What happens if I get the fat transfer to my breasts but I still want to get pregnant after a year?

Question

I am wondering what will happen with pregnancy, specifically when my boobs will grow throughout the pregnancy, breast feeding, then when they shrink again afterwards. How will getting the fat transfer affect these things and how can I expect them to grow/shrink/look throughout this process?

Sacha Obaid, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! Fat transfer to the breast will not prevent you from being able to breast-feed post op. However, any significant amount of weight gain or weight loss, has the potential to effect your surgical results. Your breasts will grow with any weight gain, and they will decrease with any significant weight loss. They should not, however, shrink back down to the size they were preoperatively. I hope this helps!

Yily De Los Santos, MD · Answer

Hello! Thank you for your question. I personally don't recommend fat transfer to breasts, I recommend getting implants instead. It's possible to breastfeed after breastwork, but it's better to wait until you're done breastfeeding.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Genuine9550,
if you get fat transfer, it will incorporate and behave like any other fat tissue in your body. It will be affected by any significant weight loss or gain. Also, pregnancy can have a significant effect on breasts. It might be better to wait until you finish with pregnancies and breastfeeding and get your breast surgery later. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD

John LoMonaco, MD, FACS · Answer

The hormones of pregnancy and the expected weight gain from pregnancy can both have a major effect on breast size.  Every woman will respond differently, and the only way to predict would be if you had prior pregnancies.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Breasts do tend to change with pregnancy  and breastfeeding, so you may want to wait until after both are completed.  Any added weight to the breast will have a greater tendency over time to increase drooping. However, the placement of the fat has a great deal to do with the apparent weight that the skin envelope experiences.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

If you gain weight with pregnancy, you fat may increase. If you loose weight, your fat may decrease. Try to avoid gaining over 25 to 30 pounds with your pregnancy to avoiding gaining too much fat. Your breast may go through a lot of change with pregnancy and breast feeding, and it would be best to wait so you can have more stable results.

David Janssen, MD, FACS · Answer

I agree with the opinions written prior to this that you should defer the surgery until after you have completed your pregnancies. I think the most interesting aspect of fat transfer is that fat, once transferred acts like where it came from rather than where it is placed.  In other words, if you gain weight in your outer thighs and transfer the fat from your outer thighs into your chest you would expect that with weight gain, you might significantly grow in your breast areas.  This gets to be a problem with hormonal changes around pregnancy.  As your fat growth is determined by your genetic code and hormonal status, you might end up with more than you bargain for.  As an example, women after menopause lose weight in their breasts and hips and thighs and gain fat around their abdomen due to the lack of estrogen driving the fat to hormonally driven areas.  All of this needs to be accounted for when you choose to do natural breast augmentation.With the way your hormones will change with pregnancy, this is best left to after childbirth. I have seen talks of disastrous complications with fat transfer to face and subsequent weight gain with sausage-like looking  lips and cheeks.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD · Answer

The best option would be to wait. This applies to both fat grafting and breast implants. Your body will go through a lot of changes during pregnancy. Fat grafting is  a great option if you have enough fat and adequate breast tissue to do fat grafting. Please see the link

Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS · Answer

Because pregnancy, including weight gain and breast feeding, can affect your breasts, it would be wise to defer the procedure until after breast feeding and post partum weight loss has been completed. Best wishes.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

If you still want to get pregnant one year from now then you will still want to get pregnant a year from now. That will not change.The change to your breast will behave like the fat on your abdomen or wherever it is harvested from.If you don’t gain weight during pregnancy then your breast will not change other than hormonal changes that were present before the fat transfer.The grafted fat will respond to weight changes but not to hormonal stimulus because the change is purely made up of body fat and not breast tissue.Your current breast tissue will respond to hormonal changes after a fat transfer just like they well without a fat transfer.That’s it.That’s it.Best, Mats Hagstrom MD

What happens if I get the fat transfer to my breasts but I still want to get pregnant after a year?

Answers (10)