Does Breast Size Affect Breastfeeding

I’m a member of several communities and forum helping moms raise their babies. One of the popular questions I’ve come across is: Does Breast Size Affect Breastfeeding? This question has also sparked debates about the relationship between breast size and milk supply. I will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about these debates below.

Q: Do you think that breast size influences milk supply

No, it doesn’t. When it comes to breastfeeding, the size doesn’t matter. I have the first-hand experience, and I can testify. The size of your breast is determined by the amount of fatty tissue they contain, and this doesn’t affect the quantity of milk.

But your breasts should grow bigger (even during pregnancy) as they prepare for the task ahead. However, the amount of milk that you produce is determined by how your little one nurses. The more he feeds, the more milk you produce.

Q: Breast Size and Milk Production

Your breast size does not affect the amount of breast milk you produce. What determines the size of your breasts are the fatty tissues, and these fatty tissues have nothing to do with the amount of breast milk you produce.

Glandular tissue is responsible for making and storing breast milk. Glandular tissue is formed during pregnancy, and it’s what determines the amount of milk you produce.

As your bundle of joy suckles, a hormone known as prolactin stimulates secretion of milk. The more the baby feeds, the more the body produces prolactin and hence the more milk you produce if the baby feeds more frequently (Source).

Breast Size Breastfeeding

Pumping should be an exciting experience- it should not hurt. Medela offers up to five breast shield sizes that should fit mothers with different breast sizes. In this guide, I’m going to help you to determine the right size for you through a series of steps.

Use a measuring tape or a ruler to measure the diameter of your at the nipple base and measure in Millimeters). Do not include areola when taking the measurements. Based on the measurements you obtain, you can now determine the right breast shield from the picture below.

For example, if the nipple size measure 17mm, the best Medela breast size is 21 and if the nipple measures 22mm the recommended breast shield size are 27mm. (Source)

How to Use a Medela Breast Pump

While can say that there are other popular options out there, I must admit that Medela breast pumps are among the popular and mostly used breast pumps here in the States. Below is a simple guide on how to use a Medela breast pump.

• Find a comfortable space where you can relax and pump without distractions.
• Thoroughly wash your hands.
• Position the flanges such that your nipples are centered. Improper positioning can cause damage.
• Turn the pump on. The machine will begin in the stimulation phase
• After you see or feel milk ejection, it’s time to press the expression button. However, if you don’t switch to the expression mode- the pump will automatically switch after two minutes.
• Use the speed nob to adjust to a level you’re comfortable
• After pumping session, remove the tubing
• Cap the breast milk bottles and store the expressed milk
• Disassemble the pump and clean

A final tip on Does Breast Size Affect Breastfeeding

To sum up, I would like to reassure you that the size of your breast does not influence milk production. In fact, a study conducted suggested that moms with small breast are likely to produce more milk than their counterparts. Do you agree that breast size affect breastfeeding? Share your opinion in the comments below. You may also be keen on the rising cost of diapers and the newborn girl coming home outfits.