Breast cancer can strike at any age, causing lots of physical suffering and mental burden. If a young lady unfortunately has breast cancer, she will be haunted by questions about her fertility.

But is pregnancy possible and safe after breast cancer? Along with this concern, many other questions are answered below.

Is childbirth possible after breast cancer?

Different types of cancer treatment may negatively affect your ability to have children. For instance, chemotherapy can lead to infertility due to the damage it causes to the ovaries during treatment.

However many people are able to successfully have babies after treatment. It’s advisable to inform the doctor about your plans to have a baby before starting breast cancer treatment.

Will breast cancer return because of the pregnancy?

You know that breast cancer is related with the hormone oestrogen. That’s why many people believe that when more hormones are produced during pregnancy, breast cancer is more likely to recur.

However, research indicates that a pregnancy does not increase the chances of breast cancer recurring.

The same applies to breastfeeding. It will not make your breast cancer more likely to return. In fact, some studies suggest that breastfeeding mothers may have a lower risk of cancer recurring.

When is the best time to get pregnant after breast cancer treatment?

There is no clear waiting period but doctors suggest that breast cancer survivors should wait at least two years after successful treatment before getting pregnant.

You need these two years to make sure that there is no return of cancer. There are still cases in which breast cancer does return after two years.

Keep in mind that every person’s situation is different and this suggested waiting time is not confirmed by any clinical trials.

Your plans of having a baby should rely on your age, type of cancer, and the risk of cancer recurrence.

Will the baby face any risk with your history of breast cancer?

There is no evidence to support that a history of breast cancer will impact your baby. Likewise, researchers have not found any increase in birth defect rates or long-term health issues in babies from women with a history of breast cancer.

Can breast cancer treatment affect an unborn baby?

Treatment for breast cancer, be it chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy can affect the foetus. Thus, before the treatment runs its course, do refrain from getting pregnant.

Also, you should not stop treatment early to have a baby. Stopping treatment before the required time will increase the risk of the cancer growing faster or recurring.

Is breastfeeding safe after breast cancer treatment?

After completing the course of treatment, you can still breastfeed but the previous surgery or radiation will create problems if you breastfeed with the affected breast.

Treatment may reduce your milk production while re-constructive surgery may make it painful when the baby latches onto your breast at feeding times.

If you are still on medication, do consult your doctor about your plan to breastfeed. Many drugs can enter your breast milk and affect your baby.

This article first appeared on Hello Doktor. The Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.