Organic infant formula & feeding support
Breastfeeding After Surgery – Reduction, Augmentation, Mastectomy
Read time: 5 minutes
What to know about breastfeeding after surgery
Different surgeries on the breast or nipple may affect breastfeeding
Some surgeries may affect breastmilk supply more than others
4 Tips for successful breastfeeding after breast surgery
Is it possible to breastfeed after breast surgery? In most cases, yes, it is!
While many women can breastfeed to an extent after surgery, it’s important to note that some procedures affect milk production more than others. However, specific tips will help you make the most of your breastfeeding journey.
Read on to learn more about the intricacies of breastfeeding after surgery to the breast or nipple.
How can surgery affect breastfeeding?
There are many different types of breast surgery, including:
Breast augmentation (implants)
Breast reduction
Breast lift
Procedures done on only the nipple
Breast biopsies
Mastectomies (single and double)
Top surgery for transgender parents5
Breastfeeding and breastmilk production is an intricate system of nerves, ducts, and hormones.6 If any one of these parts is damaged, the entire system can be thrown off. The result may affect how much milk is made and how much can be delivered to your baby.
When the breast is cut into during surgery, there is the possibility of severing nerve endings or ductal pathways. Nerve endings are important in breastfeeding, as stimulation of the nipple tissue causes the release of oxytocin and prolactin. These hormones help the milk ducts contract, allowing milk to flow (also known as let-down). If the nerve endings are severed, then the pathway is broken.5
Learn about: What are the Benefits of Breastmilk
Breastfeeding after mastectomy
Mastectomies remove some or all of the breast tissue.
A partial mastectomy may leave enough breast tissue to provide a small amount of milk production, though likely not enough to fully support baby from that one side.3 As long as the second breast is unaffected, exclusive breastfeeding may be possible.5
A single total mastectomy allows for nursing on the unaffected side. In fact, many women support the healthy growth of their infant while nursing with just one breast.3 If you will be breastfeeding on just one side, your little one may need to be followed closely by their pediatrician to ensure adequate growth and development.5
After a double mastectomy, no adequate milk production should be expected. However, there is the possibility of using a feeding tube at the breast. This allows you to experience the bond of breastfeeding while supplementing your baby with donor breastmilk or formula.34
Breastfeeding after breast reduction
Almost half a million people undergo breast reduction surgery each year.7 With many techniques, the impact on breastfeeding can range from minimal to significant.
If the nipple and areola are taken off completely during surgery, called a free nipple transplant, breastfeeding is often not possible. However, if the nipple plus some of the attached mammary glands are preserved, as with the pedicle technique, it is much more likely to have at least partial breastfeeding success.7
Breastfeeding after breast augmentation
Breast augmentation (insertion of breast implants) can be done in front or back of the pectoralis (pec) muscles. As with other surgeries, augmentation may damage nerves and milk ducts, which could potentially affect breastmilk production and release.9
With that said, this type of surgery may impact your breastfeeding journey the least depending on the procedure.2
Potential issues with breastfeeding after breast augmentation include: Breast implants putting pressure on the breast tissue and causing damage or increasing the likelihood of blocked ducts; reduced breastmilk production; and increased probability of engorgement.9
Read about: Avoiding and Managing Blocked Ducts while Breastfeeding
Speak with your surgeon and healthcare provider
While in most of the surgeries mentioned it is possible to at least partially nurse or have partial milk production, this is not always the case.
If you will be going through surgery and are considering breastfeeding in the future, be sure to have an in-depth conversation with your surgeon and healthcare provider to ensure they understand your breastfeeding goals and can discuss all the surgery options available.
Interestingly, there is evidence that producing more milk with each subsequent pregnancy and breastfeeding experience may be possible.5 When stimulated enough with breastfeeding, hand expression, and pumping, the body may be able to grow new nerves and ductal pathways.8
Given all the possible outcomes with your breastmilk supply, it’s important to meet with a lactation consultant to discuss your options and the best course of action to help you meet your goals.
Read more: Preparing to Breastfeed
Tips for breastfeeding after breast surgery
These below four tips can help you make the most of your breastfeeding journey.
Consider potential underlying issues
Sometimes lactation issues can take some serious detective work!
Someone may opt for breast surgery to even out severely mismatched breasts or very small breasts, and then experience low milk supply while breastfeeding.
The automatic assumption may place blame on the surgery when in reality the problem with milk supply may actually be a hormonal or insulin resistance issue, which caused the initial smaller or mismatched breasts.
Meet with a lactation consultant regularly
If you are still pregnant, it can be very helpful to meet with an IBCLC to review your surgical and medical history to determine your plan of action when you give birth.
A lactation consultant can also help you with supplementing with additional donor breastmilk or formula at the breast using a tube feeding device should your breastmilk supply not meet baby’s needs.
After you give birth, meet with the hospital lactation consultants, but also build a relationship with a lactation consultant virtually or in person. This will ensure you have someone to support you toward your breastfeeding goals and discuss how to pivot if and when needed.
If you’d like help finding a lactation consultant in your area, our team of registered dietitian nutritionists, fellow moms, and lactation specialists, are available from Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm (ET) on our free live chat to help you find some options. Chat now!
Nurse or pump early and often
Milk supply is mainly driven by supply and demand. The more you ask your body to make, the more milk it will produce.
When baby is first born, they often need to breastfeed 8-12 times per 24 hours.10
If your little one is not at the breast that often, or is not breastfeeding well, it’s important to hand express or use a double electric pump to stimulate your supply. Remember that any amount of colostrum and breastmilk can be beneficial for your little one!
There are situations where milk ducts, alveoli (the milk-making sacks in the breast), and nerve endings can regenerate or proliferate, especially when nursing or pumping often in the early weeks.8
Milk-making glands can also proliferate with each subsequent pregnancy, so one experience with low supply does not necessarily mean you will experience low supply in the future.2
Read more:
Breastfeeding: How to Support a Good Milk Supply
How and When to Hand Express Breastmilk
Top Tips for Pumping Breastmilk
Keep up with baby’s weight checks and well-baby appointments
Sometimes the first sign of milk supply concerns is baby losing weight or gaining slower than expected.
You may consider asking your lactation consultant or baby’s doctor whether more frequent weight checks or renting/purchasing a baby scale is right for your baby. At a minimum, keep up with all of baby’s scheduled appointments.
Read about: 5 Ways to Know if Your Baby is Getting Enough Breastmilk
The Bottom Line
While you can often breastfeed after breast and nipple surgery, it’s best to seek support early to discuss your options, goals, and plans. When baby is born, nurse, pump, and/or hand express as often as you can.
And remember that any breastfeeding or breastmilk-feeding is amazing and beneficial for you and your baby!
Let's Chat!
We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.
Our Happy Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they’re all moms, too! They’re here to offer personalized support on our free, one-on-one, live chat platform Monday - Friday 8am-6pm (ET). No appointment needed, no email or sign-up required. Chat Now!
Read more about the experts who help write our content!
For more on this topic, check out the following articles:
Understanding Your Baby’s Hunger and Fullness Cues
Dealing with Low Breastmilk Supply
Sources