Condition
Breasts after breastfeeding
Lost volume, a lowered nipple or both — how they differ and what can be done.
What happens to the breasts after breastfeeding?
During pregnancy and breastfeeding the glandular tissue of the breast grows and the skin stretches. After breastfeeding stops, the glandular tissue shrinks back, but the skin and the supporting structures do not keep up with that shrinking at the same pace.
Three changes follow, and they come in different combinations:
Lost volume — the breast is smaller than before pregnancy, and often softer in the upper part. A lowered breast and nipple — the position is lower than before, and the skin of the fold under the breast has stretched. A difference between the two breasts — breastfeeding is often uneven, and a difference that was small before becomes visible.
This does not happen to everyone in the same way and it does not depend on how long you breastfed.
When does a lift help, and when does augmentation?
The answer depends on where the nipple is, not on how much volume has been lost.
If the volume is smaller but the nipple has stayed high — augmentation restores the shape. If the nipple is lowered — augmentation alone will not help: the breast will be bigger, but not higher. In that case a lift is done. If you have both — they are done together, in one procedure.
When should I see a doctor?
For changes after breastfeeding there is no moment when you "have to". You come to an examination when the change bothers you enough that you keep thinking about it.
The exception: a lump in the breast is always investigated, whatever the breastfeeding history and however harmless it looks.
When is the right time?
The breasts keep changing after breastfeeding stops: the gland shrinks and the skin partly pulls back on its own. That is why the examination and the procedure are planned at the earliest six months after the last feed, when your weight is stable and your breasts are no longer changing size.
If you are planning more pregnancies, the procedure is as a rule postponed until you no longer plan one, because a new pregnancy and breastfeeding change the breasts again and change the result of the procedure.
What can be done?
| Problem | Procedure | Also, in the same visit |
|---|---|---|
| The nipple is lowered, the breast is lower than before | Breast lift | Augmentation in the same procedure and a single recovery, because after breastfeeding volume and position usually change at the same time. The areola is often made smaller in the same procedure. |
| The volume is smaller, but the nipple has stayed high | Breast augmentation | A lift in the same procedure when the nipple is lowered; augmentation alone does not help then. |
| The areola has widened or the nipple is inverted | Areola and nipple correction | Together with a breast lift, in the same procedure. |
| You had implants before pregnancy: you want a different volume or a new implant | Breast implant replacement (re-augmentation) | A lift in the same procedure when the breast has become slack. |
| You no longer want the implants | Breast implant removal (explantation) | A lift, or restoring part of the volume with your own fat, in the same procedure. |
For some women the abdomen is dealt with in the same procedure as the breasts.
If you had implants before pregnancy
Breasts with implants vary after pregnancy and breastfeeding, but the pattern is similar: the larger the implant was, the more it stretched the skin, so sagging and stretch marks are more pronounced. At the examination we look at how much of your own tissue is left and what kind of implant you have, and the options are these:
A lift with the same implants — when the implants are in good condition and you are happy with the volume; only a mastopexy (breast lift) is done.
Implant replacement with a lift — most often for the same or a slightly smaller volume, because some women choose smaller breasts after pregnancy.
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
→ Doctors and team at Poliklinika Barbel
Frequently asked questions
Does longer breastfeeding mean bigger changes? Not necessarily. Changes in the breasts depend more on how much they grew during pregnancy and how many kilograms were gained and lost than on how long you breastfed. A woman who did not breastfeed but whose breasts were much larger during pregnancy can have the same changes as one who breastfed for two years.
Will my breasts go back by themselves? Partly. The skin pulls back in the first six to twelve months after breastfeeding, and the gland grows again if your weight goes up. What is left after a year generally stays: skin that has stretched does not tighten again with exercise or creams.
Do chest exercises help? Exercises strengthen the chest muscle under the breast and can give a little fullness to the upper part. They do not affect the skin or the position of the nipple, so they cannot lift sagging breasts.
Can I come for an examination while I am still breastfeeding? For a conversation, yes, but the assessment and measurements are done once breastfeeding has ended and your breasts have settled, because until then it cannot be known what will remain. If you wish, the first conversation can be now and the examination for the procedure later.
How long does breast lift surgery take? A breast lift takes 2 to 3 hours and is done under general anaesthesia.
How long is the recovery after a breast lift? Sick leave is as a rule 14 days, you can go out in public after 10 to 14 days, and training is resumed after 6 weeks. The final result is seen after 6 to 12 months.
How much does a breast lift cost? A breast lift costs €4,500–5,000, breast augmentation with implants €4,800–5,000, and augmentation with a lift in the same procedure €5,500–6,500. The range depends on the extent of the procedure. The price includes general anaesthesia, check-ups in the first three months and dressing changes.
Can an implant lift the breasts by itself? No. An implant adds volume, while sagging breasts and a lowered nipple are lifted only by a breast lift, on its own or together with an implant in the same procedure.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.