Breast Reduction and Breast Feeding

If you've had or are planning a breast reduction, you may wonder what kind of effect it will have on your ability to breastfeed. While breast reduction surgery can pose a few problems to nursing mothers, most should be able to breastfeed their children with a few tips and tricks. If you've had a breast reduction and want to breastfeed your child, don't let anything stop you.

Is It Possible?

Is breastfeeding after having a breast reduction possible? In a word, yes. While you may not find breastfeeding as easy as a mother who has not had a breast reduction, you can still successfully breastfeed your baby. You may need some external help and a lot of patience, but it can be done.

Portential Problems

Some potential include severed nerves that were cut during the surgery. These nerves control milk let-down, which means your body could have a harder time producing milk when it needs to. This could mean a diminished milk supply or milk that doesn't come in properly when baby is hungry.

Solutions

First and foremost, make sure that you give breastfeeding a try, even if you're not sure that it will work or not. You'll never know how responsive your body is and how much supply you have until you try breastfeeding. Let your lactation consultant know about your surgery. She may suggest something like a Supplemental Nursing System, a small tube that you can attach to your breast so that your baby gets supplemental formula while nursing to help him gain weight.

Producing More Milk

The key to making sure that you have enough milk to give your baby and to making sure that your body responds to let-down is to use tricks to produce more milk. Rent or purchase a hospital-grade pump, and for the first two weeks concentrate on pumping every two hours, even if your baby isn't hungry that often. You'll build up a supply of breast milk to freeze and use, and you'll train your body to make more milk more often.

Pain

After having a breast reduction, you might feel some pain with breastfeeding. This is usually due to engorgement or ducts that are too full. To reduce the swelling, use ice packs and offer the breast to your baby as often as you can. Express a little by hand in the shower to relieve some of the pressure, but know that the more milk you extract, the more milk it makes, landing you back at square one. After the first two weeks, allow your baby to be the primary source of milk extraction.