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Pregnancy and childbirth create significant changes to the breasts due to a shift in hormones, blood flow, milk production, and the stresses of breastfeeding.

This can result in a breast appearance that is saggy or deflated.

Breast surgery is common after childbirth, and while many women know they are interested in surgery, most are unsure of the procedure best suited to their needs.

Breast procedures restore a woman’s ideal, natural-looking breast following childbirth.

Why Do the Breasts Change So Much?

Your breast volume is directly linked to your hormones—it is for this reason that many women experience sore breasts during their periods.

These hormones increase early on in your pregnancy, resulting in noticeable changes in the breast tissue like swelling and increased sensitivity.

Your breasts also experience trauma from the tugging and manipulation caused during breastfeeding (if you decide to do so).

These changes do not always allow the breast tissues to bounce back the way that you want them to.

Unfortunately, some women are more predisposed to post-pregnancy sagging and deflation than others.

Age, genetics, weight, and skin quality all play a part, and some women discover that their breasts would benefit from a post-pregnancy treatment.

What Surgical Procedures Are Appropriate for You?

Sadly, there is no single all-encompassing procedure that can solve all of a woman’s breast concerns.

Following pregnancy, most women benefit from a breast lift, breast augmentation, or the combination of both.

The best treatment plan for you depends on your current breast appearance and what you are ideally interested in afterward.

If You Experience Sagging

Breast ptosis is the most common aftereffect of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. As your hormones return to their natural, non-pregnancy levels, the volume diminishes, leaving the breast tissues weak and more liable to sag.

Breast lift surgery is performed to raise the breast and restore a youthful breast position.

Breast lift surgery offers several variations and incision techniques, depending on your specific needs and the level of ptosis you present.

A periareolar, or Benelli, lift creates less post-operative scarring; however, this technique cannot address the same tissue laxity as the anchor lift, which allows for the most significant amount of correction.

The lollipop lift corrects sagging and reshaping of the breast. This type of breast lift is commonly used and allows the surgeon to remove excess skin and reshape the entire breast with an easily hidden scar. This type of lift involves two types of incisions. One around the edge of the areola, and one running vertically from the bottom of the areola to the inframammary fold, creating a “lollipop” shape.

If You Experience Deflation

Breast sagging is not the only change in the breast tissues following pregnancy. Some women actually experience the loss of previous breast volume (think of a sport’s ball that has lost some of its air).

If this occurs, a breast augmentation may counteract the loss.

Augmentation following pregnancy allows for any type of implant (silicone or saline) to restore volume and breast contour.

If You Are Interested in a Breast Makeover

While some women find satisfaction with undergoing only one of these surgeries, other women find that their breast dissatisfaction stems from both sagging and deflation.

These women, whether they have had one child or several, may benefit from combining a lift with their augmentation.

Performing these procedures together allows for the most significant level of breast enhancement while minimizing cost and surgical strain (when you compare the combined surgery to surgeries performed at separate times).

Before and after image of a breast augmentation showing a change in volume and shape.

When Should You Choose Breast Surgery?

Breast surgery can restore women’s physiques after having children.

Candidates are healthy women whose hormones have returned to normal and are no longer breastfeeding or planning to get pregnant again anytime soon.

While breast surgery will not affect a future pregnancy (and you may still be able to breastfeed), an additional pregnancy will affect the quality of your results.

Have More Questions?

If you are looking for a breast lift or augmentation near you, contact Dr. Corbin by calling his Beverly Hills office at (310) 284-8384, his Brea office at (714) 671-3033, or by filling out our online contact form.