Nursing Tips for the Large Breasted Mother

by Anne Smith, IBCLC

All during my adolescent years I dreamed of having larger breasts, and my best friend and I (both six feet tall and bearing a striking resemblance to Olive Oyl) even did those silly exercises bust building exercises that never worked but just made us feel silly ("We must, we must, we must increase the bust…the bigger the better, the tighter the sweater, the boys depend on us...").

I remember being so depressed when I read somewhere that your breasts didn't grow anymore after you reached age sixteen, and at age seventeen, I barely filled out an A cup. I figured that was it, but little did I know that my breasts would get significantly larger while I was pregnant and lactating - all the way up to a C cup! Aside from the cosmetic advantages, it was wonderful to realize that those same breasts that I had always wished were larger could work just fine, thank you, and after successfully nursing six babies, I no longer fantasized about being a D cup. Now that my nursing days are over, I am once again back to an A cup, but I no longer complain about it. I just hunt through all the lingerie racks trying to find 38 A bras that will fit me.

Over the past twenty-five years of working with nursing mothers whose breasts came in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes, I have discovered that breastfeeding can present special challenges for the large breasted woman.

Breast milk production is a function of the glandular tissue inside the breast as well as the baby's appetite and suckling ability. The fatty tissue is what gives the breast its rounded shape and protects the internal structures from injury. The amount of fatty tissue and the size of the breast are not related to the ability to produce milk, so small breasted women are just as capable of adequate milk production as the more amply endowed.

The mother with large breasts (DD or above) may find that she has to experiment a little to find positions and techniques in order to have a more successful breastfeeding experience.

Here are some suggestions that I have found helpful:

• Find a nursing bra that really fits. Small- breasted women don't need as much support as larger breastfed women, so finding a supportive bra is more of a priority for the mother with larger breasts. Breast size will increase during pregnancy, but by the last trimester, the majority of prenatal growth has occurred and that is a good time to purchase nursing bras. It is impossible to predict exactly how much larger your breasts will get when your milk comes in, but you can estimate that you will be a size or two larger in both cup and band size. It may help to get a back extender to use during the latter stages of pregnancy or the early stages of engorgement, because this can easily be removed as your size changes. Your ribcage expands during the last months of pregnancy, and the extender may help make you more comfortable during this stage. Start out with only a couple of bras, and invest in more once the initial engorgement has subsided and you reach your long-term nursing size. Good nursing bras are expensive, and you don't want to end up investing in a drawer full of bras that don't fit anymore after the first couple of weeks of nursing. You should try to avoid under-wire bras if possible (they can press against breast tissue and cause problems with plugged ducts and mastitis) as well as tight athletic bras. Bras that are too loose can also cause problems for large breasted women. The best option for obtaining a comfortable, supportive bra is to have it fitted by a professional, but this isn't always possible. Many maternity stores don't carry a large range of sizes, so you may have to order one instead. Plan to order far enough in advance to allow time for returns if the fit isn't' just right. The best online resource I have found for nursing bras is birthandbaby.com. Go to the home page and look under "breastfeeding". Click on "nursing bras" and you will go to the family resources page. They have an excellent selection of bras in a wide range of brands and sizes, along with detailed information about how to fit and order the bras.