When to Consider a Breast Lift After Pregnancy
As early as week 6 of pregnancy, your breasts start growing. They keep growing until your baby is born — sometimes longer if you breastfeed. Many women gain a cup size or more, and their breast skin and tissues stretch to accommodate.
After you have your baby, your breasts eventually shrink, but skin and tissue don’t always return to their pre-pregnancy sizes. The result is often sagging, flat breasts and these changes can leave you feeling uncomfortable in your own skin.
Matthew Lynch, MD, and our surgical team can help. Dr. Lynch is an experienced plastic surgeon specializing in breast surgery, and he’s helped countless women find their post-baby confidence with breast lift surgery. If pregnancy left you with breasts you don’t recognize, here’s what you need to know.
When to consider a breast lift
You might be a good candidate for a breast lift if:
You’re unhappy with the look of your breasts
The breast changes that come with pregnancy are natural. Some women feel comfortable in their post-pregnancy bodies and may not be interested in breast lifts.
For others, pregnancy changes can leave them feeling self-conscious or unhappy in their own skin. If you’re bothered by the look of your breasts, a breast lift could help restore your confidence.
You’re done having children
Your breasts grow and stretch the surrounding skin and other tissues during pregnancy. After you give birth, your breasts usually don’t return to their pre-pregnancy shape or size.
A breast lift can help restore your pre-pregnancy silhouette, but if you get pregnant again, your breasts will grow and change again. That's why we usually recommend waiting until your family is complete before you get the surgery.
You’re not breastfeeding
Like pregnancy, breastfeeding changes your breasts drastically. If you breastfeed your baby, your breasts grow as your body produces milk, and they shrink after you feed your baby or pump milk.
This process continues daily as long as you continue breastfeeding. Because of these frequent changes, we recommend waiting until you’re done breastfeeding to schedule a breast lift.
How a breast lift works
A breast lift is a straightforward cosmetic procedure. Dr. Lynch removes extra skin and tissue and repositions your areolas and nipples to make your breasts look fuller and more youthful.
Every breast lift is highly customized. Before surgery, Dr. Lynch does a physical exam and asks you about your aesthetic goals. He works with you to develop a surgical plan that delivers a silhouette you love.
Depending on your goals for surgery, you might be interested in combining your breast lift with breast augmentation or a tummy tuck. Augmentation increases your cup size with saline or silicone. A tummy tuck combined with a breast lift, or “mommy makeover,” is a popular option to address all the most common pregnancy changes.
It’s no secret that pregnancy changes your life and body, but not all those changes must be permanent. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Lynch to learn more about breast lift's benefits after pregnancy.
Book online now, or call our East Windsor, New Jersey office at 609-448-6200 to get started.