Breast Implants: Perks, Quirks, and “Is this really for me?”

It wasn’t very long ago that when we thought of breast implants, we associated them with celebrities and adult film stars and not at all with regular suburban Moms or everyday people. In the last few years, the popularity of this surgery has increased drastically, as the stigma has faded and many women feel empowered to make informed decisions that help them reclaim their sense of self- especially after (but certainly not limited to) dedicating their best boob years to child bearing and subsequently, breast feeding.

I got pregnant with my first child at the age of 21, so I know a thing or two about sacrificing said best boob years. Being that young, in many ways I felt like I was still a child myself and as such, I was slim and had skin that was ripe with collagen and elasticity. But even still, after gaining 40ish pounds and 3 cup sizes, and then losing 50 pounds before my son even turned one and consequently regressing to an A cup (which even prior to having my son, wasn’t the case), I felt indifferent about these body changes, but it didn’t bother me much, because my focus was on trying to defy the odds of what it means to become a Mother at such a young age. I was more concerned with raising my son and figuring out what the heck I wanted to do with my life now that I was someone’s actual Mother and life source. I spent the next several years really leaning in to being a Mommy, going back to school so that I would have a stable income to provide for him, and otherwise just kind of going through the motions of a twenty-something trying to hack it in a big girl world. To be honest I didn’t think much about my boobs at all, I just knew I didn’t have any.

2019: I became pregnant with my daughter. Needless to say, with time and aging my skin was a lot less elasticity-ey and my spring chicken body that popped out a baby and “bounced back” no problem (?) was a distant memory. My pregnancies and subsequently my kids were almost exactly six years apart, and the difference those six years made was all the difference.  There’s an old wives tale that exists that says when you’re pregnant with a girl, they steal all of your beauty and if whoever came up with that notion is reading this, I couldn’t agree with you more. Take one look at my stunning daughter and the logic checks out. My body, hair, skin, and even facets of my personality changed in ways that I didn’t recognize. I was diagnosed hyperemesis by my OB which is a fancy term for “morning sickness 24/7 your entire pregnancy”. Cute.  Even with the chronic vomiting, I somehow still managed to gain 50+ pounds and I was full of fluid everywhere: my feet and hands were swollen, my lips looked like I had injected too much filler in them, and my boobs were out of this world large and full of milk. The sacrifices we make, am I right? By the grace of God, my daughter was born happy, healthy and beautiful and I am so grateful for that. As she got bigger, the pregnancy weight started to come off slowly but surely, and the first thing to go was my newly acquired large and perfectly round milk boobs. More months passed, and the girls started to resemble something like tangerines in a sock, or dog ears.  I was nearing the end of my twenties, established in an exciting career, and I had my two healthy beautiful babies. Still, when I looked at my body in a mirror, I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.  It wasn’t long before I started seriously thinking about having a breast lift or a breast augmentation and I started doing some independent research on the subject. I knew a few people who had breast implants, and most were kind enough to share their experience with me. I had pretty much decided that I definitely wanted to go ahead with the surgery, but I sat on the idea for a couple of years before I put any plan into action.

I’m naturally a bit of an impulsive person, but I did not want this to be a decision I made on a whim since there were so many factors to consider. My main concerns were (in no particular order) as follows:

• Cost
• Associated health risks
• Worrying about recovery and how that would impact my ability to work, and be with my kids
• Finding the right Doctor
• The fear of regret
• Choosing the right size for my body
• The stigma

Once I was certain that I wanted to move forward with the surgery, I booked a couple of consultations with plastic surgeons that came personally recommended to me by women I knew who had also had this surgery. My first consultation was with Dr. Yazdani who practises out of London, Ontario. What I am about to say about my experience with Dr. Yazdani and his clinic is my honest review of the experience I had and is in no way endorsed by him or his clinic.

Weighing Pros, Cons, and CC’s

I attended the consultation in May of 2021. I got a warm and fuzzy as soon as I stepped into his clinic- which is absolutely gorgeous by the way. His staff and nurses were all so kind and sweet, and when I met Dr. Yazdani I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely he was. I was expecting him to be very cut and dry, but he was actually quite warm and even a little bit funny. This made it slightly less awkward to strip down naked as he started the process of grabbing all the loose skin I was most self-conscious of, under bright lights and surrounded by mirrors and then photograph said skin … a humbling experience to say the least.  He explained the process to me in great detail, and gave me all kinds of different options that would be best for my body type. I am 5’ 8” and at the time I weighed about 120 pounds. I thought the process was as simple as getting cut open, popping an implant in, and then being sent home. He presented me with three samples of different sized implants that would restore a natural breast shape in my body type and combat the concern of loose and sagging skin that came after a collective 100 pound weight gain and then loss, and breastfeeding two babies. Options, options, options. He understood that I was looking for something very natural and not too large, but still aesthetically pleasing. We ultimately decided that I would go with the happy medium size of the three options he gave me: 55 CC’s of gummy bear goodness that felt so lovely and squishy to touch, and he even let me take it home so I could pop it in a sports bra to get an idea of how it would look and feel.  I knew fairly quickly that this was the right Doctor for me, so I cancelled my other consultation and decided to move forward. I paid a deposit and booked the surgery  for the afternoon of September 23, 2021: the day before my 30^th birthday. I was elated that I would be waking up the next day, going into the next decade of my life with some new boobs and a restored sense of self. It truly felt like I was giving myself a perfect gift, and in a way, thanking my body for all of the strength and blessings it provided me with in the years prior.

Aside from choosing the right size of implant, there were many other factors to consider which required some time and space to think about, and then a follow-up consultation a few weeks before the procedure to confirm the plan. We were back and forth about whether to go over the muscle or under the muscle, and whether I would get a fat transfer, which is a process where a plastic surgeon does liposuction from your hips and thighs, and transfers the fat into your breasts to create more cleavage, which we considered as a good option for me because I was thin with a lot of loose skin. Ultimately, because of my age and size and the ultimate goal I had, we decided to do a simple and straightforward augmentation where I would have the implant placed over the muscle through a small incision under my breasts. Since the surgery was fairly straightforward with no nipple reconstruction, breast lift or liposuction, the cost of the surgery came to just slightly less than $10,000.00. Digest that number for a minute and let me reassure you, it was worth every single penny.

The day of the surgery I was not allowed to eat or drink anything, which was tough because it was an afternoon surgery and I am a lush for water and coffee if nothing else. Something else I loved about this experience, was that my procedure did not take place at a hospital. The procedure took place in an advanced medical building which had units for physiotherapy, a pharmacy, family physicians, and was otherwise very quaint and welcoming. I waited in reception in a comfy wingback chair in front of a fireplace, and everyone was so friendly. When it was time for me to be admitted, I was ushered into what resembled a triage area of a hospital and living room hybrid, placed into yet another comfy chair and hooked up to an IV that made me feel like I was floating and very relaxed. Every time a nurse walked by me, they would smile at me and say “Happy early birthday!”  I felt 100% at ease in those moments and confident in my decision. Once it was my turn, I was wheeled into a bright and shiny OR and greeted by my Doctor. We were having casual chit chat as he was scrubbing in, and I remember even giggling with him about something, I don’t know what. I then drifted off into the best nap of my life, and woke up with two new friends. I was a bit groggy, but felt mostly fine. I was discharged soon after and was passenger princess on my way home, high on morphine texting all of my loved ones that I was out of surgery and absolutely thriving.

I had no issues sleeping that night, thanks to several strategically placed pillows and some prescription pain meds, but I did wake up the next day a little sore. The main thing I remember was that I couldn’t lift my arms over my head, and it was difficult to get out of bed. Using your arms to prop yourself up in bed to get up or shuffle your position was impossible. I managed to cook myself some scrambled eggs, and my best friend Sara was kind enough to squeeze me in to her salon for a wash and blow-dry, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about lifting my arms to do my hair for a few days. 

In the days that followed, the pain subsided but there was a lot of bruising and swelling. I was constantly looking at my boobs to examine them, and I wasn’t overly pleased with what I saw initially, but my Doctor reassured me it would take several weeks for the final result to take place. That was a tough waiting game, but ultimately, he was right. I guess he does know what he’s doing.

By day three I was at the pumpkin patch with my kids in 4 inch heeled booties #itsfallyall  and by day four I was back at work. I really have nothing negative to say about this procedure and the healing process that followed. My incisions are barely visible, and I was fortunate enough to not have any complications. Almost three years later, I love how my boobs look. They don’t sit high and round like Instagram grapefruit boobs- they settled into a nice little “drop and fluff” and I often get complimented on how natural they look. They aren’t huge, and they aren’t overly perky. They just look like 21 year old D cup boobs with a slight natural sag, that I happen to love.  

I should add that I work in a job that requires me to dress professionally, and I exercise frequently and because of the modest size I chose, the implants do not interfere with my daily life whatsoever.

Suffice to say, I am very happy with my decision but at the same time, I am glad I took the time to really think about the results I wanted and that I chose a Doctor who took the time to explain things to me in detail and answer all of my crazy questions. I hear often that people need to get their implants replaced every ten years, and I have thought many times that despite how much I like them and how positive my experience was, that I would get them removed instead of replaced and get a lift at that time. I’m not totally steadfast in that, but it is something I have considered. Time will tell and at the end of the day, these decisions are for me and me alone. I did not then, and have not ever, invested much stock into what other people think of me and the choices I make.  If you’re considering this procedure I strongly urge you to do your own independent research with regards to the risks involved, and take your time choosing a surgeon. Do not let the opinions of others stop you from doing something for you, even (and especially) if you are a childless woman just looking to enhance your natural beauty. You only get one life and you have to live it for you babe. I sometimes get looks if I am wearing a tank top or bathing suit in a public place, and I can imagine that at least one person has made a negative comment about my choice and my appearance without otherwise knowing a single thing about me, but I don’t care.

The decision to do this was as personal to me as my Starbucks order, and I love extra whip, please.  I went into this with a lot of thought and the goal was to embrace my femininity and restore some confidence. I spent my entire twenties having and raising babies, but I don’t need to justify that objective to anyone else. Whether you love your body au naturel or you’re ready to book that consult, you are a Queen either way. It would have brought me a lot of comfort when I was considering this procedure to find an independent and unbiased review of someone’s honest experience to help me weigh the pros and cons, so if you’re reading this and you’re on the fence, I hope you feel empowered to do whatever feels best for you, without considering anyone else! I am always delighted to chat girl power, trade secrets, and have open and honest conversations about my experience- the gift of gab if you will. I can’t say enough good things, but also want to keep it real- this is something that needs serious research and consideration.  If you’re simply just interested in my boob journey, thank you for stopping by, and I’ll make sure to tell the girls you say hello :)