After childbirth, some women are faced with newly sagging or droopy breasts. This can make you feel less physically carefree or sexually confident than you did before pregnancy.
A study conducted by Brian Rinker et al. at the University of Kentucky set out to identify the primary causes of ptosis, the official term for breast sag. The team debunked the myth that breastfeeding contributes to breast sag and identified three clear causes:
- age
- multiple pregnancies
- cigarette smoking
Age is a huge contributor to overall breast appearance, as all women’s breasts will sag over time. Pregnancy can also increase breast sag. Women who have multiple pregnancies has an increased risk for sag due to fluctuations in breast size, regardless of breast feeding. Cigarette smoking is a contributing factor because it reduces your skin’s elasticity, and, therefore, skin will have a tendency to sag.
Post Pregnancy Breast Lift, Breast Augmentation, and More
Consider your post-pregnancy routine. Do you miss the freedom you once had to go braless? Whether coincidental or not, Ginny Bulter explores post-pregnancy options to reclaim your youthful figure in her article “Postbaby Plastic Surgery: Is it for You?”, published by Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine on July 4, 2011. ?Yep, Independence Day – if that’s not kismet, we don’t know what is. If you are compelled to carefully strap the girls in before stepping out here are a few post-baby cosmetic surgery procedures Butler mentions:
- Post-Pregnancy Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
- Post-Pregnancy Breast Augmentation
- Post-Pregnancy Mommy Makeover
A mastopexy breast lift corrects breast sag or droop. It can be performed alone or alongside breast augmentation which adds fullness and volume via saline or silicone breast implants. Breast lift procedures vary by degree of sag.
A post-pregnancy breast augmentation can correct a loss of overall shape or volume, especially after multiple pregnancies. It should be considered in consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Breast augmentation before and after photos can help you visualize potential results.
The mommy makeover is a cosmetic surgery option used to address multiple areas of your post pregnancy body. It may include breast lift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction, etc. Mommy makeovers restore proportions and shapely contours, and they can be used to correct sagging breasts as well as other areas of sagging skin.
Breast Sag and Lift Specifics
Before knowing your post-pregnancy cosmetic surgery options, it’s important to understand ptosis, or breast sag. After all, your body is unique, and the post-pregnancy changes you face will also be unique.
Breast sag is one cause for breast lift surgery. But, there are actually three distinct conditions under which a plastic surgeon may suggest cosmetic surgery for your breasts, and each one results in a sagging appearances. They include:
- Ptosis (Grades I thru III)
- Empty Sac Syndrome
- Pseudoptosis
Ptosis may be the one condition plastic surgeons suggest correcting with breast lift. Empty sac syndrome and pseudoptosis often benefit from breast implants alone. In all three circumstances, the goal is to reshape your breasts and the way you view them.
If ptosis is your diagnosis, there are a variety options in breast lift surgery which your plastic surgeon may suggest, and the extent of your post-pregnancy breast sag is usually the deciding factor. Your options in breast lift surgery may include:
- Post-Pregnancy Benelli Breast Lift (donut mastopexy, circumareola breast lift, or apex lift)
- Post-Pregnancy Crescent Breast Lift (nipple lift)
- Post-Pregnancy Full Mastopexy Breast Lift (anchor lift or inverted T-lift)
- Post-Pregnancy Vertical Mastopexy Breast Lift (lollipop breast lift, LeJour lift, or modified Benelli?
The official names are listed, and the slang/common names are in parenthesis. Read more about each specific breast lift procedure.
Why Bother Getting a Post Pregnancy Breast Lift?
When it comes to being a mom, it’s sometimes hard to find time to simply be a woman. Surely, being able to go to the market without having to wear a bra isn’t your biggest concern. So, what is?
How about looking as young as you are? Or as sexy as you feel? During a breast lift consultation, your plastic surgeon will measure the nipple and areola’s relationship to your breast crease. This helps assess ptosis levels and identify your options. Not only will a breast lift correct sag or droop, it can also:
- improve breast shape and appearance
- raise elongated breasts, nipples, and areola
- shed excess skin and have breasts repositioned so they’re perkier
You may wonder what men will think of you having breast augmentation. Review personal stories on our website and even see entries shared on what men think. Click on it and you’ll find a compelling entry by Bill – a Wyoming husband who shares his thoughts about his wife’s post-pregnancy breasts and cosmetic surgery experience. He and his wide struggled with feelings you may also share. Bill wrote, “It took me years to convince my wife to get (plastic surgery).” ?No, he didn’t force the issue or have ulterior motives. He knew his wife was highly self-conscious of her post-pregnancy breasts and how uncomfortable they made her.
But, cosmetic surgery for her post-baby breasts changed her outlook: ?“I am married to a whole new person…. Did I convince her because I wanted her to [change her] breasts for me? No. I did it because I love my wife dearly [and] was sick of watching her be a prisoner to herself.”
There are solutions out there, and you can find other women who are feeling like you on our discussion forum.