15th Jan 2025

How to Breastfeed After Breast Surgery?

Whether you have breast reduction or breast implants, you are likely to be able to breastfeed after surgery. Everything depends on the procedure and how it was conducted. 

Breast reduction surgery, in particular, has evolved to the point that plastic surgeons can often maintain lactation tissue. If the breast implant is put under the muscle and the incision does not disturb the perimeter of the areola, you are far more likely to successfully breastfeed. If not, you will most likely be able to make milk, however, your supply may be reduced with your first baby after surgery.

How Does It Work?

Pregnancy, labor, and birth cause your mammary system to rebuild the breast tissues required to breastfeed. Recanalization, the process by which broken ducts rejoin or new ductal routes form, generally occurs in direct reaction to breastfeeding. Women have between 15 and 20 ducts in their breasts, but only four to 10 ducts travel all the way through the breast tissue to the nipple. A woman with many ducts may afford to lose a few while continuing to produce milk. A lady with fewer ducts is assuming a higher risk by having surgery. You may not be aware of how many ducts you have and should visit your physician to find out.

Reinnervation is a nerve regeneration process. The fourth intercostal nerve, located in each breast, is essential for milk expression. This nerve signals the brain to produce the chemicals prolactin and oxytocin, causing milk to flow. When this nerve is injured, it is more difficult to express milk. But, like ducts, nerves may sprout and reattach. This nerve regenerates at a pace of roughly 1 mm every month, whether you are breastfeeding or not. The longer it has been since your breast surgery, the more probable that any nerve damage has been reversed. The nerve normally takes around five years to fully regenerate.

Post-Birth

Women who have had breast surgery should pay special attention to the first few days after delivery. Because milk production is governed by supply and demand, feeding your baby at the breast "teaches" your body how much your baby requires, hence establishing supply. This is especially critical if you are prone to damaged lactation tissue.

Damaged lactation tissue influences how engorgement appears and feels in mothers who have had breast surgery vs mothers who have not had breast surgery. Engorgement, or swelling, may occur for all mothers when their bodies determine how much milk they require. As a mother who has undergone breast surgery, you may have uneven engorgement, meaning one breast is more full than the other, or one area of the breast is firm while the other is soft. 

This most likely indicates that you have an uneven quantity of good lactation tissue in your breasts or in one area of the breast. To alleviate the discomfort, you can address the engorgement by nursing or pumping more on that side. It is critical to breastfeed on both breasts and not rely just on the one with the most milk. It's also important to note that mothers who have undergone breast surgery may have more significant engorgement with their second child.

To reduce your risks of engorgement, nurse or pump often to ensure that your breasts are emptied on a regular basis. Nursing is the most effective method for reducing engorgement. Engorgement might make it difficult for the infant to latch on to your breast since the swelling causes your nipples to flatten momentarily. To minimize swelling, put cold packs on your breasts or take a warm shower to release some of the milk.

If you don't feel fullness in your breasts three days after giving birth, your prolactin levels may be too low or the fourth intercostal nerve has not fully healed. It is also conceivable that your procedure caused harm to the breast's milk-producing tissues. In this case, it is essential to speak with a lactation consultant who can provide an accurate assessment of your milk production. 

Each woman is unique, and attempting to breastfeed following breast reduction or surgery might provide a variety of complications. If you have any questions or want to learn more about nursing after surgery, contact a professional lactation consultant or a healthcare practitioner that specializes in breastfeeding and lactation.