Does breast size matter?

[seenabeena]

This might sound like a stupid question, but do bub's find it easier to breastfeed on 'average' sized breasts rather than small or large boobs?

I am curious because I am currently a E cup and wondering how my little fella is going to manage with such big udders for him to suckle on??????

[Tracey]

I was a GG with DD#1, I admit I could not & did not feed her, but I still got big choozies with Indah & am breastfeeding so easily I am amazed!!
I know people with really small boobs that fed well & small boobs that couldn't feed well!
I find some mornings my breasts are massive & hard, I express a bit to soften the nipple & then put Indah on (the whole time she is screaming for boobies mind you!) but she can feed easily & I am loving it!!!!
I feel so satisfied looking at her & her milky dribbles & knowing I am feeding her!

Attachment, attachment, attachment!!!
If you can get that right, it wont matter how big, small or average your jugs are!!!!

Good Luck!

[Tigergirl1980]

It doesn't really matter, you just have to hold them in the right possy. I went up to a D cup and I found that the football hold (baby's body under the arm) was the best and then just held the boob up a bit so it didn't smother him. But that seemed to work best, I just couldn't do it the other way.

[Adnil]

i really dont think it matters at all. Like Bec, I had to use the football hold at first, more because my nipples point out - it sounds weird, i didnt even know it though!! so the shape of your boobs can affect how you have to do it too.

[beckles]

i have heard that large breast can produce less milk because the fat cells can compress the milk ducts. don't know how true this is. my boobs are always much bigger than my bubba's heads DD to E cup and i have feed three babies successfully for years! my sister has titchy boobs like an AA cup and she feed all her babys as well so i don't think size matters that much just attachment and frequent feeds.

HTH beckles

[angelfish]

Breast size in itself shouldn't usually make a difference. Milk storage capacity varies according to how much glandular tissue you have (which is not the same as how much fat you have), but even if you have a low storage capacity, this can be helped by feeding more frequently.

As mentioned above, making sure the baby is attached well is the main key to success. You need to look at baby, observe how s/he feeds and notice whether your nipples are comfortable, because if you are not average, your good breastfeeding position might not look like examples in books. Some well endowed women find that holding the breast up slightly with a towel rolled underneath, or using a "breast sling", helps keep them in a good position for baby to feed well. If your nipples a very large, it's especially important to make sure baby gets the whole nipple and some surrounding area into his/her mouth.

The main thing to remember is that if it doesn't feel right, or baby doesn't seem to be feeding well and growing, get some help ASAP.

[seenabeena]

Thanks for all your responses girls. I feel so much more relaxed now.

[Debbie Lee]

I moved up to an F cup when I was feeding and it frustrated the living daylights out of me! Friends that had smaller boobs seemed to be able to feed a lot easier than I did (and they had a better supply too!).
I tried many, many things to help my supply (maxalon and fenugreek tablets, frequent feeds - like, every hour :roll. I also tried different ways of attaching the baby.
Either way, I always felt far more exposed (you get used to it though) and I couldn't see Gabby's face to know if she was breathing ok or not.

In saying all of that, I really did start to enjoy BFing and I was very sad to give it up when I did. I am hoping that next time around, it will be a whole different kettle of fish!

[Visitor9]

My biggy boobies packed up from day one. I also found it really difficult to feed with them. I had to do the football hold, I was terrified of suffercating her with all the left over breast.
Bec
** Wishing she had smaller boobies**

[nellbe]

I have gone up to a DD and have had no problems with supply or attachment. Its all about learning how to do it with your bb's and your bubs. What works for one person may not work with another. But you'll get the help you need from your midwives.

[Liz]

I recently heard of a girl with very small bbs breastfeeding her twins... and she's actually been told she's over feeding them! LOL. I've yet to learn all this about attachment and positions, but it all makes sense. My bbs so far have gone from A to B, and have started leaking, so I'm hoping I'll be right for supply

[Bek]

Eek, I was already an E cup and am currently a G. Not something I'd thought about yet.

[BellyBelly]

Some of us have more storage space than others, but that doesn't mean we have more milk production too. Some have lots of storage, some have less, we all produce the same

[kt250]

It all seems to be the same story reading through!! Well generally

I went from a D to DD cup my BB's were huge and heavy and I felt like I was going to smother stacey. I had a really hard time trying to get her on and ended up with the football hold as it seemed easier to get her on.

I am hoping when we have the next one that I will be able to BF longer as I stopped with stacey at 6 weeks due to no milk.

I have a friend who has a boy chest, well AA and she said she used to BF son off one side and express 200mls out of the other one.

I hate it when you tell people you had no milk supply and they look at you and go, "What with those size boobs, I find that hard to believe." I hated those comments.

Therefore it just goes to show.

[Danni]

I dont know the truth to this saying but it is an old saying my great grandmother used to say and it definitely applied to all the women in my family.

"Big cow-no milk"

i believe it may be an italian wives tail..or something similar to that.

It just means that us big girls and those of us who have big breasts, will actually have no milk, or not enough to satisfy our babies so we have no choice but to put them on a bottle.