Come and tell me about your breast enlargement?

[DandyDock]

Have finally, after 25 years, taken the plunge and am having this done on 19 February. I'd have it done right now if I could, I'm so excited!

My boobs have always been small, but breastfeeding 4 dc, not to mention age, has taken its toll and they are horrible withered little things. Sorry if anyone's about to eat :)

I haven't told a soul, except dh (and now the www I suppose!) and am not planning to either. Does anyone have any experiences/tips they'd like to share?

I'm going to be really cheeky here but what type of price does the op come in at (Brest not tummy tuck which looks amazing btw!)

I had mine done last Thursday, I don't have any pain at all anymore just discomfort of I over strech or moved too quickly, I am still struggling to get out of bed on my own.

A few things to keep in mind- you have to sleep on your back for a while after surgery and my surgeon recommended sleeping at a 45 degree angle for a few days after surgery so make sure you have pillows to do this, DP got me a V shaped pillow and that helps a lot, also having pillows to prop up your arms really helps.

I am pretty much back to normal now but I can't sweep, mop or open car doors, I can pick up DS, but I can't carry him around with me. I am taking it easy, but starting to do more than I did and I feel great, I am just doing the basic tidying and dusting around the house and am now back at work and I've never felt better, but I am carful not to over do it.

When I woke up from surgery I was already in my post surgery bra and they didn't look any different to be honest, with the bra on, so that was a bit of a shock, but when I saw them without the bra I cried I was that happy, they are very deceiving!

Depending on the placement of the implant, they usually sit high on the chest for anywhere between 1-6 months and gradually get lower, mine are still very high, although I have seen a small drop over the last few days, this is completely normal.

Your surgeon will tell you whether he recommends using ice packs or not, mine said not to use them for too long and they were great, also one of those heat packs really helped with the neck/back pain you get from sleeping in odd positions.

I had some pain in the mornings and getting up was a struggle, but other than that I didn't really feel much pain, I would really recomend keeping on top of pain killers, set an alarm for when you are due to take them, and to be honest all I felt was discomfort, and I am not great with pain usually.

It is one of the best things I have ever done and I am so happy I did it, good luck op!

I've just name changed for this, goodness only knows if I'm fooling anybody but I'm trying my best! I had mine done in April so they're about 9 months old. I had 460ml round high profile implants to pick up my droopy mummy breasts. The surgeon had said 390-420 mls was as big as he'd go so it was a bit of a surprise, he said they fitted better in surgery. They're probably a bit too big to pass off as natural but the skin is very nicely filled out, I don't think you have much choice if you're filling pre-stretched skin rather than going for an uplift. I used a surgeon who's a breast Consultant surgeon at a world renowned hospital and does private work so I hope he knew what he was doing!

I had them over the muscle which is far less invasive than under and gives you a much more natural look from the start, unders can take months to settle into their final position. You do need someone to look after you, to dress you and lift things for a good couple of weeks. I went from a droopy 34 C to a full FF which balances my hips nicely. Overall I think I just about get away with them as I'd gained and lost weight lots after the children and worn chicken fillets and padded bras and generally camouflaged my natural breast size over the years! When I lie on my back however, the jig is up!

Our friend went from A or B on broad athletic chest to don't know what size, nearly biggest possible? It was about 9 years ago, after she had her first child, she didnt breastfeed, said it wasn't for her, but must be that the shape still changed for the worse after pregnancy and when the milk arrived then left ) funnily they denied it... (My DH asked her DH about whether he'd mind if his wife ever wanted to have cosmetic surgery, and her DH said something like, oh, she'd never had any, the risks are too high)

Anyway, she was skinny and athletic to start with, but lost all the fat in her body over the years (she is a long distance runner as well), and I swear the skin has sagged and you can see the outline of her implant separate from the rest of the breast! What's the deal with that? Is it normal? Is it because they were too big for her? Or it happens to all of them and a surgery to correct the sagging implants is needed every ten years?

Also did anyone get a lift rather that enlargement? I'm still BFing my last baby, and do dread to think what my breasts would look like afterwards... I don't want them bigger, but want a lift, however heard that is more traumatic, does anyone know if it's true?

Good luck DandyDock, I was on a high for ages after I had mine done a few years ago, I hope it is a positive experience for you too.

Happy healing Salycinnamon!

My only tip would be that it's nobody's business but your own, and it probably wont be too noticeable to anyone else anyway.

Thinking about getting mine done. Still breastfeeding dc3 - could anyone advise if you have to wait a certain amount of time after you have finished bf for surgeons to operate?

I would like mine done, I'm very pear shaped and would love to be more in proportion. Can I ask if implants affect nipple sensation? Did you notice a change in how much you could feel? Also does it affect future breastfeeding?

Thank you all for all the comments and good wishes, and for the website recommendation Buttercup. I'm having an uplift and enlargement so that obviously bumps the price up. It's coming in at just over 9k but I have literally been planning this for 25 years (well the enlargement bit anyway) so have had a long time to save! Iwannabe I guess an uplift (mastopexy) would be for you rather than an enlargement.

My youngest dc is 11 now so I can't advise on how long you'd have to wait after breastfeeding - but probably not this long! I suppose a year or so to give everything a chance to settle down. SweetandSour my surgeon said it could affect nipple sensation but no guarantees either way. It's a risk I'm happy to take though.

ItJustCameOff this made me smile: when I lie on my back however, the jig is up!

Thanks for the tip about sleeping on your back and pillows Saly.

Counting down the days!!

I'm really early in my recovery and my nipples are still half numb, my surgeon said this is normal and can last anywhere between 6weeks- 6 months, he said it's very rare that nipple sensation is affected, but of course it can happen, this also depends on a lot of factors, placement of the implant, where the incision is made and how the surgeon creates the 'pocket' for the implant.

My last bit of advice is to buy some comfy cardigans and zip through hoodies, I lived in them for the first week, it would have been impossible for me to pull a Tshirt over my head so early on.

Re the nipple sensitivity: my breasts are still not back to normal 9 months on. They're much better than they were and the top is fine but from the nipple down is kind of half numb.

Nodowntime it sounds like your friend may have had them over the muscle due to having enough best tissue to cover them at the time or just because it was the most common procedure at the time. If you have very little tissue to begin with or plan to lose weight they will put them under the muscle as it will disguise the edges. In America they do unders a lot more than we do here, it does reduce the incidences of encapsulation but as that is rare and it is always a more serious operation surgeons tend to offer the choice here, when possible.

Dandy good luck with your operation and recovery. Have you decided on a size yet?

Thank you ItJustCameOff, I'll come and report back if in a fit state! Haven't decided for sure yet - still inclining towards DD but need to have the pre-op consultation to see what the doc thinks. At the initial consultation I was very happy with that size but I'm thinking now I maybe didn't make enough allowance for the fact I'm having an uplift as well as an enlargement.

Will you regain full feeling in your breasts do you know? Does it bother you at the moment?

It does bother me a bit Dandy but not enough to regret getting it done. I haven't told my husband how numb they still are as I know it would upset him. They just feel a bit less sensitive underneath and towards the centre, more like they react to pressure rather than touch. A bit like a leg you've sat on for too long.

Do you have a broad breast base? There's a lot to do with fitting the implant to your breast rather than choosing your cup size as such. I don't know about the implications with an uplift but I'd be very interested to find out if you can report back! I do look much better now as I was rather pear shaped before and very flat from the side without a bra. I'm hoping that when the year comes round everything will have settled better and the feeling might come back.

I had mine done last January, no pain , no discomfort but was hard to get used to suddenly having boobs!
I went from a 32b ish to an e, they are very big and it was very obvious.
I have no regrets.

I recommend a really good post op bra, I had a surgical bra that I wore all the time and only took off to change for a clean one in the first 6 weeks.
First outings without that bra were odd but they've changed my life. I did it for me, my whole figure looks more in proportion now.

Good luck!

Mine were a bit numb from nipple downwards afterwards, not terrible but just not quite 'normal' feeling. It took around 18 months for sensation to completely return, so there is still hope for you itjustcameoff and I've spoken to others who found it took a year for changes to even start happening.

Just a quick update :) Had pre-op checks today and decided on a DD (which I think is 360 mls). Implants will be under the muscle as hardly any breast tissue to speak of. Operation is a week Friday and I can't wait!

So I've just had the op! I haven't stopped smiling all day! Went down to theatre this morning at about 10, and was back in recovery what felt like 10 seconds later. Back in room now with a cup of tea. Dh has just left and my first thought was to post on here! Haven't seen surgeon yet but nobody has said anything to the contrary so I'm assuming all has gone well. Bit sore on left side, and can't see anything yet due to dressings but am so so pleased. Went for 360 gram (or is it mls?) implants which will be a DD.

How exciting!!

Yay! I hope you have a smooth recovery, and do keep us posted.

Thank you Petal :). Anaesthetist (who was rather lovely, shame I had to sleep through most of our relationship!) and surgeon both been round, and apparently all has gone well. I only had to have mastoplexy on one side in the end - I did wonder if that meant I could ask for some money back but thought perhaps now is not the best time to ask!

So I just have to stay in bed and do nothing for remainder of day except rest - think I can probably manage that ...

Home now :)

I feel absolutely fine, no pain at all. I'm knackered as didn't sleep at all but that's down to being semi upright, not to discomfort. Apparently I may feel some muscular ache in 24/48 hours as something went wrong with an airway during the op and a particular drug, which causes this muscle ache, was used. But if I couldn't see the evidence (well I can't really cos of dressings!) I wouldn't know I'd had anything done, so little soreness is there :)

Glad you're home - take your time, you'll probably be quite tired for a few days yet. What do you think to your new boobs??????

I've had nice sleep this afternoon but woken up bit stiff and sore. Have just put in an order with dh for tea and biscuits in bed - should go a long way to helping I think :)

Petal I haven't actually had a proper look because the left one is all covered up in a dressing. But from what I can see, all looks good. I already feel loads better about myself - more womanly if that doesn't sound too revoltingly twee! I'm thinking back to countless years of padded bras and unfilled tops, and feeling just a bit sad I didn't have it done years ago. In reality, I couldn't have as it's taken til now to save for the op and to persuade myself not to feel guilty for spending such a huge amount on myself.

But - they're here now, and very welcome they are too!

Bit sore and stiff today but nothing too bad :)

I would love to have mine sorted out but not sure we can really afford for me to. My stepmam had hers done years ago and has never looked back.

Good luck in your recovery, hope you love them when the dressings are off!