Weight off my chest...

[AmberWaves]

Hey guys, I have a question for ya... I know this may be private and something you don''t want to talk about and that''s okay. I''m considering a breast reduction after the wedding, and I wanted to hear any stories for or against. While I''d initially rather get a reduction after we have kids, I worry that I''ll just get huge when I have babies.

I''m 5''00" and very small framed, as are most of the women in our family. I was wearing a large B cup when I was 10, and they just got larger as I got older. I''m a heavy DD, and it''s just a pain. My back hurts constantly, I hunch all the time and my shoulders have indents in them. I have scars from wires that have poked into me, and I just feel heavy all the time. I sleep on my back and always feel suffocated (that may also be due to my asthma, too). I can see a few wrinkles beginning in my cleavage, and I''m only 27! My chest really impedes my exercising and I just can''t take it anymore.

Anyone have some experience they could share? Thank you so much for reading.

 

[Kaleigh]

Hi Amber,
My friend had this done, she's built just like you. Her back was killing her, the surgery was such a blessing for her. Her back pain is gone, and she is thrilled with the results. HTH, good luck!!

 

[KimberlyH]

AW,

I decided that I would have a reduction someday at the age of 16. I am waiting until I am 35 because I plan to have either had children by that age or not have any at all and I don''t want to have major surgery to then have pregnancy and breastfeeding reshape my breasts. I have heard it''s extremely painful but the few women I''ve spoken to who have had it done say it''s changed their lives for the better. I don''t know if my thoughts help at all since I haven''t been through it yet, but I do understand exactly how you''re feeling and your reasons for wanting to have the surgery.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Amber, I had mine reduced when I was 20. I was also small everywhere else (5''0" tall and about 115 lbs) but the girls were a 38D. (Actually, the doctor said I was probably more like a 34DD--or bigger--but I had over time learned to buy 38D bras off the rack because they "fit.")

I would do it again in a HEARTBEAT!

The recovery is a bitch though! You can''t lift your arms above a certain point for several weeks (trust me this is true--I did it without thinking and tore dozens of tiny stiches out from on my ribcage--YOWCH!!!) and lifting things is out of the question. I think you have to take baths for several days rather than a shower and you''ll need someone to wash your hair for you because you can''t lift your hands to do it yourself (the kitchen sink with one of those spray hoses works best). You can only wear shirts that close in the front because you can''t lift your arms to get things over your head, and you have to wear this goofy corset thing for a little while too. And you have to sleep kind of sitting up for a bit becuase you can''t lay flat or it''s too much stress on your stiches.

I''m sure there are a million other things I''m forgetting (it was a long time ago after all) but seriously I would totally do it again!

 

[AmberWaves]

Thanks so much for all these helpful words and advice! Dee*jay, I once had a nasty reaction to aleve, causing me to blister all over my hands (weirdest thing), and my FI had to wash my hair for me, so at least I know he can do it! He''s actually urging me to have the surgery done ASAP, so I can start to feel better faster.

We''re going to try for kids soon, and I wonder if I should wait til after that...

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 5/29/2007 4:28:47 PM
Author: AmberWaves
Thanks so much for all these helpful words and advice! Dee*jay, I once had a nasty reaction to aleve, causing me to blister all over my hands (weirdest thing), and my FI had to wash my hair for me, so at least I know he can do it! He''s actually urging me to have the surgery done ASAP, so I can start to feel better faster.


We''re going to try for kids soon, and I wonder if I should wait til after that...

Amber, I would talk to the doc about the kid thing. I knew (yes, even at the ripe old age of 20, LOL!) that I had no interest in having children, but there are other factors to consider if you are going to have them. One this is that you might not be able to breast feed after the surgery (I can''t remember exactly what the medical reason is for that now though) and there were other things to take into consideration too.

 

[neatfreak]

If you''re going to have kids soon, I would just wait. I had a good friend have this surgery, and it has made her life SOOOO much better, but her doctor told her that she couldn''t breastfeed afterwards.

So if you''re on the cusp of having kids, you might want to wait a few years until the girls have settled at their final size, not to mention the fact that when you have them reduced they will also "lift" them a bit for you, so you might want to wait until AFTER the kids to have the little lift.

 

[chrono]

Yes, if you plan on breastfeeding, it is best to wait until after you have children before doing the surgery. However, once the milk comes in, they''ll get humongous, so that is also something to think about! I think part of the procedure involves the nipple being cut, then sown back in. This process may end up cutting off the milk ducts that connect the milk reseviour (sp?) to the nipple, which ultimately means that you may not be able to breastfeed after having the surgery.

 

[AmberWaves]

Thanks again everyone. I thought I remembered seeing that information somewhere, so I suppose it would be better to wait. There is an upside to waiting though- my FI will have to change his mind about when to start trying (I say a year after our november wedding, he says two!), for the sake of "the girls". Thanks for the great advice.

 

[Miranda]

My sister is has a similar body style to you only her breasts were larger and she is shorter. She had a reduction at age 25. The recovery was unpleasant...Worse than either of her two c-sections, but, not completely horrible. It was tolerable for sure...Especially with the pain meds they send you home with. She is sorry she did it prior to having children as she was unable to nurse successfully...And pregnancy and nursing kind of ruins them anyway. Doctor''s will tell you that you should be able to nurse if they don''t cut through all of the milk ducts, but, she just plain didn''t produce enough milk. She now wants another reduction because the girls pretty much grew back with weight gain. Bear in mind that she gained quite a bit of weight and hasn''t yet lost it all. She is for sure one of those types that, when she gains weight, she gains alot of it in her chest. I think you just need to decide what''s more important to you, having a reduction now and it not being likely that you will be able to nurse or waiting and possibly enduring a pregnancy of even larger breasts, but, you will have the option to nurse if you choose to. There are a lot of factors here. Such as lots of formula fed babies grow up happy and healthy. OTOH, there is overwhelming evidence that breast milk is very beneficial to infants. Good luck with your decision.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Amber, I don''t have anything to contribute in terms of experience, I just wanted to say thank you to you for starting this and thank you to all of the ladies who have shared their experiences here. I, too, am considering this surgery at some point, and I really appreciate all of the insights and shared experiences.

 

[jcrow]

i don''t have personal experience, but a friend/co-worker of mine had the surgery prior to her wedding. she''s 5'' and was a DD. she says best decision ever. she was actually in the bandages on her wedding day. probably not ideal situation, but she has no regrets on having the procedure.

 

[katebar]

Hi Amberwaves. I had a reduction 7 years ago and it was a brilllant decision. I too have a small frame but are 5 7 and have atheletic shoulders. I had breastfed 2 kids for a long long time (don''t ask

) and was a 34 F

. I live in the LA equivalent of Australia and my plastic surgeon convinced meto go to a full C. I wanted a small B but he said it would look odd.
Anyway THE GREW BACK!!!!.
Since i went into perimenopause ( am 4 they have grown back to a D cup. Its all breast tissue as my mammograph shows and even though I have lost weight I have not dropped anything from these ''girls''.
Yet again people (men) talk only to my chest and I am so getting another reduction when I have finshed menopause. Apparantly the bra fitter at my local store said it is very common for people to need a second reducton so i would definately go smaller. Way smaller.
As an aside my friend had it sdone before having children and sccessfully breastfed 2 babies but this is rare.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I have a few friends that had it done and LOVED the results. Everyone thought they lost weight (both were good at clothes layering so no one realized how thin they both were). I think if your insurance will cover it, it would make a huge positive difference in your life.

 

[monarch64]

Life is short, AW. Do what makes you happy....

 

[asscherisme]

Hi,

I would absolutely wait until after you have kids. I have always been large on top and was built thin on the bottom. And when I had kids I just got HUGE. I mean huge. I am overweight now after having 4 kids and am working actively (finally got my butt in gear!) to lose the weight.

I have decided that once I get to my goal weight, if my chest is still too large I am going to get it lifted and reduced. After 4 kids and being large to start, I feel like they look like an 80 year olds and I''m only 38. My husband agrees wtih whatever I want. He just wants me to be happy and knows that if I feel better about myself and am happier thats good for the whole family. A happy mom = a happy family and he knows that!

I am really glad I did not have surgery before kids. So I am all for doing what makes you feel better about yourself but I would try and hold off until your family is complete.

I hear ya on the back pain. My shoulders ache and my bra straps dig in. Whenever I hear of women getting implants I don''t get it. I would love love to be a nice perfect C or even a full B.

Make sure you research your doctor. Research, research, research. That is so important!!