Breastfeeding After Breast Implant (Augmentation) Surgery

Yes! Breastfeeding after breast implant (augmentation) surgery is certainly possible!

Most have some milk after breast implant surgery. Depending on several factors, there may not be a full milk supply for at least the first baby. But every drop of milk is tremendously beneficial for both you and your baby and there are many ways to increase milk production.

Most people can still breastfeed after breast or nipple surgery. Although ducts may have been severed during the surgery, many ducts reconnect and/or grow back over time. This happens at an accelerated rate during pregnancy, so having been pregnant after the surgery may have prompted least some ducts to grow back (recanalize). 

The amount of sensitivity in your nipple demonstrates how well the nerves that affect lactation have healed.  During the healing process, they may become more sensitive than normal, but over time, the sensitivity will most likely return to the way they were before the surgery. These nerves affect how milk is released from the breast (letdown).  When they aren’t fully connected and working well, it can be harder to express the milk. If you don’t have full sensitivity,  there are several ways to increase the milk ejection reflex (letdown) with herbs, breast compressions, and psychological conditioning. It generally takes about five years for nerves to grow back to significant or full functionality.

There’s no way to know how much milk you’ll have and be able to release (letdown) until around the fourth day after the baby is born when the milk “comes in” or matures (also known as engorgement). Most people make a significant amount of milk, but not all have a full milk supply. The milk supply capability depends on the amount of connected ducts and nerves that affect lactation.

The glands connected to the ducts that were severed during the surgery will produce milk initially, but because the milk cannot get out, they will gradually stop making milk and atrophy over the first two weeks. Most experience a longer period of engorgement while this process happens. If the milk supply isn’t enough  initially, there is much that can be done produce more.

Even if you don’t have enough milk, you can still have a fulfilling breastfeeding experience, and there are many ways to increase your milk production. Breastfeeding is far more than just producing food for your baby. 

Yes, the starting condition of the breasts before implant surgery affects how much milk can be made after the surgery.

Small breast size alone doesn’t affect the amount of milk that can be made, but certain breast shapes are known to be at risk making less milk, including tubular-shaped breasts, widely spaced breasts (more than 1.5 inches of flat space between them), undeveloped breasts, and asymmetrical breasts. Unfortunately, most people aren’t told they may be starting with less milk-making capability or that breast implant surgery can reduce milk production.