Nipple Paranoia

[MujerMamaMismo]

Please excuse the potentially silly question...
I have big breasts but tiny nipples. Is that going to make breastfeeding difficult? I am truly concerned that this will be the reason i can't breastfeed after years of dreaming about being an ecstatic breastfeeding mama.

What do you know?

TIA
Jess

[3daughters]

I have tiny nipples too although I'm not so well endowed. For me that only meant that with a proper (or not so proper) latch my areolas disappeared into the baby's mouth. I think its actually easier for a small baby with a small mouth to latch onto a small nipple.

[Sagesgirl]

Probably not. Before having babies, I thought my nipples were tiny. Chances are, instead of being tiny, they are a bit flat (or perhaps it's proportion!). My experience with "tiny" nipples was that they came out quite a bit once I started nursing--they actually look like real nipples now. : But of course, breastfeeding is about more than just your nipples; you want to get areola in there as well.

[JamieCatheryn]

For my MIL it made it much easier having small nipples. My DH has a small mouth. They fit together perfectly and DH was exclusively breastfed past 1 year. DS inherited that small mouth and with my average sized nipples it was very difficult to get started breastfeeding. So it shouldn't make any difference for you, and may even be helpful.

Wow I just realized how weird it feels to discuss nipples.

[nikirj]

LOL mine were tiny too. They got bigger, or seemed to, as I nursed my babies. Although it could be a function of getting older as well, since I didn't have much for curves when I had my first either and my body might not have been entirely done developing.

Anyway, if anything it will make things easier

[ripcurlgirl26]

I have to ditto the PP about BFing creating nipples. I've found the same, but I guess I never really had them to begin with! Nipple (and breast size) have little do with whether or not you can BF successfully. I am totally on the small side and as long as DS has a half decent latch, we don't have any problems at all. GL!

[MujerMamaMismo]

thank you - indeed my mind is now at ease on this issue!
...off to obsess over something else baby related now.:

[dot2dot]

My favorite thing that someone told me when I was in the worried-about-my-nipples phase of pregnancy is this: It is called breastfeeding, not nipplefeeding. I loved the image and it stressed the importance of a good latch that will have the baby one the breast, not the nipple.

[Benji'sMom]

Once you see how small a newborn's mouth is you will be THANKFUL that your nipples are small!!!