August 14th, 2008
After I stopped breast feeding my third child I found I was no longer pleased with the state of my now sagging breasts. I had exercised my way back down to my pre-baby weight and was even more fit than before I started having children, so why was I left with these deflated and sagging skin flaps? Where did the firm and sexy breasts of my youth go? And was there anything I could do to get them back?
I was frustrated to find that no exercise or padded bra could replace the loss of fullness my former breasts had or give me the same feeling of womanly sexiness I possessed with my pre-baby breasts. I never fully appreciated how having firmer, fuller and sexier breasts was such a part of my sense of self and womanliness until they were gone. Finding clothes, swimsuits and cocktail dresses was a challenge and there were so many things I just couldn’t wear without a particular bra, let alone go braless, and it was starting to affect my self confidence.
I began noticing other moms and found that many of them had fuller breasts than I did. Did they just have better genetics or was it possible they had managed to find the ultimate bra that I had somehow overlooked? Eventually I brought up the subject to one of my close friends, who happened to be a mom of two and filled out her tops amazingly well. She let me in on her secret; breast implants. I was shocked. I thought only models and Hollywood types got breast implants, not suburban moms. Once I knew the secret I realized how oblivious I had been to how common breast augmentation is among suburban moms. There are a lot of great-looking moms thanks to breast augmentations and I wanted to join the club.
So I began asking around. I got several names of reputable Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and I learned all about the procedure, options, recovery and possible risks. For me it was a no-brainer; I was going to have full and sexy breasts again.
After narrowing my list to three Plastic Surgeons, I interviewed each of them and decided on mine based on his years of experience, technique, reputation, expense, his staff, and finally his personality. My decision to have a breast augmentation was quickly becoming a uniquely intimate experience so I made sure I had a doctor that was not only very capable of successfully performing this transformation, but one I felt secure and comfortable with. Saying a breast augmentation is an intimate experience may sound strange, but this was my breasts/womanhood that a Plastic Surgeon was going to give back to me, and make them better than before! It’s very easy to start seeing your surgeon as a hero because what he can do for you and your self confidence is extraordinary.
After a few pre-surgery consultations with my Plastic Surgeon, I had picked out the size of implants I was going to use by “trying them on”. I placed several recommended sizes in my bra until I found the size I liked and suited my proportions. I didn’t want to go too big or look too obvious, but wanted to replace the volume I had lost by having children. I had followed my doctor’s advice and started wearing two extra-padded bras a few weeks before my surgery to get used to how I would look afterward. This is also a great way to make a sudden transformation less obvious among your friends, family and coworkers. As it turned out, many people thought I had lost weight after my breast augmentation because my fuller breasts accentuated my waistline.
The day of my breast augmentation I was taken to the outpatient surgery center at my hospital. My doctor greeted me with a smile and soon began marking my chest with a black sharpie in preparation for my surgery. I wasn’t at all nervous and was more than ready to receive my new breasts. The procedure itself lasted a couple hours and went very well. I was placed under general anesthesia while my surgeon performed this miracle and woke up with the sore breasts I anticipated tightly wrapped in a very supportive surgical bra topped with bandages to keep the new “ladies” secure. After resting for a couple hours post-operative, I was sent home to continue my recovery.
My doctor had given me some medication for the pain, but having given birth to three children I thought the pain was completely bearable and it lasted only a few days. In the weeks that followed I learned how often I actually use my pectoral muscles, as every jar of jelly I opened to make PBJ’s reminded me. There was discomfort for a few weeks afterward but the recovery process was not so bad considering the gift I had been given. Yes, I did pay for my breast augmentation but it seems like a gift since feeling like a sexy woman again instead of a deflated and self-conscious soccer mom is priceless. Having a breast augmentation is like the birth of children; you forget all about the discomfort of the process because the reward is so great.
Several years later I am still immensely happy with my decision to have a breast augmentation. I’ve had another child since then and was able to nurse her like I did my other children and my breasts still look great. I can go braless and wear what I like and I feel more attractive and sexy than I ever did before my surgery.
Categories: Breast Augmentation
Tags: Add new tag, board certified plastic surgeon, Breast Augmentation Colorado, Breast Augmentation Denver, colorado breast augmentation, cosmetic surgeon, Denver Breast Augmentation, mommy makeover
August 4th, 2008
“Everyone is doing it!” seems to be the mantra for Breast Augmentation in 2008. As compared to even ten years ago, breast enhancement is not only talked about but is often the topic of polite conversation. Why this abrupt change? More and more women are realizing that the results of breast enhancement can be natural and create a more proportionate figure, overall.
In my practice, clients come from all walks of life but they all want the same thing…a natural and proportionate look. Many of these women have had children and find that their breast volume was dramatically reduced following pregnancy or breast feeding. And while some are simply looking to restore the shape that they once had, others have always dreamed of larger, shapelier breasts and now feel empowered to achieve this.
Whatever the motivation, breast augmentation has changed dramatically over the last few years largely due to improvements in the breast implant itself. In particular, silicone gel implants are now more durable and more lifelike than in previous years. I am personally seeing more and more women educated about and coming in asking for the new cohesive implants. Some have seen their friend’s results and were impressed with the very natural look and feel while others are simply looking for a more natural alternative to saline-filled breast implants. In the past few years, more and more of my clients are gravitating towards this choice to the extent that cohesive gel implants have become my predominant choice for breast augmentation. And I continually receive positive feedback from my clients regarding these implants; many often comment that they cannot even feel them because of their ability to blend in with their own natural breast tissue.
The shift to silicone gel breast augmentation is simply a reflection of a trend towards more natural results in Plastic Surgery overall. While many clients want to look better, they still want to look like themselves and want options that allow them to do just that. Young moms are realizing that pregnancy is a new beginning on several fronts and that the body changes incurred can be addressed with a minimal downtime procedure yielding very natural results.
-Gregory A. Buford, MD FACS
Categories: Breast Augmentation
Tags: Breast Augmentation Colorado, Breast Augmentation Denver, Breast Implants, colorado breast augmentation, Denver Breast Augmentation, silicone breast augmentation