Breast Reduction - Chicago,IL

I wear 34H, also, and am 5'5". They are so heavy, but I have never had problems. I only joke about having them reduced. I'm sorry that this has caused such discomfort for you.

I have a couple of friends who've had reductions, and all is well with them.

I was a 38H when I went in for my procedure, and am also 5'2". It was the best thing I ever did for myself. My sister and two of my cousins have also had it done and they both agree it was great for them. My back pain was gone almost instantly, and the daily headaches I suffered from for years disappeared over night.
Now, on to the bad. Yes, there is a possibility that nipples could lose some feeling if they have to be removed, but in most cases they do not have to be removed, just repositioned, and you lose no feeling. Mine are as good as ever. There will, of course, be scaring. and lots of it. My scars run all along the bottom edge of my breast up to half way up each side, and then up the center of each breast and around the areola. My scars are white and not very noticeable, but they are certainly there. They do not bother me nearly as much as the pain did before. but be warned, the first time they remove the bandages and you see the cuts it can be shocking, you have to remember that they will heal and lighten.
Pain after the procedure was minimal. I could not lift my kids for two weeks to avoid splitting my stitches. I managed what pain I did have with pills, but I rarely needed anything except maybe to help me sleep. For me, I would do it again in a heart beat, it was well worth it.

feel free to PM me if you have any other questions

as for the breast feeding, unless they have to sever the ducts many woman can still breast feed after, talk with your doctor.

A close friend had it done about two years ago. She said it was the best decision she has ever made for herself. Her first hurdle was insurance. They kept trying to label the surgery as "cosmetic" and refused to pay for it. She got help from her doctors and got it documented that it was medically necessary. Finally, insurance agreed to cover the surgery.

Her next step was to find a good surgeon. She researched and visited with at least half and dozen doctors before she made her choice.

And like you she was terrified of the surgery and the recovery and the scarring. She said the first week was rough. Her mother helped nurse her back to health. But after that the pain was tolerable and not nearly as bad as she thought.

She still has feeling in her nipples, but it took a little while for it to come back. She said even if she lost that feeling permanently, she would be ok with it. She said that it was a fair trade for the relief from constant back ache and clothes not fitting properly. She has never had children and was a little disappointed to learn (before the surgery) that she probably won't be able to breast feed.

I haven't seen it, but she said the scarring was minimal. She said that this was the best choice for her and she wished she had it done sooner. She said the weight, literally and figuratively, was lifted off her back.

Good for you for doing something to make yourself feel better.

Hope you get all the info you need to make this big decision. It is scary going under the knife. But I have friends that have had reductions and they said it was the best choice they ever made. Who wants their own boobs to be the root of their back pain?!!

I am not in your boat...I am on the other side and wish you could send some of your excess on over my way!! My cup does not runneth over!!

Good luck and best wishes!!

The only thing I would think about is: Are you done having children? Do you breastfeed?

In most cases a new mom is unable to breastfeed after a reduction. But other than that if you are in pain and this is causing harm to your body, go for it.

My OB/Gyn recommended it to me several years ago, so I went to see a board certified surgeon. I'm only a DD, but have constant back pain because of my small frame. I'm 4'11" and 93 pounds.

That ended up being a problem for the insurance company. They would only pay for it if they took a certain amount of breast tissue, and they didn't consider the size of the woman overall. If the doctor took as much breast tissue as the insurance company required, I would have been concave. It was very frustrating for me, and for the surgeon. I was glad I went for the consultation, though. The doctor was very kind and informative. Your insurance may be different, and even if it's the same, it may work out for you since your breasts are larger.

It's certainly worth checking out. You shouldn't have to be miserable if you don't have to be. As for me, I'm wearing supportive, minimizing bras for now.

i was a 42DDD and had a breast reduction several years ago....the best thing i ever ever did!! the scarring is minor(the only one who sees the scars is my husband) and not having nipple hard on is great!! my recovery time was about a week. i would highly suggest having it done. but make sure you are comfortable with your surgeon.

A cousin of mine had a reduction done back when we were in high school (she was already having back problems at that age!). As someone else mentioned, if you are not done having children, having the reduction done COULD (and I believe usually does) hinder/prevent breastfeeding. If that's not a concern for you, then I really think you should go through with it. It will only improve the quality of your life. You will have a great weight lifted from your shoulders (literally!), clothes will fit better, and on and on. In the short term, there may be draw backs, but try to keep the long-term in mind; your overall long-term health is more important than a little short-term discomfort/pain.

I had a reduction when I was in high school (almost 20 years ago) and it was the best thing I have ever done for myself!! I too still have scarring, but it is only very noticeable underneath my breast. I lost no nipple feeling. I was very sore and had to have minimal activity for a couple of weeks, but it was a small price to pay! I did have kids afterwards and was able to breastfeed, although my milk production was lower than it would have been if I had waited. I would recommend it to anyone in your situation!!

I have considered it, being a DD, just because I feel it makes me look fat considering I am broad-shouldered and apple shaped. I have heard women look 10 lbs. lighter when they had it done, but that was my only motivation. I have scoliosis but it is mild and I wear bras that offer decent support, so no back pain issues...yet. A drawback is the recovery, I was told by someone who did it that it felt pretty awful, she felt like the wind had been sucked out of her and had chest pains and breathing issues for a few days. That plus losing nipple sensitivity have been real turn-offs for me. I think I would panic if I felt out of breath like that! As I age, if I feel I cannot put up with it, I may consider a reduction, but right now, I feel like I should put it off since my case is not that drastic. I recommend makemeheal.com, a website about plastic surgery, before and after pictures, and what to expect. The plastic surgeon should also show you a picture album of what you can expect in terms of results and scarring. You will need to do a lot of pre-op exams to ensure you're in good health, so keep that in mind.

I am only DD and have a ton of problems, I couldn't imagine being bigger! I do plan on getting a reduction some day, and have seen a top surgeon about it. I do know many people who had a reduction, and not one regretted it. In fact, each one of them has said it's one of the best decisions they've made.

My advice to you, is to go ahead and consult with a breast surgeon. I received so much information when I did. They go over everything. The reconstruction, effects, scarring, pain, limitations...etc. I felt very relieved and reassured when I went to one. Make sure you find a surgeon who is board certified, and find as many reviews you can! http://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/

If it's a medical necessity, worry about scarring is the least of it. I think I'd be worried of them screwing up but these are no longer new procedures so go to a board certified and realize that just like having a C-section, if you need it, do it. You can't not have it because you are afraid of them messing up.

Hi - I had it done and I am still glad that I did it years later. Yes the scarring isn't pretty, but it has faded over the years. The worst of it is how your aereolas look. It is very obvious when someone looks at me that I had surgery. I did it before I had kids and wasn't really able to breasfeed as I wanted. Yes milk did still come out but it wasn't enough and my nipples wouldn't stay upright so I had to use a nipple shield. I gave up after a couple of days. It was a tough 2 week recovery but boy did it make a dramatic improvement in my life. I used to wear 2 bras for exercise class and they still moved around like crazy. After they barely moved. Oh, and the first couple of years they are still pretty firm so I didn't even need to wear a bra!
Let me know if you have more questions - but I highly recommend it.

I feel your pain. I'm a 36G and had been considering a reduction. But I recently went to a shop in Lisle, IL, called Tina's Closet, on a recommendation from someone else on Mamapedia. Tina, who has been doing bra fittings for decades, does a proper fitting and makes sure you get the "perfect size". I believe she even does alterations if needed. Getting the right size and knowing the proper way to wear it has helped with my back pain a lot. Tina also is into natural medicine, and recommended Kokoro Balancing Creme, which has natural progesterone in it. She says that after age 35, women stop producing progesterone, and this low progesterone and high estrogen can lead to the large breasts and belly fat. She claims that she uses it herself, and that it can naturally reduce the size of your breasts and reduce belly fat. She sells the cream at her store, or you can find it online. I figure it's much less invasive and costly than surgery, so I'm going to try it first and see what happens. She said that Chinese women have been balancing their hormones all along, and that is why they have a low incidence of breast cancer, etc. Maybe this would be worth a try for you, too.