is there any link between breast size and breastfeeding problems?

[meowee]

I've got small boobs . Not sure how else to put it. When I am totally engorged with breastmilk I am barely a "B". When not, I'm on the big side of AA. Before I even tried breastfeeding I thought that being so small breasted would preclude breastfeeding, but then I educated myself and learned it shouldn't.

But, I had a lot of problems breastfeeding, including unexplained pain, recurrent mastitis, and uneven supply (going between low supply and oversupply). Is there really no link between breast size and breastfeeding success? Has this ever been studied?

[artgoddess]

None that I have ever heard of. I'm trying to understand why breast size would have anything to do with problems. Can you please explain why you theorize smaller breasts = mastis or pain?

[springbabes]

I'm pretty small-chested (A cup when not nursing) and never had any problems. Breastfeeding has always been very easy and second-nature to me. The first week of BFing has always been rather painful, but after that it's been smooth-sailing, well except for two bouts of mastitis when my 3rd baby was an older infant. But I attributed that to missing a couple of feedings rather than boob size.

[meowee]

Originally Posted by artgoddess

None that I have ever heard of. I'm trying to understand why breast size would have anything to do with problems. Can you please explain why you theorize smaller breasts = mastis or pain?

I don't really know-- but-- it could be possible that with fewer milk ducts, those that are there have to work more aggressively to meet the baby's demands, leading to more risk of inflammation. I honestly have no idea though if breast size could have any influence on breastfeeding success.

[dimibella]

I was a big A/small B before my first and had no problems bfing, I did get mastits once but it wasn't too bad. With DD I was a plain ol A, I had no problems what so ever.

[siobhang]

you didn't have an "other" category.

I had BIG breasts so I got a breast reduction at age 19. All my problems (and they were luckily minor) were due to my breast reduction.

[Mama Poot]

I have medium sized boobies (C cup, D for a few months after birth, then back to a small C), I usually have ridiculous oversupply and engorgement in the beginning, and my breasts get congested quickly if I go too long without nursing the baby, even when the baby is 1+ year old. I've only had mastitis once, and a recurring plugged duct under my left arm that will show up around 30 weeks gestation and not subside for at least a month after birth. That happened with both of my kids. But as far as supply issues are concerned, the only time I suffer from low or no supply is during pregnancy. Besides that I've never had a problem.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I put medium and no problems. I was a D while nursing unless engorged then I was a large D.

The only problem I ever had was if I went to long between nursing and got rocks for boobs other than that no clogged ducts, no real nipple pain when the babies were new, no infections. I was very lucky.

[artgoddess]

Originally Posted by meowee

I don't really know-- but-- it could be possible that with fewer milk ducts, those that are there have to work more aggressively to meet the baby's demands, leading to more risk of inflammation. I honestly have no idea though if breast size could have any influence on breastfeeding success.

Breast tissue size has nothing to do with the number of milk ducts.

[rupiezum]

I'm not answering the poll because I don't want to feed into the skewed theory. Breast size has nothing to do with problems, supply, ability or anything like that when it comes to breastfeeding.

[Tine]

I am teensy-weensy-breasted (AA-A even when nursing), and I've had 2 excellent nursing relationships.

My only issues were 1 garden-variety case of mastitis w/ each kid and some pain at the beginning. I consider these par for the course, though...not breastfeeding problems.

[GooeyRN]

Small boobs, lots of problems. Oversupply, mastitis, plugged ducts, raynauds, thrush, my dd never latched so I EP'd for her, ds can't transfer milk well so I pump and use an sns. I don't blame it on their size, though. NAK

[turtlewomyn]

I have large breasts (D before pregnancy, they got up to a DD or E or maybe even an F, I don't remember) and had many problems breastfeeding. Some were probably due to an unnecessary c-section (no labor as well), some were due to DD being tongue tied, and some were due to my flat nipples.

I don't think that size has anything to do with it. The only times that size might be a concern are when a woman has hypoplasia (sp?? do I have the right word here??) and her milk ducts/glands don't develop properly, usually her breast do not increase in size in pregnancy like they normally do.
Sometimes large breasts can make certain bfing positions difficult as well (it isn't easy to bf a baby when your boob is bigger than their head, trust me, I know).

[ABrez]

I'm small breasted. I picked 'have had some problems' but I'm sure they are related to being small breasted. I have had mastitis three times in 16 months but all three times I've woken up sleeping on my breast. Which of course led to plugged ducts, led to mastitis.

[ErinsJuneBug]

I'm pretty sure i have tubular breasts and dont have enough glans to make a full supply. I'm a small A, my breasts never hurt or grew during pregnancy or really changed at all. That being said..i still make SOME milk and continue to nurse me 2 1/2 year old!

[Tine]

Just popping back in to mention that lack of breast tenderness/enlargement during PG isn't necessarily a sign of problems (combined w/ other symptoms, yes -- alone, no).

As mentioned upthread, I have teensy breasts. I had no breast changes AT ALL with either PG, and went on to have 2 fab nursing relationships.

[katheek77]

Small breasted w/problems, but, I have type II tubular breasts (the least "extreme"), so, that's the problem right there. However, I produce *some* milk for DD.

Obviously, it has nothing to do with me being small-breasted, per se; it has to do with WHY I'm small-breasted.

[rupiezum]

Originally Posted by turtlewomyn

The only times that size might be a concern are when a woman has hypoplasia (sp?? do I have the right word here??) and her milk ducts/glands don't develop properly, usually her breast do not increase in size in pregnancy like they normally do.

Hypoplasia is the correct word.

Here's an article that's relevant and might be interesting to the OP:

http://www.007b.com/breast_size_breastfeeding.php

[Llyra]

I have always been under the impression that breast size has nothing at all to do with the number or size of milk ducts and glands-- that individual variation in breast size has to do with how much body fat is on the breasts, and nothing else.

That said, I have extremely small breasts. I have problems on my right side (recurrent plugged ducts) and none at all on the left. There is no discernible difference in size between my breasts; the only difference is that it's my DS who nurses on the right, and DD2 on the left. It's their respective nursing patterns that makes the difference, I think.

[BiscuitBaby]

I have large breasts and had some small problems. Latch with #1, but anyone can have latch problems. With #2 I had oversupply. Poor baby was trying to drink out of a firehose.

I know two people IRL who have hypoplasia. One was able to breastfeed and supplement with donor milk. The other one tried for a few weeks with a SNS, but ended up using formula. Her DH was against her taking meds to increase milk supply. Who knows if that would have helped. At least they got colostrum in the beginning.