Big chest?????

[vespersongs]

Help! I have a mom (CB student of mine) who has a very large chest who is considering weaning. Baby is only 3 weeks old. Mom has anxiety disorder and is having PP trouble. Everything she describes sounds normal PP reaction, but she is trying to find a way out. Baby vomited the formula so she is faced with needing to buy special formula, and wants to BF but doc is telling her to wean--"better to have you mentally healthy than BF"--but it does not sound that bad to me. I think her doc is uninformed. She feels in a bind, and partly it's because she has the large chest to contend with. I'm going to talk to her about PP some more, but the chest size issue is one i'm not familiar enough with.

Anyone with "size issues" that can tell me how to guide her? She feels she cannot cover up in public (modesty is important to her, please no judgment on that!!!), etc. And tips on how she can get some more sleep?

Why do I feel unequipped here? I've done this before!:

[KsMum]

I'm a "J" now, so I can relate!
In the early days, I could not nurse lying down, it was just too uncomfortable for me. I was a slave to my boppy pillow / brest friend pillow, still use my boppy at almost every feeding.
I also used to nurse her in the car when out and about, just waaay easier. With one hand having to hold your boob in the correct place all the time it was awkward with a newborn. That plus her head needed to rest on my forearm instead of my elbow nook, so that was verry uncomfortable too. I kept a boppy in the car at all times for that reason.

[quirkylayne]

For modesty in public,
Nurse in car.
Nurse in fitting room.
Ask for corner table when out to eat.
Use a maya wrap type sling.

Clothing choice is important. Wearing a hoodie type jacket helps, it covers your back/side when you hike your shirt up. Also a poncho. She could wear a bellyband type thing to keep everything covered.

Nothing wrong with using a large lightweight blanket. There are also lots of nursing cape/cover things all over the internet.
http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?category=44

It is hard to get the hang of - practice in front of mirror.

I still use one arm to hold my baby and one to hold my breast most of the time. It took awhile to get that figured out. It also helps when baby is big/strong enough to support themselves some.

PP time is hard all around, especially those first 6-8 weeks. I guess just reassure her that it will get better. No one gets alot of sleep those first few weeks/months. I know people say this and moms ignore it but really, if you can convince her to rest when baby rests, that would be the most helpful. By the time the dishes are done or whatever baby always seems to be awake again. Just buy some paper plates!

[aprildawn]

I'm an F cup while breastfeeding. The newborn stage was hard for me because I felt like I needed to support my breast and hold the baby which left me with no hands to cover up with once the baby was latched on.

I agree with the other mamas about nursing in the car, dressing room, etc. Planning trips around when the baby will need to nurse. Using a boppy or pillows whenever possible.

I learned to nurse my first DD lying down while we were still in the hospital. I had a 4th degree tear and that was how the nurses taught me. For six weeks I couldn't sit on my rear for very long periods of time. So, lying down was the only option. I nursed DD in bed with me and we'd just sleep/nurse all night. The tear was a blessing in disguise.

[vespersongs]

Thanks! Keep it coming, ladies! This is so helpful...

[FreeThinkinMama]

I have a large chest and also feel uncomfortable nursing in public. For one thing we're still getting the hang of things and ds sometimes breaks the latch and i need a good visual to make sure he's taking the whole areola in (my areolas are huge). Like others said I have to hold onto my boob the entire time, it's so large that he'll suffocate if I don't make a "nose hole" for him with my finger. This leaves my hand hurting by the end of a nursing session. At home I almost always use a boppy pillow to hold him up. Finding a comfortable chair helps, I have a swivel rocker with padded arms that's really comfy to nurse in. The boppy frees up one of my arms at least so I can drink or talk on the phone or give my older dd a hug. before we go out I make sure i feed him just before we leave. This usually gives me 2-4 hours before his next feeding to get what I need done. if he wants to eat sooner than I expected then we nurse in the car in the parking lot or in the bathroom stall. either way is uncomfortable but gives me some privacy.

suggestions to give mom some sleep: give the baby a bottle of ebm at night. maybe not a popular opinion here but it's better than formula. My ds is 3 weeks old and feedings can take 30-45 minutes sometimes in the middle of the night. A bottle of ebm gives my boobs a break from soreness and allows me to get more sleep. I have a toddler so napping during the day is out of the question. I encourage him to eat more frequently during the day so he'll go longer stretches at night. Now he's going 4-6 hours sometimes. I would tell her to sleep when the baby sleeps, if this is her first this will be much easier to do that.

[Malva]

Twin sets type tops (cardigan and tanktop) are also great for discreet nursing. You just have to lift the tank part and the cardigan hides everything.

[Aeress]

a dear friend used a roleed up cloth diaper under her breast to give support and she said that is what helped her EBF her triplets! She also had the pillow that wrapped all the way around her.

I teased my hubby that it was his job to hold the breast up to give my hand a break...

[polishprinsezz]

very large

i'm a 40 ddd. my little guy does not like to be covered. so i had to learned to get over the modesty issue quick. i think it is easy to nurse with big boobies. they reach your lap easier, the fling to the side of you in bed easier, a boppy got in the way for my. i use a LARGE sports bra with hooks in the front. very comfortable and not too expencive. my baby is 6 mo now. and i couldnt imagine how hard it would be to nurse with itty bitties.

[RootSnort]

I'm a G, down from an I in my first months.
I found the Expressiva one-piece nursing twin-set to be most helpful, and able to hide anything.
http://www.expressiva.com/jb/baz_pro...113&p_cat_id=2

[corhorvath]

Originally Posted by Malva

Twin sets type tops (cardigan and tanktop) are also great for discreet nursing. You just have to lift the tank part and the cardigan hides everything.

This totally works for me too! If I'm not equipped with a cardigan-type sweater or jacket, putting a light swaddling blanket through the shoulder strap of bra, opposite the side I'm feeding from. I would drape the blanket over my baby and my other shoulder (the side I was feeding from). This would block views but not cover up my baby's face. When you have so much to expose and you're new, it is hard to not want some modesty and privacy.

I always had to hold across my belly, tummy to tummy, holding the breast I was/am feeding from and then the baby's head with my other hand. With the hand holding the breast, I would use my thumb to make an air passage way for my dd.

Good luck! I hope these things help her.

[bryannastreasure]

We had trouble at the begining the lactation consultant suggested a boppy or a rolled towel underneath. but then I realized I could get Carlin comfortable, then move my capacious tata's to him instead.

I found it very easy to nurse lying down, and didn't even have to roll over to switch sides. the bottom one was easiest so we saved that one for seconds. and eventually I could read with one hand and make an airhole with the other.

we also NIP in the sling and the large tail of the sling was the modesty cover. Feeding in the car worked best when I tilted the steering wheel up and slid the seat back, occasionally he would honk the horn.

we nursed for 37 months CLW and I just bought a new bra for Christmas, 42K.
Love and Light,
Bryanna

[Bellejar]

DDD here

It is so much harder when you are large chested. Having a really good nursing pillow- The "breast friend pillow" changed my life. I had a hard time even at home at first. I found that getting bravada bras helped in public. They can be very discreet if you have a big shirt on. Also I draped at first, not wanting to flash my boob everywhere (my modesty mostly). After my babies got a little bigger it was much easier and no drape was required. I may flash a little to latch but that doesn't bother me.

[josh&davesmomme]

LL cup here

before I had babies I had no idea bras came this big

Some things that have helped me ( and may have already been mentioned- haven't gotten a chance to read the other replies yet)
In the begining with my first I nursed using the football hold, it made positioning much easier and I could pull my shirt down right to baby's nose and no one could see ( i tend to be modest too) If I was out and about I would use the diaper bag to rest my arm on, at home the arm of the chair or a pillow worked well...as he got bigger I eventually was able to nurse cradle style again pulling my shirt down to just above his nose I would use a nursing shawl to help get my bra open and baby latched then pull it off his face to nurse ( he hated having his face covered). With ds #2 I found this awesome nursing pillow Snuggle muff arm cradle- well not really a "pillow" more like padding on my arm that just helped me raise baby to the right position without bringing his whole body up like traditional "u" shaped nursing pillows. It worked terrific! I still use the nursing shawl to get latched and unlatched in public.

As for tips to get more sleep- does she co sleep? that saved my life- I could never function with first getting up all night staying up nursing him in the chair and then going back to sleep co sleeping makes night nursing so much easier- I usually wake just to help with latch and then I can drift back to sleep- if she's not comfortable with traditional cosleeping maybe she could try a side carred crib- baby has his own space yet is close to mom and makes night nursing so much easier

[Equuskia]

Another idea is to cut vertical slits into a man's "A shirt" or tanktop, then wear it under another shirt. Lift the top shirt, pull breast out from slit, and almost everything is covered. Never did it myself, but I have read about the idea on breastfeeding webpages. Men's shirts are cheap and thin so you won't get hot wearing one underneath another shirt in warm weather and you won't feel bad about cutting up a shirt.

[josh&davesmomme]

Originally Posted by Equuskia

Another idea is to cut vertical slits into a man's "A shirt" or tanktop, then wear it under another shirt. Lift the top shirt, pull breast out from slit, and almost everything is covered. Never did it myself, but I have read about the idea on breastfeeding webpages. Men's shirts are cheap and thin so you won't get hot wearing one underneath another shirt in warm weather and you won't feel bad about cutting up a shirt.

I love that idea, I may have to try that!

[thismama]

It's hard. I am *not* a modest person, and even I have had a hard time. I was 44G until my kiddo was 2, now I'm a bit smaller. I have always found there is a lot of alarm from people when I'm nursing, that I don't see thin women get.

Partly yes it's harder to be modest, partly (mostly!) I sense a feeling of anti-fat, body size horror about my breasts. Like, nursing is odd enough to most people. We don't see it. We also don't see large women with large (real!) breasts, aside from the context of porn. It's a shocker for people.

The whole, "OMG they're three times the size of the baby's head!" has caused me to feel like a freak show many times. I haven't had that comment from strangers, but from friends, and I feel aware that strangers are probably thinking the same thing and this is what is behind the widened eyes I sometimes get.

I think a lot of the suggestions are good, and also just an awareness that it's people's issues with size that has affected how I'm seen when NIP has helped me. Don't know if that will help your friend. Good luck to her! It's hard.

[mom0810]

I don't have any suggestions, just wanted to chime in here, as I'm now a 38 J, and they seem to only be getting larger! Ahhhhh! I keep losing weight everywhere else, but the chest either stays the same, or it gets larger. Ds is 14 months old now, and no weaning in sight (thank goodness), but I will say that I hope they are done growing and that they deflate once I wean him!!!

[GradysMom]

I am so happy to see this thread - I could probably repeat alot of what is said...

I am a 36 H/I right now and I think larger chested women need resources like this page. ( I've known people who gave up because they were big, if only I knew then...)

When I nurse on the right I hold my brest with my right hand and my thumb up on top to garentee a good breathing space. Having something under that arm for support can be very helpful. Vis versa for the left. If I'm sitting in a chair I prop a leg up to support him. In bed I sit cross legged and he fits in my lap (nursing lying down has not worked for me) beautifully.

As for going out and nursing in public, I nuse in the front passenger seat, a lean forward a little. I let the "gal" hang out and no one seems to pick up on what I'm doing

I also had PP trouble - and some surges of depressive emotions durring nursing. Only she can gage if it is too much to continue nursing but I would say she should weigh in any guilt stopping BF may induce - especially if BF has been important to her. I find at times I still have depressive issues *while breast feeding* and I tend to just manage it, understanding that for me the emotion will pass when I stop nursing. The nursing results are far more important to me, and the *mood* has been manageable. I think some of it is linked to my overall dissatisfation with the size of my breasts... call it shame... and some of these feeling are my bodys poor reaction to prolactin surges.

I think experimenting with holds and chairs has help me to get more comfortable and move past most of the PP trouble... *mood*

[ewe+lamb]

The wrap (girasol) sold by LLL really saved me, I could nurse anywhere discreetly and unless someone actually pulled at the material nothing could be seen, I also put a fleece (oversized) zipup coat over the wrap so that in the winter I could still nurse and no one knew what I was up to - I'm a 38H, now that I'm nursing #2 I'm not so bothered, but when I know I shall be in public I have two nursing tops that I feel comfortable wearing from www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk these are really great as well. I can so understand - the ped nurse in the hospital where I had ds told me that I was going to suffocate him I was so big and said that no one with over sized breasts should ever consider nursing - of course this made the mamabear in me even more determined thank heavens. i can so relate to what this lady is feeling at times it can be so hard.