Did your breasts appear deflated after pregnancy? Did you like the look of the breasts during pregnancy? Would like them to look fuller, perkier, or both? What are your options?

To discuss the options, I ask patients to bring the bra that they wore during pregnancy to the first consultation.

If you like the size of your breasts post pregnancy, all you may need is a tightening of the skin, and a lifting of the nipple areolar complex to a higher place to give you a perkier look. This is abreast lift and can be done with a very well concealed scar in the areolar complex.

However, if you liked that your breasts were fuller during pregnancy, you need a breast augmentation. At your consulation, I will ask you to put on the bra that you wore during pregnancy. After giving birth and/or breast feeding your breast gland shrinks. So, if you want the fullness you will need more volume added to the breasts. If you want to be “like you were during pregnancy” we can then fill up the bra with various implant sizes until we find the fullness that you like. I find that once a patient starts doing this, they tend to want to try a larger size.

For some of you, the best option is to do a breast lift with implants. If the skin was stretched too much, or the nipple now is pointing down, and you want fullness, I would recommend both procedures. The breast lift would place the nipple in a perkier position, and an augmentation to give you a fuller appearance with better cleavage. The combined procedure can be done all at one time.

For my breast lifts, I don’t use the standard anchor scar or inverted T scar, as I find they are too visible and unnecessary. I prefer minimal scarring, in some cases a scar camouflaged in the areolar border, and in more severe cases, a lollipop scar.

Post pregnancy patients are some of my happiest patients. They are still young enough to enjoy a healthy outdoor lifestyle, and enjoy having some parts of their body look even better than before.

Ricardo L Rodriguez, MD