Breastfeeding After Breast Surgery: Implants, Lift, Reduction & Cancer Treatment

Can you breastfeed after breast surgery?

Many women can breastfeed after breast surgery, fully or partly, but the chance depends on the type of operation, how much breast tissue was removed and whether the ducts and nerves to the nipple were preserved.

Breastfeeding needs three things to work: milk-producing glands, intact milk ducts leading to the nipple, and nerves that carry the signal from the nipple to the brain to release the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. Surgery that leaves these largely untouched, such as many breast augmentations, usually has little effect. Surgery that removes glandular tissue or separates the nipple from the tissue beneath it can reduce or prevent milk supply on that side.

Even when supply is limited, any amount of breast milk and skin-to-skin feeding can be valuable. Combining breastfeeding with expressed milk or formula is a legitimate choice and not a failure.

Can you breastfeed with breast implants?

Yes, most women with breast implants can breastfeed, and the implants do not make breast milk unsafe; the incision site and implant placement can influence how much milk is produced.

Research suggests that women with implants are somewhat more likely to have a low milk supply than women without, but most still breastfeed successfully. Factors that may matter include:

• Incision site. An incision around the areola (periareolar) may cut some ducts and nerves near the nipple and has been linked to a higher risk of reduced supply. Fold (inframammary) and armpit (transaxillary) incisions avoid the area around the nipple.
• Implant pocket. Implants placed beneath the chest muscle (submuscular or dual-plane) sit further from the glandular tissue than implants placed directly behind the gland, which some surgeons consider gentler on the milk-producing tissue.
• Implant size. Very large implants may compress breast tissue.
• The reason for augmentation. Some women seek augmentation because their breasts never developed fully (tubular breasts or insufficient glandular tissue). In these women, low milk supply may be caused by the original breast development rather than the implant.

Regulatory bodies such as the US FDA list breastfeeding difficulties among possible effects of breast implants. There is no good evidence that silicone or saline implants harm a breastfed baby. If you are planning augmentation and hope to breastfeed later, say so at consultation: it can influence the choice of incision and pocket. See breast augmentation for more on these choices.

Can you breastfeed after a breast lift?

Many women can breastfeed after a breast lift, because the nipple and areola usually stay attached to the breast tissue beneath them while they are moved to a higher position.

In a lift (mastopexy), the surgeon mainly removes and tightens skin and reshapes the existing breast tissue. Very little gland is usually removed, and the nipple remains connected to its ducts and much of its nerve supply. As a result, breastfeeding is often possible, although some women notice reduced nipple sensation or a lower supply, particularly after more extensive lifts.

A lift combined with implants (augmentation-mastopexy) involves both an areola incision and an implant, so the considerations above for implants apply as well. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can also stretch the breast again, which is why many women choose to have a lift once they have completed their family. Read more on our breast lift page.

Can you breastfeed after breast reduction surgery?

Many women can breastfeed after a breast reduction, at least partly, when a pedicle technique keeps the nipple attached to a column of breast tissue, but the operation removes glandular tissue and may reduce milk supply.

The key term is the pedicle: the bridge of tissue that carries blood vessels, nerves and milk ducts to the nipple while the rest of the breast is reshaped. Common pedicle techniques (inferior, superomedial, central and others) all aim to preserve this connection. Studies suggest that a large proportion of women who wish to breastfeed after a pedicle reduction are able to do so, although many need to supplement, especially in the early weeks.

Points to understand:

• Free nipple graft. In very large reductions, the nipple is sometimes removed and replaced as a skin graft. The ducts are completely divided, so breastfeeding from that breast is not possible and nipple sensation is usually lost.
• Amount of tissue removed. Larger reductions leave less gland to produce milk.
• Nipple sensation. Reduced feeling in the nipple can blunt the hormonal let-down reflex. Sensation often improves over months to years after surgery.
• Time since surgery. Supply tends to be better the longer the interval between reduction and pregnancy, possibly because ducts and nerves have more time to reconnect.

If breastfeeding matters to you, ask about the technique your surgeon plans. More details are on our breast reduction page.

Can you breastfeed after inverted nipple correction?

Whether you can breastfeed after inverted nipple correction depends on the technique: methods that preserve the milk ducts usually allow breastfeeding, while methods that divide the ducts generally prevent it from that nipple.

Inverted nipples are often held in by short, tight ducts and fibrous bands. Mild inversion can sometimes be corrected by releasing the fibrous bands while keeping the ducts intact. More severe, fixed inversion often requires dividing some or all of the ducts so the nipple can stay out, which means milk cannot reach the surface on that side.

Many women with inverted nipples breastfeed successfully without surgery, as the baby’s suck can draw the nipple out; a midwife or lactation consultant can help with positioning. If you are considering correction and may want to breastfeed, discuss duct-preserving options and their slightly higher chance of recurrence. See nipple and areola correction.

Can you breastfeed after mastectomy and breast reconstruction?

No, you cannot breastfeed from a breast that has been removed by mastectomy, even after reconstruction or a nipple-sparing mastectomy, but most women can breastfeed from the other breast.

Mastectomy removes the breast gland, so a reconstructed breast, whether made with an implant or with your own tissue as in a DIEP flap, does not produce milk. In a nipple-sparing mastectomy the nipple skin is kept, but the ducts and gland behind it are removed.

A single healthy breast can often produce enough milk for a baby, as it adapts to demand. If you have had treatment for breast cancer, your oncology team should be involved in planning pregnancy and breastfeeding, because some treatments, such as hormone therapy (for example tamoxifen), are not compatible with pregnancy or breastfeeding and the timing needs careful discussion.

After a double mastectomy, including risk-reducing surgery for a BRCA gene change, breastfeeding is not possible. Some women in this situation choose to complete their family before preventive surgery; this is a personal decision best made with your genetics and breast team. See after mastectomy for reconstruction options.

Can you breastfeed after lumpectomy and radiotherapy?

Breastfeeding is often possible after breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy, but the treated breast usually produces much less milk, sometimes none, while the untreated breast can produce normally.

Radiotherapy damages the milk-producing lobules and can cause fibrosis (stiffening) of the tissue. During pregnancy, the treated breast often enlarges less than the other one. Women who breastfeed after radiotherapy commonly feed mainly or entirely from the untreated side; nipple changes on the treated side can also make latching harder.

Practical points:

• Ask your oncology team when it is safe to try for pregnancy and whether any medicines you take are compatible with breastfeeding.
• If you do feed from the treated side, watch for cracked skin and mastitis, which may heal more slowly in irradiated tissue.
• A one-sided supply can lead to a visible size difference between the breasts during breastfeeding, which usually settles after weaning.

Any new lump in either breast during pregnancy or breastfeeding must be checked, because cancer can recur and pregnancy changes can make lumps harder to assess. Read more in life after breast cancer.

Should you have breast surgery before or after having children?

If you plan to have children, it is often sensible to delay a breast lift or reduction until after your family is complete, while augmentation can usually be done beforehand, provided you discuss breastfeeding when choosing the technique.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding change breast size, shape and skin, so a lift done beforehand may need further surgery later. On the other hand, women with very large, heavy breasts causing pain may benefit from a reduction now and still breastfeed partly later. Things to discuss with your surgeon:

• Your wish to breastfeed and how important it is to you.
• Techniques that best preserve ducts and nerves, such as fold incisions for implants or pedicle reductions.
• Waiting at least 6–12 months after surgery before becoming pregnant, so that healing is complete.
• Waiting about 3–6 months after you stop breastfeeding before any further breast surgery, so the breasts settle to their new size and shape.

Your general fitness, stable weight and not smoking are also important for good results.

What happens to breast implants during pregnancy?

Breast implants are generally safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding; the breast tissue around them grows and then shrinks, which may change how the breasts look afterwards but does not usually harm the implants.

During pregnancy the glandular tissue enlarges and the skin stretches. After breastfeeding, some women notice that the breasts are softer, lower or less full than before. Whether the breasts sag depends more on genetics, skin quality, weight changes and the number of pregnancies than on breastfeeding itself.

Things to know:

• Routine pregnancy care and ultrasounds are not affected by implants. Tell your midwife and doctors that you have them.
• Mastitis can occur with implants and is treated in the usual way, but report it promptly if it does not improve. See mastitis and breast abscess.
• Any new swelling, hardening or change in shape of one breast, especially a sudden fluid swelling more than a year after surgery, should be assessed with an ultrasound.
• If you later need breast imaging, let the radiographer know about your implants; see mammograms with breast implants.

Some women choose a lift, implant exchange or removal once they have finished breastfeeding; this is best considered once the breasts have settled.

Where can you get breastfeeding support after breast surgery?

The most helpful step is to seek early support from a midwife or a qualified lactation consultant (IBCLC), ideally during pregnancy and in the first days after birth, and to check that your baby is gaining weight well.

Women who have had breast surgery benefit from an individual plan. A lactation consultant can:

• Help with positioning and latch from the first feed.
• Advise on frequent feeding and expressing to build supply.
• Monitor the baby’s weight, wet and dirty nappies and feeding pattern.
• Show you supplementation methods, such as a supplemental nursing system at the breast, so the baby gets enough while you keep breastfeeding.

Signs that the baby is getting enough milk include regular swallowing during feeds, several wet nappies a day after the first few days, and a return to birth weight by around two weeks. Contact your midwife or doctor promptly if your baby is very sleepy, feeding poorly, has few wet nappies or seems jaundiced.

In the UK, your midwife and health visitor are the first contacts, with infant feeding teams in many areas. In Germany, your Hebamme (midwife) can provide postnatal home visits and breastfeeding advice, and many clinics and practices have Stillberaterinnen (lactation consultants). In Bulgaria, the maternity hospital team, your paediatrician and your общопрактикуващ лекар (GP) can help, and independent lactation consultants work in larger cities. Bring a brief summary of your operation if you have one.

How can a plastic surgeon help if you want to breastfeed?

A plastic surgeon can help by choosing techniques that protect breastfeeding when you are planning surgery, explaining what your previous operation is likely to mean for milk supply, and planning any further surgery after you have finished breastfeeding.

If you are considering surgery, ask directly about incision site, implant placement, pedicle technique and nipple sensation. If you have already had surgery, your operation notes are useful for you and your lactation consultant, as they show which technique was used.

Dr. Fatih Kılıç, a plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, can review previous operation reports and photographs to explain how your surgery may affect breastfeeding and discuss options such as a lift, implant change or revision and symmetry surgery once breastfeeding has ended. Breastfeeding problems themselves, such as low supply, pain or infection, are best managed by your midwife, lactation consultant and doctor.

Advice before or after breast surgery for patients in Germany, Bulgaria and the UK

If you live in Germany or Bulgaria (or the UK) and want to know how a past breast operation may affect breastfeeding, or how to plan augmentation, lift or reduction around a future pregnancy, you can share your operation reports and photographs online for an opinion from Dr. Fatih Kılıç. Istanbul is about 1 hour 15 minutes by air from Sofia and about 3 hours from major German airports. Breastfeeding difficulties, pain or infection are best assessed first by your own midwife, lactation consultant or doctor at home. After any consultation you receive a written summary to share with your doctor. See international patients or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Medically reviewed by Dr. Fatih Kılıç, Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon. This page is for general information and does not replace an individual consultation.