Breastfeeding after reduction (milk, newborn, pregnancy, girls)
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I couldnt really find any good forum to put this in, so maybe this might be a good place to start.
Has anyone here had success (or on the other hand, not success) with breastfeeding after reduction?
I feel like I am in a lose-lose situation.
I am in pain from my chest - which is causing my spine to go out of whack and pinch nerves. So, I can get a breast reduction now, and potentially lose any sort of breastfeeding relationship with future children.
Or, I wait for the procedure while in pain for over 5 years. We are waiting to have another child til we move next year since our military tour is up next june. I dont want to move while pregnant or have a newborn. We plan on another after that one, so soonest we'd be done with breastfeeding is over 5 years.
I'm not sure which is worse, dealing with pain for 5+ years, or the pain of not breastfeeding.
I think a lot depends on the surgical procedure, and therefore the surgeon. Shopping around for a surgeon who will preserve the nipple and duct for feeding is critical. One thing to bear in mind is that there is NO guarantee that you'll be able to BF, much depends on the anatomy and recovery.
I think a lot depends on the surgical procedure, and therefore the surgeon. Shopping around for a surgeon who will preserve the nipple and duct for feeding is critical. One thing to bear in mind is that there is NO guarantee that you'll be able to BF, much depends on the anatomy and recovery.
My gf had one and did have some difficulty and had to supplement with formula. I had my nipple pierced in HS (rebellious phase) and had an awful time trying BF from that breast I was lucky if I got an ounce and ended up with a child that was failure to thrive and had to supplement. IMO messing with the girls in any sort of way major or small could put u at risk for issues with BF but that's just my opinion
I had extreme difficulty breastfeeding with my first son. He wouldnt breastfeed, saw 3 LCs and an IBCLC. We tried *everything*. I had to pump - and even then, i only made about 1/2 of the milk he needed.
There is a very real chance that you will not be able to breastfeed (or require serious supplementation). Breast augmentation does not damage the actual milk ducts/tissue in the same manner that a reduction does. I have a few girlfriends who tried their best but it just wasn't happening.
I have formula fed one child and breastfed the other. I admit, breastfeeding was a much better experience in so many ways, but I did not deal with a reduction/pain. If you are in that much pain/trauma then you will have to make a hard decision. Have you considered donor milk as an alternative if it does not work out?
It does not have to be all or nothing either - some women with difficulties use a SNS system that gives them the experience. When I formula fed my first (due to medical reasons I didn't understand at the time), I used to babywear him 24/7 and that really helped the bonding/grief of not breastfeeding.
I am right there with ya, OP. I was told to wait until after I was done having kids to have a reduction for two reasons. One reason was for the breastfeeding (no guarantees there) and the other was because when you are pregnant the shape and size of the breasts will change so it may "undo" some of the work that was done. Obviously when you have reduction surgery you are not only reducing size but also changing the shape and pulling them up (so to speak).
Not saying that you will go back to your pre surgery size after pregnancy but certainly the shape can change. I know that it will be a long time to wait if you decide to hold off. It is a hard decision when you are in constant pain (my neck and shoulders are the worst!) but for me I didn't want to risk it. I loved breast feeding my first two children and couldn't imagine not being able to do so for any future ones.
I think after much thinking, i've decided on a middle ground. If I'm unable to breastfeed my next child, I'll get the procedure done then. If i can, then I'll wait til we're done having kids. For now, I think I'll see the doc for some sort of pain management (currently doing nothing for pain, my GP gave me some super mild stuff which really does nothing remotely close to relieving the pain)
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