Right now, I’m writing this while I pause from picking out a plunging dress for my 34^th birthday. A few minutes ago, I was dancing in the mirror naked to Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on my Parade.” But a year ago…I was nine months postpartum with my second child and didn’t recognize myself in the mirror. While I was never endowed with large breasts, the shrived raisins that I was left with after having children couldn’t even fill out a bralette. They had no shape and looked used. It was as if they had served their purpose–after only three decades of life, they had retired. They might as well have moved to a golf community in Boca, because they certainly weren’t working for me anymore. 

Of course, I hid my disappointment with my body publicly. I was so blessed to have started a family without issues–so I tabled the idea of exploring any medical artistry that might give me by body back. After all, no one in my circle of moms dealt with anything similar. I felt alone.

TAKING CONTROL

Then, during a Lutronic Ultra Laser facial with Nurse Tara at Dr. Neinstein’s office in the Upper East Side, I realized how refreshing and empowering it was to invest in myself when it came to my face.

I decided my body shouldn’t be a taboo topic for a refresh either. So, I asked her if Dr. Neinstein would take a look at my breasts. Then, I scheduled a consult and he penciled me in to meet his new breast specialist, Dr. Anna Steve. From there, I started to do research and thought I knew everything I was signing up for. I remember feeling embarrassed the first time I showed Dr. Anna Steve what she would be working with.

Prior to that game-changing consult, I had signed into virtual consultations and paid $500 for an in-person meeting with a surgeon that had great before/afters after a quick google search. However, that experience somehow made me feel inferior. Maybe it’s because the men assessing the specifics of my body couldn’t begin to relate to me as a mother, or maybe it was their dismissive demeanors, but I was scared for my first consult with Dr. Anna Steve–until I met her.

We immediately clicked. I was confident in her approach and recommended plan for me. Even before the procedure, she made me feel beautiful in my postpartum skin. Beyond that, she understood the assignment: achieve the conservative, small but present curves that I enjoyed before having kids.

I had no idea how empowering this experience would turn out on the other side. But, these tips would have been a godsend to anyone who has made the decision to move forward with this process. Here are five things I never knew about getting breast implants.

1) UNLESS YOU’RE A DOCTOR, YOU’RE NOT A DOCTOR

Above all, trust your surgeon. Before you’ve selected a surgeon, you’re in control of this process. Ideally, once you’ve selected someone like Dr. Anna Steve, you’re no longer singlehandedly rebuilding your own physique. It’s now time to remember that your doctor is your partner in this endeavor, and she’s the expert.

Have you ever walked into a nail salon with the picture of a wildly unique design on your phone only to have the nail tech in question explain that a) your nail bed, shape, or length might not be the best fit for that, or b) that you also needed or didn’t need an extra add-on service? 

I thought so.

The consultations before a breast implant procedure are similar. Once you’ve selected a surgeon, you need to trust them. Do you need a lift, or not? If you do, what kind of lift would be the best? Do you need a bigger implant than you expected? Why or why not? It’s dangerous to go in with a specific set of expectations outlined by a different surgeon or a write-up you found online. You’ll end up caught up what you want your surgeon to say vs. what you need to hear.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, but remember that unless you’re a doctor, you’re not a doctor. Let your surgeon be your sherpa and you won’t be disappointed.

2) SIZE IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

To that point, when it comes to breast implants, size does matter–but that doesn’t mean that numbers are best understood by patients who have only received their MDs from Google. Throughout this process, I learned that implant size & projection can prove to yield a different outcome on each individual. When I finally decided to trust Dr. Steve, I had to let her numerical expertise guide my implant selection. She understood that twin implants could still yield unparalleled results in separate people and instinctively knew how to ensure that we selected the right one.

In other words, note that everyone has unique breast tissue, chest width, and torso dimensions. While Real Self is a great resource to use before you’ve decided to move forward in getting breast implants, note that it is not a library of exact results that you can reference with your doctor. Above all, digital resources aren’t physicians or mathematicians certified to recommend whether 175cc or 450ccs at the right profiles will work on your body. Luckily, your doctor is. So, bring upwards of five inspiration photos and share notes on what you like (and don’t like) with your surgeon. Also, bring in the bra that you hope to wear post-procedure. 

3) PATIENCE IS KEY WITH BREAST SURGERY

Honestly, they look scary right after surgery. I had no idea that it would take almost 5-weeks for what I later lovingly referred to as my “Frankentits” to look normal. In the beginning, they’re swollen, riding high, taped, and mildly bruised. Not to mention, for the first few days, the shape almost appears square when your muscles are still in spasm. While as soon the morning after surgery, I was still glad I decided to move forward, breast augmentation is a process of which the procedure is only the first step. 

After a month, I thought they looked great, until another month went by and they looked even better. I would plan to hold off on bra shopping, photoshoots, and holding judgement on your result for the 3-6 months recommended by your surgeon. If your surgeon is Dr. Anna Steve, she’ll also help you track your progress, showing you pictures from week 1-to-month 3, for you to see the positive improvements in retrospect. When you’re panicking, ask her to show you progress pictures from someone else, too. Take a deep breath, put on one of your recovery bras, and daydream about the perfect physique ahead.  

4) THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION DOESN’T HOLD A CANDLE TO HOW YOU FEEL IN FRONT OF A MIRROR

I never thought I’d be a candidate for breast implants. But, once I decided to move forward, I started talking about it. Immediately, women who had hadn’t had children yet told me not to change a thing “you’re perfect just as is!” Random men reached out to tell me they didn’t approve of plastic surgery, as if they wouldn’t have done something to better their bodies if fatherhood had irreversibly changed theirs. The court of public opinion plagued me with doubts until I kept going back to the mirror and asking myself what I wanted to see, and what I was willing to do to see it. It isn’t just the physical appearance either, it’s the sensation. I had to remember that none of those women or men would have the privilege of feeling me up after this procedure, so they didn’t have a say in it prior.

At the end of the day, it’s important to do this for you. Just like you wouldn’t ask someone to pick your significant other for you, follow your own instincts when it comes to breast implants. Then have and hold them dearly.

5) YOU DON’T HAVE TO PUT YOUR LIFE ON HOLD

In simplest terms, Dr. Steve’s rapid recovery plan gave me control over my body from the minute I got home from the procedure. First, I wasn’t on prescription strength painkillers, and felt like myself on over-the-counter solutions. That gave me the ability to drive to work and to take care of my kids even before I was allowed to lift them. Second, I was taking brisk walks by day 4 and going for a light jog by day 14. So, I didn’t have to lose the strength and tone in my core that I had worked hard for postpartum, just to get the volume back in my chest that I so desperately missed.

Before I started this process, I read a lot of literature written by surgeons that ascribed to antiquated recovery methods. Honestly, many of those recovery programs seemed debilitating to a healthy lifestyle, motherhood, or romantic relationship. But as a mother, Dr. Anna Steve worked with me on a custom-designed rapid recovery plan that had me doing light arm movements (to aid in recovery) before I even left their offices. I’ll be forever grateful for how quickly I sprung back. 

IN CONCLUSION

Months later, I’m picking out that plunging dress for my 34^th birthday and looking back on this process with an immense amount of gratitude. So, I’m hoping these tips help other women that are making the empowering decisions to get their bodies back. Just remember to be patient and to trust the process. It’s well worth the wait.

Disclaimer: This is a personal testimonial of one individual’s experience with breast implants and does not reflect how this, or any procedure, may affect others. Please schedule a consultation to learn how these tips can apply to you. All opinions discussed are honest and part of a content collaboration.