Breastfeeding tips for the well-endowed...

stace723 · May 2011

Looking for tips from those who may have been more well-endowed even prior to pregnancy...

I am going to BF and am in need of nursing bra suggestions (currently a 42F- and am a little frightened by what I will be when my milk comes in!!), positions, and just general tips/information from others!

Thanks in advance!

jaymeshearer · May 2011

i'd appreciate any tips as well i'm a 38F and cant find anything nursing stuff to fit these suckers.

cookierlr1 · May 2011

woo hoo 36 G here (pre pregnancy!) I have not BF yet but my cousin gave me the advice to press down with my finger above the nipple he is latched on to because otherwise our big boobs will get in the way of them breathing. I am not sure if this is standard or not because I haven't taken my BF class yet, but it was just was suggested to me : )

jana_86 · May 2011

I had to wear tank tops with built in bras for the first week or so until I could order some online that fit. They didn't have much support, but my boobs had gotten so big that the nursing bras I bought before the baby came were too tight and cause a clogged duct.

fraservalleybride · May 2011

Go to a speciality bra store, get properly fitted and tell them you plan to breastfeed to tell them to keep that in mind.

Then instead of paying the insane price.. go to breakoutbras.com and pay fraction of the price and i believe it's free shipping to US as well and you get a 10 percent discount!

But from what i have heard it's best to wait to see until your milk comes in...

llcoolay · May 2011

The size of your breasts doesnt really matter when it comes to BFing. My tip is that you should definetly talk to a Lactation Consultant while in the hospital. Insurance covers this and they have the best tips ever....and they are professionaly educated on the topic unlike us on The Bump!

My biggest tip is do NOT give up! Your milk might take awhile to come in but the baby can live well on the colustrom (sp) the first few days. Your body will naturally make exactly the amount the baby needs so dont freak and and give the baby formula. thinking they arent eating enough........its enough! BM is very rich in nutrients!

llcoolay · May 2011

llcoolay:

The size of your breasts doesnt really matter when it comes to BFing. My tip is that you should definetly talk to a Lactation Consultant while in the hospital. Insurance covers this and they have the best tips ever....and they are professionaly educated on the topic unlike us on The Bump!

My biggest tip is do NOT give up! Your milk might take awhile to come in but the baby can live well on the colustrom (sp) the first few days. Your body will naturally make exactly the amount the baby needs so dont freak and and give the baby formula. thinking they arent eating enough........its enough! BM is very rich in nutrients!

Guess I thought you wanted tips on actual BFing not bras! LOL......sorry!

mandckempf · May 2011

I'm a 36F currently and also frightened what size they are going to end up....

I searched around online for tips and didnt find a lot, but most sites suggested the "football" hold because it would be easier to position the baby.

chelseamp · May 2011

I was a 40F before I had DS#1. Honestly it is harder with bigger boobs. I think the actual hold will just depend on what works best for you & baby. I loved to lay down on my side on the bed or sofa whenever possible, it took so much strain off my back and I felt myself & LO were more relaxed. But be prepared to not do much multitasking, I had to use my extra hand to literally push my breast away from his nose so he didn't suffocate.

mari_gold · May 2011

I was a 38DDD before I got pregnant and was a 40I (yeah, seriously) while breastfeeding. I highly recommend waiting until your milk comes in to stock up on nursing bras -- the two I bought while I was pregnant were just not supportive enough. I got mine (Anita style 5052 - I think?) from a local breastfeeding supply store.

As for positions, I used the football position initially but found I had better control when I lay DS in front of me. I used one hand to compress the nipple region into a shape that was easier for him to latch on to and the other hand to move him into position. I kept one hand on the breast the whole time to keep his nose clear, although I don't *really* think suffocation would have been an issue ... it just made me feel better.

The biggest downside to being big-breasted and BFing is that nursing in public was much more of a hassle. It wasn't as simple as lifting my shirt and unsnapping a nursing bra -- it required positioning and awkward holds, just because the nipple was so much lower and further away from my upper body. It is definitely feasible, though!

crabbypatty426 · May 2011

I used Bravado bras for sleep bras. I honestly never found anything I liked as far as real bras or tanks, so I'm enjoying the suggestions there. We had a hard time in the beginning because of the size of my breasts (F cup), so the lactation consultant helped me with different positions. The football hold was the only one that worked really well for us, because I wasn't smothering him. Lying down did ok once he got bigger and better at nursing. I agree with the suggestion to use the LC in the hospital. I would have been lost without her! As for my milk coming in, honestly they got (a LOT) firmer, but didn't actually get much bigger. Don't know if that was just me, but my sister (a J cup) had the same experience.

mesr · May 2011

chelseamp:
I had to use my extra hand to literally push my breast away from his nose so he didn't suffocate.

this was my experience too. i had to use one hand to hold the baby and the other hand to sort of compress my breast so that the nipple would fit in dd's mouth without blocking her nose. we did a lot of side-lying nursing and also using a breast friend pillow, at least for the first few months. nursing in public was very embarrassing, because there's no way to do it discretely when you have to hold your breast. around 5/6 months of age it got a lot better though. dd continued nursing until 25 months old. so it can be done!

as for nursing bras, i used bras by royce. i was (and expect to be again) a 34 HH/J.

GypsyEsq · May 2011

I was a 40H while nursing full time and loved the HotMilk brand and also Anita bras. I got fitted at a store called Intimacy and then ordered other styles online. I also used Target nursing tanks at night but only the side sling style not full sling (which has a hole cut out for the nipple) - the full sling hole was simply not big enough. I definitely had to hold the breast away from DD, and support it for quite a while, for fear of smothering her. Side-lying position was a little difficult for us but we did figure it out eventually. It just takes practice and patience. Best of luck!

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