Breastfeeding Advice - Brooklyn, NY

Breast size does not correlate with the ability to breast feed. Some people grow more than others but most women can produce milk and breastfeed. I was only a B cup before my first child and only increased maybe half a cup size. I am pregnant now and in my last week and I still fit in my bras that I bought after baby #1.

Since you have a little time find a local La Leche League meeting and go before you have the baby...then you will at least know who to call if you have probems or questions later. Even if you don't go along with everything they are in favor of it is still a great place for reliable BF advise and emotional support.

Don't worry about it. How much your breasts grow has nothing to do with the amount of milk you can provide. You will be absolutely fine. My breasts did not grow that much during my pregnancy either. Once the baby arrived, after 4 days or so, they became engorged with milk and that's when my breast size changed most dramatically. I applaud you for wanting to breastfeed. The best way you can prepare yourself is to read as much as possible, and ask your OB for a recommendation for a lactation consultant. Don't rely on the lactation consultants in the hospital- they are often overworked and don't spend enough time with you, or don't come at all, which is the case with me. Yes, definitely ask for one when you are in the hospital, but you may need some extra help once you get home- it can take 2 weeks to a month or more (when there are problems) for babies to learn. I got one to come to my house for a few hours and it was so worth the $150- she helped me to continue breastfeeding my son when I had a lot of problems in the beginning, and one of the reasons I am still breastfeeding my 11 month old son.
The biggest thing that I would have done, had I known before, is to not let the nurses give my son any bottles at the hospital. This was the root of all my problems breastfeeding. You should not give any bottles to the baby until breastfeeding is well established- at least a month old, and even then, you should only give 1 a day to make sure you don't decrease your milk supply.
As far as books go, get The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. It was my bible in the beginning. Two websites that are great are www.kellymom.com and www.drjacknewman.com.
You can also contact your local chapter of La Leche League for resources and help. I would do it before the baby comes because afterward you won't have the time or energy to search around.
Good luck and don't worry about your breasts. Your body will know what to do- it is amazing and you will be able to make enough milk. Just trust your body.

Absolutely!! The size of your breasts is no indicator of how well you can breastfeed your baby. Trust me, once your milk comes in, you'll KNOW you can do it! :) During my first pregnancy, my boobs were HUGE and I breastfed my son for almost a year. I am pregnant now, and they have not grown much at all. No fear!!! Good luck to you and your soon to be new one :)

Breastfeeding doesn't necessarily have to do with the size of your breasts. Your body releases hormones telling your body to produce milk once your little one gets here. You might see them increase in size at that point because your milk glands will be full. Once you establish a routine they won't be as big and will probably go back to normal size. In other words...you'll be fine to breastfeed your little one.

You'll be fine! I didn't get a drop of colostrum my entire pregnancy, and I was sooo worried. All my friends were flooding their shirts, and I was convinced I wouldn't be able to nurse. Then my milk didn't come in for 3 days. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.

Then my milk came in, and BAM. Double D's. Totally engorged. Plenty of milk for 10 babies. :)

I felt so silly for worrying for such a long time, but it's par for the course. You'll be fine, in all likelihood. But if it makes you feel better, call a lactation consultant. She'll give you professional soothing!

And congrats on that baby!

Mine NEVER got bigger when I was pregnant. It always felt as though they shrunk b/c my belly kept growing. With my second child, I never got engorged after birth. I was frantic that my milk wasn't coming in enough. Everything was just fine though, and I'm still nursing him now.

No worries, size doesn't matter. If it seems milk is not coming in once baby arrives work with a specialist but you most likely have nothing to worry about.

I wouldn't really worry too much. My breasts got a little plump when I was pregnant (lg A to a lg b) and then once I had my son they became HUGE (full C, small D). Now son is 18 mo and I"m still nursing but not as much and they've shrunk again.

A lack of breast changes can be and should be looked into with an IBCLC. So when you say they havent grown, do you mean no other changes have occured as well? Have your areola's darkened? Can you see bluish veins through your skin? Have they been sore? Just because they dont grow, doesnt mean you wont be able to breastfeed, but if you have had zero changes, I'd talk to someone. That still doesnt mean you wont be able to breastfeed, just that you should check into it. Most likely you will. Statistically speaking LESS THAN 2% of women are truly unable to breastfeed, though many will have you believe its more than that. Chances are you will not fall into that 2%. I had very little breast growth (I'm already a DD though) and I successfully nursed 3 babies, though thats anecdotal. I'm sure you will be fine, and if you need anything, you can message me. I'm not an IBCLC, but one step below as a breastfeeding counselor. That means I can help with the everyday hassles and concerns, but not the big issues! Good luck!

Yes! Your milk takes about 4 days to come in once you deliver the baby. The baby sucking will make your milk come in and you should grow. I wouldn't worry. I never remember feeling big before hand. But when you do become engorged (filled with milk) the best tip I can give you is hot hot washcloths! Good luck mama to be ;)

Yes, you will be able to breastfeed just fine!

My breasts didn't grow either and I've been breastfeeding for 14 months and loving every minute of it. You'll be amazed at what happens to them once your milk comes in. Now they are back to their normal (tiny) size but there's plenty of milk.

No worries!

You should be able to breastfeed fine. Since it is your 1st baby you may want to see a lactation consultant. Usually the hospital has one available. They can teach you the proper way to BF and help you with any problems you may have. Also I am "well endowed" and when my babies nurse they only need one side at a time once my milk comes in but my friends who are smaller busted they must nurse both sides at each feeding. Also don't be surprised if the "boobage" arrives when the milk does!!! Even us big ones have noticed size increase when milk arrives!!! Breast feeding is an awesome experience and good for you and baby. IT IS ALSO CHEAP!!!! Take your time, get help, eat well, DRINK WATER (LOTS) and get help if you need it! Congratulations on the baby and the decision to breastfeed!!! A.

oh my...my boobs never got bigger until my milk came in about 4 days after birth...and you'll know trust me. Relish in your boobs not feeling achy full for now...But also sometimes, like me, your boobs can shrink or become less perky after you are done breastfeeding. I can't wait to have another baby to breastfeed again and get my boobs back for a while...and then maybe some implants down the road. Oh and it does NOT matter if you are well endowed or not to breastfeed one side or both....I was a small B cup before...was an overproducer of b-milk when nursing, and could only nurse one side at a feeding.

I am small breasted to begin with and they never got bigger during my pregnancy. I kept waiting for it to happen but it never did! Anyway, I nursed my son for 13 months no problem. Good Luck!

In the case of breast feeding, size does not matter. Your body will produce the milk it needs for your baby. Here's a quick story; We have a lactation room at my job. Moms use it to pump milk. Well the petite, size A cup mother of twins would out pump us all (B, C and D cups).

Be sure to get good information on how to properly latch your baby onto your breast, how often to nurse, proper nutrition, etc. Try to have a lactation specialist with you at the hospital (nursing will be new to you and your baby -- coaching helps). Then relax, mothers have been nursing there babies for thousands of years...I won't say it is easy, but it is natural.

All the best!
Cyndi

I am small chested to begin with and was hoping pregnancy would "enhance" that area but with all of my 3 pregnancies, nothing significant happened. definitely no need to buy bigger bras and I was able to breastfeed successfully. Size doesn't matter, all the machinery is in place and I'm sure everything will work fine once you give birth. The way I tried to think about it was that a lot of girls have these obscene boobs after having kids that were more of a problem for breastfeeding and fitting into clothes properly and we are blessed not to have that problem! Good luck!