Picking up infant after BA!

Question

How long did it take for you to be able to carry/pick up your child? Was there any safe way to get around this if it was absolutely necessary before the recommended two weeks? If not, how did you handle it? (I nanny and am trying to figure out how long I need to take off that's safe for me and most importantly, for the baby. She's a precious, chunky, almost 1 year old.)

Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  In my practice, most patients are back to normal activities with the exception of exercising and heavy lifting within 24-48 hours following their breast augmentation surgery.  Many of my patients have young children and one of their major concerns is whether or not they can lift their children due to the restriction listed above.  My answer to these questions from my patients is that as long as you are not lifting your child strictly using your arms, and instead you have your child latch on to you while you lift, you should have no problem doing so after the first 48-72 hours.  It is always advantageous for patients with young children to have help for the first week or two of their recovery but as plastic surgeons we appreciate that this is not always feasible and/or realistic.  Please address your concerns with regards to lifting your infant with your board certified plastic surgeon but take comfort in the fact that you are one of many, many mothers with young children who will elect to undergo a breast augmentation this year and that the complication rates of this procedure are very, very low.I hope you find this helpful and I wish you all the best.

Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD · Answer

Thank you very much for your question. Heavy
lifting is discouraged for the first three to six weeks after a breast
augmentation. This will depend on your specific breast augmentation technique,
healing progression, and of course, the weight of the child. I recommend that
you schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, who can
further discuss the post-op recovery guidelines and help to determine how much
time you will need off from your nanny position after surgery.

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. We recommend that our patients do not lift their children for 2 weeks. No heavy lifting or working out for 6 weeks. It is best to speak with your surgeon to discuss your concern, Best,

Keith Hodge, MD · Answer

I would suggest that you will be able to pick up a child after 2 or 3 days. By this time, you should be off your pain medication and just on Tylenol. Good luck!

Brian K. Reedy, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.I ask my patients to do no lifting for 3 weeks. Try to have help set up for that time period. Discuss this with your surgeon for his or her instructions and guidelines. Best of luck!

Joe Gryskiewicz, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Sparkle,We allow all our BA patients to lift their infants and toddlers.  We say "your kids don't count" when we give our limit of lifting 30 lbs.  (I am assuming you are not having mastopexy incisions.)  I specialize in quick-recovery (flash-recovery, rapid-recovery) breast augmentation, also known as the “no touch technique.” It is a surgical procedure that uses special instruments and techniques to minimize tissue damage and avoid touching the ribs. It causes far less trauma to surrounding tissue than traditional approaches, and it dramatically reduces pain, suffering, and recovery time. In my published studies of our own patients, 95-percent of women interviewed after the procedure returned to normal daily activities within 24 hours. Quick-recovery BA is not a “gimmick.” These specialized techniques, which actually speed recovery and get you back to your daily routine, kids and work, are published in our plastic surgery journals. Because these PS journals are “peer-reviewed” and edited, they are the gold-standard in our field as being valid science. Therefore these are sound techniques, not marketing hype. See the article and video below.  All the best, Dr. Joe

William Townley, MD, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

Hi there. Excellent question - it is really important to think about theses issues in advance so that you re prepared as much as possible. In general, I advise my patients to avoid picking up infants or toddlers for 3-4 weeks - this is more important for partial sub muscular cases (e.g. dual plane) rather than implants placed under the gland (submammary). If your child is walking or crawling, you may be able to get them into a position e.g. sat on your knee where you can support them on the couch or move them around in a limited fashion.It is obviously easier when the child is walking but they still like to be picked up and cuddled, which is not usually advisable early on and therefore can be emotionally draining for both parent and child! I would recruit as much help as possible - friends, nanny, nursery friends, older children (if you have them!). Having said that, it is one of the most common times to have breast reshaping surgery so it is possible with some organisation and planning. Good luck!

Ted Eisenberg, DO, FACOS, FAACS · Answer

I recommend to my patients that, if necessary, they can lift their children to transfer to high chair, car seat and crib on the third day after breast augmentation surgery – with no worries. At the end of the second week, all day carrying will be more possible, based on your level of comfort. It's always best to check with your surgeon as to his or her protocol. For more information on this and similar topics, I recommend a plastic surgery Q&A book like The Scoop On Breasts: A Plastic Surgeon Busts the Myths."

John S. Alspaugh, MD, FACS · Answer

I tell patient to avoid anything that causes pain. Most patients note minimal pain after a week. I do discourage straining for several weeks. There are clever ways of getting things done such as caring for your children after surgery. Having some good help for the  majority of that first week is a good idea.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I tell patients to avoid heavy lifting for several weeks after surgery. If your child is old enough to latch on to you neck, then you can probably lift him out of the crib this way at about 3 weeks. I would check with your surgeon first.

Picking up infant after BA!

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