Can someone please walk me through how to bloody breastfeed with big boobs?!

[SexlessBoulderBelly]

I’m a 34G and as much as the midwives have tried to help they must have ‘one size fits all’ instructions, useful in theory but I was told not to guide my nipple to baby.. that’s damn near impossible when the little pink bastard is hiding either under my boob against my upper stomach or under my fucking armpit.

I’ve always been pro breastfeeding, breast is best ect. But I’m damn near ready to give up, I’m so frustrated and it’s really getting me down that I’m using more formula during the night.. and day now because she won’t latch on for long, struggles to then gets frustrated with herself trying and screams me a storm 🙃

Any tips or tricks? I don’t want to ask another professional for help, the arched they give doesn’t help. I want real peoples experiences

I'm sure you have tried this but have you tried different positions - the rugby ball hold works for some big boobed people and maybe the natural hold I think its called where you lean back and the baby is kind of sitting up on your lap? Try the Baby Friendly Initiative for ideas?

Have you tried baby on a pillow, you sitting up in a chair with arms, point nipple at her and use your hand to keep extra boob away from her face so she can still breathe ok

As someone who managed to balloon to a 36MM (that’s not a typo) when DD1 was born, I feel you. My boobs stayed at that size for the whole three years I fed her (and tandem fed) and then for the two after that that was just her sister.

My pro tips are:

• do it laying down
• rugby ball hold is your friend

And

• it gets much easier as their heads get bigger!

Pillow under boob to give you more control. Get babies head hold in nape of neck grab your boob with other hand. Bring baby's face closer to nipple. As baby comes closer it will widen its mouth. Ensure bottom lip of baby's mouth close to your underside of nipple so that when top lip comes near nipple it attaches to areola and not the actual nipple. That will make your nipples sore. Part what I got told when out with midwives, part my own experience.

I’ve currently got her just led on my lap not holding her to all just guiding my boob to her, it’s the most she’s stayed on but she still comes off and then gets in a right fuss .

Thank you I will try them all to find what works!

Cup your breast in your hand with the nipple between your fingers and guide it into her mouth. Once your breast softens and baby’s mouth gets bigger you can’t try not guiding again. See diagram below:

Do your boobs get very engorged? I was 38hh after ds was born and had to express a bit before feeds so he could latch on better

As someone who was 32 GG, I second the rugby hold and breastfeeding while lying down (it took a bit of practice for both me and baby, but it was bliss once we cracked it). Also, are there any La Leche League meet-ups or Baby cafes you can go to locally? It really helped to have a real-life person show you what the do.

What really helped for me was to make sure the baby’s head was tipped right back (like you were going to chug a beer!), and squishing down the top of my breast to tip up the nipple as she latched on.

It’s lovely once you crack it, so don’t give up!

Sounds really stupid but which boob do you use when lying down? It seems impossible when I think about it and my c section incision is still a bit sore so I briefly tried lying her next to me but the twisting and turning was sore so gave up.

I lie on my side and feed with the bottom boob, baby lies facing me on a firm mattress. It's s

Sorry baby tapped the screen.

Also while sitting roll up a muslin to lift the boob off your body.

Why aren't we allowed to guide nipple to mouth?

If she's finding it easier when you move the nipple to her to get her started I don't see a problem, as long as you're not then hurting your back/ stretching your boob at a weird angle or contorting to do that- mainly as that will quickly be uncomfortable for you. Honestly just do whatever means she gets a good feed for now and she'll get loads better at it and find it easier as she gets stronger and bigger. Laying down is also good, bonus when she is asleep you're not trapped underneath. Pushing on the top of your boob so the nipple points up towards the top of the baby's mouth initially to help them latch on can help while they are small/ if your boob is over-full. I've been breastfeeding 2 and half years now (2 babies) and you have to think about it less and less as they grow, they get very competent and efficient with practice.

Fabulous, I’ve just tried google images too and I feel like an idiot for asking as there’s not many other ways you can do that 😂 will definitely try that one!

Doesn't help when she's already awake and annoyed but babies can often feed when they are asleep if you put your nipple near their nose and nudge a bit they sort of snuffle and latch on if they're not too deeply asleep. They get a big feed, sleep for ages and you skip all the frustration on their part and have a happy baby when they wake up too.

Another vote for rugby ball hold. Once I tried that, no going back.

My girls got propped on the long Ikea cushions!
It can make it a bit more awkward going out and so on, but it was beyond worth it.

Also if you need some lift, for a while until I got used to it, I tucked a clean folded nappy underneath whole breast to get nipple pointed more outwards

Muslin rolled up under your boob.
Rugby ball position.
I always brought baby towards nipple but then holding boob in a ‘c’ shape as hand expressing did the flipple technique (loads of YouTube videos of it). You want their bottom lip to come in contact with your nipple before their top lip, like they are eating a burger.
My DD is 6 months and I still sometimes hold my boob up with one hand.

I didn't have a c-section but found laid back feeding in cradle hold easiest. Was about 34L at my biggest and both mine found it quite easy.

The whole don't move boob to baby thing is more for people whose boobs don't actually move very much- mine can go miles without pain as they're long and floppy... definitely needed to reclaim boob from armpit before feeding.

I did find Molke bras helped corral the beasts so I could free a hand for phone/kindle use during feeding marathons.

You definitely need a pillow and try the flipple as mentioned above. I've always had to hold the boob I'm feeding from so baby doesn't get suffocated! I could never really "bring baby to the breast" as my arms just don't bend that way!

Two breastfed babies in and it doesn't seem to have caused any problems!

I'm a 36h and could only feed lying down for the first week or so as had many many birth injuries. I guided nipple to baby, not the other way round. You do it the way that works for the 2 of you. Laying down is easiest for us, as was baby laying in pillow and again me guiding nipple into his mouth. Good luck :-)

Me!

Rugby ball hold as said, also laid on the bed on your side, rolled up muslin cloth under boob, baby on nipple.

Also a v shaped pillow, rest baby along it and boob on it. You basically need to prop it up!

On that note ignore all “underwire is the devil” bollocks, because underwire is your friend. I wore my normal underwired balconette bras, vest and loose top, vest hoiked under boob, loose top covered the top half, fold the cup (creates a prop) and scoop boob into baby with them laid rugby along your arm. Managed to feed two out and about with 34I boobs that way and still discreet.

Learn the flipple, that’s a godsend, I’ll try and find the YouTube link, where you flip babies bottom lip after latching on to get a firm latch onto big nipples.

Finally if all that fails, bottle feed. It’s not evil and enjoying your baby and your happiness is all important!

Probably contributed to back problems, but I basically laid baby on my lap then used a footstool or similar to bring my legs up. Or cushions under my arm.

Bravissimo sell a brand called "hot milk" but they do black, lacey underwired nursing bras that were actually really comfy!!

Was 32H, now 34J.
At the moment I can only feed using a pillow on my lap to bring baby's mouth up and opposite nipple. Then have to squeeze nipple between thumb and finger (in 9/3 o'clock position) to push nipple out sufficiently for him to latch on. I also used nipple Shields for first couple of weeks after my milk came. My friend leant me the book 'what to do if breastfeeding... And what to do if you can't ' which I have found really useful

I expressed - DS never seemed to latch on properly and would have a half hearted go before going back to sleep. He has three older half siblings and they loved being involved and giving him his bottle. I felt a bit like a cow being milked for a while and tried to get him onto the boob when he was bigger but he just preferred the bottle. I feel a bit like I missed out but he have a very strong bond and he didn’t suffer because of it.

Breastfeeding pillow
Or lying on side

I agree with @ozmund - nipple shields are a lifesaver and also shaping the nipple to make it easier for baby to get out into mouth. For me, once baby got a bit bigger, I stopped the nipple shields and after a while didn't need to shape the nipple either. Good luck!

Oh and btw a lot of people frown on nipple shields - ignore them!