Women today get to live in a world very different from that of their mothers and grandmothers. Not long ago, most women felt the need to make serious decisions at an early age. Marriage or college education? Family or career? And although some old ways of thinking do still have their grip on our culture, women have many more options today than they ever did.
Technology has made remarkable advances as well. Consider the differences between the “work” that older celebrities like Joan Rivers had done (and boy, did she look great for decades!) and the more natural-looking “work” done on younger stars like Blake Lively. While some still choose the exaggerated Barbie Doll look when it comes to cosmetic procedures, many women elect to have one part of their bodies enhanced while leaving others “as is.”
In other words, these days, “natural” and “enhanced” are not mutually exclusive.
The same is as true for how women live as it is for how they look. For example, although a woman may choose to undergo breast augmentation surgery, she can also choose to wear vegan leather, eat organic food, and even breastfeed.
Yes, breastfeed. With implants.
A woman with breast implants can safely breastfeed her baby.
Many people assume that breastfeeding with implants is either dangerous or impossible. But both are false. Neither saline nor silicone breast implants present a risk of leaking into the breast milk, so the safety of the baby is not a concern for breastfeeding with implants. And yes, it’s absolutely possible for a woman with implants to breastfeed her child. There are some things, however, that can impact a woman’s success at breastfeeding with implants. These include:
- The original state of her breasts prior to augmentation – Certain breast types are known to be risk factors for low milk production.
- The location of the augmentation incisions – Incisions made around or across the areola have a higher risk of accidentally cutting milk ducts and/or reducing nerve response (and therefore milk production) than those made under the breast or in the armpit.
- The location of the implants – Implants positioned under the chest muscle have a lower risk of structurally impeding milk flow than those placed directly under the glandular tissue.
Any woman who hopes to breastfeed in the future should talk to her doctor about it prior to having breast augmentation surgery, so that it can be taken into consideration when planning the procedure. And any woman who has already had her breasts enhanced with implants and wants to breastfeed should talk to her doctor about her chances of success – and potentially how to increase those chances.
We’re grateful to live in a time when a woman can live the life she wants.
At San Diego Body Contouring, we’ve seen firsthand how a cosmetic procedure can completely change the way a woman feels about herself, and we’re proud to be able to provide the confidence boost that makes the difference.
While it may seem frivolous to compare a woman’s ability to breastfeed with implants to a woman’s right to have a career and children, it’s really not that much of a stretch.
Today’s woman gets to be who she wants to be.
And we’re excited to live in a time when culture and modern technology allow her to do that in whatever ways she chooses.
