Women with large breasts and breastfeeding « Back to Group Discussions

[lisarenee25]

This is my third baby - and I breastfed the other two 2+ years.  I don't have  problem (physically) feeding my babes.  It's just cumbersome and uncomfortable - especially as the baby grows.

I just don't talk about this with thin women anymore because for them it's not cumbersome.  They can put the baby in  a sling and breastfeed while driving.  Haha.  Or, they can play on their ipods while breastfeeding. It's annoying.  It's just not physically possible with me.  I have to use two hands while feeding - one to support the boob and the other the baby.  When the baby gets heavier, it's so uncomfortable and taxing on my muscles.

I am wondering if anybody has developed a better system for doing it - at least so I am not dredding breastfeeding.  I want a positive good relationship - not cringing when I think about it.  Two more years of complete attachment and hell.

It's totally annoying when you try to feed in public as well.  Totally.

Can someone help?

[LivingSky]

Oh, man, I'm with you! This is my first babe and definitely having large breasts makes for some interesting breastfeeding challenges. The vast majority of the time I breastfeed while sitting in a big comfy reclining armchair, with a pillow under K's head to prop him up. I use one hand to either support the boob or keep it from smothering him, depending on his position, and then I have one hand free. That, or side-lying in bed, are my most comfortable BF positions.

In public, it's definitely a two handed deal! One hand/arm supporting babe and one supporting the breast/keeping me covered up. And it's so much more fun now that he likes to pull off and take in his surroundings every few sips I do find it easier when I was using the Mei Tai a lot, to untie the ties and turn him sideways in the Mei Tai, so the body part of the Mei Tai still supported his torso. Does that make sense? I leave the long ties over my shoulders but pinned against whatever chair I'm sitting on, so most of Kayden's weight is support in the Mei Tai. This worked particularly well when I was flying with him.

Now I usually carry him in my Boba, and I really haven't found a convenient way to nurse in it.

Oh, and I gave up with my Boppy pillow pretty early on and just started using regular pillows to support him. Once I figured out how to get him properly propped up with pillows, nursing was SO much easier.

[eleuthia]

I wonder if the Utterly Yours breast pillow (http://www.utterlyyours.com/), which is meant for supporting large breasts, is actually helpful for this problem. 

[butterfly_mommy]

I had a mama made breast pillow like the utterly yours one and it totally helped! I was able to nurse one handed and use my computer. I only used it at home with DS, but this time I may bring it with me when I go out and try to use in conjunction with the sling while nursing. 

[lisarenee25]

Thanks so much!  I am going to try the Utterly Yours!  I hope it works.

[eleuthia]

I put it on my registry (and will buy it otherwise) - I hope it works for both of us! 

[faithsstuff]

that's an awesome idea.  That will def be on my list.

 

[lisarenee25]

For me, breastfeeding is just one of those things that I totally dreaded.  I really appreciate all the ideas!  You give me hope.

[Shinyredstar]

In public was definitely a two handed deal for me, but I agree with laying in bed on your side (or even on a blanket on the floor as my other son was playing/climbing on us/also trying to nurse), but I also found that the football hold with baby on a pillow worked pretty well for me- maybe just the particular angle of my breast/nipple? It felt a little awkward because it didn't seem like there was that same physical contact, but was nice for the moments when, as a tandem nurser and mama to three, that I was feeling "touched out" at the moment.

[LivingSky]

I've heard lots of plus-sized moms say the football hold worked really well for them. I couldn't get it to work, but I suspect I was just doing it wrong But my best friend is a couple sizes bigger than I am and she nursed 3 kids in the football hold pretty much exclusively, so it definitely worked for her!

[iixivboots]

today I scored a cheap (stretchy to fit bigger waists?) boppy and a balboa baby breastfeeding pillow at the consignment shop. Super cheap, so hopefully one or the other will work but if not oh well. For some reason nobody ever bought me the $60 bosom baby pillow from my registry.. ha. ;)

[scowgirl]

Yeah... I am dealing with this now too. My breasts are huge and also kind of long and floppy. I really wanted to try the "laid-back breastfeeding position" from The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, but the baby seems so uncomfortable when I do that. I will definitely be trying some of the suggestions here.

[Shinyredstar]

I was surprised- a friend of mine bought me a Boppy at a garage sale and it opens enough to fit around my waist comfortably (size 20-ish pre-pregnancy, size 20+some leftover baby belly right now). I like it quite a bit- would definitely be worth the investment to me. Finding this time around that the football hold really works well for me again, while side lying isn't

[lisarenee25]

Scowgirl - I have similar shaped/size breasts.  It has always been a challenge to breastfeed.  I got the breast pillow that the poster above suggested - the one that fits under the breast for a better position.  I tried it out and I think it's going to work really well.  I actually got a size larger.  Even though the measurement said I needed medium, because my breasts are more longish - I got a large.  It seems to fit well.  It's the utterly yours breast pillow.

[scowgirl]

Thanks! The Boppy is OK but isn't really big enough for me and slides forward. I'm starting to have some issues with my arm falling asleep when I breastfeed, and I feel like the positioning is wrong because I almost always end up "pulling" on my breast even when I try not to. Definitely annoying... I'm willing to try just about anything at this point.

[zolez1706]

I'm going through this as well. I actually get a little jealous seeing women whip it out like its nothing! Lol
And as of now my LO is a distracted nurser so I cant just hold my position till shes done, there's a lot of flopping and flashing going on.
What makes it worse is that I was an A cup just 3 years ago! Oh how I would take back the complaining of small Breasts to have my perky little friends back. And I also have issues with my nipple size, I always thought if I had bigger boobs they would be perky not long and floppy haha

[iixivboots]

We are doing pretty well with the boppy to support my arms in cross cradle hold. And I have to support the breast with that hand in a c or v fashion. (left breast, left hand) That's pretty much all we do. before my milk came in I was doing okay sidelying, but not I just find it too overwhelming and having to hold the boob off LO's nose is pretty tiring, too I really want to do sidelying or laid back positions, but I'm thinking that might have to wait until he's older (3 weeks tomorrow)
 

[skycheattraffic]

I realize this is an older thread but I'm sure many of you mamas are nursing still or again. I want to share what works really well for me, especially in public.
I have large, soft, kind of long breasts (G or H and not very perky lol) and I always wear two layers. I'm usually in a cheap sports bra, then a long cami (or even tube top) and then whatever top I have on for the day. I sit upright in a chair (or on a bench or the ground) and pull up my shirt and pull down my cami to access the goods lol. I sit baby (now toddler) on my lap facing me and use one hand to support my breast (or make the nipple sandwich). I lay my other arm along baby's back and can use that hand to hold her however it feels most comfortable. If I have the chance, I usually lean back a bit so my body supports baby but that's a luxury, not a necessity. I've had great success with this setup while NIP and really it's my position of choice. It has been great since about 5 months and it's still great now at 20 months. It helped with the distractible nursing phase since DD could look around much better without needing to unlatch. I lost all sense of embarrassment and modesty around nursing pretty quickly but the layered approach did minimize flashing nicely. In the heat of summer I just didn't bother though.
Just thought I'd post in case someone wants to try it.

[AJBatista]

I thought I was all alone in the world with a size 48J! I nursed my daughter until she was 2 years old and did my best to just find privacy to do so. I would have nursed her longer, probably for another year but I felt like a trooper after two years and the discomfort was really taxing. I'm now only 2 months away from baby # 2 and it has been 12 years since I gave birth to my first! I just hope I can remember my old tricks

[mama.nesta]

While we are at it...any suggestions for a decent nursing bra?  With my last child I used size DD from Target and they were great.  Now...they only carry up to size D and they are padded...WTF?  Who wants a padded nursing bra??  I bought a few from amazon in size DD but am not thrilled with any of them.  Thanks in advance!