Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

BR Tips for Large/Heavy Boobs

15 replies

ThePippy · 21/06/2011 15:26

Hope someone can offer some help. I tried BF with my DD when she was born 2 years ago and finally gave up after about 5 weeks of frustration and what felt like failure.

The main difficulty I had was around the size/shape/lack of supprt I have with my breasts. They are very big (GG before any milk comes in) and aren't exactly what you would call pert, and have very large undefined/flat nipples as a result of their size, so I found it very very difficult to actually get her in a comfortable postion where her mouth was near the nipple and getting her to latch onto such a large flat nipple.

The other issue was around her seeming lack of interest in feeding for more than just a few seconds, which I suspected was lack of milk flow but I didn't know how to know. Maybe this was just normal but the other issues made it seem a lot worse, i.e. after taking forever to get her to latch it was just demoralising to have her de-latch after such a short time.

Anyway I did try (don't think I wimped out particularly) and went to BF support groups, but nothing they suggested really seemed to help. I have DC2 due in December and I would so love this to turn out differently this time, so any tips from women who have experienced similar issues but have had more success would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
DorisIsAPinkDragon · 21/06/2011 15:58

Not sure whether I can be much help but I have a great deal of sympathy. I too am of large norkage.

I have fed all three dd3 and each time they were slightly different, so things not turning out the way you hoped last time doesn't mean this time is doomed from the outset.

I did end up using a pillow for all three to raise them up to my boob, and leave a hand free to support my boob and help wity the attachment (not the way they show in the books I know) I still use a pillow and support with my hand (dd3 was 2 a couple of weeks ago Blush I should have got a bit better at this by now!).

As for the flat nipple I can only suggest manually stimulating the nipple until it is a little errect to give something to latch on too (although I could be talking absolute crap here if someone more knowledgable comes along...)

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/06/2011 18:21

Don't have any experience for you sorry Piggy but thought I'd bump for you Smile

BoysAreLikeDogs · 21/06/2011 20:47

yes, pillows to raise the baby up and also rugby ball hold worked better

tummy to mummy and nose to nipple just didn't work for us as nipples pointed south (still do, ho hum)

Loopymumsy · 21/06/2011 21:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThePippy · 22/06/2011 11:03

Thanks everyone. Scurrying off to investigate biological nurturing now!!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/06/2011 11:04

Piggy do you go to any Bfing Support Groups? Just wondering if anyone there has experience.

ThePippy · 22/06/2011 11:46

Hi Jilted I did go along to a support group at the time, and I did get some advice which was to roll up a muslin cloth and put it under my boobs to make them point forwards more, which I think probably helped a bit but to be honest I think this was so close to when I gave up (by which point DD had very much mixed feeding weighted more towards formula by then) that it was too little too late, which is why I am keen to get some ideas beforehand.

OP posts:
shuckleberryfinn · 22/06/2011 12:29

I'm currently a k (H) usually. at first there was the rolled up flannel under boob and feeding lying down like that really helped, now I lie her on my lap and boob meets baby that way, plus I have 2 hands free.

Pesephone · 22/06/2011 18:40

I would definitly take a look at biological nurturing, and also get along to the support groups now, getting information and support before hand can really help. I also used th erolled up muslin method (am a K cup) and it does help as does the rugby ball hold. I also had very large flat-ish nipples and I found it hard to get DC latched on at first too. I found hand expressing a little off during the first few weeks helped to soften them up enough for them to get a good moth full. Just out of interest did anyone ever check her for Tounge Tie as slipping off the nipple can be an indicator.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/06/2011 19:37

Sorry ThePippy I've just realised that I've got your name totally wrong Blush

Have you thought about going along to the Bfing Groups before LO arrives? They will welcome you and hopefully you should get some good information and may meet some Mums with experience too. There is a list here or you could try your local LLL or NCT to see if they run groups in your area or have Breastfeeding Counsellors you could talk to.

ThePippy · 23/06/2011 12:26

shuckleberry that is a good idea about having both hands free - I actually think I focused too much on trying to keep her cradled in my arms which meant position of mouth and boob was never ideal.

pesephone good idea too about getting help before. Maybe I will make good use of mat leave before baby's arrival to do that. She was never checked for tongue tie - is that something they grow out of as I have not noticed that her tongue is any different to normal.

Thanks for the link "jilted". I am thinking of doing an NCT refresher course (mainly to meet 2nd time mums to be due around my time) so that may be another option.

OP posts:
ThePippy · 23/06/2011 12:27

whoops didn't mean to quote your name jilted - just keep using quotes instead of asterrisks to bold things!!!!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 23/06/2011 13:54

No worries. Think the refresher course is a good idea, but having said that you will probably meet some local mums if you just rock on upto their local weekly group. You should be able to take DC1 too.

JollySergeantJackrum · 23/06/2011 18:04

Hi Pippy

I have had exactly the same issues as you. DS is now 9 weeks and still EBF. My boobs are a K cup and I have large, flat nipples which point down-ish and outward. (Gosh, I sound really attactive).

We had some feeding issues to begin with and DS and I ended up back in hospital for extra support. To cut a long story short, I expressed until DS was about 3 weeks, then I used nipple shields (MAM ones are good, you can get them from Amazon) until DS was about 6-7 weeks then I was able to latch him on. I reckon he had too small a mouth for my boobs.

Getting him latched on (when we were coming off the nipple shields) I did skin to skin and allowed DS to pretty much go on himself. Dunno if this is biological nurturing or not. I usually have DS raised up on a pillow or cushion. In the mornings particularly when my breasts are very full, I find that I need to hold my breast underneath and squeeze just behind the areola area so that my nipple area sticks out more and he can latch on.

I found some of these videos helpful: www.breastfeedinginc.ca/

Also, look at the exaggerated latch on page 10 here: www.sunderland.nhs.uk/admin/mopil/pdf/20060405104105.pdf

www.kellymom.com/ is another great general resource.

The rugby ball hold is also good and we use it sometimes. If you do this, make sure that you are in a chair where your baby can't kick off with their feet as this can be painful!

JollySergeantJackrum · 23/06/2011 18:20

Links redone

I found some of these videos helpful: www.breastfeedinginc.ca/

Also, look at the exaggerated latch on page 10 here: www.sunderland.nhs.uk/admin/mopil/pdf/20060405104105.pdf

www.kellymom.com/ is another great general resource.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread