There are many assumptions regarding body modifications and their impact on breastfeeding.
In this article we will give you the facts about body modifications such as piercings, tattoos and breast surgeries, and their impact on breastfeeding, so you can have the information you need to make decisions regarding your case.
Keep in mind that your healthcare provider will always be the best call regarding health and your specific case.
How can a nipple piercing affect breastfeeding?
There is controversy regarding this subject, and not enough studies have been done to have a complete answer to this.
What we do know is that a woman´s nipple has 15 to 20 milk ducts and if you have your nipple pierced, it may cover some of this but not all, and if it is properly placed it should not affect the functions of your breast.
If there is excessive scarring it may lead to duct occlusion which may interfere with breastfeeding. Excessive scarring from nipple piercings could also give you an infection or a persistent breast engorgement.
If you don’t have any of these complications with your nipple piercing, be aware that your baby could have some; he/she could aspirate the jewelry, develop an allergy to it, or have an injury to his/her mouth or gums. To avoid any of this you can always remove this jewelry during breastfeeding.
Can I get or remove a tattoo while breastfeeding?
A permanent tattoo is a design on your skin that is made with needles and colored ink so, there are some health risks of this, such as an allergic reaction or a skin or blood infection; such complications could need a treatment that may not be compatible with breastfeeding and interfere with this process.
To prevent this, it is important to make sure that proper sterilization of the equipment is done; you may also want to wait until you are done breastfeeding to lower the risk of a tattoo complication to interfere with it.
Some people wonder if the tattoo itself has any harm on breastmilk but the truth is that there isn’t much research that will give us enough information around it, so for now, it seems that the ink in your skin won’t harm your breastmilk or your baby.
Removing tattoos is usually done with a laser. The laser breaks down the ink in the dermal layer of your skin into smaller particles that go into your liver and some hypotheses are that your baby could get those particles through your milk, recommendations are to wait until you’re done breastfeeding to avoid any risk.
Does breast reduction affect breastfeeding?
If you have breast reduction surgery you will be getting some incisions through it, and breastfeeding may be affected depending on where these incisions are made. For this, it is important that the surgeon is careful to maintain the nerves (which trigger the brain to release hormones that affect milk production) and the milk duct system by making the incisions under the fold of your breast or through your armpit; if the incisions are make around the areola (dark area around the nipple) the risk of problems can be increased as nerves or milk ducts can be cut increasing the risk of low milk production. This won’t be known until you try to breastfeed.
If this is your case, don’t worry, just keep your doctor close to make sure that your baby is getting the amount of milk needed to know if there is a need for supplementation with additional formula to get your baby the necessary feed; a Lactation Consultant can also be of great help for you to develop a plan for supplementation. Keep in mind that any amount of breast milk you give to your baby will stay beneficial and there is no need to cut it
Do breast implants impact breastfeeding?
As well as breast reduction surgery, breast implants can have the risks of the incisions being done in a way that affects the nerves or/and milk ducts, but, if the areola isn’t touched then there is a low risk of complications for breastfeeding. This has to do with the surgery and not with the implants, since they are usually placed where they don’t affect milk supply (behind the milk glands or under the chest muscles).
If you wish to have this kind of surgery, and you are planning to breastfeed, you can always ask your doctor to resolve all of your concerns, so you can make the decision that works best for you.
Some people wonder if the breast milk produced by a woman with breast implants may contain silicone from the implants, and that if it is, whether it will be passed through breast milk into the baby; and although there is still the need for more research regarding this matter, an effect of this has not been scientifically found.
In Breastfeeding 101 we hope this information has been of help for you to know what body modifications mean to breastfeeding and what is important to keep in mind about it.
We are happy that you are here and invite you to follow all of our content regarding your baby’s health. If you want to deepen more in the subject of this article, here are some of the sources that made it possible:
Association of nipple piercing with abnormal milk production and breastfeeding I Semantic Scholar
Breastfeeding after Breast Augmentation Surgery (Implants) I University of Michigan Health System
Breastfeeding after Breast Reduction Surgery I University of Michigan Health System
Breast surgery I CDC
Do Breast Implants Influence Breastfeeding? A Meta-Analysis of Comparative Studies I SAGEjournals
Health Implications and Counseling Considerations for Individuals With Piercings and Tattoos I ScienceDirect
Piercings and tattoos I MedlinePlus
Pregnancy, Lactation and Nipple Piercings I Wiley Online Library
Nipple piercings I National Library of Medicine
Tattoos I Wiley Online Library
Nipple piercings I ScienceDirect
Tattooing I National Library of Medicine
The Impact of Breast Reduction Surgery on Breastfeeding Performance I SAGEjournals
The impact of breast reduction surgery on breastfeeding: Systematic review of observational studies I National Library of Medicine
Annie Rueb
