Pregnancy and breast feeding are two of life’s most beautiful experiences. I actually consider them sacred.
Sadly, they’re also life events that can precipitate a new layer of self-rejection that leads many women to undergo cosmetic surgeries.
Our body goes through changes with pregnancy and breast feeding – sometimes significantly so. When breasts sag and stomach skin is stretched it can lead to a self-esteem crisis and self-rejection. Women often feel pressured to live up to the media standard of ‘forever youthful’ and ‘forever perfect’ and want their pre-pregnancy body back. Many women opt to undergo breast augmentation, ’mommy make-over’ and other cosmetic procedures.
Most women get breast implants without being fully aware of the dangers, even when they’ve done research. Women are still being duped by the same ‘breast implants are safe’ pitch that I was when I got implants. Nobody gets out of having breast implants unscathed. Changes within the chest wall are inevitable; and other complications likely, especially with time.
Most of the women I know who became sick from their implants (bii), and/or experienced device failure, expressed after their implants were removed that they wish they’d loved themselves more prior to getting implants. Seeing their ‘pre-breast-implants’ breasts in photos (after losing their health to implants), they finally ‘get’ that they were beautiful as they were. Their breasts with implants usually looked fake, and misshapen, but the worst part is that many women ended up so sick they weren’t able to participate as a ‘mom’ in their children’s lives.
How did toxic sacs of chemicals become more acceptable than breasts which have sustained life?
Women feel more pressure than men, in general, to fit a media ideal. I hope we’ll begin having conversations about the pressures women face in regard to self-esteem, self-rejection and the trend toward plastic surgery. Quick-fixes come with a cost.