Breastfeeding with Larger Breasts
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21819
Printed Date: 12 September 2025 at 3:02am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Breastfeeding with Larger Breasts
Posted By: Daizy
Subject: Breastfeeding with Larger Breasts
Date Posted: 20 October 2008 at 9:25pm
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Ok so I am asking this for a friend.
She has just found out she's pregnant with number 2 and really wants to BF this time. Last time she had real trouble getting baby to latch and ended up with incredibly sore and cracked nipples. Just wondering if other larger breasted people have had trouble feeding and what tips would you have to help... TIA  ------------- 
 
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Replies:
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 20 October 2008 at 9:47pm
| the rugby hold....worked so much better while I was learning. |
Posted By: fallen
Date Posted: 20 October 2008 at 9:48pm
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Ohhh I can so relate to your friend.
My advice is to ask to see a lactation specialist asap after baby is born and learn to latch on properly. I also found a Weleda cream really soothing and healing. I had major troubles feeding my daughter until an older lactation specialist lady came and saw me. One of the other nurses had told me that my nipples were too big to fit into my daughter's mouth, so I was convinced I couldn't do it. With perseverance and being shown how to do it properly I breast fed for nearly 2 years! Good luck to your friend. |
Posted By: blondy
Date Posted: 20 October 2008 at 9:49pm
I really thought I was going to have major issues with breastfeeding (I'm currently a 12J - eek!  ), but it's been so much easier than I thought! My biggest issue was worrying that I was going to suffocate the poor child....
My MW initally thought that we could solve the problem by feeding lying down, as that can make positioning easier, but I haven't HAD to use that position. I did find having one of those horseshoe shaped cushions really helped at the beginning (I think you can get them from TM - mine was borrowed), and now I just make sure we have lots of pillows/cushions to feed, as it is normally a two-handed job! Another issue (possibly TMI!) may be how prominent the nipples are from the breast - obviously flat nipples are going to be much harder to feed from if there is lots of breast tissue in the baby's face! I went to a breastfeeding class run at the hospital while I was pregnant, and was given heaps of helpful tips - including rolling a small towel/nappy and placing under the boob to help positioning (haven't had to do this though). Depending on where your friend lives, there may be a free class run somewhere? Defnitely La Leche League should be able to help. The hardest thing for me has been figuring out how to feed in public, without having everything on show! It was quite good 'practising' at home, and asking DH if he could see anything poking out LOL! 
The most important thing is getting the latch right(as per everyone else who BFs) - so getting her MW or a lactation consultant to watch the feeding is always a good idea. If she wants more practical tips closer to the time, I'm happy to have you/her PM me. I just know how anxious I was about the whole thing, and I've been pleasantly surprised how well feeding has gone for us (except she won't take a bottle at all - so it's almost gone too well! )-------------  
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 20 October 2008 at 10:00pm
| oh yes, I used to roll a flannel and put it under my boob to lift them up. forgot that. |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 20 October 2008 at 10:28pm
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I've given up trying to feed discreetly in public, it's just not possible! I make more of a spectacle of myself trying to hide it than I do if I just do what I have to do.
The biggest thing for me was that no one warned me before I had Maya that her head would be so much smaller than my breast (and thank God for that coz I have huge breasts!) which freaked me out a bit. I also have flattish nipples so needed a lot of help to get feeding established with Maya. Feeding is definitely a two handed job here too, I have to use one hand to position her and the other to hold the breast tissue back from her face so she doesn't suffocate. Like Blondy I find a pillow really useful for positioning her correctly. Oh and I remember being told when I was preg with Maya that you had to put the whole areola in baby's mouth, this isn't the case for me, there is always a small part of the areola showing around her mouth even when she is latched perfectly just coz of the size of it. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 21 October 2008 at 7:42am
Wellington Hospital run free breastfeeding classes which i found very useful. |
blondy wrote:Posted By: Neeks
Date Posted: 21 October 2008 at 8:37am
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I'm a DD and I found using the rugby hold to be a god send. At first it was really difficult to get Keziah to latch because my nipples wouldn't do what they were told and I ended up with them cracked and even a nipple blister. I used Nipple Shields for about 8 weeks until the Bleb (blister) healed on the advice of a Lactation Consultant! I ended up Breast Feeding for 6 months, and I would of done longer had it not been for the fact that my darling daughter weaned herself and would pack a right sad until I gave her a bottle -------------  
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 21 October 2008 at 9:32am
| I haven't read (just skimmed) the other responses but I was a G and I found the rugby hold really hard but the 'normal' hold fine. What I found best was having a pillow to support bubs so that I could "control" my boob lol. I didn't get cracked nipples at all but that was probably because in the beginning I stayed an extra day in hospital and was seeing the lactation consult all the time. I refused to leave until I was confident about feeding. |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 21 October 2008 at 10:06am
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Thanks for your help. Theres some really good advise in there! Last time she was sent home a couple of hours after giving birth (there were no spare beds -------------
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 21 October 2008 at 3:34pm
I did wonder as you are super ickle looking from pics Ive seen of you
An older midwive taught me a trick where you put a rolled up flannel under your breast so its "perkier" and puts the nipple in the right area for bubs to grab onto. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: LeahandJoel
Date Posted: 21 October 2008 at 6:42pm
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I did the rugby hold untill J was about a month and then it was easier to have him lying across my front. Both ways I am holding my boob from underneath, (never thought of using a flannel might give it a go). Still managed to get cracked and sore boobs but they have pretty much cleared up now. -------------  
 
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Posted By: *Renee*
Date Posted: 22 October 2008 at 1:08pm
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Thanks for the advice. i used a tri pillow last time with korah and found that great wasn't to keen with rugby hold though and hope to see if i can get hols of a lactition in my area. I am 12 - 14 G at the moment which is about what i was when BF korah last time so will be much bigger looking at about a J probably, i find it hard to find places which stock bra's for big busted also with out having to pay in the hundreds. I'm not due till about 2 of may so got some time to prepare ------------- http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/"> 
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