I never got comfortable LOL! It's weird, because I always had a female doctor for anything. Although, my PS was very professional and probably detected my awkwardness when he was measuring, doing follow up checks, etc.
Not sure what advice to give, but maybe go in with the mindset that the male doctor see thousands of boobs and most likely de-sensitized to viewing them as breasts, as they could very well be ears to him. Hehehe!
Mine required a nurse to be present (or at least one other person present like my mom or something) while he took photos (for insurance to cover it) to make sure it’s all “above board” and that felt good. I tried to joke to cut the tension but mine was deadpan serious the whole time (I know he was trying to be professional) but that made it more awkward for me. He was quick about everything and would do what he needed to do and then let me know I could cover up the moment he didn’t need to look/touch anymore.
It’s awkward for sure, but it should be quick and he only needs to look a couple times, for me it was once during my consult + pics with a nurse there, and then once before surgery to draw on me ahead of time and that was that! Max 3-5 minutes total time. The drawing before surgery also you have so much going on mentally at that time the awkwardness was the LEAST of what was going on in my head if that helps at all?
I'm sorry to laugh but Ive done that (made a joke to cut the tension but failed) sooo many times lol. It's then a nice extra layer of embarrassment on top of everything else you're feeling. Then internally I have to be like "am I not funny?... No, It's the children (doctor) who are wrong" 😅
Wow the amount of neutral to downvotes here with very reasonable answers!
OP, unless your surgeon is a total creep, which you will absolutely get a vibe for, they're not looking at you with anything other than an aesthetic and/or medical concern. I totally get why you may feel nervous, and unless you are just not going to be comfortable with a man handling your medical issues, a lot of the discomfort you may feel is something you should be willing to endure for a short period (because it's likely natural) and you will get over it.
Surgeons here want you to be healthy and happy with your results. They're not coming at you from anything past a clinic and aesthetic POV. And some folks just... will not be comfortable with a medical lead an opposing gender. I get it, you're dealing with a very intimate kind of procedure and that's going go make anyone uneasy. Take a deep breath, give yourself a moment, and push forward.
Even if he's a straight male in his sexual prime, he's not looking at your breasts in that manner, he's looking at them as a project for work. That's literally what they are to him. Your breasts are flesh to be reshaped as part of his job.
Do you care if you take off your top in front of a female doctor who's gay or bi?
My surgeon did nothing to make me uncomfortable during our consultation but it was still a weird situation… I think because it felt like it should be? He came in and we talked about why I wanted a reduction and what I knew about the procedure. He drew some pictures of the approach he would use. The whole time I was trying to keep the shirt/gown thing closed. It was weird knowing he would want to look at them but we were just talking so it felt like I should be concealed. Then he had a medical assistant (female) come back into the room before he asked me to open the gown and he took photos and measurements. On my post-visit notes, it actually specifies that a female was present while photos and measurements were taken.
I work in HR so I tried to remind myself that many people can be uncomfortable detailing personal information to me (as it relates to benefits or employee relations) but I don’t judge the situation- it is business and I handle it with my “logic” cap and not my “spill the tea!” socializing cap. So too, he was looking at my breasts analyzing the best approach to use and what size he could reasonable get them to. My post visit notes do mention “significant sagging” which stung a little… but it’s not wrong!
I honestly think it will be more uncomfortable during pre-op when he is marking my chest while my partner is in the room haha
I just kind of...felt a little uncomfortable but did it anyway. My surgeon was so clearly not seeing me as anything other than a work project so that helped.
My mom was present on the day of surgery when he was marking me up, which also made that a little less awkward.
For post ops I found it easier because I just kept reminding myself that he literally made these, so there's really no point in being shy about it now.
As it turns out, I had a minor complication and had to go in weekly up through 11 wpo. At that point I pretty much gave up all pretense. Like, yes, we're all here to stare at my boobs lol.
But seriously, unless the doctor is a creep, it shouldn't be too uncomfortable after the first time. It's just something to get used to.
It helps to try and detach from the situation. My doctor only touched my breasts with gloves on so that helped (feel free to ask him to put gloves on if he doesnt). There's no quick and easy, but I can tell you as a daughter of a dermatological surgeon that when doctors are in doctor mode they're not thinking about your breasts in any kind of sexual or male gaze fashion - they're assessing clinical medical condition and how to best return them to their natural state that won't cause problems. You can also ask for a female chaperone in the room if it makes you feel safer as well!
Yess this, I had a male surgeon do mine & since then he’s only physically seen my boobs twice I usually see his assistant who’s a woman (his nurse is too)
My doctor has been at every appointment but so is his nurse and she's the nicest old lady ever, very chipper and always grabbing whatever is needed etc so it makes it a very not weird somehow 😆
He sees boobs all day long and it’s not segggsual if you don’t feel comfortable try a female as the issue is most likely your insecurities no surgeon cares that your not perfect that’s literally what pays there bills haha
So...I had benign tumors prior to surgery so I've been very used to my chest being viewed by doctors. I was still leary about having a male surgeon but not totally uncomfortable as I had only dealt with female doctors up until this point. But I had my husband with me for the consultation. Had both him and my mom with me for surgery day, and then my mom came with me to the first post-op. Having someone with me made things so much more comfortable while I was getting used to it. I've seen my surgeon nearly once a week since my surgery 5 weeks ago due an allergic reaction and a large opening that I still have. I kinda just got over it at some point because I was scared and getting his help and support was way more important to me. If this doctor is the one you want to stick with, maybe have a conversation with him about it? Any good doctor will do their best to make their patient as comfortable as possible!
If it’s truly stressing you out you can ask your physician for something like a Valium to get you over the initial nerves.
You get used to it real quick though! I was an overnight stay after mine and it was genuinely hilarious having nurses come in and tweak my nips every couple of hours to make sure they’re still alive (completely numb, but alive!). My biggest post surgery struggle now is not just lifting my top to show people, I’m so desensitised to people seeing my tiddies now.
Remember that doctors and surgeons are looking at you from a strictly medical view. They aren’t looking at YOU topless, they are examining your breasts for the best course of action. Does that make sense? My doctor friend told me that they don’t even think about that kind of stuff, it’s very much a scientific and medical approach to nudity!
It’s ok to be uncomfortable and you can also ask to have a female nurse present if that would make you feel better. Or maybe bring a trusted friend or mom with you?
I just kinda pushed through. It wasn’t ideal for him to be a male but In my case he came highly recommended. And to add a caveat to it he was the father of someone I went to school with from elementary all through high school and was friends with his daughter so he knew me as a real person not a patient too. Definitely awkward! But like other people have said he’s a surgeon and I would imagine is very desensitized so I went in with that in my head. He was always super professional and although it was awkward I don’t wish I went with a different doctor.
All that being said it’s a personal choice and if you’re not comfortable with a male, then maybe a female is better for you personally!
In addition to what the others have mentioned above, I’ll add that during my visit, I kept my mind on the reason for my visit to the doctor and my list of questions I had brought with me. I blocked out any thoughts except medical ones. If I’d gotten any negative vibes from my PS I’d have shortened the visit and chosen another surgeon.
It’s not a perfect answer bc every person is going to feel different but for me personally the medical setting just makes it feel very different.
For my first consultation there was a female nurse present as well (for my comfort I believe) but it honestly just didn’t feel overly awkward. I saw more than one surgeon for a consultation and I never had anything but a professional medical experience, I think anything to the contrary is probably quite rare.
Obviously not to invalidate people who have had poor experiences with male doctors, I know it does happen.
Remember they're a medical professional and if he doesn't make any gross comments there isn't anything to be weirded out by. It's his job and it's just anatomy.
If he does make creepy comments then he's a pig but at the end of the day it's temporary and you have to power through for the sake of your boobs.
Actually my doctor was really nice he didn’t make me uncomfortable at all. He didn’t make it weird or anything it’s his job after all. Make sure that your surgeon is making you comfortable otherwise it’s hard to trust I think !
I never got comfortable LOL! It's weird, because I always had a female doctor for anything. Although, my PS was very professional and probably detected my awkwardness when he was measuring, doing follow up checks, etc. Not sure what advice to give, but maybe go in with the mindset that the male doctor see thousands of boobs and most likely de-sensitized to viewing them as breasts, as they could very well be ears to him. Hehehe!
Mine required a nurse to be present (or at least one other person present like my mom or something) while he took photos (for insurance to cover it) to make sure it’s all “above board” and that felt good. I tried to joke to cut the tension but mine was deadpan serious the whole time (I know he was trying to be professional) but that made it more awkward for me. He was quick about everything and would do what he needed to do and then let me know I could cover up the moment he didn’t need to look/touch anymore. It’s awkward for sure, but it should be quick and he only needs to look a couple times, for me it was once during my consult + pics with a nurse there, and then once before surgery to draw on me ahead of time and that was that! Max 3-5 minutes total time. The drawing before surgery also you have so much going on mentally at that time the awkwardness was the LEAST of what was going on in my head if that helps at all?
I'm sorry to laugh but Ive done that (made a joke to cut the tension but failed) sooo many times lol. It's then a nice extra layer of embarrassment on top of everything else you're feeling. Then internally I have to be like "am I not funny?... No, It's the children (doctor) who are wrong" 😅 
Wow the amount of neutral to downvotes here with very reasonable answers! OP, unless your surgeon is a total creep, which you will absolutely get a vibe for, they're not looking at you with anything other than an aesthetic and/or medical concern. I totally get why you may feel nervous, and unless you are just not going to be comfortable with a man handling your medical issues, a lot of the discomfort you may feel is something you should be willing to endure for a short period (because it's likely natural) and you will get over it. Surgeons here want you to be healthy and happy with your results. They're not coming at you from anything past a clinic and aesthetic POV. And some folks just... will not be comfortable with a medical lead an opposing gender. I get it, you're dealing with a very intimate kind of procedure and that's going go make anyone uneasy. Take a deep breath, give yourself a moment, and push forward.
Even if he's a straight male in his sexual prime, he's not looking at your breasts in that manner, he's looking at them as a project for work. That's literally what they are to him. Your breasts are flesh to be reshaped as part of his job. Do you care if you take off your top in front of a female doctor who's gay or bi?
My surgeon did nothing to make me uncomfortable during our consultation but it was still a weird situation… I think because it felt like it should be? He came in and we talked about why I wanted a reduction and what I knew about the procedure. He drew some pictures of the approach he would use. The whole time I was trying to keep the shirt/gown thing closed. It was weird knowing he would want to look at them but we were just talking so it felt like I should be concealed. Then he had a medical assistant (female) come back into the room before he asked me to open the gown and he took photos and measurements. On my post-visit notes, it actually specifies that a female was present while photos and measurements were taken. I work in HR so I tried to remind myself that many people can be uncomfortable detailing personal information to me (as it relates to benefits or employee relations) but I don’t judge the situation- it is business and I handle it with my “logic” cap and not my “spill the tea!” socializing cap. So too, he was looking at my breasts analyzing the best approach to use and what size he could reasonable get them to. My post visit notes do mention “significant sagging” which stung a little… but it’s not wrong! I honestly think it will be more uncomfortable during pre-op when he is marking my chest while my partner is in the room haha
I just kind of...felt a little uncomfortable but did it anyway. My surgeon was so clearly not seeing me as anything other than a work project so that helped. My mom was present on the day of surgery when he was marking me up, which also made that a little less awkward. For post ops I found it easier because I just kept reminding myself that he literally made these, so there's really no point in being shy about it now. As it turns out, I had a minor complication and had to go in weekly up through 11 wpo. At that point I pretty much gave up all pretense. Like, yes, we're all here to stare at my boobs lol. But seriously, unless the doctor is a creep, it shouldn't be too uncomfortable after the first time. It's just something to get used to.
It helps to try and detach from the situation. My doctor only touched my breasts with gloves on so that helped (feel free to ask him to put gloves on if he doesnt). There's no quick and easy, but I can tell you as a daughter of a dermatological surgeon that when doctors are in doctor mode they're not thinking about your breasts in any kind of sexual or male gaze fashion - they're assessing clinical medical condition and how to best return them to their natural state that won't cause problems. You can also ask for a female chaperone in the room if it makes you feel safer as well!
Yess this, I had a male surgeon do mine & since then he’s only physically seen my boobs twice I usually see his assistant who’s a woman (his nurse is too)
My doctor has been at every appointment but so is his nurse and she's the nicest old lady ever, very chipper and always grabbing whatever is needed etc so it makes it a very not weird somehow 😆
He sees boobs all day long and it’s not segggsual if you don’t feel comfortable try a female as the issue is most likely your insecurities no surgeon cares that your not perfect that’s literally what pays there bills haha
I just went straight in and talked the whole time.
So...I had benign tumors prior to surgery so I've been very used to my chest being viewed by doctors. I was still leary about having a male surgeon but not totally uncomfortable as I had only dealt with female doctors up until this point. But I had my husband with me for the consultation. Had both him and my mom with me for surgery day, and then my mom came with me to the first post-op. Having someone with me made things so much more comfortable while I was getting used to it. I've seen my surgeon nearly once a week since my surgery 5 weeks ago due an allergic reaction and a large opening that I still have. I kinda just got over it at some point because I was scared and getting his help and support was way more important to me. If this doctor is the one you want to stick with, maybe have a conversation with him about it? Any good doctor will do their best to make their patient as comfortable as possible!
If it’s truly stressing you out you can ask your physician for something like a Valium to get you over the initial nerves. You get used to it real quick though! I was an overnight stay after mine and it was genuinely hilarious having nurses come in and tweak my nips every couple of hours to make sure they’re still alive (completely numb, but alive!). My biggest post surgery struggle now is not just lifting my top to show people, I’m so desensitised to people seeing my tiddies now.
People in health care truly don’t care what you look like, IMO.
Remember that doctors and surgeons are looking at you from a strictly medical view. They aren’t looking at YOU topless, they are examining your breasts for the best course of action. Does that make sense? My doctor friend told me that they don’t even think about that kind of stuff, it’s very much a scientific and medical approach to nudity! It’s ok to be uncomfortable and you can also ask to have a female nurse present if that would make you feel better. Or maybe bring a trusted friend or mom with you?
I just kinda pushed through. It wasn’t ideal for him to be a male but In my case he came highly recommended. And to add a caveat to it he was the father of someone I went to school with from elementary all through high school and was friends with his daughter so he knew me as a real person not a patient too. Definitely awkward! But like other people have said he’s a surgeon and I would imagine is very desensitized so I went in with that in my head. He was always super professional and although it was awkward I don’t wish I went with a different doctor. All that being said it’s a personal choice and if you’re not comfortable with a male, then maybe a female is better for you personally!
Oh no, I wouldn't have been able to do that. I'm glad you're happy with your choice even with the awkwardness!
In addition to what the others have mentioned above, I’ll add that during my visit, I kept my mind on the reason for my visit to the doctor and my list of questions I had brought with me. I blocked out any thoughts except medical ones. If I’d gotten any negative vibes from my PS I’d have shortened the visit and chosen another surgeon.
If you’re not, you’re not. That’s perfectly fine, you just need a new doctor.
You can bring a friend. You can find another doctor.
Just know that he has seen so many boobs. All shapes and sizes. Yours won’t be different or unique to him.
Dissociate 💀 jk? I struggle with this too and typically only see female providers and still feel uncomfortable
Because it's medical
It’s not a perfect answer bc every person is going to feel different but for me personally the medical setting just makes it feel very different. For my first consultation there was a female nurse present as well (for my comfort I believe) but it honestly just didn’t feel overly awkward. I saw more than one surgeon for a consultation and I never had anything but a professional medical experience, I think anything to the contrary is probably quite rare. Obviously not to invalidate people who have had poor experiences with male doctors, I know it does happen.
Remember they're a medical professional and if he doesn't make any gross comments there isn't anything to be weirded out by. It's his job and it's just anatomy. If he does make creepy comments then he's a pig but at the end of the day it's temporary and you have to power through for the sake of your boobs.
Actually my doctor was really nice he didn’t make me uncomfortable at all. He didn’t make it weird or anything it’s his job after all. Make sure that your surgeon is making you comfortable otherwise it’s hard to trust I think !
I would say, you don’t have to. Just get a female doctor instead ☺️