Humans are mammals and the genus is characterised by feeding its young from a mammary gland or breast. That is why breast implants have never really taken off in kangaroos or possums – they aren’t mammals and their teats are in a pouch.
It’s therefore a little ironic that breasts are so profoundly affected by their primary function – to feed our young. Pregnancy causes huge swelling of the breasts as glands grow, and after breast feeding has finished, they rarely revert to their pre-pregnancy state. In other words, most women’s boobs go a bit droopy and floppy.
The question I get asked by patients who are contemplating implant surgery is “what will my boobs look life after I have kids?”. The answer is really easy. I have absolutely no idea. At all.
So what do we know about the effect of pregnancy and breast feeding on breast shape and breast implants?
A study I co-authored in 1999 measured breast shape in a large number of women and looked at many variables including pregnancy, breast feeding and hand dominance (no effect in case you were wondering). We found that it is the getting pregnant rather than the breast feeding that causes alterations in shape, presumably from the high levels of oestrogen that also cause stretch marks and back pain due to loosening of the pelvic ligaments. And yes, it shows that getting pregnant generally gives you droopier and floppier breasts. Not rocket science I know, but it was rated as the year’s top cosmetic paper in the UK in 1999, so I was quite chuffed with it.
If you already have implants, I don’t know how they will sit after your babies. Having worked in Berwick for 14 years, I am starting to see patients coming back to me after they’ve completed their family. They come along because their breast shape has altered and they want a redo to try and improve things, which often involves a breast lift in addition to changing the implants. I can’t quantify those changes as yet, because the numbers you need for meaningful statistics are such that I will only get the answer about the time I retire.
The other thing I see following pregnancy and particularly breast feeding, is the formation of a thick scar or capsule around the breast implant making the shape look a little weird and feel hard – a capsular contraction. The theory is that during breast feeding, bacteria are able to travel down the milk ducts and take up residence on the implant surface. This causes a chronic inflammatory response which forms thick tissue to protect itself from the problem. This is known as capsular contracture. One study has looked at how often this occurs and breast feeding seems to approximately double the risk of you getting a capsule. In my patients that would put it up to around 10% at ten years. Capsular contractions can be treated as a surgical day case, and currently many health funds will contribute towards the costs of the surgery and implants. Most implant manufacturers provide some sort of warranty against capsular contraction for uninsured patients.
The last thing about shape changes after children relates to weight. Most patients tell me that they put on weight after having kids through a combination of lack of sleep, lack of time to exercise and eating high calorie baby type food rather than their usual quinoa and kale salad. Before undertaking revision breast implant surgery, it is important that you have completed your family and got your weight to a stable point.
As always, if you have any questions about changing your breast implants, please come in and have a consultation.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.