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Breast after breast reduction surgery
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Anonymous
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I'm due to have my first baby in a few months. I received breast reduction surgery about 10 years ago . I'd really like to breastfeed. My doctors tell me that it's just crap shoot on whether it will work. I've read some web sites that say I should be able to breast feed.
Does anyone have any experience or advice on this? |
Anonymous
| I had breast reduction surgery when I was 21. I was told the same thing about it being a 50/50 shot. When I had my first at 35, I tried to breast feed him and it did not work out for me. Only one of my breasts really produced anything and then it just wasn't enough. My son, who was small to begin with, started losing weight rapidly. After I got home, I did go and get a hospital grade pump and tried to supplement his formula with breast milk. But I gave up after about 2 weeks when I would pump 30 mins for about 2 oz. When I had son #2, I didn't even bother. I was very frustrated by the whole thing because I tried to express my concerns to my OB and to the lactation consultants at the hospital and I felt like they didn't really get it. I guess if I had it to do over again, I would try to find a lactation consultant who had some experience with breast reduction and also might have arranged for a home visit from one after birth. I also would have tried to pump at the hospital and gotten a pump right off the bat so I could have seen what I was producing. I was really a basket case not being able to feed my son and not sleeping and he was so small (and having PPD on top of it!). My husband became scared for my son and was not really that supportive of me continuing to try to BF. Good luck; I hope it works out for you! |
Anonymous
| I had breast reduction surgery when I was 20. I was not able to breastfeed either of my two daughters, much to my dismay. |
Anonymous
| Check out the BFAR website - breastfeeding after reduction. I have a couple of friends who have had some success breastfeeding after having a breast reduction. It is definitely worth it to consult with a lactation consultant (get a good one - not the one in the hospital) and to keep an open mind! Best of luck! |
briggsz
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I had breast reduction surgery about fifteen years ago and just had my first child about four weeks ago. I wasn't able to produce enough milk to exclusively breastfeed, so I'm pumping what I can (about 2-3 oz per day) and giving that to my daughter in addition to formula. I had a really tough time admitting that I can't produce enough breastmilk to support her growth and development, but have come to be happy that I'm able to produce something for her.
One of the most important things to know (or to try to find out) is what technique your surgeon used when she/he used for your surgery--like how your nipples were relocated on the smaller breast. Knowing that will help give you, your OB, and the lactation consultant a better idea of how much of your "ductwork" is still intact and possibly functional. The above-mentioned BFAR website lists some of the different techniques. The best advice I can give is to be as vocal as possible with everyone about your past surgery and your current concerns. Tell your OB, tell the nurses in the hospital, and be vocal about seeing a lactation consultant in the hospital. Talk to them about whether you want to try to exclusively breastfeed or whether you're comfortable supplementing with formula until you know what kind of milk you're able to produce. Talk to them about how long to leave your newborn on the breast--letting him/her hang out there can lead to really sore and possibly cracked nipples. Ask them about what to look for when your milk comes in. Ask them what your options are if your milk is slow coming in or you think there may not be enough. Anything you can think of, be sure to ask. Your situation is special and deserves more attention. When you meet with your lactation consultant in the hospital, I highly recommend asking for a pump to help stimulate your milk supply. Getting your baby to latch might be difficult and painful, which might make nursing more challenging than it is already. A pump won't get a bad latch and chomp on your nipples, so you can stimulate your breasts with the pump, which may take some pressure off when your baby is on the breast. You can focus on helping the baby latch and not worry so much about breast stimulation. Above all, try not to let the breastfeeding issue dominate the first weeks of life with your baby and just find joy in your baby's new life. If you're having difficulty, try to accept the successes and be happy with what you're able to do. Your child will benefit from every drop you're able to produce. Do the best you can. |