Do Implants Move or Change Shape After Pregnancy?

A woman's breast will change following pregnancy and nursing and time alone. Following pregnancy and nursing, breast will enlarge and engorge, and then will atrophy or involute. This will leave the breast 'droopier' and thinner, and can cause the nipple to descend. If you are thin to start with and have little breast tissue, you will notice that you can feel the implant much more. This is especially common with saline implants where rippling can be noticed. You should visit your board-certified plastic surgeon to have him/her evaluate if you would benefit from an implant exchange to a high profile silicone implant with or without a lift.

Thank you for the question.

Breast implants do not necessarily change position or shape after pregnancy.

However, the overlying breast tissue and/or skin does often change. The exact change the specific patient will experience during or after pregnancy is not predictable. Some common changes seen with the breasts  after pregnancy include " involutional  hypoplasia" (breasts  become smaller)  and/or breast ptosis (" drooping"). The changes the breasts experience may be related to genetic factors, skin elasticity changes, hormonal effects, and/or weight gain/loss around the time of pregnancy.

The changes that the overlying breast tissue and/or skin undergo after pregnancy may  cause the breast implant to appear “changed” after the pregnancy. For example, if the patient loses breast tissue volume after pregnancy, the breast implant may become more exposed and the patient may feel (rippling)  or see the implant more so than before pregnancy.

I ask my  patients to follow up with me  approximately 3 months after they have stopped breast-feeding to evaluate the breasts  and the underlying breast implants.

I hope this helps.

Jai,
Implants to not change with pregnancy. However, your skin may change with pregnancy. In response to the hormonal changes in your body during pregnancy, your skin responds just like all of the other parts of your body.
To this effect, the skin may be looser, thinner, etc. You may need to have an adjustment surgery, but it is not due to the implants. It is more likely due to your changing body.
Good luck with your surgery.