I don't describe myself as crunchy, but I do eat organic, cook from scratch, mindful about the environment, breast fed, and try to be a responsible inhabitant of the planet. I'm also like you, very fit.

I got implants and I'm extremely happy about my decision. I do not have one single regret, complaint, or a drop of shame. Recovery was easy, results are beautiful. They have even helped increase my sex drive, which was a surprise and fully welcome benefit.

I've had zero complications and recovery was a weekend. I was back in the gym 8 days after surgery. Best thing since braces.

Thank you everyone. A lot to chew on here, both for and against, and the sounding board has been helpful. I especially want to thank the women who shared their own stories. These were tremendously informative viewpoints. I'll be sure to pay it forward. -The OP

Go for the implants if you want. You will have to accept that you are really just like everyone else though and not some special crunchy person. As long as you can let go of that being your identity, you'll be fine. Feeling like you have to hide them to maintain an image would be pointless.

14:57, the ridiculous thing in your post is the line"my brain is already fucked up and there's nothing I can do about that." Of course there is something you can do about that, you can get help. Not only are you depressed about your body but you feel deep shame about these feelings.

You will age. We all age. You will sag and get wrinkles and gain weight. You can fight it and get surgery after surgery and you will lose and at some point start to look manufactured (I really think women who go too far look terrible. And they have no awareness that they've gone too far.)

Or you can embrace it. Life is more joyful that way.

I'm someone who is probably along the lines you mention -- not through and through crunchy but on that end of the spectrum for sure, and I have breast implants. I got them before I had children because my breasts were so small and slightly saggy (from having previously gotten implants at age 21 and then having them removed at 24 because they were too large for my body type) that I knew that pregnancy and BFing would leave me with two flaps of skin and it would be very difficult for me to feel sexually desirable. My DH did not support my decision at all, said he loved me the way I was, and I believe that he was sincere. I do not dress provocatively and never did, so it was really just for me to feel confident about myself. I was wearing cutlets all the time by that point so I was like, what's the difference if they're on the inside or outside except that I'll feel more attractive in bed if they're on the inside. Is there something wrong in my brain that I can't feel good about myself unless I fit a certain set of criteria in my physical appearance? Yeah, and I'll be the first to admit it. But it was much easier to fix my body than my mind. I also had a nose job FWIW because I hated my nose (at age 25, just a few months after the implant removal).

Despite being crunchy-ish in a lot of ways, I don't have any objection to cosmetic surgery. There is a lot of pressure on women to be attractive and I don't think surgery, up to a point, is an unreasonable response to it. You have to do what is going to make YOU happy and feel good about yourself. Who cares what anyone else thinks? I do feel sorry for women (I know several) whose husbands really want them to get implants (or whatever). It should be about what makes you feel better when you look in the mirror and helps you be confident and satisfied with your appearance. No one else should influence the decision.

I will also say that I am relieved that I have all boys. I wouldn't want to set that example for a girl. That may seem contradictory to what I said above, but I guess I just feel like, well, my brain is already fucked up and there's nothing I can do about that, but a daughter would be (at least theoretically) a clean slate and I wouldn't want to contribute to the beauty madness that she would be subjected to outside the family anyway. My boys obviously don't know and are unlikely to find out but a girl undoubtedly would.

One of my best friends got a boob job and she is very crunch- does not vaccinate as she believes the ingredients are harmful, is into homeopathy, had home births, eats all organic food, extended breastfeeds, etc. She did it b/c her husband is a pilot but is not well paid and one of her sons has a lot of health issue and developmental delays (she believes due to the MMR); they have a lot of expenses and she felt that she's sacrificed enough for her family. She got saline implants in case one of them bursts inside her. She's very thin and got a full B or small C. To be honest, they looked fake and bad, but perhaps they hadn't settled yet.

Before I get dragged into it, I fully vaccinate my kids

Anonymous wrote:I fully support your decision in re implants, but you will need to turn in your crunchy card.

+1 I have a good friend who is a self-described crunchy mom. She eschews many things b/c they are too "fancy" and is very concerned with not being materialistic or vain in any way. For example, she laughs at me because I get my hair highlighted three times a year and take my toddler to Kidville instead of a corner barber to get his hair cut. I found out recently that she got breast implants. After bfeeding her boobs literally looked like a little boy's, and the implants are small and very tasteful -- I would say a full B -- which look perfectly fine on her small frame. To be honest, I'm very conflicted about this. On the one hand, it must have really been bothering her for her to go under the knife, and she looks great, so more power to her. On the other hand, I have a hard time reconciling her attitude about so many other things with her decision to get surgery. Maybe if she wasn't so self-righteous in her crunchiness I wouldn't be feeling this way about her decision. And that sounds meaner than I intend -- I love her, she just is really judgey!

All valid points but the OP didn't ask for opinions from people who didn't walk the walk. The only legit answer so far is from 13:12. The others are just judging using their own set of values OP so take it with a grain.

I think that you have to learn to accept your changin and aging body. I don't care what kind of care you take of your health, you're going to get old. Things will sag. You will not look the same. Get healthy for your health, not your looks.

You are right to question your values. Why would you not have considered implants before? If the only answer is because you didn't think you needed them, then your values are only now being tested. Do you have daughters? What do you hope to teach them about being a woman, about aging gracefully, about body acceptance? What decision is best in line with the lessons you'd like to impart.

I fully support your decision in re implants, but you will need to turn in your crunchy card.

Anonymous wrote:

I am sympathetic to a point, but someone with young children who would take the risk and go under anesthesia to improve the look of her titties is not actually "crunchy."

Sorry, I think I agree with PP.

I just have to give you my POV. I am a very fit mom of 3 who is also petite. I am 5ft 2 inch, 100 pounds with very toned arms and abs. I wanted a boob job for the exact same reasons you state, I especially understand the nipple sag!!! Although I got a very small implant (180 cc), putting me at a B cup, under the muscle, they still don't look natural. Its not because I had a bad surgeon (he was wonderful), its simply because I have so little body fat that its just obvious. They feel very soft and aren't hard (even years later) but under my arm pit you can see where the implant starts. Also I have a VERY boney collar bone/chest area so that doesn't help. I don't regret it because I think its better than the alternative but I am a realistic person and I realize 90 percent of ppl know they are fake. I don't flaunt them, as I didn't before hand, but still its obvious.

I truly believe that if people hate something on the outside so much that if effects them on the inside, then they need to change that. Like if you have bad teeth and won't smile, fix it, etc. OP I'm all for breast implants if you want them to feel yourself, but not if you want to be like other people. I think a B implant is very normal.

You have body hang ups. That's a different category than the umbrella term "vain.". As you point out, you're not into your hair or premium denim.

I am sympathetic to a point, but someone with young children who would take the risk and go under anesthesia to improve the look of her titties is not actually "crunchy."

If you knew me, you'd be shocked I was even researching this topic. I'm a clog-wearing, granola-making, extended-breastfeeding late-thirties mom who gets haircuts about two times a year and never hits the nail salon let alone keeps up when it comes to fashion. However, I'm now in the best shape of my life which sadly, has deflated my chest. Further, my nipples stretched out a bit during BF and they are starting to sag too which just gives me such an "old before her time" kind of look. If I didn't lose the weight and gain the muscle, I'd look just fine. But I'm strong and fit and not going back to my old size but somehow can't reconcile the breast loss. I'm just hoping to "fill" in the loose skin--nothing dramatic--so that I am back to my Full B cup. The kind of implant that no-one would really even notice except me and DH. But I just feel so conflicted since 1. I would have never considered this before, EVER!, and makes me question my values as I get older 2. I'm not sure I could even tell friends and family since I'm afraid of being judged for being vain. Could I just live with my changed and aging body? Sure, I could. Would I feel great about it, especially in light of all the work I'm doing to stay healthy? Not really. Anyway, wondering if anyone cut from the same cloth opted for surgery and is happy (or not) with the long term results, physically and mentally. Thanks!