancy, the volume of the breast tissue generally increases as you gain weight. Typically, this reduces after delivery or when the baby is weaned. There are some women though that this is not the case. Some women complain of larger breasts and many complain of "droopy" breasts.Ultimately, the decision is yours. If you are far too uncomfortable now, you may want to consider surgery sooner than later. The best advise I can give you is to schedule a consultation with a Board Certified plastic surgeon who will be qualified to evaluate your current breast shape and volume. They will also be able to explain all of your options. Good luck!

Hello! Thank you for your question. This is an excellent question, and one very common for those seeking rejuvenation of the appearance of her breasts, especially after pregnancy.Options to ameliorate your complaints would include implant placement, breast lift, fat grafting, or a combination of these modalities. A consultation with a plastic surgeon may help you decide which procedure(s) may be the best option for you. It may be wise to wait until after you have completed child bearing, as similar changes will occur after each pregnancy. Also, it is not uncommon to have different sizes of breasts, but I would recommend evaluation if there is a sudden change in one side from another, a mass is felt to account for the size difference, any changes in skin or nipple appearance, or drainage/bleeding from the nipple. Changes can certainly continue after future pregnancies. Hope that these answers help!

IF you were my relative, I would advise you to have your children first if that is a definitive plan in the next few years, unless you were absolutely miserable.

While it would be ideal for there to be no anticipated changes in your body or breast size, as occurs during pregnancy, for many women the size and weight of the breasts are very difficult to deal with and a breast reduction can dramatically change your quality of life.  In these cases, it is perfectly reasonable to have the reduction.  If however, you plan on starting your family soon, and you can put up with your symptoms from the extra weight of your breasts, I would recommend waiting until you are done having children and then have the procedure.  There is no absolute right answer and it really depends on what your goals are.

Thank you for the question.

I tried to individualize every patient's care based on their specific circumstances.

Generally however ( everything else being equal) it is best to wait until after pregnancy to have any type of breast surgery.

Best wishes.

Unless the size of your breasts are limiting your normal daily activities, I would recommend breast reduction after pregnancy.  I have seen several breast reduction patients who developed large, heavy breasts after pregnancy.

It is a persoanl choice for you. Obviously if you are going to become pregnant soon, I would probably wait. But both young and old patients undergo breast reduction at different stages of their life for varying reasons.

As a general principle it is always best to have Plastic Surgery when everything IS stable and is anticipated to REMAIN stable. If you are planning on becoming pregnant soon you really should wait until you complete your family to have ANY Breast or Body Cosmetic Surgery including Breast Reduction. The results would be a lot better if the operation was done once when everything is stable. BUT - if you are REALLY bothered by neck and shoulder pains then you need to weigh more relief now as opposed to a potentially compromised Breast Reduction results which may require revision in the future.

Breast Reductions can be performed at any age following full breast development and in fact, patients have them performed as early as 15 and well into their 70's. It is important to remember that following breast reduction surgery, the smaller breasts are STILL breasts and will respond to pregnancy, weight gain and loss, and aging. I tell my patients that with the surgery we have changed the start point for all of these changes. Certainly if a patient knows they are going to get pregnant within 6 months following surgery, it would be better to delay surgery. If several years will pass before pregnancy, then the patient has to decide if she wants to delay surgery and live with the physical limitations of large breasts or have surgery and accept any post pregnancy changes. If patient's have very large breasts, pregnancy can result in excessively large breasts and increased physical discomfort. Patients should also remember that breast feeding may be less successful after breast reduction surgery. Each of these factors must be weighed by the patient as she makes a decision.


Criteria for insurance coverage vary from policy to policy. You should check the specifics of your individual policy by contacting your insurance carrier. In my experience, post-pregnancy patients are covered to the same extent as pre-pregnancy patients.