How Soon After Breastfeeding Can I Get a Breast Lift?

Many women are unhappy with how their breasts look after pregnancy. Breastfeeding takes a toll on the shape of the breasts over time but a breast lift can help. 

If you're done breastfeeding and are ready for a makeover, Dr. Anthony N. Dardano offers various types of breast surgery at his office in Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. Dardano discusses your goals to determine the type of surgery that best suits your needs.

What is a breast lift?

A breast lift is a type of cosmetic surgery that reshapes the breast tissue to improve sagging caused by pregnancy, weight loss, or age. It doesn't change the size of the breasts, although we can perform a breast lift with a breast reduction or augmentation.

During the procedure, Dr. Dardano makes incisions to remove excess tissue and reshape the breasts, moving the breasts upward on the chest. You may consider a breast lift if you have:

• Nipples that point down
• Sagging breast tissues
• Breasts that have lost volume and shape
• Nipples that dip below breast creases
• Stretched areolas
• One breast that sags lower than the other

A breast lift is a very successful procedure, but those with smaller breasts often get longer results. Larger breasts are heavier, allowing gravity to change the breasts over time.

It's crucial to speak to Dr. Dardano about a breast lift, especially if you're planning to get pregnant or are currently breastfeeding. He may advise you to wait until you've finished having kids or for a time after breastfeeding to improve long-term results.

How breastfeeding affects breast tissue

Pregnancy and breastfeeding affect the breast tissues and how they sit on the chest. Pregnancy causes the breasts to engorge with milk, creating dense glandular breast tissue that changes the shape and size of the breast.

The size and shape change again after breastfeeding when the milk dries up. The glandular tissue remains, but it's no longer full of milk, resulting in breasts that look flat and deflated.

Breastfeeding causes the bands of tissue that hold the breasts in place to stretch out, leading to elongated and deflated-looking breasts after pregnancy. These bands also become weak with age and weight loss.

Unfortunately, the breast changes after pregnancy are often permanent, leaving many women wanting cosmetic surgery for a lift, reduction, or augmentation.

Getting a breast lift after pregnancy

If you're considering a breast lift after pregnancy, there are a few things to consider. First, you should be completely done breastfeeding before undergoing one. We recommend waiting at least six months after you finish breastfeeding before considering one.

Six months is the guideline because it allows the breast tissue to settle into its permanent place. It also gives the body time to recover and return to normal after childbirth. However, everyone is different, and you may need to wait longer depending on your specific needs.

It's also a good idea to make sure you don't want any more kids before considering a breast lift. Getting a breast lift works best if you're not planning to have further pregnancies.

Call our office in Boca Raton today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dardano to discuss breast lift surgery, or you may send our team a message on the website.