6 Surprising Things I Learned During My Breast Augmentation

There's no doubt that breast augmentation was one of the best things I've ever done for myself — but it came with some unexpected twists. Here are 6 of the most surprising facts I learned during the course of my procedure.

1. Think cc instead of DD.  When I went for my first consultation, I knew exactly what I wanted — a beautiful pair of 36Ds. I thought I was being savvy by having a clear idea of my goals, but my doctor explained to me that implants are measured in cubic centimeters (or cc), not cup sizes. Thanks to my own experience, I already knew that cup sizes could vary from bra to bra, so it made sense not to rely on them for implants. My surgeon helped me try on implant sizers, measured in cc, that gave both of us a better idea of my goals.
2. Size matters, but it's not everything.  The question of size is usually foremost on any woman's mind while she's considering implants — I know it was for me. But as I did my research, I realized that I had a lot more decisions to make than just my ideal size. Implants come so many options, including saline and silicone. Within those categories, they can be round or teardrop-shaped, be textured or smooth, and have different projections. They can also be placed over or under the chest muscle. I also had to decide where I wanted my incision. Ultimately I chose teardrop-shaped silicone implants that were placed under the muscle. My surgeon made an incision along the crease beneath my breasts. Now that I've healed, my scars aren't noticeable to most people, even when I'm at the beach.
3. Sleeping on your back is harder than you think.  My surgeon instructed me to sleep on my back for a few weeks after surgery — and this turned out to be one of the most difficult parts of healing! I'm used to falling asleep on my stomach, so it was tough to make the adjustment. After a few nights of trial and error, I figured out that keeping a few pillows beneath my knees as well as some on either side of my body gave me a comfortable "nest" where I could fall asleep. The pillows also kept me from rolling over in the middle of the night.
4. Out to dinner the night of surgery? Not quite.  Some doctors advertise "rapid recovery" breast augmentation that allegedly has patients feeling well enough to go out to dinner that night. Although my recovery was faster than I anticipated, it wasn't quite that fast. The night after my surgery, I was still feeling pretty groggy from the anesthesia and pain medication. I spent most of the night on the couch, wearing yoga pants and watching reruns of "The Golden Girls." The closest I got to eating out was wonton soup from the Chinese restaurant down the street. I wasn't feeling bad, but I definitely wasn't in the mood for a night on the town. To be fair, a lot of surgeons are really upfront about recovery times. For instance, Dr. Vincent Lepore, a San Jose-based plastic surgeon, recommends on his website that breast augmentation patients rest for 24 to 48 hours after surgery and restrict activity for several more days.
5. Be prepared for unexpected side effects.  I was ready for soreness, swelling, and other side effects that are typical to surgery — but I didn't expect to have trouble going to the bathroom. Thankfully, my doctor told me this is normal. It turns out that the combination of pain medication, adjustments to my diet, and lack of physical activity was making me constipated. She recommended staying hydrated, eating lots of high-fiber foods (hello, broccoli!), and moving around as much as possible without overdoing it. Things were back to normal in a few days.
6. Stop, drop, and ... fluff?  Breast augmentation introduced me to "drop and fluff," a phrase I had never heard before. Implants generally sit pretty high and tight on the chest for the first few weeks after surgery. Over time, as the skin and tissue expand around them, they gradually drop a bit lower and soften up — hence the "drop and fluff." This was comforting to know, because my new breasts looked pretty swollen the first time I saw them. Today, they're in the perfect place on my chest, and they feel much more natural than they did right after surgery.