Breastfeeding - does the size of your breasts matter

Do big boobs produce big amounts of milk? Clare Byam-Cook on milk production and breast size

How well your breasts perform when it comes to milk production has nothing to do with size. Having seen literally hundreds of pairs, I’m in no doubt that some women are blessed with breasts that work brilliantly while some others have breasts that never work well. There’s no logic to it – it’s the luck of the draw.

When the milk first ‘comes in’ some breasts become extremely engorged, producing far too much milk for a four-day-old baby. In some cases the over-production goes on for weeks, putting to rest the theory that breasts always regulate the amount they produce to meet the needs of the baby.

At the other end of the scale, many breasts never become engorged, never have plenty of milk left at the end of a feed and frequently don’t even provide enough during the feed.

If your milk supply is low

Don’t give up - many breasts will start working better if you try the following:

Drink plenty of fluids
Don’t skip meals because you’re too tired to eat
Increase your calorie intake
Make sure your baby is latched on correctly: See Breast success LINK
Let your baby spend more time at the breast
Stimulate your breasts by expressing with a breast pump after each feed
If possible, stay in bed with your baby for about 48 hours, so that you can rest and concentrate all your energy on feeding your baby
Try not to give top-up bottles unless you absolutely have to

It can take two or three days for this regime to work. If things don’t improve after that, you may need to consider giving some top-up bottles of formula after some or all of your breastfeeds. This is the right thing to do if your baby can’t get all the milk she needs from you – don’t lose sight of your main aim - to give your baby enough milk.