Five Tips I Wish I Knew Before My Breast Augmentation Surgery

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Disclaimer :: Local plastic surgeon and regular FWMB guest blogger, Dr. Emily Kirby, sponsored this blog post to allow a platform for a woman and mom to share her real life experience with breast augmentation surgery and recovery. 

Well, hello there, beautiful!  

Whether you are in the midst of the decision-making process or weeks away from your breast augmentation surgery, you’ve come to the right place! I have been exactly where you are: Obsessively searching Real Self, looking through all of the women with your same stats, following their stories, and losing sleep weighing out the pros and cons of cosmetic surgery

Many women looking to undergo a breast augmentation have a lot of questions, fears,  anxiety, and even shame over their desire. It is a BIG decision and should be one made with a lot of thought put into it, not just focusing on the reasons why you want to do it, but also the how, how much, and what to expect afterward.

While researching and due diligence is a must with any type of surgery, I am here to tell you firsthand to be very careful with where your research leads you. Don’t get me wrong, I get it. This is not something to be taken lightly, but no two breasts (even your own!) are made alike, therefore, this surgery cannot be compared to anyone else’s. Your journey will look different from your mom, your sister, your neighbor, and your friends.

brasLet your plastic surgeon call the shots. While I highly advise bringing in a few pictures of your desired look (and look you want to avoid), don’t let another woman’s stats, whether a real friend who has your same body type or someone you find online, trick you into thinking that her implant size or type is exactly what you need. Be sure to ask the right questions about your anatomy (ie: is one shoulder higher than the other, one breast larger or higher, and so on) to fully understand what your breasts will look like post surgery. Your surgeon will measure your body as well as evaluate your skin elasticity and muscle at your consultation. From there, he or she will make a recommendation for what type of implant will suit your body best.  

CC size is not equivalent to cup size. Ladies, if you take nothing else away from this, make it this: CC sizes look different in every.single.woman. So while your dream chest’s stats are noted at 400cc’s, your height and chest cavity are certainly different than your dream chest, therefore, your cc’s may be adjusted as well. In addition, cc’s are measured differently amongst implant types (moderate, high profile, teardrop, etc). While one woman with 400 cc’s may be a C cup size,  it may be a DD in someone else. During your consultation when you are trying on sizes, ask specifically NOT to know the CC size so that you don’t confuse what looks good and what you think you need.  

Be ready to take time off. From the gym, from work, from being a mom. One mistake I made was having my surgery when my youngest child was two. She still required so much picking up and leaning over that made it very difficult on my recovery. (Side note: Every recovery is different.) You will need to take adequate time off from work and especially at the gym. Recliners will become your best friend for the first couple of weeks. Lifting your chest in those post surgery can be hard. Sleeping is uncomfortable, so props and recliners quickly become necessities. Say a little goodbye to stomach sleeping, too. It’s just never the same after a breast augmentation. 

Your body will change on a weekly basis. I remember reading this time and time again as I prepared to take the plunge, but nothing really prepared me for the transformation that my breasts would undergo over the course of the following year. Don’t buy expensive bras at first because your size will adjust and change for the first few months as your breasts settle and drop in their final place. But in the end, I promise, you will L O V E  them. The end result is so very worth it! 

The “New Boob Blues” is legit. Be prepared. There will be moments you love them and they are perfect, and others where you will wonder just what you were thinking. Some days they look too big, others they are too small. Give it time and these feelings will fade. Eventually, you don’t even notice that they are there anymore. At the risk of sounding shallow, had I known how a breast augmentation would raise my self-esteem, I would have done it years ago.  It’s not about what other people think of me or how they see me, it’s about the confidence I have in myself now.

woman bed bra
Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
Dr. Emily J. Kirby is a plastic surgeon board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Dr. Kirby specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive procedures as well as non-surgical treatments. For more information, visit kirbyplasticsurgery.com or read some of Dr. Emily Kirby’s reviews.

4 COMMENTS

  1. My sister is wanting to get a breast augmentation and I want to make sure it is as successful as possible. Thank you for suggesting that she should make sure and let her surgeon call the shots when it comes to what is best for her body. Hopefully, she can find the best plastic surgeon in her area.

  2. I really appreciate your tip to try and recline as much as possible after you get breast augmentation surgery. My wife told me that her breasts are giving her pain after she goes jogging, and she really wants to reduce that pain. If she gets breast augmentation surgery, I will be sure to tell her that she should try and recline after the surgery as much as possible!

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