Having a baby can change your body in many ways, including how your breasts look after breastfeeding.
It’s very common for mothers to be left with smaller, flatter, or stretched-out breasts after nursing. While there’s nothing wrong with these changes, they can leave many mothers feeling less than confident in their new appearance.
If you want to restore your breasts’ appearance and improve your self-esteem, a breast lift could be right for you. Our team of surgeons has performed thousands of breast lift procedures, with both the qualifications and experience to create results you’ll be proud of.
Keep reading to find out how breastfeeding can affect your breasts and how a breast lift can help. Visit our website or call us to book your consultation at Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates and learn more about breast uplifts in Jacksonville.
The Effects of Breastfeeding
Though nursing is an effective way to feed your baby, it can change how your breasts look postpartum.
During Pregnancy
Throughout pregnancy, your fluctuating levels of estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin can cause changes to the breast tissue.
At this time, your milk ducts will expand to increase blood flow, which may also increase your cup size.
Your Cooper’s ligaments can also loosen and stretch to accommodate for the new growth of your breasts. This is the band of tissues that shape and support your breasts.
All of these changes to your breasts occur during pregnancy, regardless of if you breastfeed or not.
During Nursing
While nursing, your breasts can increase up to 2 to 3 times in size.
This change in breast size is caused by hormones like prolactin, which stimulates the production of milk. This constant production of milk creates dense tissue in your breasts, which stretch out your breast skin and tissue.
After Nursing
After you are done breastfeeding, the fatty, connective tissues in your breasts shift because they’re no longer filled with milk. This typically causes the breasts to shrink in size as well.
When your milk-producing glands shrink back to their pre-pregnancy size, your breasts may look empty or stretched. Your skin can tighten to suit your new breast size, but sometimes there’s not enough elasticity to do so.
Breastfeeding can also leave many women with asymmetrical or uneven breasts. Each breast is independent, so what happens to one breast may or may not happen to the other.
It’s common for the contours of your bust line to change as the breast tissue expands and contracts with breast milk. It’s also common for breast engorgement to leave one breast larger than the other.
There are a variety of factors that influence your breasts’ ability to bounce back to their pre-pregnancy appearance, including:
- Age
- Genetics
- Weight gain or loss during pregnancy
- Number of pregnancies
- Pre-pregnancy breast size
What is a breast lift?
A breast uplift in Jacksonville is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and reshapes tissue to raise the position of the breasts. Also known as a mastopexy, a breast lift can treat sagging breasts, nipples that point downward, and asymmetry.
A breast lift won’t change the size of your breasts; it mainly makes them look firmer and more youthful. If you’re looking to change the size of your breasts, an augmentation can be added to your procedure.
A breast lift might be a good option if you have:
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- Breasts that have lost their shape or volume
- Nipples that fall below your breast creases when they aren’t supported
- Breasts that have gotten flatter or longer
- Nipples and areola that point downward
- Breasts that sag
- A breast that falls lower than the other
What to Expect
At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, we understand that no two breast lift journeys look the same! You can trust that your breast lift experience will be entirely customized to your unique needs.
Consultation
During your consultation, you and your surgeon will discuss your breast lift goals and areas you’d like to address. Here, you’ll get the chance to tell your surgeon how you would like your breasts to look after the procedure.
You’ll also learn about the risks and benefits associated with breast uplifts in Jacksonville. This will be a perfect opportunity to ask about any questions or concerns you may have regarding your procedure.
Physical Examination
At your first appointment, the surgeon will examine your breasts to plan your procedure. This is when your surgeon will measure and examine your breasts, nipples, and areolae.
Next, your surgeon will map out the details of your procedure with a skin-safe marker. This is to get an idea of the best incision types and locations for procedure recommendations.
Before your procedure, your surgeon may also have you complete a blood test or mammogram to ensure procedure safety.
Procedure
A breast uplift in Jacksonville can take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours to complete. Your surgeon will provide general anesthesia or IV sedation to ensure that your procedure is comfortable and painless.
During your procedure, your surgeon will make incisions from your areolae and downward to remove and reshape your breast tissue. To create that uplifted look, your surgeon will tighten your breast muscles by sewing them.
To account for the change in position, your surgeon will also move your nipples and areolae higher onto your breast. Your surgeon will insert draining tubes and close all incisions once your procedure is complete.
Finally, your surgeon will apply bandages and a surgical bra to support your breasts as they heal.
Recovery
After your breast uplift in Jacksonville, you’ll likely feel some pain and soreness around your incisions. Your surgeon will provide you with medication to help with this pain.
You can expect your breasts to be swollen and bruised for about 2 weeks. You may also experience numbness in your nipples and breast skin for about 6 weeks.
We recommend that you avoid bending, lifting, or engaging in any physical activity in the first few days after a breast lift.
We also recommend that you wear your surgical support bra for 3 to 4 days following your surgery. After that, you’ll wear a soft support bra for the following few weeks.
After your procedure, your surgeon will provide you with a detailed recovery and incision care guide. We’ll also schedule follow-up appointments to keep track of your healing progress.
Results
Your breasts will continue to change and settle over the next few months following your surgery.
Though the scars from your breast lift procedure will be permanent, they will continue to soften and become thinner over the next 1 to 2 years.
It’s important to note that breast lift results are not entirely permanent, as they don’t stop the future effects of aging. As you continue to age, your skin will become less elastic, and you may experience more sagging. You can discuss additional procedures with your surgeon as time passes.
Other Breast Procedures
A breast uplift in Jacksonville is not the only option for post-breastfeeding mothers! A breast augmentation, reduction, and asymmetric correction can also address your aesthetic needs.
Augmentation
If you feel that nursing has decreased the size or shape of your breasts, an augmentation could be an option for you.
A breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that reshapes your breasts through implants or fat transfers. Our expert surgeons can fill out your physique and give your breasts a fuller, more symmetrical appearance.
Reduction
While some women’s breasts shrink after nursing, others’ remain enlarged. If you are unsatisfied with your larger breasts after nursing, a breast reduction might be right for you.
A breast reduction is a procedure that removes fat, breast tissue, and skin from the breasts. A reduction can also resize and reposition the breasts, which can ultimately eliminate back and shoulder pain.
Asymmetry Correction
Has nursing left you with subtle differences in size between your breasts? If so, asymmetrical breast correction could be the solution you’ve been looking for.
Breast asymmetrical correction is a procedure that can adjust one or both breasts through a lift, implants, or reduction. This procedure is entirely customizable, as every patient’s correction journey is different.
Book Your Appointment
Breastfeeding creates a special bond with your baby, but it can affect your breasts and lower your self-confidence. For the time and effort you put into your family, you deserve to feel good in your skin once again.
At Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, our team includes some of the leading breast lift experts in the field. You can rest assured knowing that our surgeons will properly restore your breasts’ appearance and improve your self-confidence.
Are you ready to begin your journey for a breast uplift in Jacksonville? Are you ready to treat yourself for all the hard work you’ve put into motherhood? Schedule your consultation online or give us a call to get started.
Curious about other mommy makeover procedures? Visit our website to learn more about liposuction, abdominoplasties, and facial procedures.