Not sure if that is delicately put, but it is a question that I am asked most days by breastfeeding mums, and the answer is yes!
You have been told that your body will produce enough milk for your baby regardless of cup size, so why do you feel like your baby is never satisfied or is not gaining enough weight each week?
The answer lies in how you take the size of your breast into account in relation to the size of your baby. A mum with a smaller cup size and a larger baby, will need to feed more frequently than a mum with a small cup size and a little baby.
A mum with a larger cup size will probably only need to feed 3 hourly, but depending on the size of her baby, she may need to nurse from one or both sides to ensure that her baby gets enough to eat and is left with that milk drunk feeling.
The reason I am addressing this, is that too many mums are given the same advice, regardless of their individuality. The general rule will work for some mums and will cause problems for other mums. The primary problem being low milk supply.
Milk production is determined by demand, so the more milk baby demands and stimulates the breast, the more milk your breast will produce.
If you are small breasted and have been told to ‘only feed from one breast at each feed so that your baby gets to the hind milk’, you may find that your baby is not satisfied, is not gaining weight and may need to top up with formula. Now, if you start topping up with formula, your baby will breastfeed less and so your supply decreases further until you see little point in breastfeeding and your baby is totally formula fed.
To avoid landing yourself in this catch 22, look at your breast size and your baby. If your baby is 4kg and you are an A cup, you will need to feed from both breasts, probably switching back and forth between the two at least every 3 hours, if not a little sooner. Your body will produce your baby’s daily quota of breast milk, but rather than having 4 large meals a day, may need 10 little ones.
The opposite is true for a mum with a E cup and a 3kg baby. You will have a larger storage capacity and as your baby’s tummy is so little, you may only need to feed from one breast every 3-3.5hours.
Either way, you want to see that your baby gains between 20-30g each day, produces lots of yellow poos and clear wees. If you are not hitting these targets, you may need to alter your feeding pattern to suit.
This is really useful information. I often get asked similar questions. I’m a Mum who’s breastfed, and a specialist maternity & nursing bra fitter. I’ve often wondered how size of breast affects breastfeeding. Now I know! Thanks
Hello, A good friend of mine referred me to your site, and I must say that I am very glad that I visited. The information is “gold” to me. I will also be referring some of my friends to your site as well. It is amazing what you can learn online today. Thanks a lot.
How do I select a decent bra from the varied marked brassiere makes like, triumph, sorella and wacoal, etc? Besides having the precise breasts size measurements, what else should I look at when picking out a bra? Especially in regard to the distinct designs of the bra?
Hi Marcia,
Choosing a good bra is going to need a good brand and a good ‘fitter’ who will ensure that the brand you choose is most suitable to your breast shape and size. With so many new designs on the market, I would advise that you pop down to a maternity lingerie shop and get some advice.
Leia are really brilliant and I refer many clients to them who have great success. Also their stuff is really beautiful and start at £26 for a bra. They are in Bluewater, Cardiff, Liverpool, Richmond & York.
Hope this helps.
Hi Marcia – if you want to call our bra fitting specialists at bras4mums.co.uk, or email us your measurements, how many weeks pregnant you are/how old baby is, we can then work out with you the styles that are likely to suit.
We have an online shop, but an actual shop in Lancashire, with a couple of home fitters currently.
Even if you choose to go to a local shop for a fitting, you can get advice from the site and our bra fitters so you’ll have a better idea. Not all stores have a great selection, so depending where you are and where you can get to, our service may be an option for you.
To answer the question though – all bras fit differently! Even those from the same supplier will fit differently. This is dependent on shape of cup, fabric used and your breast and body shape…a good fitter is the answer!