Pregnancy After Breast Reduction

There are a number of factors involved in deciding to have breast-reduction surgery. Some of these factors are physical, as the surgery can reduce back pain and make easier simple activities such as shopping. Other factors are psychological; while the surgery might improve self-esteem by eliminating the feeling that everyone is staring, many women may worry that having the surgery will make them less attractive or cause problems should they decide to have a child. Breast-reduction surgery has relatively little effect on pregnancy, though it can have an impact on a woman's ability to breastfeed.

Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast reduction is a surgery in which fat, glandular tissue, and skin are removed from the breasts in order to reduce their size. Reduction surgery may also include a lifting procedure, making the breasts appear more natural after the surgery has been completed. The most common candidates for this surgery are women whose breasts are large enough that the weight of them can cause problems. These women may experience pain in the back, neck, and shoulders, and may even have breathing and circulation problems. Women who are young enough that their breasts have not completely developed are generally ineligible for the surgery.

Effects of Breast Reduction on Fertility

A woman's fertility is unaffected by breast-reduction surgery, as fertility is largely caused by hormones in the adrenal glands and ovaries. Though the breasts are affected by these hormones and do experience additional development during pregnancy, the larger role of the breasts in pregnancy comes after the baby is born.

Breast Numbness

Numbness of the breasts can occur as a side effect of breast-reduction surgery and can be caused by nerve damage or circulation problems. Though the numbness generally goes away within a few months, in some women who have undergone breast reductions the lack of sensation can continue indefinitely. This can make breastfeeding considerably more difficult, since numbness in the nipples and surrounding breast tissue can make it hard to determine whether the nursing child is attached properly or is receiving enough milk for proper nourishment.

Milk Production

Due to the difficulty separating the different kinds of breast tissue, milk ducts often end up being removed along with the fat and glandular tissue during breast-reduction surgery. This can result in a significant decrease in the amount of milk a mother can produce. Women who wish to become pregnant at some point and who plan on breastfeeding should make sure that the surgeon knows this so that he can make an effort to avoid damaging or removing milk ducts, though some loss of milk ducts may still occur. It is recommended that women who have had breast reductions supplement their own breast milk with formula or pumped breast milk from another source.

Swelling and Pain

Swelling and pain are another problem that is often associated with pregnancy after a breast reduction surgery. The hormonal surges of pregnancy combined with the production of milk by milk ducts will generally change the size and shape of the breasts, putting strain on scar tissue and, depending on when the surgery was performed, it may also stretch breast tissue that has not completely healed. Some women may experience swelling that returns them to their pre-surgery breast size, with extreme sensitivity throughout the breasts. After pregnancy, the size of the breasts will reduce once more but the woman may be left with stretch marks or scars.