I had a breast reduction, here’s what I wish I knew first
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Laura May Grogan
WORDS BY FREYA BENNETT
“I can’t, for the life of me, remember the feeling, the weight or the discomfort of having huge boobs.”
I came of age in the early 2000s, a time of unrealistic body expectations and limited fashion options for those who stood outside the very restrictive, straight-sized mould. I had my first proper bra fitting at age 13 when I was told, rather brusquely (as if it was my fault) that they don’t really have any bras for young girls my size. I walked away with a beige, minimiser bra and my confidence shattered.
I spent the rest of my teens and early twenties bracing myself for my yearly bra shopping trip. I refused to be fitted and would hurriedly grab all the huge, ugly bras in cup sizes E and F. Without even looking at myself in the mirror, I’d buy the comfiest one I tried on.
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Forget about aesthetics – I knew that was a losing game for me – I resigned myself to comfort and invisibility. If a bra shopping experience didn’t involve tears, I’d won. Thankfully, these days, there are so many more options for busty women, and those inclusive-bra entrepreneurs are truly angels to the booby community.
Because of my generous bust, I learnt about unwanted male attention from a young age. I remember a specific incident when I was just shy of 14 and on my way to school. As I boarded the train, a man in his late twenties or early thirties sat across from me and started chatting to me.
He asked me if I was free that night, and what I was studying. When I told him my age, he looked horrified. Despite his overconfidence in approaching a girl who just wanted to listen to her Discman in peace, he really didn’t want to be hitting on a 14-year-old.
From the moment I hit a D cup, I decided I wanted a breast reduction one day. At that point, I had no idea that my boobs were destined to traverse the alphabet and that I would end up in a HH cup before I finally underwent a breast reduction, aged 33.
All through my twenties, I researched ways to shrink my bust. I was keen to breastfeed, and I knew a breast reduction would jeopardise these chances, so I was on the lookout for any alternatives. Just when I thought I had found a miracle in a ‘liposuction breast reduction’, something told me it wasn’t the right option.
A note to anyone wanting surgery: a plastic surgeon has a minimum of 12 years of medical and surgical education, including at least five years of specialised training. A cosmetic surgeon is any doctor who’s trained for five years and then done a few short courses. Go with the plastic surgeon.
I waited to go ahead with the surgery until after I’d successfully breastfed my first child. While I was keen to have another child, I knew I couldn’t wait. I was carrying around HH cups, my headaches were intense and my shoulders were constantly aching. I wasn’t ready for another kid just yet, so I decided to risk a breast reduction. If my next kid missed out on breastfeeding, at least they would have a happy and comfortable mum.
I was very confident with the surgeon I chose. After hearing horror stories about women going with cheaper options, I decided money wasn’t an issue. I choose the top plastic surgeon in the field and got out a loan (affectionately called ‘the boob loan’). Four years later we’re still paying it off, but it was worth every penny.
And while I’m extremely happy with my decision, there are a few things (both positive and negative) I wish I knew before my surgery. To begin with, breastfeeding will be affected. My surgeon didn’t think I’d have any issues breastfeeding the second time but told me there were no guarantees.
When my second daughter was born, three years post-surgery, I simply couldn’t make enough milk. I had some, but her hungry wails and quick weight loss told me it wasn’t enough. She is now seven months old, and we have been lucky enough to be exclusively feeding her donor milk from an amazing local mum!
You get a lift as well as a reduction. To be fair, I did find this out just before my surgery, much to my excitement! I wasn’t sure what to expect my boobs to look like post-surgery and I wasn’t too fussed, as long as they were smaller and comfortable. But having a lift (which is entirely necessary), means for the first time in my boob-having life, I have perky boobs! All boobs are beautiful, but it’s a novelty I will enjoy until time and gravity have their way.
You’ll completely forget what it felt like to have huge boobs. It’s a hilarious post-surgery outcome and one that I’ve heard time and time again from other women. I can’t, for the life of me, remember the feeling, the weight or the discomfort of having huge boobs. It consumed so much of my life before, but it was like my brain decided to get rid of that memory because it no longer served me. And for that, I’m grateful.
Recovery varies, and being strict with rest is the only way to make things go faster. While life circumstances will dictate how you rest (I had a two-year-old and we were deep in lockdowns so I couldn’t really rest), if you can, lay low for as long as possible. My recovery was extended when some stitching pulled away from my nipple (probably due to my toddler headbutting me in the boob) and while I got there in the end, the extra six weeks of antibiotics the nurses insisted I take didn’t do my gut any favours.
You’ll want to show everyone your boobs. I didn’t care who or where. If someone was at all willing, I’d be showing off my new boobs. After a lifetime of trying to hide my body, I suddenly had the urge to show it off. I didn’t care about the scars (which were very minimal anyway). I simply wanted to share the joy!
It’s been four years since my surgery and despite my breastfeeding woes, I’m still so happy with my decision. I went from feeling extremely distressed and dysphoric about my body to feeling comfortable from the inside out. My postpartum body means my boobs are bigger than they were post-surgery, but that’s fine by me. I’m comfortable and while still busty, I’m happy to say those HH bras are buried deep in a box somewhere, only to be brought out to show my daughters what I carried around in my early adult years.
For more on preparing for breast reduction surgery, head here.
