Breast Reduction - Brooklyn,NY

sorry, I don't speak 'text msg'

Hi R. -

I was a 38F (without being pregnant) I had my breast reduction went down to a Full C cup- is was done by Dr. Barry Goldenberg (http://www.drbarrygoldenberg.com) - unfortunately he also did my reconstruction after my mastectomy - his office staff are wonderful and he will not do anything unless it is safe for you. Good Luck. L.

Hi R.,
I'm a 44DDD and because I'm a larger woman, I've been told I am well-proportioned. Having said that, I agree with others' advice that you may want to wait until you're done having babies. I've found that the only thing that keeps me from having neck/shoulder/back pain is the right bra. I only wear what's been refered to as the Oprah bra - it's made by Enell and it can actually be used by large breasted women for running. It has absolutely changed my life. It holds your breasts close to your chest (read - squishes them a little) and evenly distributes the weight load across your entire upper back. Very wide shoulder bands so that helps with shoulder/neck pain too. They're about $50-$60 each and I order them online (don't think you can get them in the store). Give that a try, I promise you'll feel so much better. Just don't expect the bra to look sexy - it won't, but nobody will know but you when it's under your clothes. Good luck.

A close friend of mine had the surgery done many years ago. I was there to help with the recovery. She went from a 42HHH to a DD. She was experiencing severe back pain prior to the surgery. The surgery caused her to loose weight and quite a few dress sizes. At the time she was 21 and had been dealing with the pain for almost 5 years, which caused her to miss work and school often. She is all better now but wasn't concerned about children or breast feeding. Being a woman of color she was concerned about scarring and/or keloids. The doctor did an excellent job and the scarring is a minimum. She does put cornstarch or powder under the breasts to keep them comfortable. The main problem after the surgery was grogginess from the medication and itching from the healing process. She would use natural oils or cocoa butter on the scar to reduce the scar and help with the itching from healing.

I would recommend waiting until after you are finished having children since breast feeding is an issue for you. I also think you may be more satisfied going from your current size down to a solid C, a B may be to dramatic a difference.

Hi R.

I have never had surgery, however I am a firm believer if something is bothering you that much then have it fixed. You should be able to enjoy looking in the mirror and be happy with what you see. However, having babies can reek havoc on your breasts (like making them go south LOL) so I would wait until you have finished having children. I know women who's breast size has gotten smaller after having children. Also, I have two friends who were covered by insurance because they were so big it was causing major back problems. One of them had bra strap marks embedded in her shoulders because her breasts were so heavy. They were both very pleased with the results. If your doctor will agree to medical reasons your insurance may pay. I know there is a process, they had to go for physical therapy etc. but it may be worth it. As far as size I think it depends on your body frame. I think an experienced doctor would be the best to help you make that decision. I know women who have had implants and after swelling went down they wish they had gone bigger. I have always wanted a lift but I am chicken!! So thank goodness for push-up bras LOL!!! Good luck on whatever you decide.

I am not particularly large busted but it seems like the size, shape and texture of my breasts changed with each preganacy and with nursing. So I would recommend waiting until you are done having children if you want to nurse. A friend who had breast reudction prior to having kids could not nurse.
In the meantime a good bra might help. One friend recommends a Balconette bra from Lane Bryant online, though LB and other plus size stores carry a variety of larger size bras (even if no other part of you is a plus size). Plus size tops may also work for you since they are often cut for larger busts (I am about a C and most often the tops are cut too full for me). If you are in the NY area I can check with a friend who goes to a bra specialty shop in Manhattan. She says they are not too expensive and can fit anyone in the correct size.

Hi, R.. I had a breast reduction several years ago after my third child. I went from a 42J to a 38C. I had two pounds removed from each breast, and I am SO GLAD I had the surgery. I had some issues with the incisions sticking to the bandages during the first couple of weeks after the surgery and that was very painful. I do not have any regrets. My surgeon is no longer in practice. My husband is the only person who sees "the sisters" and he is very supportive. The scars are visible, on one breast more than the other for whatever reason. I am glad that I waited until we were done having children as nursing was important to me. Good luck with your decision, R..

At 5 months post partum, your breasts are not likely the size that they might be in 1 yr or longer and if you are having more kids, a Dr will likely tell you to wait.
Having said that, I had the surgery 1 yr ago and it was the best thing I ever did. The key was that I was at a weight where losing any lbs. would not make me any smaller, my child was 3 years old ( and I obviously was not breast feeding anymore) and I was 44 and done with having chidren. I went from a 34dd with breasts down to my stomach to a high up 34C. I am so happy I did it and wish I had done it when I was much younger, even though I had my child at 40. Summers are so easy for me now. I spend 32 yrs worrying about what to wear due to my breasts and now I just pop on a top and anything looks good there.
Since you know you are going to have more kids and are in your 20's, the wait might not be that long.
The operation was not that painful for me at all and I hate pain. At the worst, it felt like sunburn on my breasts. My stomach and back were a mess after the surgery but I have pre exsisting conditions in those areas.
There is a great website called breasthealthonline.com that helped me tremendously.
Good luck.

R.,
Congratulations on breastfeeding your baby! It's the singular best thing you can do for her, and it doesn't have to stop at 6 months.

If you are still breastfeeding, your size may actually go down as you get further along in months. I increased from B to D, and am back to B again. A friend went from DDD to I, and she reduced back to DDD again. Her second pregnancy was not so tough, though I am not privy to letters this time around.

A reduction generally means no breastfeeding later on. A friend's daughter had the same and she was unable to breastfeed.

Wait until your next baby, or until you are sure you are absolutely sure you will have no more, if you want that bond with the next baby. It's so much more than a bond though! Between nutrition and immunity, your baby receives so much! My son STILL has no colds, no sniffles. THAT is a sanity saver in and of itself.

Good luck!
M.

Hi R.,
If you are planning more children and intend to breastfeed I would wait til after to hae the breast reduction as it can cause a significantly lower milk supply and most moms with a breast reduction need to supplement with formula (sometimes needing to feed more formula than breastmilk)
Good luck - normally I believe plastic surgeons will require that you go down no less than two cup sizes.

Something to keep in mind: If you plan on breastfeeding your children, a reduction can sometimes make it so that you can't nurse. Or that you won't produce enough milk for the baby. So if that's something that's important to you I'd consider waiting until you're done haveing children.

I am going through the process right now for all the reasons you listed above. I waited until I was done having children b/c I breast fed. I would discuss your options with a reputable doctor. I am currently a DD, and hope to go to a B+ or C- size. I am only 5'4" and weight 120lbs, so a DD on me is silly looking. The dr. I am using is Dr. Ott out of Long Island Surgical Group. She works in NY and CT. Good luck.

R., I had a breast reduction done a little over a year ago and I think it was the best thing I ever did for myself. However, I waited till after I knew I was done having children. I know someone that got a reduction prior to having children and her breasts grew back to the size they were prior to having children. I unfortunately could not breast feed due to no production of any milk so I didnt have to worry about that but if you do want to breast feed I would definately wait till all of your children are off the breast. I had absolutely no complications other than I cannot handle medication that much and with so much in me from teh surgery I got really wozzy but that didnt last long. I had literally no pain (and I have no tolerance for pain), the only down side was the itching from the incisions as they healed. I was wearing bras that were a 36DD, however that was what I was prior to two kids and I think I was in denial because I was busting out of those. I went down to a 36C which was a huge difference for me. I dont have to go to physical therapy any longer for neck and back pain, my shoulders feel great (no more grooves) and shopping for tops and bras is so much easier. I would definately suggest anyone get it done if they really want to and after they have done the research and found a surgeon that they are completely 100% comfortable with.

It's up to you and you may want to weigh the pros and cons. I have never been big until I was on the birth control pill for medical reasons...yikes!! I have noticed that they get smaller and perker and rounder when I work out and do the "butterflies" with weights and of course you start off with low weights and go from there and in time you will see the changes, positive changes. My personal opinion, I would wait until you are positively done having children and I don't know much if that affects breastfeeding if you are going to. I read one of the messages and there is a mom who knew someone who had that done and couldn't nurse. I don't know if you are nursing and I was told that nursing helps lose weight but I didn't see much of that happening for me because not enough fat was coming out through breastmilk.
Anyways, HOW DARE SOMEONE SAY SUCH THING TO YOU!!!! I WAS INSULTED BY FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN I WAS DEVELOPING AND I WAS TOLD THEY WERE JEALOUS BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING...THAT MADE ME FEEL GOOD :) If you can, think of a cool, but nice and firm phrase that would shut them up and think twice before opening their big mouths. I am sorry that you have gone through that. Don't let what they say or think affect what you think about you and your body and your child. Also, remember, if you do it and think negative about your body and yourself, your daughter may end up doing the same thing about herself. As long as you are healthy, and happy and I have wanted smaller breasts, but my husband enjoys them and it makes him happy and working out made me feel better about them....hope all this helps and encourage you. Smile, you are beautiful and CONGRATS to your God-blessed given baby...

I say go for it girl! I had a reduction done a few months ago..It is quite painful afterwards but the pain goes away and the scars do heal. I saw a fabulous plastic surgeon in NY.. www.drsharongiese.com she was sooo nice and it was so well worth it! I suggest making an appointment and discussing all of your concerns with her, we can give you advice but a doctor can give you solid facts. Good luck hon!

Hi R.,

I agree with all the advice on here to wait until you are finished having children. Are you happy with your weight? I have read about women having reductions and then losing weight and ultimately losing their breasts (not literally). I was always large-chested (easily a DD as an adult) and always said I wanted a reduction. After having my second son I have lost a lot of weight working out and am a smaller size than ever and probably back in a C. If you are experiencing health problems, talk to your doctor, but if it is for comfort, try to wait until you are finished with having children and are happy with your weight and size otherwise.

M.

I had a breast reduction done 7 years ago - I did it in my twenties before I had kids. I went from a full DDD to a full C. A friend of mine went to a B and has many regrets, she feels like they are too small. When I first got home I looked like frankenstein, but the scarring does fade. I had to be home and no lifting for at least 2 weeks. When I had kids I was able to breastfeed, but I did not have an overflowing supply like most my friends and I actually had to supplement with formula. I couldn't imagine having those large breasts during pregnancy, nor could I have had the surgery until my child was at least 2.5 because of the lifting. At 2.5 they don't need much lifting. They do warn of the risk of not being to produce any milk for breastfeeding. My advice it to weigh all your options, read all responses, and then make the decision that is right for you. You will need support from your husband and he will need to be very understanding of the pain, scarring, smaller breasts, and everything else. Also, research to find the best plastic surgeon. You aren't in my area so I can't recommend mine, but an outstanding surgeon is key. This is just my opinion and my story. Best of luck in whatever you decide. I have to say it was the best decision I ever made.

The doctor told me to lose about 15 lbs. first.. and you shouud have had all your children... if you want more kids.. then they will tell you to wait.. do the kids first.. then the breast reduction second.. good luck.. I haven't had the op yet.. but hopefully this winter... I'm a little scared..but i know those 38 dd will feel much better and my back will feel good too..