A woman who was struggling to breastfeed and play with her children as a result of her natural 34I cup chest has undergone breast reduction surgery – and says the results have been incredible.
Mum-of-three Michelle Heydens decided to go under the knife to reduce her chest to a 32C cup after becoming frustrated with the limitations and back pain they imposed on her.
The mother, who has three daughters aged seven, five, and 21 months, had “sagging” breasts that reached her belly button, but has since turned her life around and is able to lift her children, take them swimming and start working out.
Her wake-up call came after a bid to reduce her breasts herself – losing 50lbs – only changed her breasts by a single cup size and she continued to struggle with her children’s care.
“Outside of being able to play and run with my kids, it has been a challenge to even pick them up and carry them – even as a tiny baby, carrying my daughter for any length of time would add even more stress on my back,” Michelle, a HR manager from Michigan, US, told NeedToKnow.co.uk
“Breastfeeding was also a challenge with large breasts. It was very challenging trying to get my daughter in the correct position and I had to use two hands to nurse to ensure that my breast wasn’t covering her nose.
“With each pregnancy, my breasts got larger and never went back down after breastfeeding, they just got saggier, so my desire to get a reduction increased.”
Apart from the physical pain, Michelle found her mental health declining after noticing she wasn’t running around and playing with her children without changing into a very compressive sports bra.
Not only that, but finding clothes that made her feel pretty were either expensive or impossible to find.
She said: “Nice bras in my size cost me upward of $70 each and were almost impossible to find in stores.
“I have never been able to buy a single bathing suit – either a two piece or a one piece – that fit my body type and large breasts.”
After discovering her doctors deemed her surgery “medically necessary”, Michelle’s insurance forked out around $17,000, leaving her with only $2,900 left to pay.
On 3 February, Michelle underwent a three-hour operation using an anchor incision and although doctors advised six to eight weeks recovery, she insists she felt like herself again after just two.
She said: “I am still waiting on my breasts to completely round out and some slight swelling to go down but I should be around a 32C.
“I am absolutely ecstatic with the results and am feeling so much more confident about myself.
“I can already tell that clothes fit me better, I have had immediate relief in my back pain, and my shoulder grooving from the weight of my breasts is already disappearing.”
Despite knowing the surgery was the right decision for her, and her husband, Nicholas, being “100% on board”, Michelle has faced less than savoury opinions from outsiders.
At first, family and friends who were unaware of the crippling size of her breasts were shocked to discover her surgical plans, until Michelle explained the extent of her suffering.
But online trolls were the worst offenders, accusing Michelle of snubbing a “god-given gift”.
She said: “Most of the hate that I’ve received have been people telling me that I was disfiguring my body or ‘slapping god in the face’ for changing what he gave me.
“I’ve had some women tell me that they ‘weren’t that big’ and that it was an unnecessary risky surgery.
“I had both men and women tell me that I should just accept myself for the way that I’m made and to be happy with what ‘god gave me’.”
Negative comments aside, Michelle is ecstatic with her results and feels that not only her self-confidence has soared, but her ability to be a hands-on mother too.
Explaining that starting the process was the toughest part of the journey, Michelle said: “Talking to my doctor was the hardest part.
“I had many doubts along the way and almost backed out a couple of times. I’m so glad that I stuck with it and saw the process completely through.
“My confidence is up, my physical and mental health has improved, and I’m just happier all the way around – and I plan to go swimming with my youngest daughter at swim class in just a few days!”
