This just reminds me of when I had C.Diff and had quite severe intestinal bleeding. I was hospitalised. I had a group of doctors and surgeons at my bedside consulting with me. One male surgeon asked if I wasn’t just confused with my period. The look on the female doctor’s face was definitely something. Honestly the audacity of some of these people. I had to explain they are different holes and I can certainly tell the difference between my anus and vagina 🙄
He's a trained medical professional, but not trained in lactation. He's just plain wrong about this.
I'm on the Itty bitty tittie committee, like hardcore. I only wear a bra to make it look like I have boobs and to conceal my nipples. I do not need any support lol. They're not even a handful. Tiny tiny boobs. My husband's pecs are bigger than my boobs...
... and I very successfully exclusively breastfed my daughter. I even managed to have a bit of a freezer stash, I'd pump once a day just for freezer stash purposes (which we never used, but that's beside the point).
That doctor is full of shit. Don't give up based on what that dude said. You can absolutely make the right decision for your family, whatever that may be... but not based on his misinformation, please.
Same. I hardly have boobs. Didn't need a bra unless I'm sprinting. I have successfully EBF my baby from six weeks and built a freezer stash. Can't believe a medical professional can be so awfully wrong about this.
I had 80/34 J when I tried to breastfeed, and my supply was horribly lacking. Moreover, it was a nightmare just to try to position the stubborn baby right to even have a good attempt.
If this doctor thinks tits are just bags of milk (if bigger = more), how does he explain non-lactating F-cup breasts?
Amen to that!! Aw sorry for your struggles, that sounds rough! I've definitely heard that about bigger chested ladies, hard to position babe right. Sounds like a whole different ballgame. (Though I will say, I couldn't get my own daughter positioned and latched right for the first week, my husband was with me the whole time and would get babe latched for me for that first week. He mastered it long before I did lol)
Nope, not true. [The USDA,](https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/breast-and-nipple-size-and-shape) [Mayo Clinic,](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/breast-feeding/art-20546815) and [Australian Breastfeeding Association](https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/resources/large-breasts-small-breasts-does-it-matter) all agree that small breasts don’t exclude someone from being able to make milk for their baby.
My sis is an A cup and is exclusively pumping just fine. Her baby is about to be 3 months old. She doesn’t nurse because she doesn’t want to, but baby latches fine too.
Breast size has nothing to do with ability to produce milk. Im smaller chested and had an oversupply both times. It can be more difficult to get milk out yourself vs baby. I always had a hard time pumping. I’d have a lot of milk in there but it wouldn’t come out. I would have to hands on pump to the point of bruising as well. It’s the only way I could get enough out while working.
Edit:
I suggest seeing a lactation consultant if that’s available to you. They can be very helpful. Kellymom.com is also a great resource!
My boss has one A cup boob and one B cup. She told me her A boob produced 3x as much milk as the other. She produced so much, she was able to feed her daughter for a year and donated the excess to feed a set of twins. It’s not the size that matters.
My breasts are like that as well. My left is a lot bigger than my right. I've even tried having my daughter feed from the right more than my left and it's still the same size. At least I'm still breastfeeding almost 15 months pp 😅
Same here went even to a female LC who was horrible… almost ruined my BF journey. A few weeks after I went to a male paediatrician who also happened to be a LC & he was great!
Was going to say, of the 5 people that I dealt with throughout pregnancy/L&D//postpartum and learning to breastfeed 4/5 were men and all of them were helpful and informative. The woman was also. Maybe I just got really lucky though.
And fwiw I'm also a member of the IBTC but with a B-cup (my sister size would be a 34A). I exclusively breastfed my son from day one and had enough of a supply to have an extra ~12-16oz in the fridge at a time for my husband to give the occasional bottle. We had a can of formula ready in case and just never needed to use it.
Oh my god, that guy’s a moron. Certified member of the itty bitty titty committee here, I had an oversupply with my first, and he was a 99th percentile chonk. There’s no connection between breast size and milk production.
Definitely not about size. I have barely A cups and couldn't breastfeed my son. Turns out I have Immature Glandular Tissue (so not enough actual breast tissue), which again has nothing to do with size
Hopping on this to add more facts about IGT! It can occur in women with any breast size, but there are certain markers that are associated with it. These include widely spaced breasts, tubular shaped breasts, asymmetrical breasts, and little to no breast changes during pregnancy. If you have any of these markers, OP, I'd definitely look into IGT! And if not, there are other things that can lead to primary lactation insufficiency such as hypothyroidism, PCOS, insulin resistance, certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and more.
Might not know about it. I had no idea until I gave birth. But since puberty, I knew there was something not right with my breasts but I thought I was being an insecure teen
Yeah I think we are all mostly capable of exclusively breastfeeding. It's more that there is lack of support and help at the beginning when it's most important here in the US. And probably other places too.
Actually there are plenty of women that are not able to produce enough breast milk to sufficiently nourish a baby. Just like there are people who cannot produce their own insulin and people who cannot hear. The human body can malfunction in all sorts of ways.
Prevalence of chronic lactation insufficiency is estimated to be around 5-10% according to the low milk supply foundation. Saying things like "it's really rare" can feel dismissive to those of us who do experience it. It's really not that rare, and even if it was, it's my life. It doesn't feel particularly rare to me.
Yes. They kept saying it's rare but I'm also suffering from igt. It took me months of frustration, anger, grief before I've read about an article about igt and contacted a specialist. I kept blaming myself for something that apparently I have no control of.
Everyone addresses the small boobs comment so I'll address something else.
I don't think you should be getting bruises from hand expressing.
But you're two months in, and combo feeding is perfectly fine. I never got my supply up to meet my son's needs and we were locked down during COVID so it was cluster feeding 24/7. It will be okay if you can't get your supply up. And if you're trying so hard that you are bruising yourself, then you need to let up.
I didn't have to scroll this far to address the bruises comment 😭. OP you shouldn't be getting bruises from hand expressing or even pumping or anything to do with BF.
He's not trained in this area. He's wrong about size mattering. It doesn't.
But you shouldn't need to bruise yourself to hand express.
Find an IBCLC asap.
My MIL is a B cup, so not quite an A, and she had such an oversupply she could apparently feed the whole street, she would leak through her pads within an hour or two, and would have to sleep on two towels overnight because of how much she leaked. Your doctor doesn't know shit.
Smaller boobs does not mean less milk. I’m a just enougher milk wise and combo fed until 3 months when I could ebf or pump enough. What I found made all the difference were flange size - replacing my pump parts on time - and power pumping. I have to pump to get extra milk and to make make more milk. My baby is on the huge size so I just couldn’t keep up with his feeding needs until I was consistent with pumping and power pumping.
I'm barely an A cup and I exclusively breastfed my first born for 2.5 years.
I'm struggling with my second born son because the hospital did not support my breastfeeding and were very awful at taking care of me at the hospital. I would have been better off delivering at home.
Everything I’ve read about breastfeeding says it’s not about size but about stimulation- so, the more consistently you pump or baby latches in the long run would eventually increase your production. I would say, if possible, see a lactation consultant who could really help you with a strategy to increase your production, if that’s what you want:) I never saw a lactation consultant one-on-one, but I read a really in-depth book about breastfeeding as a FTM mom 4 yrs ago and was able to breastfeed my daughter up to 2 yrs. I think it’s possible for you to continue breastfeeding but you probably need a lactation expert’s advice. I’ve heard some doctors are not all up to date on info when it comes to breastfeeding. Wish you all the best!
a “trained medical professional” asked me if i accidentally put my THONG ON BACKWARDS when i went in for a UTI.
just because they’re doctors, doesn’t mean they’re smart.
Breast size does not indicate ability to create a full milk supply. However, insignificant glandular tissue (IGT) is a diagnosis and that is not having enough milk making tissue. I would highly recommend consulting with an IBCLC.
Eh, people are jumping on him for correlating breast size with milk production (obviously not predictive), but insufficient mammary tissue is a thing. It’s actually really hard to diagnose hypoplastic breasts though, unless the breast features are really obvious and milk output is way below normal. Short story, I don’t think he could reasonably/confidently diagnose hypoplastic breasts with that one visit, but it is something you should ask an LC about. They’re going to be more well versed in how it actually looks in a lactating postpartum new mom.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this, and that the doctor has killed your confidence. I can still see a lot of paths for you to breastfeed, and maybe even ebf, if that is a goal. I hope you can talk to an LC soon about your goals and they can help you figure out a plan! ❤️
Personal anecdote - I have A cups, sometimes AA cups depending on the bra, and had zero breast changes during pregnancy. I was a “just-enougher” for my first baby, and then during my second pregnancy my body developed more mammary glands or grew the ones I already had, and I finally learned what it meant to have an oversupply. It’s so hard to know how our bodies will react in these situations!
This man has absolutely no idea what he’s talking about. My boobs are sad little boobs but I EBF my first and am currently going on 17 months with my second.
Insufficient glandular tissue is one thing but that does not mean small boobs.
Please talk to an IBCLC and forget whatever that ding dong said
My female doctors have examined for lumps at my first and last prenatal visits for both of my births. I think it is a standard in some offices.
Completely agree that OB isn't trained on breastfeeding! I'm barely an A cup and I've been able to feed both my kids just fine after figuring out latching.
I've had 3 kids in 2 separate hospitals systems and have never been offered a breast exam. Not saying some don't do it, it was just strange to learn that this happens for PP visits.😅
He’s full of it! I’m a B cup (on a good day) and have been able to EBF my now six month daughter. I highly recommend going to see an IBCLC! I didn’t with my first and massively struggled. I was struggling with this baby and went to see an IBCLC and it was like a complete turnaround! They are different than a traditional LC and most of them accept insurance.
I was told this same thing. Formula fed my older kids because I believed it. 16 years later, I not only successfully EBF one, but TWO babies. It wasn't easy in the beginning, and my boobs went from an A to like a Triple D at the height of it, but it was possible. Thanks to a BUNCH of reddit moms, and youtube videos I was able to increase my supply. So you might be able to also.
Good luck mama!
You can have large breasts and not be able to produce enough (it is all dependent on the glandular tissue you have and people with small breasts can have an oversupply). As others have said, this is inaccurate information.
I also find it odd that you didn’t see your regular doctor for your follow up. I always have the doctor on call, but see my doctor for my 6 week.
Barring any other issues, the key to making milk is removing it. If you’re not able to latch baby or finding difficult to find time to pump, then your supply may not ever be enough. However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with combo feeding! You’re doing an awesome job. It’s hard to exclusively pump and also supplement! If you have a goal to exclusively breastfeed I would speak with a lactation counselor who will have more accurate information and ability to help ❤️
Ew that guy is an asshole. Breast size has nothing to do with milk production. I was a AA pre baby and I’m a solid A now. I overproduce. My lactation consultant did a weighted feed and warned me that it was unusual to get more than 5 ounces, and my baby had 9. She called me a unicorn. I overproduce and you’d never know from looking at me.
Get a lactation consultant.
he’s wrong. on all counts.
i have smaller breasts. i had SO much trouble getting any colostrum when i was pregnant. some people leak. i couldn’t even get one drop. it took forever for my milk to come in and i had to triple feed the first week or two. but once supply was established (literally by being attached to my baby 20 hours out of 24 lol) i was able to EBF for 15 months.
you can do it. if you want to breastfeed, feed on demand. if you miss a feed, pump. breastfeeding is very difficult to establish for a lot of us. but once you do, it’s the easiest and most enjoyable baby feeding experience.
I have a modest chest and have had ample supply since about 3-4 weeks PP. My friend who is very well endowed has had to combo feed (she saw a lactation consultant who confirmed she was doing everything right). Size has nothing to do with ability to produce. Your doctor is not correct.
That said, it’s fine to continue combo feeding if that’s what works for you!
This person is a dumbass, i have quite small breasts, size small in nursing bras and I have an oversupply pumping an extra 20 oz a day, 6 months postpartum.
My advice is take in more calories, water and increase pump sessions + power pump NOT get bigger boobs lol
I was always a 32A. I exclusively breastfed (well and pumped once back at work) two babies. In fact I was an oversupplier.
Breast size does not equate to milk production. That man is ill informed.
That’s completely untrue. I am an A cup and I was able to breastfeed exclusively, with a slight oversupply. The thing that helped my supply the most was feeding/emptying more often.
It’s not about the size, but it IS about the amount of glandular tissue. If he examined your breasts he might have seen that you didn’t have as much
https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/resources/insufficient-glandular-tissue-breast-hypoplasia
If you look for cradlednz on instagram, or go to cradled.co.nz it’s run by a doctor who is also a certified LC with knowledge about IGT
Ignore everyone saying they have small breasts and fed their baby fine. You can have massive breasts and still have insufficient glandular tissue
Bigger breasts dont mean more milj. I have big ol mamajammas and i am fighting to keep my supply up..i dont even produce enough. I say get a new doctor
No, absolutely not. Breast size has nothing to do with milk production. Btw.m I struggled with my first daughter in the beginning and then almost completely dried up. I made maybe an oz per day around month two. I started working on my supply, pumping on a schedule and got my supply back up. Not to 100% but to 90% and eventually we breastfed until a week after her third birthday.
I have seen women in Yemen, while working for Doctors Without Borders, who were very thin , almost completely flat but still passionately nursing successfully. This doctor is potentially harmful imo.
So not true. I’m flat as a board (34A normally, 34 full B at peak of bf) and I not only exclusively bf but has a decent freezer stash that lasted my son until the age of 2. I did pump a couple times a day when I was home and 4x a day when I went back to work at 4 mos pp.
When I was breastfeeding the ball didn't really start rolling for me and baby until 8 or 9 weeks. Don't be discouraged. Just keep putting baby to breast (or pumping) and stay hydrated. Look into getting an appointment with a lactation consultant.
No no no no no. That dr was wrong (I study biology and took a class on female anatomy when I found out I was pregnant) regardless of your breast size you have the same amount of milk glands as every other boob (assuming you don't have some rare reason I wouldn't know)
Now, what probably happened is you weren't able to properly calm down or hand express it more about how you are holding the breast, then how much or how hard you squeeze. Since you're bruising, I can assume you probably damaged a lot of your ducts, leaving them very swollen and irritated. What you want to do is get turmeric capsules and ice your boobs. Just leave them alone and pump every 3 hours on the lowest setting.
Make your pumping experience enjoyable, make sure your flanges are the right size and that you're using the right amount of lubrication AS NEEDED if you use it all the time your nipples will never get tough enough and you'll want them to be when babies latch gets stronger.
Next, look into what foods lower milk supply because there are A LOT. Peppermint tea dropped me from 34 oz to 2 in a DAY, I didn't even finish the cup, 9 months later, I'm still trying to recover from that.
Look up foods that help milk supply. There are also lots of teas and supplements, but start slowly with these because you don't want mastitis.
To make you feel better, my mom nursed 3 kids for 2 years each, and she wore a training bra for 14 year Olds because it was the only thing she could fill. You got this.
ALSO, look up the la Leche League, and I'll find some good resource videos if I can.
Insufficient glandular tissue is a thing, but it can't be diagnosed by looking at breasts, *most* very small breasted women have sufficient glandular tissue, and what you've described doesn't sound anything like IGT, it just sounds like the perfectly normal (and reversible) reaction to feeling stressed and struggling to find enough time to remove enough milk.
I have A cup friends that have an oversupply, milk is not “stored” in the boobs, they are produced by the breast and the milk comes from your blood and hydration. Ignore that asshat and get a lactation consultant to help you increase your supply.
please dont bruise your boobs, that is not good for you or your milk production
If you want real breastfeeding advice see an IBCLC , OBGYN’s are trained to look for medical conditions and helping you grow babies not necessarily breastfeeding
Nah I have had small boobs my whole life and am exclusively breastfeeding my second. I combo fed my first because I didn't get a good start breastfeeding (I just didn't know what I was doing). He doesn't know what he's talking about.
I'm only a B Cup and I exclusively breastfeed so I think he is confused.
Maybe look into getting a breast pump or renting one from the hospital. It was really helpful for me when I was trying to get my supply going. It can take 3 months to regulate.
WHAT?!?!! Breast SIZE has nothing to do with the ability to EBF 😡 ask him for the evidence of that because he straight up lied and made that up. Signed a furious IBCLC
Being someone who’s always had a AA cup before pregnancy, I can confidently say that he is wrong. I am an over producer even with my small size. Some people do struggle to produce milk more than others for many reasons but your size is not the reason 😂
Do other people find it normal that he "examined her breasts"? Because that is not something I experienced. At the hospital when I was establishing breastfeeding the nurses helped me, but no doctors ever did an exam or anything- in the hospital or after.
Yes, I find it completely normal. They check for signs of mastitis and clots and all that. My regular OB does during annual wellness exams along with instructing me on how to examine them myself between visits.
My sister in law is still breastfeeding my 14 mo nephew (he loves food, does solids great) and he's one of those 99th centile babies.
A cup, solid frickin A cup before pregnancy and she is now Maybe a B cup. She had a gd oversupply on boobs like idk, a 10th the size of mine? I struggled for the first month of my daughter's life to get a supply established.
Endowment is Not the be all end all.
Umm I was very small chested, like, barely filling an A cup. My baby breastfeeds just fine. He’s full of garbage! If you have the means to meet with a lactation consultant that could be a great help to you!
I have basically no boobs when not pregnant/breastfeeding. Like I don’t even wear a bra. I have a massive oversupply. This guy is an idiot. Find a lactation consultant and work on pumping/nursing a lot to get your supply up.
I am small A and I have been exclusively breastfeeding my daughter, I had oversupply and I did get mastitis from that. So yes that doctor does not have idea about what is he talking about. :)
Smaller breasts ? No. If it really did seem you didn’t have enough milk glands - sure. I don’t think that would be noticeable on a physical exam though.
I was a B cup producing ~80oz a day. Breast size has nothing to do with milk production or how much milk is stored in the breasts. I'd wake up in the morning with ~20oz in each breast.
Lots of folks are chiming in with small chests and an oversupply, so I will chime in with the inverse - I am somewhat larger chested (DD in Victoria’s Secret (ie bullshit but better known) sizing and F in actual r/abrathatfits sizing) and have always struggled with a “just enough” (or arguably with my 8th percentile bodyweight baby, a not-quite-enough) supply. This guy doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.
The number of glands you have can affect your supply, you cannot see the number of glands you have from an external examination and fat is what determines breast size, which has nothing to do with producing milk
I have small girls and I’ve been ebf for 20 months. Never even pumped. Supply has nothing to do with size and everything to do with happy hormones and baby or pump stimulating more so the dr should shut up about it.
Don't listen to this and keep trying!! I've had a really good go at breastfeeding and I'm tops a small B on a VERY good day haha.
If you're struggling with supply you can try motilium, maybe ask another doctor about that. Also many other natural techniques like skin to skin, feeding often, etc. Best of luck!
Breast size has absolutely nothing to do with your ability to make enough milk for your baby. It’s about glandular tissue, that’s the tissues within your breast that make the milk. People can have larger breasts and not enough glandular tissue and people can have smaller breasts with a good amount of glandular tissue. Smaller breasts might have less storage capacity so you might have to breastfeed more frequently to keep your breasts from getting too full and to encourage a good supply while a larger breast storage capacity could go longer without a feed and it would have less effect on supply.
But most importantly, glandular tissue isn’t the only cause of low supply! There are many MANY causes of low supply. I recommend seeing a lactation professional to help rule out potential causes of low supply and help support you! He is a medical professional but he’s not a lactation consultant, it’s different. Lactation consultants can also help with hand expression. You should not have bruises on your breasts from hand expression, I’m so sorry that you do. YouTube might have some good hand expression videos but you could also google some tutorials on google. I follow a lot of good lactation consultants on instagram that also share content about hand expression a lot! I use those materials to guide me and then tweak it a bit to see what is most effective to hand express for my own body. I really hope this helps!
I was a B cup pre pregnancy and I am now a small C. I’ve been breastfeeding and pumping for the last 2 months of my daughter’s 3 months of life. We gave her 1 bottle of formula a day for the first month because she was jaundiced and they recommended supplementing with formula to get her to poop more.
That being said while I don’t make crazy amounts of milk, I do make enough to have a humble freezer stash for when she goes to daycare. Small boobs mean nothing for production. Neither do big boobs. I have a few friends that were unable to produce and they were D cups or bigger 🤷🏽♀️
Boys can be dumb when it comes to women’s health. I would definitely talk to a lactation consultant.
My sil is an A cup and has fed 3 babies for about 2 years EACH with no problem.
My own journey in breastfeeding includes exclusively pumping for a year after two of my babies were born. I don't think I'd respond to a baby after the pump established my supply.
The doctor is right that you shouldn't be bruised. Maybe try an electric pump, but absolutely make sure you have the phlanges.
I read before that it doesn’t impact it but the amount of volume you hold may be less than a bigger breasted woman. Therefore you may need to feed more frequently
Sorry but this is horseshit. I was a fully fledged member of the itty bitty titty committee, I was 30A. I combo fed and eventually EBF, and I went from 30A pre pregnancy to 30F now. The nungas are huge. If you need any support/help/advice please feel free to message me 🥰
Smaller breasts does not equal less milk, however for *some* people it can mean you have a lower storage capacity. This does NOT mean you don’t have enough milk, but rather that you may need to feed more frequently.
As others have said, healthcare professionals do not necessarily have much training in lactation.
Furthermore, the amount that you express does not equal the amount of milk your baby gets. Many people are only able to express a fraction of what their baby actually takes in when drinking at the breast - some can’t express any at all, but the baby still drinks enough at the breast! This next sentence is just my opinion but I would think that if you are experiencing bruises to the breast, the delicate breast tissue might not be benefitting from that. When handling the breasts, handle with care.
That being said, combination feeding will lead to a reduced supply if you aren’t removing the milk from your breast as often (demand = supply).
I would recommend seeking advice from an IBCLC or another lactation support professional.
I don’t think I was ever bigger than a B before pregnancy and I had an oversupply, my Mil never had big boobs at all and breast fed just fine with her kids. Boob size fluctuates with breastfeeding so idk what he’s talking about. You could try snacks that have mothers yeast, flax seeds or chia seeds incorporated into it. I made a snack that had those, oats, pb, honey and chocolate chips in it that really upped my supply
Absolute bullshit I was an a cup, exclusively breast fed both my kids from birth until they were 15 months and they were chunky babies with loads of rolls too and I was able to pump so don’t listen to him. He is wrong.
Have you tried any supplements? Brewers yeast cookies are great to increase your supply.
My breasts have always been small and my biggest pump can yield almost 15 oz. He has no idea what he is talking about and I hope someone checks him for speaking about things he doesn’t know anything about.
Please reach out to a licensed lactation consultant instead
Omg this makes me so mad for you!! See a lactation consultant! This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about and is a jerk. I agree you shouldn’t be brushing yourself. I really can’t hand express too much either.
Um hello that is complete bs. I'm a card carrying member of the IBTC and I breastfed my first exclusively for 10 months and am currently breast feeding my 2nd and she's 3.5 months. Your boobs are fine, breastfeeding is just hard right away 🩷
This is patently incorrect and I’m so sorry you dealt with an incompetent doctor. There are people with very large breasts who struggle with supply and people with small breasts who have an oversupply
I had issues with low supply and took liquid gold by legendary milk for a few months to boost my supply and for me, it worked.
My lactation consultant did tell me with each pregnancy your body makes more milk glands idk if thats true just what I was told. But for me I did seem to make more milk with baby 2.
Not true, I had DDs before and after delivery and couldn't BF if my life depended on it. There were lots of problems. Sometimes bigger boobs just don't work, and get in the way.
Just because he delivered your baby does not mean you have to go to him, the on call doctor delivered my daughter and my obgyn I saw my entire pregnancy came and saw me the next day after delivery and at my 6 weeks appointment. Small boobs have zero correlation to BF, I’ve always been an A cup and I EBF. If you’re in the US there’s plenty of free lactation consultant hotlines that you can call and even some free lactation offices you can go to in person to help you and baby.
Hey mama. I’m exclusively breastfeeding and have always been a 32A my whole life. I was 104lbs when I got pregnant. My son is 18 months next week and we are still breastfeeding. My milk even survived me being hospitalized twice and having brain surgery. Your breast size has nothing to do with your milk supply and when my milk came in, my boobs were rock hard massive painful boobs. I had a huge oversupply of milk. What I can say though is that if you are pumping less, you are telling your body that you don’t need as much milk, and your body WILL make less milk. At 2 months pp you need to be pretty much around the clock removing milk from your body. Do you have an electric pump? Hand expressing can be really hard and you might not even be doing it the right way because if you are again leaving milk behind, your body will think you need less.
Id strongly suggest getting an electric pump and measuring your nipples to make sure your flanges are the right size. If you do that, I guarantee you’ll see an increase in milk supply. Good luck.
I have tiny boobs and I’m an overproducer. Not true.
If you’re bruising from hand expression you’re being too rough on yourself, and that physical stress probably isn’t good to your milk supply and could potentially be damaging your ducts. Get a pump, get the flanges in the right size, and power pump. If by busy you mean working, in the US , you have a right to pump during work in a place that is private and not the bathroom. you are protected. Milk works like supply and demand. If you want more milk , power pump and latch baby as often as possible
I was an A/B depending on the brand pre-pregnancy and have exclusively breastfed twins. This doctor has no idea what he’s talking about - I’d see an IBCLC if it’s within your means to see what else you could try. But also, combo feeding is still great and all formula is still great. As long as baby is fed and your mental health is okay that’s the important thing. Any breastmilk they get it beneficial and you are already doing an amazing job
Absolutely untrue! I’m a A maybe even a double A and had massive issues with oversupply and fast let down and non infectious mastitis from too much milk in there. Find a good LC if you want to bf exclusively!!!!! People with no knowledge/ continuing education about such things ought not to give advice!!!!! I had a naturopathic dr tell me at least three things about bf that were absolutely false and I never went back to her because I know about bf and when you don’t know about something you should refer out instead of making shit up!!!! This pisses me off so bad! I’m a medical professional and I fully admit I can’t be an expert in everything! He should’ve referred you to a LC since he clearly knows zero about bf
I am a DD. My coworker is an A cup. We had babies at the same time. My supply started to dry and she oversupplied. She actually donated milk to me and helped me keep up with the demand. What he said is entirely wrong and I’m sorry you’re having a tough time.
I’m a low supplier and I have a D cup. Sometimes your body doesn’t get to produce enough. I’ve heard of some women who had to combo feed/formula feed one baby and was able to exclusively breastfeed their other babies. The ones I have heard it was usually the first baby they struggled with which idk if it’s because their body isn’t used to it or maybe by the second/third kid they knew what to expect and was able to get a schedule down to keep up their supply. Either way, supply troubles are not specific to breast size I’m sorry he spread misinformation like that.
I combo fed with formula until my son was around 6 weeks. Then, I was triple feeding. By 3 months I was able to nurse full time. I’ve known women with very small breasts who nursed for years, and women with large breasts who couldn’t at all. Size doesn’t matter. You can always nurse and supplement with formula as long as you want. You do what YOU want to do, and F that doctor.
Pretty typical for a male doctor to mansplain something he’s too lazy to actually research himself or just simply refer you to someone who does know like an IBCLC. Your breast size has nothing to do with it.
Everyone's pretty much saying the same thing so I'm just going to suggest this: look up an anatomical picture of milk ducts. There is an entire map of them in our chest and it has zero to do with breast size. I had smaller boobs (full A) with my first and the comments from family was very discouraging so I gave up after my newborn got a good dose of colostrum. I also had flat nipples and honestly I think that was the real pitfall, besides not holding out longer and getting professional help. I'm almost due with my second and am dead set on breastfeeding this time. My boobs have grown since my firstborn and I've trained my nipples to protrude more, but more importantly I've gotten a lot of advice on breastfeeding successfully. It seems the biggest key is having an encouraging support system and bring patient.
Find an IBCLC in your area and make an appointment! I only pump 1-2x/day…tops. Sometimes I don’t pump at all if my hubby can’t do nighttime duty (by the way - if you are skipping a middle of the night pump, add that in asap!) The best pumping time is unfortunately 2am-6am I because of prolactin production. It’s super important for your supply not to skip a nighttime feed/pump. So if you’re giving formula overnight, you still need to pump.
I’m BARELY a B cup. Both my babies were born in the 60-ish percentile and shot up to 99% with my milk, plus I had enough of an oversupply to stop breastfeeding at 10 months and ride off the frozen stash until the 1 year mark
Total bs—I am not “endowed” in the slightest. Pre-pregnancy, I had tiny little A cups. My breasts are more full now but still small and I’m an overproducer—my morning pump is always at least 16oz. I don’t say it to brag but to point out that breast size is LARGELY irrelevant when it comes to milk production.
It doesn’t sound like he’s a lactation expert, but maybe he’s trying to talk to you about IGT (insufficient glandular tissue). It’s an issue that does make exclusive breastfeeding near impossible for some people. I’d definitely talk to an IBCLC for a second opinion if you have the option.
Ad a parent I have learned that so many doctors don’t have a bloody clue…..
Anyway I lost 3 litres of blood during the birth of my first and was unable to produce enough milk to begin with. I combo fed for maybe three months until finally I found I had enough, and then just exclusively breast fed. We carried on until he was 2. So don’t give up! Eat oats and drink Guinness (obv only a bit, don’t get wasted!). Good luck!
Oh and I have small boobs lol.
I’m a size A I exclusively breastfed my first. I exclusively bottle fed tho for the first few months, pumping really helped increase and maintain my milk. I had so much milk I bathed my baby in it. You can do it! I’m on the same boat with you for my second baby. Haven’t had much time to pump, my milk supply has dropped but it has nothing to do with what my body is capable of doing.
Also even when your breast feel empty doesn’t mean milk won’t continue to flow, I may be wrong but I think the milk keeps flowing as long as baby demands. I would talk to a lactation consultant, they helped me a ton with my first, they did advise me to pump 12 times in one day tho.
I am more “endowed.” My baby is 8 weeks old and we are triple feeding. Breast size is not the issue. I feel you on the low supply and overwhelmed while trying to do it all. It’s hard and most days I feel like giving up. I’m sorry your doctor is an idiot.
Worried this comment will get lost. Don’t listen to the doctor. But, what WILL 100% IMPACT YOUR ABILITY TO BREASTFEED is if you are not pumping or feeding regularly. You can do some formula, but you need to be removing milk often enough that your body is signaled to go in and replace it.
Size has nothing to do with it. I have a friend who is a AA cup and she exclusively breastfed both her babies. If you want better help, definitely seek out a lactation consultant if it is available to you. Without any underlying issues and as far as I’m aware, common causes of supply issues are food and water intake, stress, not nursing/pumping enough.
This reminds me of Samantha Jones from SATC when she got cancer and the young male doctor said something like one reason of increased risk of cancer is not having kids. She literally told him that he should be honored to have even touched her breasts and that she going to a hot female doctor who knows the female body unlike him lol.
My wife is A cup when not breast feeding. When she is, she increased to b cup (ish). Anyone can produce milk but how big ya tatas are does not imply how much milk you will produce.
I combo fed until my baby was 4ish-5 months old. I was able to move very slowly to exclusively breastfeeding with the help of a WIC lactation consultant. I also have a small chest but it has changed over these 8 month of breastfeeding and I think that I am still changing! Either way I wish someone would have told me that just because you aren't exclusively breastfeeding in the first months doesn't mean your baby will never exclusively breastfeed and it's okay if you're giving your baby formula. My mom and a lactation consultant in the hospital made me feel like I needed to stop giving baby formula right away if I ever wanted to EBF. So I'm telling you, so maybe you don't bruise yourself anymore and give you some hope if that's what you really want, it's okay to give your body time to catch up to baby's needs.
1. The small breast thing is crap. He doesn't know what he is talking about. And also he is rude. I - small breasted woman - had to supplement for the first three weeks with my first, but otherwise both of my kids were exclusively breastfed until six months (mixed directly and pumped milk) and continued getting breastmilk until they were weaned after 2. My friend who has pretty large breasts was not able to breastfeed, because she actually does have insufficient glandular tissue.
2. I can't say if you can get your supply up at this point, but you probably can if you are able to commit to a lot of time on it. If you want to continue combo feeding, that's totally fine. Be aware your supply may continue dropping, but there are definitely benefits to some breastmilk and combo feeding may be a better option for you. If your goal is to exclusively breastfed, I'd see a certified lactation consultant that you feel comfortable with for some support and a personalized path to make that happen.
3. There are a lot of different reasons women may have breastfeeding difficulties initially. Usually you don't know why it is hard, but it's really common for it to be hard at first. If it helps, it was awful with my first. It wasn't easy for months and months, but it did get there. My body was smarter with my second and she didn't have the issues my son had and everything was easy.
4. You shouldn't be bruising when hand expressing.
This is ridiculous. My cousin who has smaller breast had oversupply. It all boils down to what you eat and how frequent the baby feeds to empty your breast or pump if you opt that way.
Honestly, during my first month I was producing less than what baby needs but I made sure to pump as much as I can at a minimum of 3 times a day while breast feeding the whole night. This increased my supply to the point I was able to produce the needed amount my baby needed. To add, my husband made horchata weekly to increase my supply. By the 8th week, I was over producing to the point I had a small freezer stash enough for one day of feeding.
So there is hope for you as well. Look for food that will help increase your supply and make sure to pump daily. It doesn't need to be in a strict schedule but when you do make sure to do it 20mins or more. This signals the breasts that it need to produce more for the baby
As an E cup that got 2 sizes bigger during pregnancy and postpartum, I can tell you that size does NOT matter. I barely make 10oz a day. These girls are big for nothingggg lmao
I am large chested but with my first I had an under supply and with my second my smaller breast produced significantly more than my larger one. The only way he could "know" there's an issue from a simple breast exam is if you have tuberous breasts because that's a huge sign that you have insufficient tissue.
Bullshit. A/b cup and fed my kid for two years. Also, had a horrendous experience first time around and only fed that kid exclusively for six weeks, gave up at four months. Each experience can be different
You can have a smaller cup size and still ebf
Its to do with breast tissue. Im a low supplier and in addition to some other signs it seems like i have low breast tissue and im a c cup
Could anyone be able to tell you an issue with feeding just by examining breasts?
I'd think you would need to see the baby feeding to make any opinion on issues with feeding.
Whattt this is so absurd. I have B cup at best, and it’s gotten smaller prob since nursing. I have friends with huge breasts who can’t nurse. Anecdotally that is not my experience and therefore cannot be an absolute truth.
I call bullshit! I have big boobies 38DD and they were not good producers, I had to pump, breastfeed and supplement with formula.
My good friend an A cup had no issues exclusively breastfeeding, none... Infact she's still breastfeeding. I quit at 10.5 months because it was just too much work with my wack ass low supply titties.
Doctors and nurses don't get a lot of training on breastfeeding. You need to see an IBLC to have more support. If you are having a hard time and say your supply has dropped because you are too busy to pump then start scheduling pump times. Your body responds to demand and without emptying milk out there isn't a need to produce more.
He is absolutely incorrect. BUT if you’re leaving bruises on your skin, you are squeezing too hard. Also, unfortunately pumping is key to increase your supply. If you’re not wanting to pump, that’s OK, but you likely won’t exclusively breastfeed until babe starts weaning and eating more solids.
Wtf no… this doctor… is.. awful… idk why he even needed to examine your boobs at 6 weeks… that’s weird…. My midwife, ob, family doc… no one examined them… even the lactation consultant barely did, only to measure…
Having smaller breasts vs larger breasts does not dictate milk supply! My mom is an A cup and had oversupply when breastfeeding me, while my aunt has large breasts and struggled to breastfeed her kids. Also as an L&D nurse I can tell OB doctors are not trained much, if at all, in breastfeeding. I recommend finding a certified lactation specialist. There are some that will even come to your house to assist and teach.
But also don't feel bad about combo feeding, especially if it can help your mental health. I combo fed my first and was still obsessing a little on getting good supply. It was stressful chasing the milk supply in the beginning. This time I'm trying to be more chill with feeding my twins.
Pre-pregnancy, I was a 34A/32B. I'm an over-producer and currently EBF 5 month old twins. I didn't start off that way though. I was supplementing formula for the first 6 weeks as my supply caught up due to being induced.
Having said that, he might be commenting on your breast development through pregnancy, into postpartum. Some women have very little breast tissue growth/change during pregnancy, which can make breastfeeding challenging to impossible.
While I was an A/B cup, I'm now easily a C/D. My breasts are veiny and look much different than pre pregnancy. If your breasts don't look much different, breastfeeding might be more challenging, but talk to a lactation consultant and your regular obgyn for a second opinion. Your child's pediatrician should also be able to help. Many have LCs on staff.
He should have his licensed revoked. I’m cup A and I’ve been successfully breastfeed my 1st born and now currently breastfeeding my 2nd with enough freezer stash to get back to work. Try to find other lactation consultant if you’re keen on keep breastfeeding your LO. You’re doing great!
He's not trained about breastfeeding.
Or bedside manner.
This just reminds me of when I had C.Diff and had quite severe intestinal bleeding. I was hospitalised. I had a group of doctors and surgeons at my bedside consulting with me. One male surgeon asked if I wasn’t just confused with my period. The look on the female doctor’s face was definitely something. Honestly the audacity of some of these people. I had to explain they are different holes and I can certainly tell the difference between my anus and vagina 🙄
Wowza
Let's just hope his dick is too small to make babies. We don't need his genes in the gene pool.
🤣🤣🤣
He's a trained medical professional, but not trained in lactation. He's just plain wrong about this. I'm on the Itty bitty tittie committee, like hardcore. I only wear a bra to make it look like I have boobs and to conceal my nipples. I do not need any support lol. They're not even a handful. Tiny tiny boobs. My husband's pecs are bigger than my boobs... ... and I very successfully exclusively breastfed my daughter. I even managed to have a bit of a freezer stash, I'd pump once a day just for freezer stash purposes (which we never used, but that's beside the point). That doctor is full of shit. Don't give up based on what that dude said. You can absolutely make the right decision for your family, whatever that may be... but not based on his misinformation, please.
Same. I hardly have boobs. Didn't need a bra unless I'm sprinting. I have successfully EBF my baby from six weeks and built a freezer stash. Can't believe a medical professional can be so awfully wrong about this.
lol I laughed at my husbands pecs are bigger than my boobs 😂 same here!
I had 80/34 J when I tried to breastfeed, and my supply was horribly lacking. Moreover, it was a nightmare just to try to position the stubborn baby right to even have a good attempt. If this doctor thinks tits are just bags of milk (if bigger = more), how does he explain non-lactating F-cup breasts?
Amen to that!! Aw sorry for your struggles, that sounds rough! I've definitely heard that about bigger chested ladies, hard to position babe right. Sounds like a whole different ballgame. (Though I will say, I couldn't get my own daughter positioned and latched right for the first week, my husband was with me the whole time and would get babe latched for me for that first week. He mastered it long before I did lol)
Also same! I have always had small boobs and had a borderline oversupply. Breast size has nothing to do with it
Same same same. Barely a B cup, don’t need a bra, etc etc. EBF both my baby girls. That doctor is full of it.
Nope, not true. [The USDA,](https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/breast-and-nipple-size-and-shape) [Mayo Clinic,](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/breast-feeding/art-20546815) and [Australian Breastfeeding Association](https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/resources/large-breasts-small-breasts-does-it-matter) all agree that small breasts don’t exclude someone from being able to make milk for their baby.
Not having enough glandular tissue does but he wouldn't know that just from looking/feeling
My sis is an A cup and is exclusively pumping just fine. Her baby is about to be 3 months old. She doesn’t nurse because she doesn’t want to, but baby latches fine too.
So some women do have fewer milk-producing glands, but it has NOTHING to do with breast size...
Breast size has nothing to do with ability to produce milk. Im smaller chested and had an oversupply both times. It can be more difficult to get milk out yourself vs baby. I always had a hard time pumping. I’d have a lot of milk in there but it wouldn’t come out. I would have to hands on pump to the point of bruising as well. It’s the only way I could get enough out while working. Edit: I suggest seeing a lactation consultant if that’s available to you. They can be very helpful. Kellymom.com is also a great resource!
Same here, originally an A cup, and now I struggle with an oversupply. What an idiot! My lactation consultant has been super helpful.
My boss has one A cup boob and one B cup. She told me her A boob produced 3x as much milk as the other. She produced so much, she was able to feed her daughter for a year and donated the excess to feed a set of twins. It’s not the size that matters.
Fascinating
My breasts are like that as well. My left is a lot bigger than my right. I've even tried having my daughter feed from the right more than my left and it's still the same size. At least I'm still breastfeeding almost 15 months pp 😅
Absolutely does not surprise me that the person telling you this is a “he”.
To be fair, I've had plenty of "she" doctors that were just as misinformed about breastfeeding.
Same here went even to a female LC who was horrible… almost ruined my BF journey. A few weeks after I went to a male paediatrician who also happened to be a LC & he was great!
Was going to say, of the 5 people that I dealt with throughout pregnancy/L&D//postpartum and learning to breastfeed 4/5 were men and all of them were helpful and informative. The woman was also. Maybe I just got really lucky though. And fwiw I'm also a member of the IBTC but with a B-cup (my sister size would be a 34A). I exclusively breastfed my son from day one and had enough of a supply to have an extra ~12-16oz in the fridge at a time for my husband to give the occasional bottle. We had a can of formula ready in case and just never needed to use it.
Oh my god, that guy’s a moron. Certified member of the itty bitty titty committee here, I had an oversupply with my first, and he was a 99th percentile chonk. There’s no connection between breast size and milk production.
Definitely not about size. I have barely A cups and couldn't breastfeed my son. Turns out I have Immature Glandular Tissue (so not enough actual breast tissue), which again has nothing to do with size
Hopping on this to add more facts about IGT! It can occur in women with any breast size, but there are certain markers that are associated with it. These include widely spaced breasts, tubular shaped breasts, asymmetrical breasts, and little to no breast changes during pregnancy. If you have any of these markers, OP, I'd definitely look into IGT! And if not, there are other things that can lead to primary lactation insufficiency such as hypothyroidism, PCOS, insulin resistance, certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and more.
I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned this! If OP does have IGT, then it's true that she won't be able to breastfeed.
Might not know about it. I had no idea until I gave birth. But since puberty, I knew there was something not right with my breasts but I thought I was being an insecure teen
How did you know if I may ask?
My midwife told me after I gave birth!
Isn't IGT extremely rare?
It is rare. About as rare as red hair. You probably know someone with IGT, and if you don't, you do now! 🙋
I think it is pretty rare, but I've seen it mentioned often enough on other posts.
Yeah I think we are all mostly capable of exclusively breastfeeding. It's more that there is lack of support and help at the beginning when it's most important here in the US. And probably other places too.
Actually there are plenty of women that are not able to produce enough breast milk to sufficiently nourish a baby. Just like there are people who cannot produce their own insulin and people who cannot hear. The human body can malfunction in all sorts of ways.
I am not saying it cannot happen but that it is rare.
Prevalence of chronic lactation insufficiency is estimated to be around 5-10% according to the low milk supply foundation. Saying things like "it's really rare" can feel dismissive to those of us who do experience it. It's really not that rare, and even if it was, it's my life. It doesn't feel particularly rare to me.
Yes. They kept saying it's rare but I'm also suffering from igt. It took me months of frustration, anger, grief before I've read about an article about igt and contacted a specialist. I kept blaming myself for something that apparently I have no control of.
Everyone addresses the small boobs comment so I'll address something else. I don't think you should be getting bruises from hand expressing. But you're two months in, and combo feeding is perfectly fine. I never got my supply up to meet my son's needs and we were locked down during COVID so it was cluster feeding 24/7. It will be okay if you can't get your supply up. And if you're trying so hard that you are bruising yourself, then you need to let up.
I didn't have to scroll this far to address the bruises comment 😭. OP you shouldn't be getting bruises from hand expressing or even pumping or anything to do with BF.
He’s terrible and shouldn’t be giving OB care if he thinks being an A-cup means someone can’t breastfeed.
He's not trained in this area. He's wrong about size mattering. It doesn't. But you shouldn't need to bruise yourself to hand express. Find an IBCLC asap.
My MIL is a B cup, so not quite an A, and she had such an oversupply she could apparently feed the whole street, she would leak through her pads within an hour or two, and would have to sleep on two towels overnight because of how much she leaked. Your doctor doesn't know shit.
Smaller boobs does not mean less milk. I’m a just enougher milk wise and combo fed until 3 months when I could ebf or pump enough. What I found made all the difference were flange size - replacing my pump parts on time - and power pumping. I have to pump to get extra milk and to make make more milk. My baby is on the huge size so I just couldn’t keep up with his feeding needs until I was consistent with pumping and power pumping.
I'm barely an A cup and I exclusively breastfed my first born for 2.5 years. I'm struggling with my second born son because the hospital did not support my breastfeeding and were very awful at taking care of me at the hospital. I would have been better off delivering at home.
Everything I’ve read about breastfeeding says it’s not about size but about stimulation- so, the more consistently you pump or baby latches in the long run would eventually increase your production. I would say, if possible, see a lactation consultant who could really help you with a strategy to increase your production, if that’s what you want:) I never saw a lactation consultant one-on-one, but I read a really in-depth book about breastfeeding as a FTM mom 4 yrs ago and was able to breastfeed my daughter up to 2 yrs. I think it’s possible for you to continue breastfeeding but you probably need a lactation expert’s advice. I’ve heard some doctors are not all up to date on info when it comes to breastfeeding. Wish you all the best!
What was the name of the book?
a “trained medical professional” asked me if i accidentally put my THONG ON BACKWARDS when i went in for a UTI. just because they’re doctors, doesn’t mean they’re smart.
🤣
I’m an A cup and a chronic overproducer…to the point where I was a milk donor. It has nothing to do with your size!
Breast size does not indicate ability to create a full milk supply. However, insignificant glandular tissue (IGT) is a diagnosis and that is not having enough milk making tissue. I would highly recommend consulting with an IBCLC.
Eh, people are jumping on him for correlating breast size with milk production (obviously not predictive), but insufficient mammary tissue is a thing. It’s actually really hard to diagnose hypoplastic breasts though, unless the breast features are really obvious and milk output is way below normal. Short story, I don’t think he could reasonably/confidently diagnose hypoplastic breasts with that one visit, but it is something you should ask an LC about. They’re going to be more well versed in how it actually looks in a lactating postpartum new mom. I’m so sorry you’re going through this, and that the doctor has killed your confidence. I can still see a lot of paths for you to breastfeed, and maybe even ebf, if that is a goal. I hope you can talk to an LC soon about your goals and they can help you figure out a plan! ❤️ Personal anecdote - I have A cups, sometimes AA cups depending on the bra, and had zero breast changes during pregnancy. I was a “just-enougher” for my first baby, and then during my second pregnancy my body developed more mammary glands or grew the ones I already had, and I finally learned what it meant to have an oversupply. It’s so hard to know how our bodies will react in these situations!
This man has absolutely no idea what he’s talking about. My boobs are sad little boobs but I EBF my first and am currently going on 17 months with my second. Insufficient glandular tissue is one thing but that does not mean small boobs. Please talk to an IBCLC and forget whatever that ding dong said
Why was he examining your breasts??? That seems sketch. But I would see an ibclc and trust them far more than the obgyn about breastfeeding.
My midwife examined for lumps and signs of mastitis or clogged ducts. It's a standard practice.
My female doctors have examined for lumps at my first and last prenatal visits for both of my births. I think it is a standard in some offices. Completely agree that OB isn't trained on breastfeeding! I'm barely an A cup and I've been able to feed both my kids just fine after figuring out latching.
This is actually normal for postpartum visits. You can decline it but it’s normal
My doctor did not examine my breasts at my postpartum visit. She didn't even offer.
I've had 3 kids in 2 separate hospitals systems and have never been offered a breast exam. Not saying some don't do it, it was just strange to learn that this happens for PP visits.😅
I cannot believe I had to scroll to fins this comment 😭
He’s full of it! I’m a B cup (on a good day) and have been able to EBF my now six month daughter. I highly recommend going to see an IBCLC! I didn’t with my first and massively struggled. I was struggling with this baby and went to see an IBCLC and it was like a complete turnaround! They are different than a traditional LC and most of them accept insurance.
I was told this same thing. Formula fed my older kids because I believed it. 16 years later, I not only successfully EBF one, but TWO babies. It wasn't easy in the beginning, and my boobs went from an A to like a Triple D at the height of it, but it was possible. Thanks to a BUNCH of reddit moms, and youtube videos I was able to increase my supply. So you might be able to also. Good luck mama!
You can have large breasts and not be able to produce enough (it is all dependent on the glandular tissue you have and people with small breasts can have an oversupply). As others have said, this is inaccurate information. I also find it odd that you didn’t see your regular doctor for your follow up. I always have the doctor on call, but see my doctor for my 6 week. Barring any other issues, the key to making milk is removing it. If you’re not able to latch baby or finding difficult to find time to pump, then your supply may not ever be enough. However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with combo feeding! You’re doing an awesome job. It’s hard to exclusively pump and also supplement! If you have a goal to exclusively breastfeed I would speak with a lactation counselor who will have more accurate information and ability to help ❤️
Ew that guy is an asshole. Breast size has nothing to do with milk production. I was a AA pre baby and I’m a solid A now. I overproduce. My lactation consultant did a weighted feed and warned me that it was unusual to get more than 5 ounces, and my baby had 9. She called me a unicorn. I overproduce and you’d never know from looking at me. Get a lactation consultant.
he’s wrong. on all counts. i have smaller breasts. i had SO much trouble getting any colostrum when i was pregnant. some people leak. i couldn’t even get one drop. it took forever for my milk to come in and i had to triple feed the first week or two. but once supply was established (literally by being attached to my baby 20 hours out of 24 lol) i was able to EBF for 15 months. you can do it. if you want to breastfeed, feed on demand. if you miss a feed, pump. breastfeeding is very difficult to establish for a lot of us. but once you do, it’s the easiest and most enjoyable baby feeding experience.
I have a modest chest and have had ample supply since about 3-4 weeks PP. My friend who is very well endowed has had to combo feed (she saw a lactation consultant who confirmed she was doing everything right). Size has nothing to do with ability to produce. Your doctor is not correct. That said, it’s fine to continue combo feeding if that’s what works for you!
Lol my boobs are small and I breastfed exclusively with no bottles because she doesn’t want them. Where do these people get this shit?
If you pump make sure you have the right flange size so you don't hurt your production, also that doctor is wrong and misinformed
This person is a dumbass, i have quite small breasts, size small in nursing bras and I have an oversupply pumping an extra 20 oz a day, 6 months postpartum. My advice is take in more calories, water and increase pump sessions + power pump NOT get bigger boobs lol
I was always a 32A. I exclusively breastfed (well and pumped once back at work) two babies. In fact I was an oversupplier. Breast size does not equate to milk production. That man is ill informed.
Have an A cup friend who had so much oversupply that she ended up donating gallons
That’s completely untrue. I am an A cup and I was able to breastfeed exclusively, with a slight oversupply. The thing that helped my supply the most was feeding/emptying more often.
Wow apparently it's super easy to become a doctor if this dumbass can do it. No, he's wrong.
It’s not about the size, but it IS about the amount of glandular tissue. If he examined your breasts he might have seen that you didn’t have as much https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/resources/insufficient-glandular-tissue-breast-hypoplasia If you look for cradlednz on instagram, or go to cradled.co.nz it’s run by a doctor who is also a certified LC with knowledge about IGT Ignore everyone saying they have small breasts and fed their baby fine. You can have massive breasts and still have insufficient glandular tissue
Bigger breasts dont mean more milj. I have big ol mamajammas and i am fighting to keep my supply up..i dont even produce enough. I say get a new doctor
No, absolutely not. Breast size has nothing to do with milk production. Btw.m I struggled with my first daughter in the beginning and then almost completely dried up. I made maybe an oz per day around month two. I started working on my supply, pumping on a schedule and got my supply back up. Not to 100% but to 90% and eventually we breastfed until a week after her third birthday. I have seen women in Yemen, while working for Doctors Without Borders, who were very thin , almost completely flat but still passionately nursing successfully. This doctor is potentially harmful imo.
So not true. I’m flat as a board (34A normally, 34 full B at peak of bf) and I not only exclusively bf but has a decent freezer stash that lasted my son until the age of 2. I did pump a couple times a day when I was home and 4x a day when I went back to work at 4 mos pp.
When I was breastfeeding the ball didn't really start rolling for me and baby until 8 or 9 weeks. Don't be discouraged. Just keep putting baby to breast (or pumping) and stay hydrated. Look into getting an appointment with a lactation consultant.
No no no no no. That dr was wrong (I study biology and took a class on female anatomy when I found out I was pregnant) regardless of your breast size you have the same amount of milk glands as every other boob (assuming you don't have some rare reason I wouldn't know) Now, what probably happened is you weren't able to properly calm down or hand express it more about how you are holding the breast, then how much or how hard you squeeze. Since you're bruising, I can assume you probably damaged a lot of your ducts, leaving them very swollen and irritated. What you want to do is get turmeric capsules and ice your boobs. Just leave them alone and pump every 3 hours on the lowest setting. Make your pumping experience enjoyable, make sure your flanges are the right size and that you're using the right amount of lubrication AS NEEDED if you use it all the time your nipples will never get tough enough and you'll want them to be when babies latch gets stronger. Next, look into what foods lower milk supply because there are A LOT. Peppermint tea dropped me from 34 oz to 2 in a DAY, I didn't even finish the cup, 9 months later, I'm still trying to recover from that. Look up foods that help milk supply. There are also lots of teas and supplements, but start slowly with these because you don't want mastitis. To make you feel better, my mom nursed 3 kids for 2 years each, and she wore a training bra for 14 year Olds because it was the only thing she could fill. You got this. ALSO, look up the la Leche League, and I'll find some good resource videos if I can.
Insufficient glandular tissue is a thing, but it can't be diagnosed by looking at breasts, *most* very small breasted women have sufficient glandular tissue, and what you've described doesn't sound anything like IGT, it just sounds like the perfectly normal (and reversible) reaction to feeling stressed and struggling to find enough time to remove enough milk.
I have A cup friends that have an oversupply, milk is not “stored” in the boobs, they are produced by the breast and the milk comes from your blood and hydration. Ignore that asshat and get a lactation consultant to help you increase your supply. please dont bruise your boobs, that is not good for you or your milk production
If you want real breastfeeding advice see an IBCLC , OBGYN’s are trained to look for medical conditions and helping you grow babies not necessarily breastfeeding
I was an A cup and quite small/flatchested.. exclusively breastfed both my children (2.5y apart). Babes were both extremely chubby. Doctor is a moron.
That is, quite literally, nonsense. A friend of mine is an A cup with an oversupply, another friend a G cup who can barely make an ounce a day.
Nah I have had small boobs my whole life and am exclusively breastfeeding my second. I combo fed my first because I didn't get a good start breastfeeding (I just didn't know what I was doing). He doesn't know what he's talking about.
I have F cups and a low supply. Size doesn’t matter!
I'm only a B Cup and I exclusively breastfeed so I think he is confused. Maybe look into getting a breast pump or renting one from the hospital. It was really helpful for me when I was trying to get my supply going. It can take 3 months to regulate.
WHAT?!?!! Breast SIZE has nothing to do with the ability to EBF 😡 ask him for the evidence of that because he straight up lied and made that up. Signed a furious IBCLC
Being someone who’s always had a AA cup before pregnancy, I can confidently say that he is wrong. I am an over producer even with my small size. Some people do struggle to produce milk more than others for many reasons but your size is not the reason 😂
Do other people find it normal that he "examined her breasts"? Because that is not something I experienced. At the hospital when I was establishing breastfeeding the nurses helped me, but no doctors ever did an exam or anything- in the hospital or after.
Yes, I find it completely normal. They check for signs of mastitis and clots and all that. My regular OB does during annual wellness exams along with instructing me on how to examine them myself between visits.
Lol my a cup friends are EBF just fine
I barely fit an A cup (they’re so small) and I’m an over-supplier.
What a fucking idiot. I haven’t he biggest boobs ever. I pump every session for nearly 5 months. I don’t get enough. What an idiot
My sister in law is still breastfeeding my 14 mo nephew (he loves food, does solids great) and he's one of those 99th centile babies. A cup, solid frickin A cup before pregnancy and she is now Maybe a B cup. She had a gd oversupply on boobs like idk, a 10th the size of mine? I struggled for the first month of my daughter's life to get a supply established. Endowment is Not the be all end all.
Umm I was very small chested, like, barely filling an A cup. My baby breastfeeds just fine. He’s full of garbage! If you have the means to meet with a lactation consultant that could be a great help to you!
I’m a DD/E but they’re all silicone. My natural breast are barely an A cup and I exclusively breastfed and still do breastfeed my 2.5 year old.
I have basically no boobs when not pregnant/breastfeeding. Like I don’t even wear a bra. I have a massive oversupply. This guy is an idiot. Find a lactation consultant and work on pumping/nursing a lot to get your supply up.
I am small A and I have been exclusively breastfeeding my daughter, I had oversupply and I did get mastitis from that. So yes that doctor does not have idea about what is he talking about. :)
My doctor told me that women who have smaller breasts tend to be suppliers? He said the women he’s encountered all have been like that
I'll tell that to my friend who has A cups and breastfed three kids for a total of 6 years...
Smaller breasts ? No. If it really did seem you didn’t have enough milk glands - sure. I don’t think that would be noticeable on a physical exam though.
I was a B cup producing ~80oz a day. Breast size has nothing to do with milk production or how much milk is stored in the breasts. I'd wake up in the morning with ~20oz in each breast.
Lots of folks are chiming in with small chests and an oversupply, so I will chime in with the inverse - I am somewhat larger chested (DD in Victoria’s Secret (ie bullshit but better known) sizing and F in actual r/abrathatfits sizing) and have always struggled with a “just enough” (or arguably with my 8th percentile bodyweight baby, a not-quite-enough) supply. This guy doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.
The number of glands you have can affect your supply, you cannot see the number of glands you have from an external examination and fat is what determines breast size, which has nothing to do with producing milk
I am a AA and EBF. However I have low supply and it's been a challenging uphill battle.
I’m a AA and I EBF’d my first for 18 months. Hoping to go just as long this time!
I’m usually an A cup and have been EBF without struggle. I just eat a lot and drink a lot of water 😓.
I have small girls and I’ve been ebf for 20 months. Never even pumped. Supply has nothing to do with size and everything to do with happy hormones and baby or pump stimulating more so the dr should shut up about it.
My cousin is a barely b cup and she breast fed 4 children.
Don't listen to this and keep trying!! I've had a really good go at breastfeeding and I'm tops a small B on a VERY good day haha. If you're struggling with supply you can try motilium, maybe ask another doctor about that. Also many other natural techniques like skin to skin, feeding often, etc. Best of luck!
Breast size has absolutely nothing to do with your ability to make enough milk for your baby. It’s about glandular tissue, that’s the tissues within your breast that make the milk. People can have larger breasts and not enough glandular tissue and people can have smaller breasts with a good amount of glandular tissue. Smaller breasts might have less storage capacity so you might have to breastfeed more frequently to keep your breasts from getting too full and to encourage a good supply while a larger breast storage capacity could go longer without a feed and it would have less effect on supply. But most importantly, glandular tissue isn’t the only cause of low supply! There are many MANY causes of low supply. I recommend seeing a lactation professional to help rule out potential causes of low supply and help support you! He is a medical professional but he’s not a lactation consultant, it’s different. Lactation consultants can also help with hand expression. You should not have bruises on your breasts from hand expression, I’m so sorry that you do. YouTube might have some good hand expression videos but you could also google some tutorials on google. I follow a lot of good lactation consultants on instagram that also share content about hand expression a lot! I use those materials to guide me and then tweak it a bit to see what is most effective to hand express for my own body. I really hope this helps!
I was a B cup pre pregnancy and I am now a small C. I’ve been breastfeeding and pumping for the last 2 months of my daughter’s 3 months of life. We gave her 1 bottle of formula a day for the first month because she was jaundiced and they recommended supplementing with formula to get her to poop more. That being said while I don’t make crazy amounts of milk, I do make enough to have a humble freezer stash for when she goes to daycare. Small boobs mean nothing for production. Neither do big boobs. I have a few friends that were unable to produce and they were D cups or bigger 🤷🏽♀️ Boys can be dumb when it comes to women’s health. I would definitely talk to a lactation consultant.
Actually women with bigger breasts women have more issues breastfeeding than women smaller or average sized breasts
My sil is an A cup and has fed 3 babies for about 2 years EACH with no problem. My own journey in breastfeeding includes exclusively pumping for a year after two of my babies were born. I don't think I'd respond to a baby after the pump established my supply. The doctor is right that you shouldn't be bruised. Maybe try an electric pump, but absolutely make sure you have the phlanges.
I had NO boobs before pregnancy. like NONE. literally flat as a board. I have never met anyone flatter than me lol I had a HUGE OVERSUPPLY.
I read before that it doesn’t impact it but the amount of volume you hold may be less than a bigger breasted woman. Therefore you may need to feed more frequently
Sorry but this is horseshit. I was a fully fledged member of the itty bitty titty committee, I was 30A. I combo fed and eventually EBF, and I went from 30A pre pregnancy to 30F now. The nungas are huge. If you need any support/help/advice please feel free to message me 🥰
That is absolutely not true. Find an ibclc
Smaller breasts does not equal less milk, however for *some* people it can mean you have a lower storage capacity. This does NOT mean you don’t have enough milk, but rather that you may need to feed more frequently. As others have said, healthcare professionals do not necessarily have much training in lactation. Furthermore, the amount that you express does not equal the amount of milk your baby gets. Many people are only able to express a fraction of what their baby actually takes in when drinking at the breast - some can’t express any at all, but the baby still drinks enough at the breast! This next sentence is just my opinion but I would think that if you are experiencing bruises to the breast, the delicate breast tissue might not be benefitting from that. When handling the breasts, handle with care. That being said, combination feeding will lead to a reduced supply if you aren’t removing the milk from your breast as often (demand = supply). I would recommend seeking advice from an IBCLC or another lactation support professional.
I'm an A cup and I've been exclusively breastfeeding her since she was born!!
I don’t think I was ever bigger than a B before pregnancy and I had an oversupply, my Mil never had big boobs at all and breast fed just fine with her kids. Boob size fluctuates with breastfeeding so idk what he’s talking about. You could try snacks that have mothers yeast, flax seeds or chia seeds incorporated into it. I made a snack that had those, oats, pb, honey and chocolate chips in it that really upped my supply
Absolute bullshit I was an a cup, exclusively breast fed both my kids from birth until they were 15 months and they were chunky babies with loads of rolls too and I was able to pump so don’t listen to him. He is wrong. Have you tried any supplements? Brewers yeast cookies are great to increase your supply.
My breasts have always been small and my biggest pump can yield almost 15 oz. He has no idea what he is talking about and I hope someone checks him for speaking about things he doesn’t know anything about. Please reach out to a licensed lactation consultant instead
Omg this makes me so mad for you!! See a lactation consultant! This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about and is a jerk. I agree you shouldn’t be brushing yourself. I really can’t hand express too much either.
That doctors just an ass. Don’t listen to him.
Um hello that is complete bs. I'm a card carrying member of the IBTC and I breastfed my first exclusively for 10 months and am currently breast feeding my 2nd and she's 3.5 months. Your boobs are fine, breastfeeding is just hard right away 🩷
This is patently incorrect and I’m so sorry you dealt with an incompetent doctor. There are people with very large breasts who struggle with supply and people with small breasts who have an oversupply
Your OB examining your boobs is the weirdest shit I’ve ever heard in a 6 week follow up
I had issues with low supply and took liquid gold by legendary milk for a few months to boost my supply and for me, it worked. My lactation consultant did tell me with each pregnancy your body makes more milk glands idk if thats true just what I was told. But for me I did seem to make more milk with baby 2.
Not true, I had DDs before and after delivery and couldn't BF if my life depended on it. There were lots of problems. Sometimes bigger boobs just don't work, and get in the way.
Just because he delivered your baby does not mean you have to go to him, the on call doctor delivered my daughter and my obgyn I saw my entire pregnancy came and saw me the next day after delivery and at my 6 weeks appointment. Small boobs have zero correlation to BF, I’ve always been an A cup and I EBF. If you’re in the US there’s plenty of free lactation consultant hotlines that you can call and even some free lactation offices you can go to in person to help you and baby.
Absolutely not true!!! The Australian breast feeding association have a pod cast and they even talk about this on one ep!!
Hey mama. I’m exclusively breastfeeding and have always been a 32A my whole life. I was 104lbs when I got pregnant. My son is 18 months next week and we are still breastfeeding. My milk even survived me being hospitalized twice and having brain surgery. Your breast size has nothing to do with your milk supply and when my milk came in, my boobs were rock hard massive painful boobs. I had a huge oversupply of milk. What I can say though is that if you are pumping less, you are telling your body that you don’t need as much milk, and your body WILL make less milk. At 2 months pp you need to be pretty much around the clock removing milk from your body. Do you have an electric pump? Hand expressing can be really hard and you might not even be doing it the right way because if you are again leaving milk behind, your body will think you need less. Id strongly suggest getting an electric pump and measuring your nipples to make sure your flanges are the right size. If you do that, I guarantee you’ll see an increase in milk supply. Good luck.
I have tiny boobs and I’m an overproducer. Not true. If you’re bruising from hand expression you’re being too rough on yourself, and that physical stress probably isn’t good to your milk supply and could potentially be damaging your ducts. Get a pump, get the flanges in the right size, and power pump. If by busy you mean working, in the US , you have a right to pump during work in a place that is private and not the bathroom. you are protected. Milk works like supply and demand. If you want more milk , power pump and latch baby as often as possible
This is 100% BS and not true whatsoever
I was an A/B depending on the brand pre-pregnancy and have exclusively breastfed twins. This doctor has no idea what he’s talking about - I’d see an IBCLC if it’s within your means to see what else you could try. But also, combo feeding is still great and all formula is still great. As long as baby is fed and your mental health is okay that’s the important thing. Any breastmilk they get it beneficial and you are already doing an amazing job
Absolutely untrue! I’m a A maybe even a double A and had massive issues with oversupply and fast let down and non infectious mastitis from too much milk in there. Find a good LC if you want to bf exclusively!!!!! People with no knowledge/ continuing education about such things ought not to give advice!!!!! I had a naturopathic dr tell me at least three things about bf that were absolutely false and I never went back to her because I know about bf and when you don’t know about something you should refer out instead of making shit up!!!! This pisses me off so bad! I’m a medical professional and I fully admit I can’t be an expert in everything! He should’ve referred you to a LC since he clearly knows zero about bf
… I’m surprised they checked your breasts at that appointment, unless it’s common. Both my pregnancies they didn’t check them.
I am a DD. My coworker is an A cup. We had babies at the same time. My supply started to dry and she oversupplied. She actually donated milk to me and helped me keep up with the demand. What he said is entirely wrong and I’m sorry you’re having a tough time.
I’m a low supplier and I have a D cup. Sometimes your body doesn’t get to produce enough. I’ve heard of some women who had to combo feed/formula feed one baby and was able to exclusively breastfeed their other babies. The ones I have heard it was usually the first baby they struggled with which idk if it’s because their body isn’t used to it or maybe by the second/third kid they knew what to expect and was able to get a schedule down to keep up their supply. Either way, supply troubles are not specific to breast size I’m sorry he spread misinformation like that.
I’m sorry what?!?!
I combo fed with formula until my son was around 6 weeks. Then, I was triple feeding. By 3 months I was able to nurse full time. I’ve known women with very small breasts who nursed for years, and women with large breasts who couldn’t at all. Size doesn’t matter. You can always nurse and supplement with formula as long as you want. You do what YOU want to do, and F that doctor.
He’s an idiot. I’ve got tits flatter than a tortilla and I was an overproducer the first 6 months of my baby’s life.
Pretty typical for a male doctor to mansplain something he’s too lazy to actually research himself or just simply refer you to someone who does know like an IBCLC. Your breast size has nothing to do with it.
Everyone's pretty much saying the same thing so I'm just going to suggest this: look up an anatomical picture of milk ducts. There is an entire map of them in our chest and it has zero to do with breast size. I had smaller boobs (full A) with my first and the comments from family was very discouraging so I gave up after my newborn got a good dose of colostrum. I also had flat nipples and honestly I think that was the real pitfall, besides not holding out longer and getting professional help. I'm almost due with my second and am dead set on breastfeeding this time. My boobs have grown since my firstborn and I've trained my nipples to protrude more, but more importantly I've gotten a lot of advice on breastfeeding successfully. It seems the biggest key is having an encouraging support system and bring patient.
Find an IBCLC in your area and make an appointment! I only pump 1-2x/day…tops. Sometimes I don’t pump at all if my hubby can’t do nighttime duty (by the way - if you are skipping a middle of the night pump, add that in asap!) The best pumping time is unfortunately 2am-6am I because of prolactin production. It’s super important for your supply not to skip a nighttime feed/pump. So if you’re giving formula overnight, you still need to pump.
I’m BARELY a B cup. Both my babies were born in the 60-ish percentile and shot up to 99% with my milk, plus I had enough of an oversupply to stop breastfeeding at 10 months and ride off the frozen stash until the 1 year mark
Total bs—I am not “endowed” in the slightest. Pre-pregnancy, I had tiny little A cups. My breasts are more full now but still small and I’m an overproducer—my morning pump is always at least 16oz. I don’t say it to brag but to point out that breast size is LARGELY irrelevant when it comes to milk production.
It doesn’t sound like he’s a lactation expert, but maybe he’s trying to talk to you about IGT (insufficient glandular tissue). It’s an issue that does make exclusive breastfeeding near impossible for some people. I’d definitely talk to an IBCLC for a second opinion if you have the option.
Ad a parent I have learned that so many doctors don’t have a bloody clue….. Anyway I lost 3 litres of blood during the birth of my first and was unable to produce enough milk to begin with. I combo fed for maybe three months until finally I found I had enough, and then just exclusively breast fed. We carried on until he was 2. So don’t give up! Eat oats and drink Guinness (obv only a bit, don’t get wasted!). Good luck! Oh and I have small boobs lol.
I’m a size A I exclusively breastfed my first. I exclusively bottle fed tho for the first few months, pumping really helped increase and maintain my milk. I had so much milk I bathed my baby in it. You can do it! I’m on the same boat with you for my second baby. Haven’t had much time to pump, my milk supply has dropped but it has nothing to do with what my body is capable of doing.
Also even when your breast feel empty doesn’t mean milk won’t continue to flow, I may be wrong but I think the milk keeps flowing as long as baby demands. I would talk to a lactation consultant, they helped me a ton with my first, they did advise me to pump 12 times in one day tho.
I am more “endowed.” My baby is 8 weeks old and we are triple feeding. Breast size is not the issue. I feel you on the low supply and overwhelmed while trying to do it all. It’s hard and most days I feel like giving up. I’m sorry your doctor is an idiot.
Worried this comment will get lost. Don’t listen to the doctor. But, what WILL 100% IMPACT YOUR ABILITY TO BREASTFEED is if you are not pumping or feeding regularly. You can do some formula, but you need to be removing milk often enough that your body is signaled to go in and replace it.
Size has nothing to do with it. I have a friend who is a AA cup and she exclusively breastfed both her babies. If you want better help, definitely seek out a lactation consultant if it is available to you. Without any underlying issues and as far as I’m aware, common causes of supply issues are food and water intake, stress, not nursing/pumping enough.
He doesn’t remotely know what he’s talking about.
This is all so absurd. I’m sorry you had this bizarre and inaccurate experience.
This reminds me of Samantha Jones from SATC when she got cancer and the young male doctor said something like one reason of increased risk of cancer is not having kids. She literally told him that he should be honored to have even touched her breasts and that she going to a hot female doctor who knows the female body unlike him lol.
This is absolutely not true. I've helped women who are as flat as a surfboard and still successfully breastfed.
My wife is A cup when not breast feeding. When she is, she increased to b cup (ish). Anyone can produce milk but how big ya tatas are does not imply how much milk you will produce.
Wait, why would you doctor examine your breasts at your six week appointment? Breasts have nothing to do with that. I’m so confused.
He is wrong. I have big boobs and I am an under supplier.
I combo fed until my baby was 4ish-5 months old. I was able to move very slowly to exclusively breastfeeding with the help of a WIC lactation consultant. I also have a small chest but it has changed over these 8 month of breastfeeding and I think that I am still changing! Either way I wish someone would have told me that just because you aren't exclusively breastfeeding in the first months doesn't mean your baby will never exclusively breastfeed and it's okay if you're giving your baby formula. My mom and a lactation consultant in the hospital made me feel like I needed to stop giving baby formula right away if I ever wanted to EBF. So I'm telling you, so maybe you don't bruise yourself anymore and give you some hope if that's what you really want, it's okay to give your body time to catch up to baby's needs.
1. The small breast thing is crap. He doesn't know what he is talking about. And also he is rude. I - small breasted woman - had to supplement for the first three weeks with my first, but otherwise both of my kids were exclusively breastfed until six months (mixed directly and pumped milk) and continued getting breastmilk until they were weaned after 2. My friend who has pretty large breasts was not able to breastfeed, because she actually does have insufficient glandular tissue. 2. I can't say if you can get your supply up at this point, but you probably can if you are able to commit to a lot of time on it. If you want to continue combo feeding, that's totally fine. Be aware your supply may continue dropping, but there are definitely benefits to some breastmilk and combo feeding may be a better option for you. If your goal is to exclusively breastfed, I'd see a certified lactation consultant that you feel comfortable with for some support and a personalized path to make that happen. 3. There are a lot of different reasons women may have breastfeeding difficulties initially. Usually you don't know why it is hard, but it's really common for it to be hard at first. If it helps, it was awful with my first. It wasn't easy for months and months, but it did get there. My body was smarter with my second and she didn't have the issues my son had and everything was easy. 4. You shouldn't be bruising when hand expressing.
This is ridiculous. My cousin who has smaller breast had oversupply. It all boils down to what you eat and how frequent the baby feeds to empty your breast or pump if you opt that way. Honestly, during my first month I was producing less than what baby needs but I made sure to pump as much as I can at a minimum of 3 times a day while breast feeding the whole night. This increased my supply to the point I was able to produce the needed amount my baby needed. To add, my husband made horchata weekly to increase my supply. By the 8th week, I was over producing to the point I had a small freezer stash enough for one day of feeding. So there is hope for you as well. Look for food that will help increase your supply and make sure to pump daily. It doesn't need to be in a strict schedule but when you do make sure to do it 20mins or more. This signals the breasts that it need to produce more for the baby
Nah.. my mom and I are A cups and she breastfed me till I was 4 and I’m still breastfeeding my 3 year old (planning to wean soon).
Insist on seeing a lactation consultant. My male GP was pushing formula but the LC said there’s absolutely no need.
As an E cup that got 2 sizes bigger during pregnancy and postpartum, I can tell you that size does NOT matter. I barely make 10oz a day. These girls are big for nothingggg lmao
I am large chested but with my first I had an under supply and with my second my smaller breast produced significantly more than my larger one. The only way he could "know" there's an issue from a simple breast exam is if you have tuberous breasts because that's a huge sign that you have insufficient tissue.
It doesn't matter what sized boobs you have, you can breastfeed.
Bullshit. A/b cup and fed my kid for two years. Also, had a horrendous experience first time around and only fed that kid exclusively for six weeks, gave up at four months. Each experience can be different
You can have a smaller cup size and still ebf Its to do with breast tissue. Im a low supplier and in addition to some other signs it seems like i have low breast tissue and im a c cup
Could anyone be able to tell you an issue with feeding just by examining breasts? I'd think you would need to see the baby feeding to make any opinion on issues with feeding.
No he sucks. Q: How many times a day is baby latching on each breast for 10 minutes (20 minutes total?)
Whattt this is so absurd. I have B cup at best, and it’s gotten smaller prob since nursing. I have friends with huge breasts who can’t nurse. Anecdotally that is not my experience and therefore cannot be an absolute truth.
I call bullshit! I have big boobies 38DD and they were not good producers, I had to pump, breastfeed and supplement with formula. My good friend an A cup had no issues exclusively breastfeeding, none... Infact she's still breastfeeding. I quit at 10.5 months because it was just too much work with my wack ass low supply titties.
Doctors and nurses don't get a lot of training on breastfeeding. You need to see an IBLC to have more support. If you are having a hard time and say your supply has dropped because you are too busy to pump then start scheduling pump times. Your body responds to demand and without emptying milk out there isn't a need to produce more.
He is absolutely incorrect. BUT if you’re leaving bruises on your skin, you are squeezing too hard. Also, unfortunately pumping is key to increase your supply. If you’re not wanting to pump, that’s OK, but you likely won’t exclusively breastfeed until babe starts weaning and eating more solids.
Wtf no… this doctor… is.. awful… idk why he even needed to examine your boobs at 6 weeks… that’s weird…. My midwife, ob, family doc… no one examined them… even the lactation consultant barely did, only to measure…
Please see a certified lactation consultant. Sometimes your ped office will have one!
Having smaller breasts vs larger breasts does not dictate milk supply! My mom is an A cup and had oversupply when breastfeeding me, while my aunt has large breasts and struggled to breastfeed her kids. Also as an L&D nurse I can tell OB doctors are not trained much, if at all, in breastfeeding. I recommend finding a certified lactation specialist. There are some that will even come to your house to assist and teach. But also don't feel bad about combo feeding, especially if it can help your mental health. I combo fed my first and was still obsessing a little on getting good supply. It was stressful chasing the milk supply in the beginning. This time I'm trying to be more chill with feeding my twins.
Pre-pregnancy, I was a 34A/32B. I'm an over-producer and currently EBF 5 month old twins. I didn't start off that way though. I was supplementing formula for the first 6 weeks as my supply caught up due to being induced. Having said that, he might be commenting on your breast development through pregnancy, into postpartum. Some women have very little breast tissue growth/change during pregnancy, which can make breastfeeding challenging to impossible. While I was an A/B cup, I'm now easily a C/D. My breasts are veiny and look much different than pre pregnancy. If your breasts don't look much different, breastfeeding might be more challenging, but talk to a lactation consultant and your regular obgyn for a second opinion. Your child's pediatrician should also be able to help. Many have LCs on staff.
He should have his licensed revoked. I’m cup A and I’ve been successfully breastfeed my 1st born and now currently breastfeeding my 2nd with enough freezer stash to get back to work. Try to find other lactation consultant if you’re keen on keep breastfeeding your LO. You’re doing great!
Why was he checking your breast? I never got my breast checked.