Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction

One of the most debated topics in the medical world and the online landscape is whether a mother should breastfeed after having a breast reduction surgery. The truth is that breast reduction surgery does damage the nerves along with the milk developing ducts and glands. This makes breastfeeding difficult, but not entirely impossible.

Should I breastfeed?

You can probably breastfeed your newborn, depending on the results of the surgery and your medical history. Provided that the areola and nipple are still intact with the breast tissue that is underneath them, there is a high chance that you will be able to nurse. That being said, if your nipple(s) are removed and placed on the reconstructed breasts; the damage to milk ducts, breast tissue, and nerves may actually limit the supply of breastmilk. As a result, the sensation in the nipples may diminish.

Nerves are crucial in breastfeeding as they stimulate the release of oxytocin and prolactin in the breasts, the two hormones that regulate the milk production and letdown. Generally speaking, the longer it has been since your breast reduction surgery, the more sensation you will start to feel in your nipples and the areola. Subsequently, you will be able to accommodate more breastmilk production.

What’s The Solution?

There is no way to tell the exact amount of breastmilk that you can produce until you start nursing. The more sensation that you feel in your nipples, the better chance you have at producing sufficient milk supply to meet your newborn’s nutritional needs. Talk to your lactation consultant and discuss these factors to make sure your breasts can accommodate milk supply and baby latch.

We also recommend you to talk about your breast reduction surgery with your baby’s doctor. This will make your doctor more cautious with prescriptions and will encourage them to evaluate the weight gain of your baby so as to make sure she’s getting the adequate nutrition supply.

It is advisable to try breast pumping for at least five minutes on each breast, following the second day of postpartum. Every nursing session should accommodate five minutes of pumping to ensure that you are building your milk supply. In order to stimulate the letdown reflex, your lactation expert may use fully automated breast pumps to pump both your breasts simultaneously. In cases where you are producing milk with insufficient nutrients for your baby, you will require supplements that can increase the nutrient balance.

During the first four to six weeks following postpartum, you may consider using a supplemental nursing systems (SNS). An SNS isThe Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) is a feeding tube device to provide babies long-term supplemental feedings at the breast. As your baby nurses, she will drink from both nipples along with the tube while latching.After a few days, a hormonal mechanism is triggered that causes milk to be produced.

If you’re considering breast reduction surgery but want to nurse your child at the same time, postpone it until breastfeeding has weaned off. As your breasts significantly change during pregnancy and nursing, it is recommended to postpone any breast surgery until you are out of the breastfeeding cycle.