Explant Scheduled 4/23 - No Lift, No Capsulectomy, Still Breastfeeding - Jackson, MS

I've been meaning to update for awhile now. The boobs look about the same, fluffing a bit (maybe) a bit of droopy skin on areolas, and still some skin wrinkling when I raise my arms. They feel firmer than they did, but still way jigglier than with the implants, which is a good thing, I think. Nursing is still going great. No problems after the explant at all other than how weird it felt to have floppy, stretchy boobs. I ended up wearing my sports bra most of the time for the first month, although I'd fall asleep nursing with it unbuttoned, so I was sleeping most of the time without any support. I now just wear cheap cotton bralettes from Walmart when I'm going somewhere and generally go braless at night or at home. Same as the ones I was wearing with implants. I'm not a fan of underwire, and haven't felt up to figuring out cup sizes. I haven't been working out like I planned, but the times that I have done planks and push up type exercise, I have felt great. I am still very pleased with my results and how everything went.

I haven't been using any scar treatment or massage. Too lazy :) Fortunately, the scars are fading fine on their own. I haven't had any resolution of previously mentioned medical? conditions other than that the tightness between my shoulder blades is much, much better. I think if I would just do yoga or something on a more regular basis, it would finally go away.

One thing that the PS told me on my final post op appt, was that 80-90% of women's right breasts hang lower than the left. There's the same amount of breast tissue, but the right side of the chest is narrower. Interesting! So, I'm not concerned about the right one looking a little saggier than the left.

If anyone out there found this because they were looking up removal while breastfeeding, please be sure to read the reviews by Bloem, NewGirl74 and MissPixie too. All of us had successful implant removals while breastfeeding.

I probably won't log on to update much unless anything of interest occurs, but feel free to ask any questions.

Everything is going well. I've been doing my usual household stuff minus anything that requires heavy lifting up until now (unless you count obese cats :). I started picking up my daughter again and went shopping alone with her today for the first time. She is able to crawl onto my lap and get into our bed on her own, so I've been able to avoid lifting her. Went for a walk for the first time yesterday.

My breast tissue seems about the same. They're tightening up a little, but hard to tell. The right definitely has more tissue than the left, but it's not something that bothers me. I had a coworker that had a 2 cup size difference between her breasts, and I never noticed it until she pointed it out to me, so I figure it's not something that anyone will realize, and if they do, so what :)

I'm wearing a tank top under my sports bra (now most comfortable in size 36 FOTL) with another one on top of that most of the time. I have to have a layer of something between the bra, plus it is better for discrete nursing, if necessary. I also fold a gauze 4x4 and place it on the incision area.

The nurse told me to not rub any oil on the incisions or to use Scar Away until after my 6 week check up. I have to go in tomorrow to have the stitches removed, since they're kind of poking through my skin. Doesn't hurt or anything, I can just feel them.

I am still so happy to have these things out. I was worried that I might be depressed, but it is the exact opposite. In fact, I've been thinking a lot about how sad it is that young women feel the need to have larger breasts and older women to have perky 20 year old breasts. How sad it is that we are programmed by the media and society to think that breasts equate femaleness. How sad it is that we willingly undergo a major surgery, not without risks to hyper-sexualize a part of our body in order conform to this unrealistic, transient ideal of femininity. (And we are so brainwashed that we convince ourselves that it is to make us feel better, not for anyone else. Ha!) It is one thing to reconstruct a body part that has suffered injury or malformation, but it is a totally different thing to take perfectly healthy and functional body parts and cause them to be less healthy and functional for the sake of looks. I can't believe I did that to myself, but I am grateful it has taken me to the place I am in now. And that's my rant for the moment :)

I forgot to say that I've been taking 1,000 mg of Vitamin C to speed tissue healing and eating plenty of fresh pineapple for the bromelain in it. I've also been trying to stick more closely to the nutritarian way of eating. I was kind of slacking during March due to all the travel and stress. I tend to overeat all day long as a way to procrastinate and relax. It is usually super healthy food, but it's still more than my body really needs. I hope to make some positive changes regarding this. I feel like getting the explant was the first step.