Can You Breastfeed After a Mommy Makeover?

A mommy makeover can be life-changing, helping women restore their pre-pregnancy body confidence through procedures such as a breast lift, breast augmentation, a tummy tuck, and liposuction. But one important question often comes up for new moms or women planning future pregnancies: Can you breastfeed after a mommy makeover?

If you’re considering surgery and want to preserve your ability to breastfeed, understanding how different procedures affect milk production is essential. 

This article breaks down everything you need to know - including breastfeeding after breast implants and breast augmentation.

Does a Mommy Makeover Affect Breastfeeding?

A mommy makeover is a combination of cosmetic procedures, usually involving the breasts and abdomen. Breastfeeding is only impacted by the breast procedures - not tummy tucks or liposuction. Most women retain enough glandular tissue, nerves, and milk ducts to breastfeed normally after surgery.

However, your breastfeeding ability largely depends on three factors:

1) Your pre-surgery milk-making capacity

2) The type of breast surgery and incision used

3) Whether essential nerves and ducts remain intact

Understanding how each breast procedure affects breastfeeding will help you make informed decisions.

Which Mommy Makeover Procedures Can Affect Breastfeeding?

The procedures that may impact breastfeeding are specifically those involving the breasts:

• Breast Augmentation (Implants)
• Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
• Breast Lift With Implants

These surgeries involve the breast tissue, nerves, or ducts, which play a direct role in milk production and let-down. Understanding how each one affects breastfeeding helps you plan your surgery safely - especially if you want to breastfeed in the future.

Also read Post-Mommy Makeover: Managing Swelling and Bruising Naturally

Breastfeeding After Breast Augmentation (Implants)

Breast augmentation is one of the most common procedures included in a mommy makeover, and the good news is that most women are still able to breastfeed normally after getting implants. This is because implants are typically placed either behind the breast tissue or under the chest muscle, leaving the milk ducts, milk glands, and most of the functional breast anatomy untouched. 

Your ability to breastfeed after augmentation depends mainly on two factors: the incision type and implant placement (1). Incisions made under the breast fold (inframammary) or through the armpit (transaxillary) generally do not interfere with breastfeeding because they avoid cutting through the nipple area, where many essential nerves are located. 

However, a periareolar incision, one that runs around the edge of the nipple, may pose a slightly higher risk of disrupting the nerves responsible for the let-down reflex, which can influence how easily milk flows.

When implants are positioned under the muscle (submuscular), they place less pressure on the milk-producing tissue, helping to preserve natural milk supply. This method is often recommended for women who plan to breastfeed in the future.

Breastfeeding After a Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

A breast lift is designed to reshape and elevate sagging breasts (2). Compared to implants, it can have a slightly greater impact on breastfeeding. During the procedure, the nipple is usually repositioned to a higher location, and some excess skin or tissue may be removed to create a firmer, more lifted shape. 

The degree to which breastfeeding is affected depends on how the nipple is moved. When surgeons use a pedicle technique, the nipple stays attached to the underlying nerves and milk ducts, which helps preserve breastfeeding ability. 

Higher-Risk Situations

• When the nipple is completely detached and then reattached during surgery

• When significant amounts of glandular (milk-producing) tissue are removed

Breastfeeding After a Breast Lift With Implants

A breast lift combined with implants reshapes the breast while also adding volume, and many women wonder whether breastfeeding is still possible after this dual procedure. However, the overall risk of reduced milk supply is slightly higher compared to having either procedure alone, simply because both the breast tissue and implant placement are involved.

Breastfeeding outcomes tend to be better when the nipple remains fully connected to its natural nerves and milk ducts, as this preserves sensation and milk flow. Using a conservative lift technique that minimizes disruption to the glandular tissue also helps maintain milk production. 

Additionally, placing implants under the muscle reduces pressure on the milk glands, which supports a healthier supply.

How to Improve Recovery After Breast Augmentation and Lift?

Recovering well after breast augmentation or a lift is essential not only for achieving the best cosmetic outcome but also for preserving your ability to breastfeed later. Proper healing protects nerves, milk ducts, and breast tissue, so the way you care for your body in the weeks after surgery can make a meaningful difference.

1. Follow Your Surgeon’s Post-Op Instructions Closely

Your surgeon will provide guidelines on wound care, bandage changes, activity restrictions, and medications. Following these instructions precisely helps prevent complications like swelling, scar thickening, or tissue strain, all of which can affect long-term breast function.

2. Avoid Heavy Lifting and Chest Strain

For several weeks, activities that engage the chest muscles, including lifting children, exercising, or lifting heavy objects, should be avoided. This protects implant placement (especially submuscular implants) and supports proper healing of breast tissue and incisions.

3. Prioritize Post-Surgery Nutrition to Speed Up Healing

Your body needs the right nutrients to repair tissue, reduce inflammation, and support overall recovery after a breast lift or augmentation. Focus on balanced meals rich in protein, vitamins A/C/E, zinc, and antioxidants to help your incisions heal faster and decrease swelling.

If your surgeon recommends supplements, HealFast’s Post-Surgery Recovery Supplements can help fill key gaps and provide targeted nutrients designed specifically for surgical healing. Our medical-grade formulas support tissue repair, immune strength, and faster recovery so you can feel better, sooner.

4. Stay Hydrated and Prioritize Rest

Healing demands significant energy. Drinking enough water and prioritizing sleep allows your body to focus on repairing tissue, regulating inflammation, and strengthening immune function.

5. Use Silicone-Based Products for Scar Care

Applying silicone gel or using silicone scar tape helps flatten, soften, and fade surgical scars. This is especially important for incisions around the breast, where tension can make scars more noticeable.

6. Wear the Recommended Surgical or Supportive Bra

A proper support bra reduces swelling, supports implant position, and minimizes strain on the incisions. Avoid underwire bras during early recovery unless your surgeon approves them.

7. Monitor Sensation Changes and Healing Progress

Temporary numbness or tingling is normal. However, sudden changes, increases in pain, or swelling should be reported to your surgeon. Tracking recovery is also useful if breastfeeding is part of your plan.

8. Avoid Smoking, Alcohol, and High-Sodium Foods

Smoking restricts blood flow and delays healing. Alcohol and sodium-heavy foods can increase swelling and slow the recovery process. Keeping these to a minimum helps protect both aesthetic results and long-term breast health.

9. Don’t Forget Follow-Up Appointments

Regular check-ins allow your surgeon to assess implant position, incision healing, and tissue response. Early detection of any issues ensures timely treatment and better outcomes.

Learn Why You Shouldn’t Skip Post-Op Follow-up Appointment

More Helpful Blogs:

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid After BBL Surgery

Is Fasting Before Surgery Necessary?

Collagen vs. Collagen Peptides: Which Is Best for Scar Healing?

How Future Pregnancies Affect Mommy Makeover Results?

• Breast skin may stretch again: During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the breasts naturally enlarge as they prepare to produce milk. This added volume can stretch the skin, and once the breasts return to their normal size, some looseness or sagging may remain. This change can soften or slightly alter the lifted look created by surgery.
  
• Implant position can shift: As breast tissue expands and contracts, implants may settle differently or shift slightly in their pocket. While this doesn’t always cause a noticeable issue, it may lead to minor asymmetry or a change in breast shape for some women.
  
• Upper pole fullness may decrease: Pregnancy-related changes in breast size and skin elasticity can reduce the roundness at the top of the breast. As the tissue settles and the skin adapts, the upper portion may look less firm or pronounced than it did after surgery.
  
• Mild sagging may return: Even with a successful lift or augmentation, pregnancy-related changes in weight, hormones, and milk production can cause the breasts to settle lower again. This is completely natural and varies from person to person.

Because of these possible changes, surgeons often recommend waiting until you’re finished having children before undergoing a mommy makeover.

Reference:

1. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Can you breastfeed with breast implants? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-you-breastfeed-with-breast-implants

2. LACTED. (n.d.). Breastfeeding after breast reduction or mastopexy. https://lacted.org/questions/breastfeeding-after-breast-reduction-or-mastopexy/