Smaller breasts after having a baby
Posted Monday, September 28, 2009
Women often find that their breasts are smaller after pregnancy than they were before. This is due to a process called breast involution, which occurs when the milk-production system with the breast shrinks because it is no longer needed.
Breast involution can happen either after weaning the baby off the breast or right after giving birth if you choose not to breastfeed. If the tissue inside the breast shrinks but the surrounding skin does not, the result is a saggy, empty-looking breast.
Plastic surgeons find that most postpregnanct patients want the same breast size they had before or just a little bigger. Often, implants alone can restore shapeliness and add projection. If you're happy with the position of your breasts but want them to be a little fuller, implants can help replace the breast tissue that diminishes after having a baby, and may even be able to eliminate the need for a breast lift as long as you have healthy, elastic skin and no excessive drooping.
Recovery from breast augmentation may be easier in women who have had children as opposed to those who have not, because the skin is already stretched. Therefore, there may be less discomfort and tightness, and the breasts take on a natural appearance more quickly.
Tags: breast augmentation, breast implants, breast involution, breast lift, breasts, elasticity, post-pregnancy, pregnancy, procedure, surgery
Related: A new surgical solution for sagging breasts, Don’t blame breastfeeding for a droopy bust