Breast performance

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

breastHow 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.

Your diet when breastfeeding

Contrary to popular belief, you can eat pretty much whatever you want when you’re breast-feeding. No foods have to be avoided but many mothers find that certain things affect the taste of the breast milk or give their babies mild digestive problems. Foods most likely to cause problems are curries and other hot spicy foods, citrus fruits (when eaten in excess) and garlic. If any of these happen to be your favourite food, then try eating them. If it doesn’t affect your baby, carry on. If you think that it is having an adverse affect on your baby, cut it out of your diet for a few days, then try eating it again to see whether it has the same result.

Fluids when breastfeeding.

You do need to drink plenty of fluids, preferably sticking to water or milk. It’s fine to drink tea, coffee and alcohol in moderation but it’s probably best to avoid fizzy drinks as these will often give your baby digestive problems. Be guided by thirst, but if your milk supply is low, try drinking a lot more fluid.

If none of this helps and your breasts don’t seem to be good milk producers, don’t assume it’s your fault and don’t feel a failure. At least consult a breastfeeding counsellor (most hospital maternity units have one) or your health visitor before you consider giving up on breastfeeding.

For more information see Clare Byam-Cook’s book:
‘What to expect when you’re breastfeeding….and what if you can’t’ published by Vermilion £7.99.