Breastfeeding

There is very little, if any, effect of breast implants on breastfeeding. One must consider two factors on how implants affect breastfeeding: the effect of the surgery itself and the effect of the implant.

Rates of being able to breastfeed after any type of breast surgery, including breast augmentation, can approach 70%, but the true rate is really unknown. The limited studies to date lead us to believe that women with augmented breasts have about the same chance of being able to breastfeed as women who have not had the surgery. In fact, about 70% of women who have not had breast surgery are able to breastfeed, while 30% of the general population cannot. Thus, the rates of being able to breastfeed after breast surgery are almost identical to those who have not had breast surgery.

To the best of our knowledge, there is no danger of breastfeeding an infant from a mother with breast implants. Cow’s milk and infant formulas have a far higher level of silicon, a silicone component, than mother’s milk. Breast milk is the best food for babies.

Impact of Pregnancy and Breastfeeding on Breast Implants

The only significant change that may occur over the time of a pregnancy is position of the implant. This is impacted mainly by the amount of weight gain and breast growth during the pregnancy or other life change. While impossible to predict accurately as everyone is different, usually the implants can migrate or move to a lower or more lateral (towards the sides) position. There is no significant effect of shape change on the lifespan of the implant – i.e., they are not at increased risk of breaking during pregnancy because of weight gain.