Can I Breast-Feed with Breast Implants?

Frequently Asked Questions

Breast implants may interfere with your ability to successfully breast-feed. With respect to the ability to successfully breast-feed after breast implantation, one study reported up to 64% of women with implants who were unable to breast feed compared to 7% without implants. The periareolar incision site may significantly reduce the ability to successfully breast-feed.

At this time it is not known if a small amount of silicone may diffuse (pass through) from the saline-filled breast implant silicone shell and may find its way into breast milk. If this occurs, it is not known what effect it may have on the nursing infant. Although there are no current methods for detecting silicone levels in breast milk, a study measuring silicon (one component in silicone) levels did not indicate higher levels in breast milk from women with silicone-filled gel implants when compared to women without implants.